Demolition of the old Hornsby Library has taken place and preparations for the construction of the Learning Hub are in full swing.

Before the end of term three, the library shelves have been cleared and the building reduced to it's bare-bones. It's been over half a century since the Hornsby Library stood empty - back then it was a brand new building at the height of modern architecture.

The move into the new Hornsby Library in July 1968 was surprisingly easily; however, this did not happen without a great deal of work and many difficulties for the librarians as they waited for the library to be built.

Reg Hornsby remembers; ‘One of the library’s temporary homes was the sanctuary, where we were virtually in the same room as the assembly hall and so formed a silent audience to many unnerving activities such as play rehearsals and physical training. Shelving had to be improvised from fruit boxes and with new books arriving daily the collection overflowed into the linen room of Clark House.

As the old Library is demolished, we find ourselves in a similar position to those of the past. Our school library has been packed up by Judy and her team and relocated to the Longroom (above the school gym) for the next 14 months to make way for the Learning Hub.

Next year will see the Learning Hub become an exciting addition to the St Paul’s campus. It will be located in the ‘heart’ of the school and is one of the most ambitious and significant projects the school will undertake. Every student will benefit from this impressive facility.

To learn more about this project and helping with financial assistance, please visit the St Paul's Foundation website or contact Andrea on a.harper@stpauls.school.nz for further details.