About Brooklyn Library
Our library and community
History of the library
On 16th February 1905 Brooklyn Library, the second Branch, was opened in what is now the Brooklyn Playcentre at 22 Harrison Street. It was only open 9 hours a week at first, and the Librarian lived in a flat at the rear of the building. The original collection consisted of 350 books. With the growth of Brooklyn, a new library was deemed necessary, and the present building on the corner of Harrison and Cleveland Streets was opened in 1960. The original entrance was in Harrison Street, and in 1992 it was closed off and ramp access was provided in Cleveland Street, enabling increasing numbers of parents with pushchairs to enter easily.
About Brooklyn
In pre-European times the Brooklyn hills were known as Turanga-rere to the Māori, meaning 'the waving plumes of a war party'. This probably referred to the tall trees on the hills waving in the wind like hair adornments on warriors dancing the haka. European settlement began in the 1840s, when the district of Ohiro (Owhiro) was subdivided into 100 acre blocks. What is now Brooklyn developed from three of these blocks and Brooklyn village was formed in the 1860s. The suburb's name changed to Brooklyn in the 1880s, when the main subdivision was offered for sale. Brooklyn school celebrated its centenary in November 1998.Brooklyn is in expansion at the moment, with a new subdivision of Panorama Heights, behind Karepa Street. The suburb has a friendly village atmosphere, with lots of young families and many old identities.
A prominent feature of the skyline in certain parts of Wellington is the ECNZ wind turbine, situated on Polhil, in Panorama Heights. Since it was installed in March 1993, Brooklyn has become synonymous with this turbine. When the pavements were re-sealed, ceramic tiles depicting the wind turbine were implanted in the paths.
Our library team
Our friendly and helpful staff are all part-time so have time to be involved in their interests which include singing, painting, drawing, music and history.
Services we offer
- Reference and browsing
- Pre-school storytime
- Class programmes for two schools
- Programmes for pre-schools
- Monthly bookgroup discussion
- Photocopier and fax
- Public internet computer
