Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho: The legacy of our Māori names
The bilingual names for each of the Libraries in our network were created as result of the extensive signage project undertaken by the librarys marketing team.
With the support and approval of Ngāi Tahu through Te Waka Reo, their language unit, our Kaumatua, Dr Terry Ryan, and the extensive research undertaken by NekenekeiteRangi Paul, each library within our network has been honoured with a Māori name. These new names reflect the nature of the building, its location and the community it serves. The unique bilingual names chosen for each of our libraries are names we can be proud of and they will forever be part of Christchurch City Libraries.
But why have Bilingual signs? Bilingual names are an important component of the cultural aspect of language. Place names, personal names and common names often fulfill the functions of transmitting history, traditions, events and values, and they do not necessarily require an in-depth knowledge of the language in order to be of use. The power of bilingual names as a symbol of identity serves to reinforce the dual nature of our heritage and our two formally recognised languages, English and Māori.
The stories behind each of the names have been printed into a booklet which can be found at each library. The booklet contains photos of the existing libraries alongside the stories. Translated Meanings
 Ko te Kete Wānanga o Papa Kōhatu - Bishopdale Library- Land of Rocks
- Ko te Kete Wānanga o Ōtākaro - Central Library
- Place of play
- Te Kete Wānanga o Waimairi - Fendalton Library
- Listless water
- Te Kete Wānanga o Otamatua - Halswell Library
- Spur between Hoon Hay and Kennedy's Bush
- Te Kete Wānanga o Te Urumanu - Hornby Library
- Birds feather
- Te Kete Wānanga o Ihutai - Linwood Library
- Head of the tide
- Te Kete Wānanga o Karoro - New Brighton Library
- Seagull
 Te Kete Wānanga o Papanui - Papanui Library- Large, flat land
- Te Kete Wānanga o Waitikiri - Parklands Library
- Muddy Water
- Te Kete Wānanga o Te Kōpare o Iho - Redwood Library
- The Heart of the tree
- Te Kete Wānanga o Oraka - Shirley Library
- Life
- Te Kete Wānanga o Wai Mōkihi - South Library
- Traditional watercraft
- Pūtahi Akoranga - South Learning Centre
- Learning together
- Te Kete Wānanga o Ōpāwaho - Spreydon Library
- Outpost
- Te Kete Wānanga o Kōhua - Sumner Library
- iron pot for steam cooking
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