Situated beside the Heathcote River, on the corner of Colombo Street and Hunter Terrace, the South Library provides facilities for residents to study, meet friends and chat over coffee, take time out to sit and read, access information, learn technology skills, hold meetings, conduct Council business and for families to share learning and recreation experiences.
Opening hours
Beckenham Customer Service Hub hours
Ōmōkihi South Library and Customer Service Hub
Christchurch City Council is rebuilding the earthquake-damaged South Library and Customer Service Hub building, Te Kete Wānanga o wai Mōkihi, in Beckenham. Find out more about the new Ōmōkihi South Library and Customer Service Hub.
Transport
- The number 1 bus route stops nearby. See the Metroinfo timetables for more information.
- Metrocard top-up service is available at the CCC service desk Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, and from library staff until 6.30pm on weekdays and 3.30pm on Saturday and Sunday.
- Off street parking and bicycle stands are available.
Services and facilities
- Services available at all Christchurch City Libraries
- Toilets inside library, including disabled access
- AED (Automated External Defibrillator)
- A fully equipped Parents’ Room: child’s size toilet and basin, adult basin, pull down nappy changer, microwave, adult chair / feeding chair
- Book a librarian one on one sessions
- Meeting rooms and bookable spaces
- Wā Pēpi / Babytimes and Wā Kōrero / Storytimes
- South Library events
Computers and technology
- Auahatanga - Creative Spaces including laser cutting; vinyl printing; 3D printing; sewing, overlocker, and embroidery machines; vacuum former; heat press; badge maker; DTG Direct to Garment Printing, and craft cutter.
- 14 public computers with free internet access (13 available for 60 minute sessions, 1 available for 15 minute sessions)
- 2 children’s computers
- 1 family history computer
- South Learning Centre has computer lab with 16 computers that can be booked for sessions by community groups
- Free wireless internet access
- Printing and photocopying
- Scan to email or USB
Vily's Café
Vily's Café opened on Monday 9 January 2023. When creating his menu, Vilem kept food waste minimisation principles in mind – everything is made in-house and sourced from local suppliers like Bohemian Bakery, Frank's Café, and Café Berlin.
Monday to Friday: 9am - 4pm
Saturday, Sunday: 10am - 4pm
phone: 03 332 8200
Collections
- Fiction and nonfiction
- Children’s and young adults’ material
- World languages including children's material
- Children’s Stories to Go
- Jigsaws
- Ngā Pounamu Māori
Ward and Community Board
South Library and Beckenham Customer Service Hub is in the Cashmere Ward.
Waihoro Spreydon-Cashmere-Heathcote Community Board holds regular meetings that you’re welcome to attend. Anyone can ask to speak to the board about a local issue, activity or project. Find out more: Waihoro Spreydon-Cashmere-Heathcote Community Board
Community Board meetings are usually held in the Boardroom at the South Library and Beckenham Customer Service Hub.
Photographs
See more photos of South Library on Flickr
Te Kete Wānanga o Wai Mōkihi
Ōmōkihi South Library and Customer Service Hub
Find out more about Ōmōkihi South Library and Customer Service Hub
The new South Library has been gifted a name - Ōmōkihi – connecting the building back to its riverside site.
The name has been given to Christchurch City Council by Ngāi Tūāhuriri and is consistent with the traditional practice of whakahaumanu te papatupu | restoring the customary title to the land beneath the building. Read more: Connecting South Library back to its history Newsline, 13 February 2024
We're engaging with the community as we draw up plans for rebuilding the quake-damaged South Library and customer services building, Te Kete Wānanga o Wai Mōkihi, in Beckenham. Ignite Architects will develop the concept design for a rebuild of the earthquake-damaged building. Ignite will lead a multi-disciplinary team of specialists who'll work together to create a design for a new build on the existing site. The rebuilt facility will provide library, customer services, café and governance spaces and will be a similar size to the existing building. It's important to have the community involved every step of the way. Find out more.
Location confirmed for pop-up South Library
Christchurch City Libraries is partnering with The Colombo shopping centre to create a new pop-up library in early 2025.
The pop-up will serve as a temporary replacement for the soon-to-be-rebuilt South Library building.
The earthquake-damaged South Library and Service Centre building is set to be demolished in autumn 2025 to make way for the new Ōmōkihi South Library and Customer Service Hub.
“Of all our community libraries, South attracts the most visitors – it's a familiar home away from home for many people in that area of Christchurch,” says Carolyn Robertson, Libraries and Information Manager.
“Losing that sort of service can be tough for a community. Setting up shop nearby is the best way to keep the services running, and The Colombo is just down the road. We have access to The Colombo site from early December and will start preparations then, for an early 2025 opening.”
The pop-up library will be located in the western side of The Colombo and offer a collection of around 8000 items, an area for children’s sessions and spaces for people to relax and study. The familiar team from South will run the pop-up library.
“South Library’s true home is on that beautiful riverside spot in Beckenham, and we’ll all miss it while it’s out of action, but the pop-up will be a lovely little spot in the interim and the end result of all this work – Ōmōkihi – will be well worth the decade-plus wait,” Mrs Robertson says.
Ōmōkihi will be built on the same site, and keep a similar floor area, as the current facility. It will provide a library, customer services, learning centre, café, governance spaces and meeting rooms.
The pop-up library will be open seven days, with exact hours to be confirmed, and is expected to operate until December 2026, when Ōmōkihi South Library is set to open.
Information from Location confirmed for pop-up South Library, Newsline, 8 October 2024
More information about the South Library building
South Christchurch library building was designed by architects Warren and Mahoney, and officially opened on 23 August 2003.
Awards
South Library received a supreme award for architecture at the 2004 NZIA awards. This was one of only five supreme awards given. In addition to the supreme award the building was also a winner in the "community and cultural" and the "colour" sections.
