Archive #48/65: The College Library, 1997

In 1956 the library, with Mr Denniston in charge, was situated on the ground floor of the Homestead, and was well supported by parents who gave generously to establish it on a firm footing. Mr and Mrs Paul, parents of L.J. and S.J. Paul, presented three prints of the Lindisfarne Priory, which they purchased while visiting the Holy Island earlier in the year. The prints are in Hiberno-Saxon illumination, which date back to the A.D.700. The etchings, when presented, were at least 100 years old. The framed prints now hang in the Homestead.

By 1983 the library’s reference section had expanded to such an extent that it had become the equal of many larger schools. The Old Boys’ Association wishing to pay tribute to the Rev. Storkey, and at the same time, make a positive contribution to the library, donated $2,000 worth of reference books, which were to be the start of the “Rev. D.W.Storkey Collection.” By the middle of the 1980’s, it was obvious that a bigger building was needed to house the library and the first of many work days was held to assist with a building fund for a new building. The boys earned the sum of $7,500, which was immediately banked. Eight years later that money, combined with the interest, which totalled just over $10,000, was forwarded to the Lindisfarne College Foundation. The generation of boys who had attended Lindisfarne in the four years from 1985 until 1988 earned a total of $44,231 on the days set aside as official College Work Days.

The Library received a bonanza in 1990, when Mr J Webber, a friend of the College, donated his entire library which had been accumulated over his lifetime. This large and diverse collection was valued at $4,000.00. By 1993 the library had all its books catalogued under the Dewey System and was operating efficiently but it was becoming obvious that there was a definite lack of space. One of the reasons was due to the increase in assignment work, which made up a large percentage of the Internal assessment programmes, in such subjects as economics, biology, English, history, geography and accounting

Lindisfarne was accepted by the National Library of New Zealand to be part of its School Library Development Programme in !995. The object was to initiate and develop a five-year Library Development Plan for the College, part of which involved designing a new library to specifically serve the requirements of the Lindisfarne boys.

Mr Jarrod Cunningham, taking time out from his rugby commitments, was employed to load the catalogue on the new library computer. The computer and associated software were able to be purchased because of the boys who had designated the $10,000 raised on the work day specifically for the library. To encourage the boys to read more widely the “Book of the Week” was introduced, whereby the Rector would briefly review and comment on a new addition to the Library, at each Monday’s assembly

The building of the new Library commenced after Easter in 1996 but before work could start, the aviary which had been in existence for over twenty years needed to be dismantled. All the exotic birds found a new home at the Cornwall Park Aviary.

The new library was in use from the first day of the school year in 1997 and was officially opened by Mr. Rick Barker the M.P. for Tukituki on 27th May 1997. Every single book contained in the old library was transferred across the Homestead lawn along a line of fourth form boys. The new building was the most effective combination, in one single building, of fiction and non-fiction books, reference material, research facilities, computers, information technology and teaching space.

The ground floor with 6,500 books, encyclopaedias, all the latest magazines of interest, the daily newspapers, the computerised catalogue, a spacious staff work-room and a well-appointed office for the librarian, created a restful ambiance that encouraged both staff and boys to make full use of all the facilities. The upper mezzanine floor, with its lines of computers, a specialised research area, two study areas, a designated silent reading area and the classroom, provided an ideal learning and working space. The library was kept open right up until the end of prep, as well as being available to the boarders on Sunday from 10am until noon.

The new library become a central focus in the College. This was in no small way assisted by the John Holt Trust, which is administered by an Old Boy. The Trust donated the finance to complete the wooden bridge over the fish-pond along with the cobbled paths, with the fountain as a focus. The layout of the paths was so designed to allow the boys ease of access to the new building.

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