Rotorua Library

Rotorua Library Welcome to Rotorua Library, Te Aka Mauri. A place to be inspired, educated and entertained! A place to be inspired, educated and entertained.

The Rotorua Lakes Council is a caring and progressive organisation that prides itself on high standards of service delivery and open and transparent governance.

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Guidelines for Expected Behaviour on Rotorua Lake's Council's Social Media accounts


Rotorua Library reserves the right to remove contributions and followers on its social media pages that break the rules or guidelines of the releva

nt communities e.g. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and our rules stated below. Messages and images on the Library's social media pages must always be polite, respectful, appropriate and relevant. Users of Rotorua Library's social media pages must never:

• swear or use offensive language
• post messages or images that are unlawful, libelous, harassing, defamatory, abusive, threatening, harmful, obscene, profane, sexually oriented or racially offensive
• post photos or videos of people without their prior consent
• post protected content copied from elsewhere e.g. infringe on copyrights or trademarks
• post the same message, or very similar messages, more than once (spamming)
• publicise personal information or contact details
• use Rotorua Lakes Council's pages for electioneering purposes
• advertise products or services or provide endorsements
• impersonate someone else
• purposefully attempt to aggravate, blame or direct abuse to inflame a situation further (trolling)

King’s Birthday Weekend Hours 👑Rotorua Library will be open Saturday 30 May, 10am–4pm.Closed Sunday 31 May and Monday 1 ...
28/05/2026

King’s Birthday Weekend Hours 👑
Rotorua Library will be open Saturday 30 May, 10am–4pm.
Closed Sunday 31 May and Monday 1 June.
Normal hours resume Tuesday 2 June.
Have a great long weekend! ✨😊📚

140 Years Since the Eruption of Mount Tarawera 🌋On 10 June 1886, Mount Tarawera erupted in one of the worst natural disa...
28/05/2026

140 Years Since the Eruption of Mount Tarawera 🌋
On 10 June 1886, Mount Tarawera erupted in one of the worst natural disasters in New Zealand history. Entire villages disappeared beneath ash and mud, more than 120 lives were lost, and the world-famous Pink and White Terraces were destroyed forever.

To commemorate the 140th anniversary of this historic event, Rotorua Museum and Rotorua Library invite the community to a special afternoon of remembrance, culture, storytelling, and reflection at Rotorua Library, Te Aka Mauri.

📍 Wednesday 10 June 2026
Programme highlights include:
• 12.15pm - Waiata Mai
• 1pm - Kapa haka performances from Whakarewarewa School
• 1.30pm - Watch Rotorua Stories movie (previously shown at Rotorua Museum)
• Tarawera inspired art exhibition & digital displays

Rotorua Library honours those who lost their lives during the Tarawera eruption, and the whānau who were affected by the devastation that ensued. We acknowledge the lasting impact of this terrible event.

📌 - Can you guess who this young man is? Hint: we'll be honouring his official birthday on Monday. That's right, it's ...
27/05/2026

📌 - Can you guess who this young man is? Hint: we'll be honouring his official birthday on Monday. That's right, it's a young King Charles when he was a prince! 🫅🎂

The image is taken from the May 1970 edition of the Rotorua Photo News. The caption reads: Prince Charles and his Equerry, Squadron Leader W. B. Checketts, pictured in the grounds of Moose Lodge where Prince Charles and Princess Anne spent a few days during the recent Royal visit.

If, like us, you're wondering what an equerry is, here's a definition from the Oxford English Dictionary: "a male officer who acts as an assistant to a member of a royal family".

📌 Genealogy Quick Tip!Need more help volunteers from the Rotorua Branch of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists will ...
26/05/2026

📌 Genealogy Quick Tip!
Need more help volunteers from the Rotorua Branch of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists will be in the library TOMORROW to help with family history research. All welcome!
⏰ 10am-12noon
📍 2nd floor, red

On Tuesday night, more than 100 residents gathered at Te Aka Mauri to hear Indigenous American author Louise Erdrich sha...
21/05/2026

On Tuesday night, more than 100 residents gathered at Te Aka Mauri to hear Indigenous American author Louise Erdrich share her story and that of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, of which she is a member.

She read excerpts from her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "The Night Watchman" and "Python’s Kiss: stories". After a lively and engaging Q&A session with the audience, she generously spent time signing books and speaking with each person individually.

A very warm and humble writer was returned to her hotel after two and a half hours with us. She later sent an email thanking us for such a wonderful evening, saying she “so enjoyed the audience’s good humor and kindness.”

We have some wonderful author events coming up so subscribe to our email newsletter, so you get event announcements early! https://www.rotorualibrary.govt.nz/whats-on/library-newsletter

📌 - Most people know Lance Sergeant Haane Manahi DCM (Te Arawa, Ngāti Raukawa) for his heroic efforts in WWII, but did...
20/05/2026

📌 - Most people know Lance Sergeant Haane Manahi DCM (Te Arawa, Ngāti Raukawa) for his heroic efforts in WWII, but did you know he also made waves in sport?

Taken at Helwan, Egypt, this photo shows the 28th Māori Battalion's 10-man relay team at the New Zealand Divisional swimming championships on 8 July 1941 🏊

Left to right: Second Lieutenants Ruhi Pene (Rotorua) and Rangi Logan (Waipaoa), Privates Ceylon Wickliffe (Rotorua), Rangi Chase (Dannevirke), Pine Timihou (Rotorua), John Pene (Rotorua), Jack Mikaere (Rotorua), Wi Heretaunga (Rotorua), Haane Manahi (Rotorua), George Harrison (Taranaki).

Seven of these tāne were from B Company, including Pene, who also played for the Whakarewarewa Rugby Club. Check out our story about the club here: 👉https://pakiaka.rotorualibrary.govt.nz/nodes/view/9277

Together, they won the Divisional Commander’s Cup, better known as the Freyberg Cup, named after Lieutenant General Bernard Freyberg, a champion swimmer who understood the value of sport in building morale and camaraderie among the troops.

Moments like this remind us that these toa upheld their mana not only in battle, but through sportsmanship, camaraderie, and kotahitanga 🤝

If you haven’t seen Sgt. Haane yet, it’s still screening at Basement Cinema and Reading Cinemas 🎬

Want to learn more about sport during WWII? Dive into this Te Ara story: 👉 https://teara.govt.nz/en/military-and-sport/page-3

📸 Alexander Turnbull Library. Ref: DA-01371-F https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23184217

Build robots that actually do things 🤖⚙️This 7-week robotics workshop for ages 14–17 explores gears, lifting systems, mo...
18/05/2026

Build robots that actually do things 🤖⚙️
This 7-week robotics workshop for ages 14–17 explores gears, lifting systems, movement, and mechanical design through hands-on challenges and real problem-solving.
Perfect for young people ready to move beyond beginner robotics and take their engineering skills to the next level.

📍 Wednesdays, 3.45–4.45pm
📅 Starting 20 May
💲 $70 per term
🎓 Scholarships available for eligible applicants

Spaces are limited — register now through our website: https://www.rotorualibrary.govt.nz/skills-and-learning/digital-technology-education/robotics?ed-step=1

New art has landed in the library… and yes, you can sit on it 👀✨These incredible handmade chairs were created by a local...
15/05/2026

New art has landed in the library… and yes, you can sit on it 👀✨

These incredible handmade chairs were created by a local artist Tennille Rayburn, with funding from Creative Communities Scheme Rotorua , especially for our Level 2 space. Every detail is full of colour, texture, and personality — bringing colour and creativity into our reading corner.

Next time you visit, head upstairs and tell us:
Which chair would you choose? 💚 or 💖

📌 - A Night at the Soundshell: Primers 3 and 4 of Rotorua Primary School bring the alphabet to life during their 1963 ...
13/05/2026

📌 - A Night at the Soundshell: Primers 3 and 4 of Rotorua Primary School bring the alphabet to life during their 1963 annual concert. The young performers took to the stage to act out classic nursery rhymes inspired by various letters. 🔤💁‍♂️💁

📸 Images taken from Rotorua Photo News and made available with permission from the copyright holder via a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License. No 3, 16 Nov 1963. https://pakiaka.rotorualibrary.govt.nz/nodes/view/1895

Address

1127 Haupapa Street
Rotorua
3010

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am - 5:30pm
Friday 9am - 5:30pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

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