Tauranga City Council’s new Greerton Library embraces the move from a traditional, to a modern and collaborative learning environment.
When it came to choosing counters, the design required the style and functionality to complement the library’s design and service philosophy; enabling staff to easily engage with customers and comfortably carry out the daily tasks of a busy community library.
Tauranga City Libraries had previously worked with Instinct Furniture in all their other sites and were sold on the advantages Instinct’s range of height adjustable, interactive counters offered. Joanna Thomas, Tauranga City Libraries Customer Services Team, and her colleagues favoured the STEALTH 2100 design; sit to stand height adjustable, with plenty of desktop space and suitable for both issues and help functions.
Two STEALTH counters were deployed opposite the entrance, in the heart of the library. Positioned side by side, STEALTH allows staff to move freely, to engage with customers at the curved meeting ends and to easily move beyond the counters to help out in the library.
Whilst retaining the appearance of a traditional counter, STEALTH frees itself to become a freestanding island with more connectivity to customers. Joanna Thomas, Customer Services Team Leader, says, “Stealth Counters provide for a range of interactions with customers and makes it easy for staff to move around in the space assisting with self-service and also providing for queries that take longer. The flexibility of sit to stand desks allows future proofing for where the range of customer and staff activities develop in the library space over the next 5 years.”
And through the rest of the library…
At twice the size of the old library, the new library includes a Community Meeting Room and Learning Centre with a strong digital presence, where people can improve their IT and digital literacy skills.
A spacious area provides plenty of space to sit, work, learn, or relax, with technology at the forefront.
With an emphasis on learning, the library houses 10,000 more books, 16 computers, iPads, e readers and provides free internet. A full-time tutor is available to help visitors get the best out of the technology offered.
The children’s area features a sunny colourful corner with plenty of seating for caregivers and a range of places for children to explore and play.
Tauranga City Libraries Manager, Jill Best says, “Greerton library is a great example of how libraries have evolved to become community knowledge hubs, offering traditional book-based services like activities for children and adults, spaces to read, study, to meet friends, community history and centres for people to access the internet and learn more about digital technology.”
