National Library of the Cook Islands
| National Library of the Cook Islands | |
|---|---|
| Runanga Puka | |
 | |
 | |
| 21°12′25″S 159°46′10″W / 21.206894°S 159.769364°W | |
| Location | Victoria Road, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands |
| Branch of | Ministry of Cultural Development |
The National Library of the Cook Islands – Runanga Puka, part of Te Puna Korero – Sir Geoffrey Henry Culture Centre, is the national library of the Cook Islands.[1][2] The building was opened in 1993, and is next to a similar building that houses the Cook Islands National Museum. The centre also contains an auditorium and several government ministries.[3]
History
[edit]Planning for the library began in 1961, with a committee backed by the Resident Commissioner Oliver Dare.[4] A site on Taputapuatea was donated by the Makea Nui Ariki and the Parliament of the Cook Islands agreed to match donations with public money.[4] Plans for the library were drawn up by New Zealand Ministry of Works architect Kenneth Mills.[5] The construction of the building was eventually funded by a loan from the Government of Nauru. Renovations were carried out in 2021.[6]
The library was however not established until 1992, becoming operational in 1993. The library holds a collection of around 10,000 books, including both children's and adult's fiction, reference books, Cook Islands and Pacific reports, and Pacific rare books.[7] The library has two employees, neither of whom are qualified librarians due to a lack of training opportunities on the island.[2]
A bid was started to make the library a legal deposit library in 2012, however this was put on hold due to the 50th anniversary of the island's independence.[2] In 2019, the Cook Islands Parliament donated volumes detailing the laws of the islands between 1965 and 1994.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Library". Archived from the original on 8 December 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
- 1 2 3 "Annual report of: Odile Urirau, National Library of the Cook Islands" (PDF). ndl.go.jp. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ↑ "Te Puna Korero, Sir Geoffrey Henry National Culture Centre, Avarua, Cook Islands - Reviews, Ratings, Tips and Why You Should Go". Wanderlog. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- 1 2 Gordon Russell (1 February 1962). "Cook Is. Library And Museum Go Ahead". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. XXXII, no. 7. pp. 44–45. Retrieved 9 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ W. H. Percival (1 November 1962). "Cook Islanders Plan Own Museum and Library". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. XXXIII, no. 4. p. 143. Retrieved 9 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Re-opening of the National Auditorium | Cook Islands Investment Corporation (CIIC)". www.ciic.gov.ck. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ↑ "Ministry of Cultural Development" (PDF). ndl.go. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ↑ Etches, Melina (18 August 2020). "Library receives consolidated law books". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 19 June 2025.