Joanna Thomas is the manager of Tauranga Library and has been for the past four years now. Her library career spans over 30 years across libraries in the Bay of Plenty, but her memories as a little girl take her back to the Tauranga Library on Willow Street, not the most recent building, but the one before that. Of all the libraries she has worked at, the current library at He Puna Manawa is her favourite to date.

So what does Joanna love about her job? Simply put, “no day is the same”. She loves talking and interacting with all walks of life that visit the library, some daily, some less frequently, and seeing the range of different things people can do and use the library for. They offer a wide range of services, other than just book lending, which include school holiday programmes, Tauranga history, genealogy experts, eBooks, computer & internet access & classes, homework help and community services to name a few. They also have an on-site café, the Tauranga City Council service centre located there too and visual displays showcasing local art and history.

The plans are well underway to build the new forever home for Tauranga Library, including a community hub, in the heart of the yet-to-be developed Civic Precinct. But for the next three years He Puna Manawa is home and Joanna is loving being in the heart of the city centre.

The library is free to join for anyone that lives in the Bay of Plenty. You can join online or in-person. And if you haven’t yet visited the Tauranga Library in their new home at He Puna Manawa, formerly Goddards Centre between Devonport Road & Grey Street, then make sure you do, it’s worth a visit. Open 7 days, 9.30am – 5.00pm Monday – Friday and 9.30am – 4.00pm on the weekends.

https://library.tauranga.govt.nz/