Hamilton City Library strategy - community survey
Feedback updated 15 Mar 2023
We asked
Hamilton City Council has been developing a Libraries Strategy, and we asked the Hamilton community what their thoughts were on our draft outcomes, including literacy and learning, culture and community, digital leaders, and engaging spaces. We engaged with our staff, mana whenua, schools, and wider community throughout the process.
You said
We asked people what they would like to see our libraries do in the future. The top three themes from each outcome was:
- Literacy and Learning:
- having seminars, book clubs, and group reading activities
- encouraging kids to use libraries
- increasing variety/types of books/authors.
- Culture and Community:
- having a variety of cultural books and books in different languages
- collaborating with community and other ethnic groups
- having themed celebrations and events.
n.b. These themes were consistent across respondents from different ethnic groups.
- Digital leaders:
- better use of digital technology for accessing books/e-books
- making resources on what and how to access online
- having dedicated staff to assist with digital literacy.
- Engaging spaces:
- having multiple types of spaces such as quiet areas and areas for interactive reading etc
- having more types of classes and workshops
- making comfortable seating for all ages and abilities.
We did
The consultation feedback is helping to shape the library strategy which will be presented for adoption by the Community and Natural Environment Committee Meeting in June 2023. The libraries team will ensure that their services and planning align with the strategy.
Overview
Hamilton City Libraries is setting the future vision and direction for our city’s library services. We want to hear your thoughts, to make sure we’re on the right track.
Kirikiriroa has six libraries spread across the city, packed full of hundreds of thousands of items for the community to use and enjoy. Besides traditional books, our libraries also have a wide range of magazines, e-books, kits and other valuable resources available. We receive about 30,000 new items for the community to use each year.
Our libraries are taonga (treasures) for our community. They help shape vibrant, thriving, connected communities. Our libraries and digital services are a free resource that can help set our city’s tamariki and rangatahi up for success.
Your feedback is valuable in ensuring the new overarching strategy is inclusive, holistic, and long-lasting. Once we get it right, we will make sure all our services and planning align with this strategy.
What is the Hamilton City Libraries Strategy?
Our vision is for our city’s libraries to help shape a thriving, vibrant city. We want our libraries to inspire creativity, promote life-long learning, and strengthen our communities and we hope to achieve this through focusing on four key outcomes:
- Literacy and learning
- Culture and community
- Digital leaders
- Engaging spaces
Why your views matter
We’d love to hear from you! Let us know what you think through a short survey and take 10-15 minutes to have your say – perhaps you have ideas and insights we haven’t yet thought of.
What happens next?
Our citywide engagement will run from February to early March. Following this, Council staff will collect, review and analyse your feedback, to establish themes and trends.
We will incorporate the community’s feedback into our draft strategy before we present it to the Community Committee in mid-2022.
Have your say before 11 March 2022.
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