The second stop on our library tour is Glenfield Library. With Glenfield Mall sitting right next door, the trip doubles as a family outing. It's also a place I've come to know well through volunteering at the Digital Seniors programme that runs here.
A Generous Children's Section
Like many Auckland libraries, Glenfield is unmistakably child-friendly. The children's section is generously sized, with a small toy corner tucked off to one side. Jin took to the library's play kitchen with more enthusiasm than she shows for the one at home, and stayed deep in cooking mode the whole time we were there. Which left me to choose her books — no hardship, with low sofas and child-height shelving running through the area. At the centre of it all sits a colourful Thomas the Tank Engine, holding picture books and quietly receiving the affection of every child who walks past.
Finding Our Korean Books
Min and Hyun, as ever, made straight for the Korean books. The selection was generous and included plenty of recent titles. Each branch carries a different mix, so whenever we visit a new library we like to take note of which series they stock. Korean book titles are catalogued in romanised English on the library website, which makes searching genuinely difficult — and even checking that we've returned everything before leaving can be a hunt. Knowing what's actually on the shelves at each branch makes it easier to request books across the network later.
Streamlined Borrowing and Returns
Auckland libraries have been rolling out automated returns alongside their self-checkout kiosks, and Glenfield has a large return shelf in its own corner. Anyone can borrow and return without needing to flag down a staff member.
A Multicultural Meeting Place
We happened to visit on the day of Glenfield's regular Korean Bookchat. New Zealand being what it is — many cultures sharing a daily life — one wall of the library held a small exhibition of Chinese paintings, and beneath it the Korean book club was meeting, lively but unobtrusive, in its own corner of the room. Just like the everyday we live in.
Read more on this series:
Library Tour (1) Albany Village Library
Library Tour (3) Birkenhead Library
한국어 요약
도서관 투어 두 번째는 Glenfield 도서관이다. 바로 옆에 Glenfield Mall이 있어 가족 나들이를 겸하기 좋다. 이곳에서 운영하는 Digital Seniors 프로그램에 자원봉사를 다니며 익숙해진 곳이기도 하다. 어린이 공간은 넉넉하고 한쪽에 작은 장난감 코너가 있다. Jin은 집에 있는 것보다 도서관 소꿉 부엌을 더 좋아해서 있는 내내 요리에 빠져 있었다. 가운데에는 알록달록한 토마스 기차가 그림책을 싣고 아이들의 사랑을 받고 있다.
Min과 Hyun은 늘 그렇듯 한국어 책 코너로 곧장 갔다. 최근 책까지 넉넉히 갖춰져 있었다. 지점마다 갖춘 책이 달라서 새 도서관에 가면 어떤 시리즈가 있는지 적어 둔다. 도서관 웹사이트에는 한국어 책 제목이 로마자로 등록돼 있어 검색이 정말 어렵기 때문이다. 셀프 대출기 옆에는 큰 자동 반납대가 있어 직원을 부르지 않고도 빌리고 반납할 수 있다.
마침 우리가 간 날은 정기 한국어 북챗이 열리는 날이었다. 한쪽 벽에는 중국 그림 작은 전시가 걸려 있고, 그 아래 한 구석에서 한국어 독서 모임이 조용하지만 활기차게 이야기를 나누고 있었다. 여러 문화가 한 일상을 나눠 쓰는 뉴질랜드, 우리가 사는 일상 그대로의 모습이었다.
Yussi
Writer · Social work student, Massey University
A mother of three girls and a Korean immigrant making Mairangi Bay home — writing about starting school, home learning and everyday life on Auckland's North Shore.
More about Yussi →Frequently asked questions
- Does Glenfield Library have Korean books?
- Yes — a generous selection, including plenty of recent titles. Korean titles are catalogued in romanised English on the library website, which makes searching hard, so we note which series each branch stocks and request them across the network later.
- Where do you park at Glenfield Library?
- There is covered parking beneath the library and limited street parking on Bentley Avenue opposite, reached by a pedestrian crossing. The path from the car park has an incline.
- Is there a Korean book club at Glenfield Library?
- Yes, a regular Korean Bookchat meets in its own corner of the library. We happened to visit on the day it was running.
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