Nelson locals say they're shocked by the sudden closure of the region's main library on Thursday after a report identified earthquake safety issues in the building.
Nelson Grey Power President Sue Sara says she couldn't believe the news.
"They could have easily given a couple of weeks notice. Give people a chance to get some books in".
Sara says it was a "knee jerk" reaction that had a huge impact on locals.
"We've got one gentleman who comes every single day and spends the day here doing research on any number of things and he's just at an absolute loss".
But Nelson City Council Chief Executive Pat Dougherty says keeping the Elma Turner Library open wasn't an option.
"It wasn't a decision taken lightly, we did look at how important this facility is to the public, but at the end of the day safety was paramount".
While the building itself is safe, a new report, which the council received on Wednesday, found the ceiling tiles were heavier than expected.
"That assessment said that we could keep the building open. But to be honest, the prospect of an 11kg tile possibly falling on a young child or an elderly person was just not an acceptable risk," says Dougherty.
But it seems many locals were oblivious to the council's decision. While 1News was at the library on Friday countless people turned up, unaware the building was closed to the public.
To ease frustration, the city council plans to open a pop-up library in the town centre and the opening hours of the two smaller libraries in nearby Tahunanui and Stoke will be extended.
There are plans for a new library worth $46 million which Dougherty describes as the "heart of the community".
"It will be much more than a library. It will be that community lounge. It will be an iconic building, a gateway to the city".
But there's been push back at the cost of the new building.
Plans put the new library's site next to the former Library which straddles the Maitai River.
A location that critics say is vulnerable to rising water levels caused by climate change, with the council still waiting for a report outlining the possible risks.
Nick Ferrier from Nelson's Citizen Alliance says the council should simply bring the old library up to spec, the millions of dollars required for a new building would be better spent elsewhere.
"It will be a few hundred thousand and then they put it back into decent shape and tear it down a year later. It doesn't make sense.
"The new library is going to be a couple of years away. So now they've just closed this with no notice."
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