Located in New Zealand’s capital city, the Wellington City Libraries system is at the heart of the community. Serving a resident population of 190,000 people, as well as city workers from a metropolitan area of nearly 430,000 people, there is a branch in just about every Wellington neighborhood.
Wellington library users borrow 2.9 million physical books, magazines, and audio-visual items and 83,000 e-books each year, and there are over 2.3 million visits to the libraries annually.
Outreach is a focus area for Wellington City Libraries, with programs such as Baby Rock N Rhyme, “Law for Lunch,” English language conversation classes, and the waterfront Book Bike contributing to community outcomes in this highly liveable city. Collections are available in English, Maori, Samoan, Chinese, Arabic, and many other languages, reflecting the city’s diverse population.
Why is this library system so popular? Comments by happy patrons responding to the library’s 2014 customer survey included:
- “It’s handy to home, the staff are excellent, and I love just popping down there returning my books and browsing the shelves.”
- “I love libraries. They fill a crucial role in our local and wider communities.”
Wellington City Libraries has used CARL•Solution since 2002, and the system migrated to CARL•X in 2010. Library Manager John Stears appreciates TLC’s approach to delivering client-focused software, with the user experience for library staff and customers alike at the heart of their products.
