The redevelopment of the Manawatū Community Hub Library (Feilding Library) is well underway. The roof is now complete which is a big step to making internal progress. You can follow along the latest updates on this page to the right.

Be inspired by the concept images below and envision what will become your favourite location. Will it be a reading nook, the bleachers, a meeting room or perhaps the café space?

Plans to modernise the library were initiated in 2017 but a couple of false starts and a global pandemic got in the way before we could progress. We’ve moved away from describing this building as the Feilding Library. Even prior to now, we are more than just a library that provides access to books. We provide a place where people can meet, access library services, get inspired and innovate, create, discover and do. This redevelopment will provide a modern, safe, non-judgmental, and flexible community space that residents can be proud of.

The building will have event and meeting spaces and programmes for lifelong learning opportunities (te taha hinengaro), social interaction and wellbeing (te taha whanau), physical wellbeing (te taha tinana), literacy (including digital literacy) opportunities and a safe place for the community to do their own thing.

To achieve this we are:

• Expanding the footprint of the existing building to create proper and adaptable meeting and community spaces (including a Makerspace).
• Upgrading the existing building (including all fittings, fixtures and equipment) to future proof the service.
• Introducing a leased café space into the community hub.
• Completing seismic work on the existing building.

The approved budget for the redevelopment is $12.5 million. Woah! That’s quite a lot, we hear you say. There’s no denying that.

But, we’ve been successful in receiving funding from the following organisations: