Upper Hutt Library Changes
Thanks to everyone for their feedback it is very much appreciated.
Your voices are critically important. If we don’t speak out our policy makers will say that we don’t mind or we don’t care. If you have any ideas on how we can be better heard by Council I would love to hear them!
I am only one person and our policy makers are impressed most by numbers, the more of us that speak up the better.
Auckland City Council is looking to close Libraries (no matter what they say) as part of ‘across the board’ cost cutting! Libraries are a soft target.
I know from experience that the current library trendy changes are unprofessional and not even a valid system - I know that instituting ‘trendy new philosophies’ is a way of disguising other agenda – I know that counting numbers is a way to make a case for downgrading or disappearing a service! Does our Council have an undeclared agenda? I believe so!
We all always used have equal access to all the books in the Library under the traditional system, and we all managed to borrow books. We were always able to choose to explore other genre, the books were/are always there. It only needed us to go down an aisle that we hadn’t been down before.
• I and others like me, now have had our choices taken away we now have no choice but to trawl at length through every genre, eliminating everything we don’t want.
For those of us whose natural style of search is systematic genre based and for those of us who only read one or two genre the new layout is a messy, confined, time consuming, a mind numbing maze. Spots on spines won’t help as we still have to look through the whole of fiction looking for them. A public library is a ratepayer funded community service and should include and be accessible to all members of the community, as it once very recently was, and the traditional libraries still are! 300 Public Libraries in NZ only 30 have adopted this philosophy.
I don’t mind change and actively support change, as long it a result of a consultative process which results in including and being accessible to more people. The new layout is not as inclusive or accessible as it was prior to the trendy changes.
My Blog documents my interaction with Council and more details.
Poll: Have you ever had a scary flight?
A plane flying from Christchurch to Wellington on Sunday had smoke billowing out of the engine and upon landing, passengers had to open the emergency exit and jump out. Have you had any scary flying experiences?
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56.7% Yes!
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43.3% No, it's always been smooth flying
ALEXANDER ROAD SPEED LIMIT
Alexander Road in Trentham-Wallaceville of which 50% separates a golf course from a military encampment enclosure and the rest has mostly high fenced off industrial and residential areas on both sides, should have a 70km speed restriction.
Only a short time ago the road had a 80km restriction and was reduced to a pedestrian 50km much to the frustration of many. It has never been an accident prone stretch of road.
The several round-abouts ensure speed is reduced to 30-40km when these things occur.
I recently stayed a few days in Feilding - often given the title of the best town in NZ - and one of the lengthy main streets has a 70km speed restriction despite a predominance of unfenced residential properties on both sides.
LIVE Q&A: Financial well-being with Cat Rikihana
Today (Wednesday) we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with Cat Rikihana who is a financial mentor, educator and financial capability practitioner at Financial Freedom Trust in the Manawatū.
Cat Rikihana (Ngai Tahu) like many financial mentors around Aotearoa, works with individuals, groups and whānau to successfully navigate financial stress and hardship. Mentors work alongside whānau to increase confidence and skills in personal money management and advocate with and for clients. Cat enjoys delivering online and face-to-face workshops which provide opportunities to normalise money conversations and encourages people to make time to consider their financial well-being.
Cat is also an independent financial well-being coach, educator and indigenous life coach at Restore Wellness Network. She is a published writer and currently in the process of writing her first non-fiction book: 'A financial self-care guide for women in Aotearoa.'
She'd love to answer any questions you may have around your budgeting and spending habits, strategies for saving, retirement planning and debt. (Don't be shy, but be mindful about what you disclose!)
↓ Share your questions now and Cat will reply to your comment below ↓
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