Meet Kate Twomey - Lyttelton's community librarian
June 2007

Kate Twomey is a woman who knows her community she’s been a librarian in Lyttelton for 21 years, and has seen many changes and developments in that time.

The associate community librarian at Lyttelton Library, Kate has experience as a book buyer, a cataloguer and children’s librarian, initially with the Lyttelton Borough Council, then the Banks Peninsula District Council and now the Christchurch City Council.

“The Lyttelton library has a long history it began as reading room in the 1850s, and it became a public library quite early on,” Kate says.

Being part of the community is important for the library. “A lot of the first families are still in Lyttelton, and there are strong links to the past. One side of it is transitory there’s a lot of coming and going and then a lot of people have grown up with their families here, moved away and then come back here to live. There seems to be quite a lot of continuity and a lot of people from overseas as well…”

Keeping those links to the past and a strong local history is a pivotal role for the library, Kate says. “We cater for the harbour basin, so we’re conscious of having material on Diamond Harbour and Governor’s Bay lots of Banks Peninsula and Lyttelton history it’s crucial to have that.”

Lyttelton seems to be the first port of call for people investigating links to the early settlers, Kate adds.
“They come for passenger lists and the bits and pieces we have we often refer them on to (Aotearoa New Zealand Centre at) the central library for further information.
“We have a few passenger lists, but ANZC will have more, and there’s also quite a few at Canterbury Museum. We’re the tip of the iceberg really.”

Kate’s role is managing day-to-day issues, dealing with customer service and making sure everyone can get on with their tasks. The Lyttleton Library is now ‘docked’ to the New Brighton and Parklands libraries, which creates a support network for the library which was sometimes isolated in pre-merger days.

Nautical collection popular

Donated by Captain Peter Smith, formerly of Lyttelton, The Nautical Collection comprises some 200 titles, mainly non-fiction, on seafaring and nautical history as well navigation and some famous sailors and sea journeys. Captain Smith retired to Melbourne and presented the collection to the library on October 1, 1990.

The nautical collection is very well used Kate says, particularly with older men. “As people perhaps get older, their suddenly more interested in what their parents did. They may not have taken much not notice before…"

The connection to the port is also strong.
"Anything to do with the sea there are a lot of people with connections to the sea, working in shipping or being at sea seems to be popular."

Kate says Lyttelton has a close-knit community.

“Its one of the areas where it’s still safe for children … everyone seems to know everyone else.”
Children’s services are in high demand.
“There’s a baby boom on the moment.” Pre-School Storytimes / Kōrero Paki Mō Ngā Kōhungahunga run regularly at Lyttelton Library.

Asked what Lyttelton’s best kept secret is, Kate says “the view, and the fact that when you go through the tunnel you feel that everything’s behind you all the cares of the day are behind you…”

From Edition Monday 18th June 2007