January 2025

Welcome to our update on South Library which is closing in February
Christchurch City Council is opening two new pop-up facilities to serve the local community, as demolition is about to begin on the earthquake-damaged South Library and Customer Service Hub. Both temporary facilities will operate until December 2026, when Ōmōkihi, the new Library and Customer Service Hub is expected to open.

South Library closed; South Colombo opens 9am Monday 24 Feb

South Library has now closed. The temporary library, South Colombo, will open at The Colombo on Monday 24 February.

Important dates

The Customer Service Hub at South Library closes 5pm Friday 7 February.
South Library closes 4pm Sunday 9 February.
The temporary Customer Service Hub will open at Pioneer Recreation and Sport Centre on Monday 10 February.
The temporary library, South Colombo, will open at The Colombo shopping centre, 363 Colombo Street on Monday 24 February.

South Colombo Library

The pop-up library at The Colombo will open 9am Monday 24 February.
South Colombo will be located on the western side of The Colombo and offer a collection of around 10,000 items, an area for children’s sessions and spaces for people to relax and study.
South Colombo will be open seven days, 9am to 5pm weekdays and 10am to 4pm Saturdays and Sundays.
South Colombo will be cash free, with EFTPOS available.
It is expected to operate until December 2026, when Ōmōkihi South Library and Customer Service Hub is set to open.

South Colombo Library is a smaller space than South Library so it will have a compact collection of around 10,000 items. Some of South Library’s stock will be relocated to other libraries.

A small number of items will be put into storage until Ōmōkihi South Library and Customer Service Hub opens. Other copies of these titles are available from other libraries across the network. If you are looking for a particular title, find it on our catalogue and place a free hold and we will send it to your chosen library to collect.

Spreydon Library and the South Mobile Van

While work on Ōmōkihi is underway, we’re also extending the hours at Spreydon Library (9am to 7pm weekdays and 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday) and boosting its collection with stock from South.

Our mobile library van South Mobile will also be visiting local schools, community hubs and locations close to South Library including Princess Margaret Hospital riverside, the Cashmere Club and She Chocolaterie car park (opposite South Library).

Find out more

Women's Prize for Fiction

Honours and celebrates fiction written by women and published in the U.K. The 2025 winner has been announced.