Modest Beginnings 

1906

The Waitomo County Act was passed in 1904 and the first meeting of the Waitomo County Council was held in September 1905. In 1906, Te Kuiti opened its first library. Second-hand books were sourced from England to fill the shelves. Lillian Hayes-Melling was appointed as librarian. T e budget for the first book collection was a modest £5. In comparison, the annual salary for the town clerk was £150, and a three-year-old steer was worth £4-10 shillings. It is thought the original library with its wooden construction and tin roof was sited on the Esplanade, near the Cultural and Arts Centre.

The Borough of Te Kuiti was constituted in 1910.

1912

On April 24, 1912 the Coronation Library opened in the new Borough Council building located on Rora Street. The Premier of the nation, Thomas Mackenzie, officiated at the opening. The Coronation Library remained at this site for some 60 years

1972

In 1972 the Borough Council and the library shifted premises to the new Borough Council building in Taupiri Street. The Taupiri Street library opened its doors on November 17, 1972. The Te Kuiti Borough Council and Waitomo County Council were amalgamated to form the Waitomo District Council on April 1, 1976.

In 2006 we celebrated 100 years of library service in Te Kuiti

Significant alterations to the old Borough Council building have occurred over the years to accommodate the services a library offers in the 21^st century.