Staff improvise as mould hits library

Namrata Banerjee and Olive Stanyer, information librarians, have been working from a table on the stairs while the non-fiction section is closed. Photo / Andrew Warner

Tauranga Library's non-fiction section is sealed because of mould - but staff are doing everything they can to make sure people are able to access the information they need.

Libraries manager Jill Best said one-quarter of the library was sealed off due to toxic black mould that has been found throughout the civic block on Willow St.

Staff were notified of the partial closure at 2pm on Christmas Eve and since then, the only non-fiction books the library has been able to lend are those that have been returned by borrowers.

These books sit on shelves and trolleys set up wherever there is space, in the fiction section and in the open half of the first floor.

Despite this, staff are still doing their best to give people what they're looking for, Ms Best said.

"There are various things we've been trying to do to keep our service. Our information librarians who normally sit at a desk in the entrance to the non-fiction section are now sitting at a table on the stairs.

"The New Zealand Room is now a reading space and an overflow for what non-fiction we've got left."

Ms Best said staff were directing people who had specific books they wanted to find to Mount Maunganui, Greerton or Papamoa libraries, or would find the book at another library around the country using the inter-library loan service.

The books in the sealed off section were undamaged by the mould, Ms Best said.

Olive Stanyer, information librarian document delivery, said the mould and resulting closure of the non-fiction section, had changed her job "quite dramatically".

"Last Friday was really busy. Between 9.30am and 12.45pm we had about 90 queries and were running up and down the stairs finding different things for different people.

"One lady came in and wanted to find a certain section.

"I showed her the books we had on one of the returns trolleys from that section in the New Zealand Room." Namrata Banerjee, information librarian technology, said from December 31 to January 12, library staff had dealt with 644 inquiries.

She said people came to the library with the expectation they could browse books or the internet and were "quite disappointed" to find this was not always possible.

"Ninety-nine per cent of them are quite understanding.

"They know why we are shut and are very supportive.

"We try to give them alternative suggestions about how to get the book they want."

Mrs Banerjee said one man had tried to convince her to go into the sealed section to find the book he wanted and she had to explain it was sealed off from everyone.