South Dunedin Community Library's first year stacked with good stories

Since the facility opened on 27 September 2025, the library has been embraced by a broad range of users.

Some statistics (from 27 September 2025 to 30 June 2026):

• 54,688 people have visited the new library
• 1792 new Dunedin Public Libraries members have signed up at South Dunedin
• 95,052 items have been borrowed
• 397 programmes and events (attended by more than 4000 people)

This latter figure reveals the library is an increasingly popular place for people to gather, meet and learn new skills, Lynn Vare, Manager City and South Dunedin Libraries says.

“We’re growing these things all the time. More people have joined this library and more people are using its services, resources, collections and spaces.

“Speaking of spaces, our public meeting rooms are constantly booked. From October 2025 to September 2026 there have been 776 meeting room bookings – an average of 70 bookings per month, 17 per week, 3.5 per day,” Ms Vare says.

From October 2025 to September 2026, bookings for Taupuni Oro recording studio were 168. Notably, each recording session is at least 3 hours long, meaning more than 500 creative hours have been spent in the space.

“And let’s not forget the loos,” Ms Vare says. “There is no door count for this part of the facility, but they are very popular and well-used. People appreciate this facility greatly. They are modern, clean, accessible, quality ablutions and include a wonderful carers’ room for whānau.”

Staffing at the South Dunedin Community Library is another indicator of success, with more than 530 applications received for 11 positions.

“Seven of our current staff came from outside the Dunedin Public Libraries network, only one had previous library experience, but all came with strong communication and people skills,” Ms Vare says.

“We wanted this library to have a strong culture based in the values of Te Puawai – our library plan. We recruited with these in mind, and it was amazing to build a completely new team.

The following (anonymized) staff reflections provide other insights into this vital and vibrant South Dunedin facility:

“This year has flown past – testament, I believe, to our fantastic patrons and the energy that they have given to us leading up to the aptly named 'paper anniversary'. I'm so grateful to the community and their willingness to eagerly embrace the South Dunedin Community Library, and all the people that made it a reality.”

“I feel we've built a great atmosphere. People are drawn to the place. We've managed to build something really special here – a strong culture grounded in manaakitanga, and an environment where people feel valued, supported and able to thrive.”

“It has been a pleasure seeing and hearing from patrons how access to this space helps to uplift their community. It is also amazing to witness the number of sign-ups to the library – many of those are people who have never had a library card before.”

Still didn't find what you were looking for?