Te Huinga Wai

Te Huinga Wai – The Knowledge and Learning Hub is one of the two public library branches that make up Central Hawke's Bay District Libraries in New Zealand. It is located in Waipukurau, in the Central Hawke's Bay District, and operates alongside the Waipawa Library. The service is owned and run by the Central Hawke's Bay District Council, and its website is hosted under the council's chblibrary.nz domain. The library describes itself as sitting "at the heart of our communities" and as "a place for everyone: a great place to be." Its stated mission is to open up a world of reading enjoyment, with a dynamic collection that is updated regularly to meet a broad range of tastes. Holdings range from toddler board books and young adult comics to new-release popular fiction and audiobooks. Beyond lending, Te Huinga Wai positions itself as a place of discovery, offering programmes, events, resources and technology that help the community learn, connect and grow. As a community hub, the library provides physical space for people to meet, share, make or learn. It facilitates community initiatives, runs reading programmes that reach into local schools, partners to bring low-cost internet into local families' homes, and works to record and preserve the district's unique local heritage. Its service menu includes computers and WiFi, printing and photocopying, meeting rooms, inter-library loans, a Justice of the Peace service, a Books at Home service for those unable to visit, the Skinny Jump low-cost internet programme, after-hours access, and sustainability initiatives. Te Huinga Wai also hosts a Māori collection (Kohikohinga Māori) and large print and audiobook collections. Through the "Preserve Your Past" service, it provides online access to heritage material relating to Central Hawke's Bay, its people and events via the Recollect platform, which allows users to view and contribute heritage photos, documents, maps and ephemera. The library is a public, council-funded service rather than a commercial enterprise, and it does not have publicly listed ownership or a ticker. Its identity is closely tied to the Central Hawke's Bay District Council brand and to the wider Central Hawke's Bay District Libraries network.

Te Huinga Wai – The Knowledge and Learning Hub is a public library branch in Waipukurau, New Zealand, operating as part of Central Hawke's Bay District Libraries under the Central Hawke's Bay District Council. The council's library service comprises two branches: Waipawa Library and Te Huinga Wai in Waipukurau. The name Te Huinga Wai is Māori, and the facility is branded with the subtitle "The Knowledge and Learning Hub," reflecting its role as more than a traditional book-lending library. The library's development reflects a broader trend in New Zealand public libraries toward becoming multi-purpose community hubs. Its service offering has expanded to include computers and WiFi, printing and photocopying, meeting rooms, inter-library loans, a Justice of the Peace service, a Books at Home delivery service for residents who cannot visit in person, the Skinny Jump low-cost internet programme, after-hours access, and sustainability initiatives. These services are documented on the library's official website, chblibrary.nz. A significant part of Te Huinga Wai's work is heritage preservation. Through its "Preserve Your Past" service, the library provides online access to a rich store of heritage material relating to Central Hawke's Bay, its people and events, using the Recollect platform. This allows the public to view and contribute heritage photos, documents, maps and related ephemera, helping to grow a shared digital collection. The library also maintains a Māori collection (Kohikohinga Māori) and large print and audiobook collections, and runs programmes and events for the community, including reading programmes that reach into local schools. It partners with initiatives to bring low-cost internet into local families' homes. As a council-operated public service, Te Huinga Wai does not have a commercial founding date, founder, or corporate ownership structure in the way a private brand would. Its governance and funding come from the Central Hawke's Bay District Council. The library continues to serve as a community space for people of all ages to meet, share, make and learn.

A community-focused public library and learning hub offering free access to reading, technology, heritage and social services for all ages in Central Hawke's Bay.

• Public library lending

  Books, audiobooks and large print materials for all ages, from toddler board books to young adult comics and new-release fiction.

• Kohikohinga Māori (Māori collection)

  A dedicated collection of Māori-language and Māori-interest materials.

• Preserve Your Past (Recollect)

  Online heritage platform providing access to photos, documents, maps and ephemera relating to Central Hawke's Bay.

• Skinny Jump

  A partnership programme bringing low-cost internet into local families' homes.

• Books at Home

  A delivery service for residents who cannot visit the library in person.

• Community programmes and events

  Reading programmes in local schools, events and community initiatives.

1. 1Home » CHBDC District Librarychblibrary.nz
2. 2Preserve Your Past » CHBDC District Librarychblibrary.nz
3. 3About Us » CHBDC District Librarychblibrary.nz
4. 4Our Services » CHBDC District Librarychblibrary.nz
5. 5Te Huinga Waiwikidata.org