Not just books
Accessing help with financial, property and employment advice can all be done at a library near you in Hurunui.
Library staff can guide Hurunui residents to appropriate websites and communication avenues, to access services such as Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB), IRD, Realme, and Ministry of Social Development (MSD).
In addition, volunteers from Citizens Advice Bureau in Rangiora visit Hurunui Memorial Library in Amberley fortnightly on the second and fourth Friday of each month, 9am to 11.30am.
Inquiries about MSD can be made at the libraries in Cheviot and Culverden, and accessing its Rangiora services can happen remotely, monthly.
Together Hurunui and Welcoming Communities Facilitator Natalie Paterson said this satellite service of MSD’s offering online one-on-one meetings means a real in-person experience.
Together Hurunui is an advocacy group which is a big driver behind this shift in accessibility.
“It offers rural people a service that’s traditionally based in the bigger nearby urban centres, so this is a great step forward,” said Paterson.
These satellite services have been available since last year, and the second round of funding is almost complete.
Mayor Marie Black is chairperson of Together Hurunui, and urges residents in Hurunui to utilise these services that perhaps not enough people are aware of.
“Perhaps you’re searching for a new job, wanting to save for a house deposit, or seeking guidance for all things financial, these free services are worth tapping into.”
In some instances a referral is required, but library staff can point anyone in the right direction.
Together Hurunui works hard to identify resource gaps, works alongside service providers and support groups to overcome them.
Mayor Black is acutely aware of the need to deliver services close to home, and making good use of Hurunui’s libraries to provide this, goes some way to managing the gap.
District Librarian Mark O’Connell said libraries throughout Hurunui are also home of Justice of the Peace (JP) and many support groups.
A JP Service is available weekly at the library in Amberley on Fridays, 11.30am -1pm, some library staff in Cheviot and Hanmer Springs are JPs, and all library staff are available to assist customers in sourcing a local one.
O’Connell said the traditional mindset of ‘libraries are just for books’ is shifting, and is keen to see awareness about these modern satellite services grow.
“It’s about all coming together to support both these services and people in our communities. The more people who know about what’s on offer, the better,” said O’Connell.
To find out more about what is on offer at Hurunui’s libraries, please visit: https://www.hurunui.govt.nz/community/library/our-...
