A new lobby group has been formed out of concern about potential changes to libraries in the Waitaki district.
Leave Our Libraries Alone (Lola) was formed at a public meeting on Monday on the restructure of Waitaki libraries under the district council’s "transformation" plan.
About 50 people turned out.
In a statement after the meeting, council chief executive Alex Parmley said under the reorganisation the range and type of services offered at the libraries would be broadened.
This means the Oamaru, Palmerston and a Waitaki Valley location yet to be determined will become hubs.
"As a hub, we aim to offer a wider range of services than currently, and create spaces where our staff, partners and community groups can come together to support our community", Mr Parmley said.
What is planned for libraries in Hampden, Kurow, Otematata and Omarama has not yet been made clear.
A new organisational plan has yet to be released by the council.
Meeting convener P. D. R. Lindsay-Salmon said there had been "a lot of chatter" about the transformation but it was still not entirely clear how it would unfold for the library.
Waitaki residents concerned about their libraries’ futures needed to "make a noise" now if the council was to listen, Ms Lindsay-Salmon said.
Former Waitaki librarian in Oamaru, Glenys Robinson, said turning the libraries into community hubs understated what they already were.
"It is already a community hub — we do an enormous amount of things.
"For me, it comes back to staff. If we don’t have the staff, we can’t operate the library.
Ms Robinson said the library services were already reliant on a core volunteer team, underpinned by professional library staff and to say "customer service staff" could do the same job as trained librarians was not accurate.
Reducing professional input at the libraries could curtail the range of community activities already provided there.
She said the district’s libraries needed qualified staff to continue the core value of public libraries as places of public information.
Ms Lindsay-Salmon said questions about the transformation and the motives of those leading it, had to be treated carefully.
But in the first instance, "we need to protect our library".
Former Waitaki mayoral candidate Katrina Hazelhurst, said clear information on the shape of the transformation had not been forthcoming despite official requests to council.
"Some of us have been asking for a year or more — we cannot get that information."
However, it seemed like the restructure was a way to cut costs, she said.
"We shouldn’t call it a transformation, but a devaluation", Ms Hazelhurst said.
David Wilson called for a plan of attack, noting the strong meeting turnout.
What they faced was in "a complex arena" and it made sense to capitalise on the strong interest and form a core group to look at it strategically.
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher and the council chief executive Alex Parmley said they were not invited to the meeting as far as they knew.
"We're also not aware of any new organisation being formed", they said in a statement.
Mr Parmley said the recently vacated Waitaki libraries manager position would be replaced by an arts, culture and libraries manager, and a lead librarian.
"The current structure requires three permanent degree-level qualified librarians.
"In the new structure we will retain the same number.
"Many staff currently working in the library have customer facing roles.
"We will continue to have these staff do this, but within a wider customer service team, alongside our qualified librarians."
Other council staff already based at the Oamaru library had education roles.
"These staff will also complement those working in the library and elsewhere, bringing our staff together, rather than working in silos."
Lola is now planning a further meeting and a petition.
