Library worries are shared by Birkenhead in New Zealand

Jun 25 2008 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

WHAT is it about Birkenhead and libraries?

The future of the historic central library in Borough Road looked in doubt last year - and across the other side of the world, residents of another Birkenhead have been debating the fate of their own facility.

Book lending in the Wirral library has long been reduced to a limited service in the entrance hall while repairs are carried out to crumbling skylights.

And over in Birkenhead, New Zealand the situation has been even bleaker, with the entire library shifted to a leisure centre three years ago.

But there’s some good news for library users down under - New Zealand’s Environment Court has given the green light for a $6.5million two-storey purpose-built library, complete with panoramic views across Auckland.

The other Birkenhead is a suburb of North Shore City, in the Auckland area of New Zealand’s North Shore.

According to New Zealand’s Birkenhead Residents Association, housing was first built in the district in 1883, with the area “named Birkenhead after a suburb of Liverpool noted for its elegant, expensive houses and sea views”.

Birkenhead man Philip Nelson, who has worked short-term contracts in New Zealand for the past ten years, took these photos of life in the other Birkenhead for News readers.

He said: “I’m there for their summer which is December to March. New Zealanders even have their own ferry cross the river!

“Similarities are obviously the ferry terminal to the bigger city and just being by a busy port.

“One of the photos is taken with the view of Auckland Harbour Bridge in the background.

“The biggest difference is that its much warmer over there and the summer lasts longer. I have also worked in Adelaide, South Australia - there is a Birkenhead there too!”