On Monday 19 September the Stokes Valley Library will move to a temporary location while a new community hub is built. It will return in 2017 to the current site as part of the new hub.
The current library opened in 1965. Before that library services were provided from Koraunui Hall, which was next to the present fire station.
The hall had originally been a shearing shed on a farm further down the valley. It was relocated and extended by the community. Besides the library it was also used as a picture theatre and Plunket rooms.
Moira Mills was the librarian in the 1950s. Originally working as a volunteer, Moira described the library as “a cupboard about 3 feet wide by 4 feet”. The stock was provided by the old Country Library Service, who visited about three times a year. Moira eventually became the library manager and retired in 1979.
In 1956 Stokes Valley became part of Lower Hutt and the library was now the responsibility of the City Council. However it took another nine years before the library was able to move out of the hall and into its own premises in Scott Court. Extensions were made in 1988.
