“It’s ours!”: Happy 5th birthday, Tūranga and the Discovery Wall

Library staff took a photo on Wednesday 10 October 2018. two days before Tūranga opened.

Tūranga staff get ready for opening

Opening Day Friday 12 October 2018

Tūranga opened on a cold, wet and windy Friday 12 October 2018. Since that first day, we have welcomed millions to our five-storey library in Cathedral Square.

Take a trip back in time to Tūranga's wonderful busy first day. Here are the keen customers who came in first - can you spot someone you know in the crowd?
The older lady in the front row with the neat blue hat and winning smile is Marlene; she was officially the first customer to come into Tūranga.

More photos from Tūranga's opening day Friday 12 October 2018.

Tūranga then and now: Listen in

Have a listen to this interview with He Hononga Team Leader Rosemary Nicholls, and Library Assistant Christine Wehrmeier. I love the moment Rosemary shares when the first customers arrive out of the lift on Auahatanga |4th floor and they say excitedly "It's ours!"

5MB, 5 minutes 10 seconds

Extended remix version: Long version 16MB, 19 minutes 47 seconds

Tūranga customer - Jeffrey

One of Tūranga's regular visitors is Jeffrey Huffadine. Jeffrey visited on opening day 12 October 2018.

Regular customers happy to be in Tūranga. Tūranga opening day. Friday 12 October 2018. Flickr TU-2018-10-12-IMG_1311

When I spoke to him again on the 8th of March 2019, he had already visited 127 times! (I saw him today and should have asked what his total is up to now).

Jeffrey has been to Tūranga 127 times since it opened! ^DR pic.twitter.com/GSaQ7wu1F7

— Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi (@ChristchurchLib) March 8, 2019

It was so exciting to be part of that first day after watching Tūranga take shape. The excitement and passion hasn't dimmed.

Happy 5th birthday to the Discovery Wall

It's also a happy 5th birthday to the Discovery Wall. This touch-sensitive, digital representation of Christchurch lets you swipe your way through a virtual world. It lives in Tūranga and its smaller buddy the mobile Discovery Wall travels around the libraries. You can access the Discovery Wall website everywhere. This month it's the Photo Hunt and you can contribute your photos and win Riverside Market vouchers.

Happy 5th birthday Tūranga and the Discovery Wall!

Tūranga history

Here's me and my colleague Moata just before the crowds came in on opening day.

Library staff, TSB Space / Tautoru — Donna and Moata, Hapori | Community, Level 1, Opening day, Tūranga, Southbase Construction, Friday 12 October 2018. Artwork in background: Kākano Puananī – Airborne Seeds by Riki Manuel and Morgan Mathews-Hale. Flickr TU-2018-10-12-026. Photo by Pam Carmichael Photography.