Auckland is home to the largest public library system in Australasia, with 56 libraries across the city. This year, twelve of those libraries proudly took part in Adult Learners’ Week He Tangata Mātauranga, celebrating the power of community, connection, and lifelong learning.

Auckland Libraries launched a new pilot video series, Ngā Tini Kōrero: Community Stories from our Libraries, during Adult Learners’ Week, hosting an evening event at Te Pātaka Kōrero o Te Rewarewa – New Lynn Memorial Library to screen the series for the first time. The three short films highlight the stories of community groups whose literacy and lifelong learning journeys have been supported by Auckland Libraries:

• English Conversation Group – Every week, around 50 people who speak English as an additional language gather at the Central City Library to practise conversation in a welcoming, supportive setting, facilitated by community member C V R Shastry.
• Sign and Sing Group – A monthly session designed for members of the Deaf community and open to all, led by a librarian fluent in New Zealand Sign Language. Up to 15 adults regularly take part, and tamariki and their families often join in when passing through the library, adding to the inclusive spirit.
• Kēmu and Korero – An intergenerational Māori games group that brings together kaumātua and rangatahi, including youth with disabilities, to share culture, learning, and community connection.

ACE Aotearoa CEO Hannah Pia Baral spoke at the launch, describing the videos as “an important showcase of adults participating in lifelong learning. The videos share a common theme of discovering the joy of learning, building friendships and finding a community and a sense of belonging. The library serves as a community hub and a welcoming space for everyone.

“Each year over 48 million items are issued by New Zealand public libraries with libraries being the most heavily used and highly valued community services provided by New Zealand local authorities. But libraries today are far more than repositories of books. Recent research shows that 48%, of respondents expanded their study or learning opportunities through the library. The magic happens when libraries and the adult and community education sector work together,” said Hannah.

Behind the scenes, the Whānau Learning team (within the Libraries Public Engagement team) has been supporting Auckland Libraries’ involvement in Adult Learners’ Week He Tangata Mātauranga Festival. Their team’s focus is lifelong learning and literacy at Auckland Libraries, guided by their new Literacy Plan and evidence-based practice and research. The team supports local library teams to design and deliver community education programmes, identifies opportunities for professional development for frontline staff, and establishes strategic partnerships with literacy and learning providers, including Literacy Aotearoa and the Digital Inclusion Alliance Aotearoa (DIAA). Over the past year, their community libraries have hosted digital skills classes, creative writing workshops, poetry groups, and wellbeing courses – all aimed at giving people meaningful opportunities to learn, connect, and grow. The Whānau Learning team is very much in a support role with much of the mahi completed at a local level within the community libraries.

During the Festival, each participating library added its own flavour to the celebration:

• Glen Eden Library ran daily digital drop-in sessions, helping people gain confidence with email and technology.
• Mount Albert Library embraced the season with a spring gardening workshop on planting and growing food.
• Birkenhead Library hosted both a Mahjong “Game On” session and a creative zine making workshop.
• Botany Library provided several courses including wellbeing through aromatherapy, introducing people to the power of scent, a Pathways Awarua introduction on the range of courses available and an introduction to the tech available at Auckland libraries.
• Onehunga Library provided the opportunity for people to drop in and meet with local learning providers.
• Titirangi Library partnered with Titirangi Community House to host a session on creating a memoir your way with participants introduced to techniques on how to create a living memoir on any topic. They also ran an older driver’s refresher session with the support of Waka Kotahi.
• Te Manawa at Westgate had a focus on all things digital for the week.
• Glenfield Library hosted and Adult Learners Open day.
• East Coast Bays Library played host to their weekly session with Digital Seniors volunteers, a non-profit organisation that provides free tech support so people can better understand and use their digital devices.
• Waiheke Library ran a course on coding for adult learners.

Reflecting on the success, Alexis McCullough, the Whānau Learning Specialist, who is managing and nurturing the partnership with ACE Aotearoa, said: “It was an amazing opportunity across Auckland for people to take part in a wide range of events. Hopefully, it gives them a taste of what’s on offer and encourages more people to pick up, renew, or begin their lifelong learning journey.”

The Adult Learner’s Week Festival once again showed that when libraries, communities, and ACE Aotearoa come together, learning is not just about skills – it’s about connection,

Watch Ngā Tini Kōrero: Community Stories from our Libraries at the Auckland Libraries’ YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/aucklandlibraries