Waiamakariri Libraries created an amazing Māori Language Collection called Ako Collection to help you explore and learn more about Te Reo Māori.
A range of apps that make using the library easier.
Grab your library card, remember your PIN number and jump right in!
Award Winners
Waimakariri Heritage website - a place to conserve and curate community memories and taonga.
To assist teachers, Waimakariri Libraries have a feast of resources available to help teachers feed students who are hungry for knowledge.
Tinker Zone runs using a Traffic Light system— the technologies are categorised as ‘Green Tech’, ‘Yellow Tech’, or ‘Red Tech’.
Green Tech is for general use for anyone who meets the age requirements.
Yellow Tech requires booking and attending an Induction workshop that teaches you how to safely use the equipment.
Red Tech can only be used by Tinker Zone staff, or with supervision.
Each piece of equipment will have a sticker showing if it is Green, Yellow, or Red Tech, and a sticker for the minimum age requirement.
You can sign up for a Tinker Card at any Waimakariri Library in Rangiora, Kaiapoi or Oxford.
We can see who has been signed off to use the Yellow Tech using our Tinker Cards.
Anyone aged 10+ can sign up for a Tinker Card— you don’t need a library card!
Your Tinker Card will be unique to you, and has three different skill levels: ‘Amateur’, ‘Semi-Pro’, and ‘Pro’.
You will get your Amateur stamp once you have booked and completed a beginner induction session for that piece of technology. This is the minimum requirement to use Yellow Light Tech, while the Semi-Pro and Pro levels are more of a personal challenge. You can book a Sewing Suite or Cricut Craft Cutter induction now.
You can sign up for a Tinker Card at all Waimakariri Libraries (Rangiora, Kaiapoi, or Oxford).
Staff will register your name and phone number to your card, and show you how to book in for any inductions you are interested in.
Children need to have their own card, and anyone under 16 years old needs to be signed up by a parent or guardian.
Come see a friendly librarian to use one of our Green Tech— they will bring them out for you to use, and just bring them back up to the font desk when you are finished.
If you want to use Yellow Tech, see a librarian at the front desk. They will check your Tinker Card for the relevant stamp, and either bring a kit out for you to use or help you book for a beginner induction.
Please turn off the equipment, put everything back in the kits and return them to the front desk when you are finished.
Find our full Tinker Zone Etiquette here.
Some technologies have costs for materials, while others are free to use.
Check out our full list of Tinker Zone Costs here, or visit the website page for the specific tech you’re interested in.
Tinker Zone’s only physical space is currently in Rangiora Library.
We currently have a sewing machine at Kaiapoi Library, and bring movable equipment to Kaiapoi and Oxford Library for scheduled programming and events throughout the year.
The minimum age restrictions for each machine have been decided based on the manufacturer’s recommendations and robust discussions around health and safety.
It’s important to us that all our Tinkers are safe while using our spaces, and that we are also looking after our equipment.
Some of the devices are more complex, delicate, or require higher levels of motor skills that make them unsuitable for smaller children.
Reach out to one of our Tinker Zone staff for suggestions and alternatives if you’d like to talk about other ways to get your younger tamariki involved with our technologies.
LinkedIn Learning has hundreds of tutorials and is free to use with your library card.
Find books about makerspaces in our catalogue!
If you have any questions, please ask one of our friendly librarians or email wmkmakerspace@wmk.govt.nz
