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Tūhuratanga
A list of our most frequently asked questions.
All Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs locations are closed on public holidays. You can see any upcoming days where the Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs will be closed.
You can find when the Te Ao Mārama Mobile Library will be near you.
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Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs offers full or digital memberships. Find out which membership option is best for you.
Your parent or guardian needs to come with you and sign a ‘young person’s membership form’ as your guarantor. They will need to bring their own photo I.D. and proof of address.
Yes, you can still join the library. Your library card will be posted to you, for use from that point forward.
To update your Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs membership details, you can phone or visit your nearest Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs location and talk to one of the friendly staff.
Please bring a form of identification with your current surname and your library card to a Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs location and one of our friendly staff will change the name on your account.
Don’t worry, it is easy to replace your library card if you have lost it. Visit one of our Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs location – bring some I.D. with you – and the staff will issue you a new one. There is a small cost to replace a lost library card—$5 for an adult library card and $2 for a child’s library card. Please let us know your card has been lost as soon as possible to ensure the security of your account.
To reset your library card PIN/password you can reset it online. An email will be sent to your email address with a link and instructions. If you are still having trouble you can also phone or visit your nearest Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs location and talk to one of the friendly staff.
Your membership gives you access to all of Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs’ lendable collection. You can use your membership at any Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs location, including the Te Ao Mārama Mobile Library. You can also access Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs entire digital library from anywhere!
Your digital membership gives you access to the digital resources only.
You do not need to be a library member to access any of our library programmes and events, or to use our computer and internet services.
Your Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs membership can be used at:
You can also access Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs’ Digital Library from anywhere!
When you join, you are given the option for print or email notices. You can also receive text message reminders.
To set this up, you can:
Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs use the personal details of their members only to conduct library related business. We need to be able to contact you about your membership and the items on your library card.
Any third-party vendors that the library provides access to will also only use your details for the purposes of access and use of their services.
Find the Library Membership Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement (463kb pdf).
Library accounts will be automatically deleted when they’ve been inactive for 37 months.
If you are moving away, or no longer wish to have a Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs account, please call us on 07-577 7177 or email us at library@tauranga.govt.nz.
Yes! You can scan, photocopy and print at the library. Please note there are charges for printing and photocopying. You do not need to be a library member to use this service.
The library provides access to free wifi in the library.
Looking for information about Skinny Jump low-cost, prepaid broadband?
You do not need to be a library member to use this service.
The internet connection provided by the library is secure. There are terms and conditions which are displayed when you log in.
All Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs have Chrome desktop computers and Chromebooks that can be used in the library for free. Find out more on our computer services page. You do not need to be a library member to use the computers.
All Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs offer print-from-your-own device services. You will need an email address to do this. You can send a print job from anywhere (including your personal device in the library, or your computer at home). You do not need to be a library member to use this service.
Most items can be borrowed, with the exception of some items in our reference collections. These items are located at He Puna Wānanga (the heritage and research room at Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Library & Community Hub) and in an offsite location. If you would like to view any of the offsite items, please contact research@tauranga.govt.nz.You may also be able to access items in the reference collection online through Pae Korokī.
You can borrow up to 40 physical items on your full library membership account at any one time.
The due date of your items is given upon issue. Please return or renew your items on or before this date. There are no daily late fees, however we do still need you to return or renew your items on time or the replacement cost of unreturned items will be billed to your card at 28 days past the due date. If your items are late, please contact the library as soon as possible.
Borrowing times differ, depending on what type of item you have borrowed. See how long you can borrow an item.
You can renew your items twice, provided that another customer has not placed a hold on that title.
There are five choices available to renew your items:
Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs have friendly staff who can help you find what you are looking for and if needed, place it on hold for you:
If we don't have an item that you are wanting to borrow then you may want to suggest a purchase. For items that are older, or hard to source, you may want to use our interlibrary loan service.
Placing a hold is a useful way to help you get the items you want. It is a free service.
If the item you want to borrow is checked out, you can claim a spot in line to borrow the item by placing a hold. Holds can be placed on items that are currently available too—our staff will locate them for you and have them waiting for you on the hold shelf at your preferred library location. Please wait to receive your hold notification before coming in to collect it, that way you can be confident your item is ready for you to pick up.
There are four choices available to place a Hold on an item:
The date that your hold item needs to be collected by is on your hold notification. The item will be set aside for you until that date has passed.
There is no fee for placing or issuing holds.
If you place a hold and no longer require it, please cancel it by logging into your library account, by using the Log In button or by phoning 07-577 7177. This will enable the item to go to the next borrower on the waiting list.
Your items can be returned to any of our libraries, regardless of where you issued them. After-hours book drops are located at our Tauranga, Greerton, Pāpāmoa and Mount Maunganui locations. You can also return items to the Te Ao Mārama Mobile Library.
No items are due on public holidays. Find up to date information about Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs opening hours.
Your library card could be blocked for several reasons, please contact the library to resolve this.
Visit your local library and our friendly team will help you.
This can happen to anyone. Please contact us—the sooner we know, the more options will be available to you.
Items lost to the collection do attract a lost item fee charge. We will work with you to ensure the cost is minimised.
Most items are free to borrow, but there are some items that have a borrowing fee. Find out more on the Membership page.
Well done! Reach out to us at library@tauranga.govt.nz.
This can happen to anyone. Please contact us—the sooner we know the more options will be available to you. Items that are no longer able to be circulated to other library borrowers will attract a damaged item fee charge. We will work with you to ensure the cost is minimised.
Our digital platforms can be used on smart devices, including phones and tablets. Find out how to set this up.
You can use your Kobo to read e-books—you can find instructions on how to do this here. Unfortunately, the Kindle e-reader from Amazon is not compatible with our library e-book collection.
You will need your Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs membership number (on the back of your card) or digital membership number and PIN/password. Find out more in our ecollections section.
If you are having trouble with your digital library accounts, please speak to a library staff member:
You need a current Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs card as you’ll need to enter your barcode and PIN number. If you don’t have a card, you can apply for a digital-only membership.
You will need your Te Ao Mārama Tauranga Libraries & Community Hubs membership number (on the back of your card) and PIN/password. Find out more in our ecollections section.
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