Masterton gets SMART

The SMART network of libraries is now active and proving to be a great success, with Masterton readers at the forefront. Nearly 2,000 library users from 23 libraries around the lower North Island have signed up for a SMART card since the service went live last month, and more than 400 of these are from Masterton. The SMART card provides access to more than half a million books, DVDs, CDs and magazines and SMART borrowers have already placed 5,646 requests for library items.



SMART (Sharing and Managing A Region Together) is a collaboration between the libraries of Masterton, Hutt City, Porirua, Kapiti, Whitireia Community Polytechnic and WelTec and is unique in New Zealand in that it incorporates both public and tertiary libraries. The SMART network is also allowing for unprecedented levels of collaboration between the libraries, but still enabling each to retain its own identity, and reflect the character of their different communities. It has been a learning experience for all of us at the library and a lot of work has gone into getting it to work, but it’s very rewarding to see it being adopted with so much enthusiasm.


Borrowers who sign up to SMART are able to use their cards at any of the member libraries, or request the items they want and have them delivered to their closest library. They can do this either in the library or online via the Internet. Borrowed items can be dropped off at any of the member libraries who will make sure it gets back to its ‘home’ location. A dedicated courier service runs between the libraries each day and if an item is available (on the shelf), the aim is to have it ready for pick-up within three days of the request being made.


There is no fee for Masterton residents to sign up to SMART and although there may be rental charges for certain items, it costs nothing to reserve them or have them delivered to their local library. There has been a considerable effort to consolidate the loan policies and charges of the individual libraries and the full outline of each library’s individual practices can be accessed through the SMART website. The SMART option has also been extended to our out-of-district borrowers who for either $35 for six months or $65 for a year can gain full access to all the resources of the SMART collaboration.


The collection that has been created by the SMART network is huge and allows us to provide a greatly enhanced service to our borrowers. While we have always aimed to offer as comprehensive a service as possible, limitations of budget and space inevitably placed some restrictions on what we could provide. Although we could augment this to some degree through inter-library loans, the ready access SMART provides to a greatly expanded collection is a significant improvement. The ability for borrowers to be able to use their SMART cards in other libraries, whether they be shopping in the Hutt or holidaying on the Kapiti Coast, just adds to the appeal.


Last month we had a special launch of SMART at the library with guests including council CEO Wes ten Hove, mayor Garry Daniell and councillor Lyn Patterson. We were also able to switch our first borrower over to a SMART membership and begin the process of requesting books from the other SMART libraries. It was the start of what is already proving to be one of the most exciting developments in the library’s history and we have high hope for the continuing success and benefits of the SMART network.

Below is the cake we had made to mark the occassion.