A view of the Palmerston North City Library from The Square in February 2022, on an overcast day. The building site was formerly connected to commercial enterprises such as the CM Ross department store.
Creator: Isaac Heaphy
Place: The Square, Palmerston North
Date: February 11, 2022
A view of the Palmerston North City Library's main entranceway from The Square.
The PNCL was formerly known as the CM Ross building, amongst other occupants who used the building for commercial purposes. Previously, the building co...
Creator: Isaac Heaphy
Place: Palmerston North City Library
Date: February 11, 2022
These unpublished images were taken alongside an image that was captioned in the Manawatū Evening Standard on 30th November 1973.
"Mrs V. B. Short, provincial president of the Women's Division of Federated Farmers presents the city librarian, Mr ...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard Negative Collection
Place: Palmerston North
Date: November 30, 1973
When the Palmerston North City Library moved from the corner of Main Street East and The Square to its present location in the old CM Ross Building, a book chain was undertaken to commemorate the occasion. Here we see local children participating ...
Creator: Suzanne Kilsby
Place: The Square, Palmerston North
Date: 1996
Merv Hancock pictured in the Non-Fiction zone of the Central Library, Palmerston North.
Born and bred in Palmerston North, Dr Hancock attended Terrace End School and Palmerston North Boys High School before studying at Auckland University. He ma...
Creator: Tony Kim
Place: Central Library, 4 the Square, Palmerston North
Date: 2012
Workmen constructing the entrance ramp to the new Palmerston North City Library, which leads from The Square across to George Street. The new City Library was formerly a department store, originally built for C M Ross Co. Ltd in 1928.
Creator: Palmerston North City Council
Place: 4 The Square, Palmerston North
Date: circa 1996
The staircase, seen here looking down from the third floor, was built as part of the original C M Ross department store, in The Square, in 1928. The building was bought by the City Council in 1992 and converted into the City Library, opening 1996....
Creator: PNCC
Place: 4 The Square, Palmerston North
Date: circa 1996
An aerial view of the renovations to the former department store that became the City Library. The building was originally constructed as the C M Ross Co Ltd department store, in 1928, and stretched from The Square to George Street. The constructi...
Creator: Palmerston North City Council
Place: Palmerston North City Library, Palmerston North
Date: circa 1996
The new City Library building was originally built as the C M Ross department store in 1928. It was bought by the City Council and renovated as the new Library, opening 1996. This view is of the conversion of the former tearooms on the second floo...
Creator: Palmerston North City Council
Place: 4 The Square, Palmerston North
Date: circa 1996
Journalist Tina White's weekly "Memory Lane" article in the Manawatū Standard. Minnie Sabina Thomas (1898-1974) began collecting autographed books and pamphlets in 1934 after obtaining the signatures of the Lord and Lady Bledisloe. By the time of ...
Creator: Tina White
Date: December 21, 2013
The first image in this pair was taken for a story published in The Manawatū Evening Standard on 4th December 1973.
"Palmerston North's new mobile library "hit the road" yesterday. Driver and librarian Mr K. J. Harrington checks books before goin...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard Negative Collection
Place: Palmerston North
Date: December 4, 1973
This image was taken for a story published in The Manawatū Evening Standard on 22nd November 1973.
"Mr Eric Christensen (left) and Mr Peter Price put up shelves in Palmerston North's new mobile library, which should be in use within two weeks."
...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard Negative Collection
Place: Palmerston North
Date: November 22, 1973
This image was taken for a story published in The Manawatū Evening Standard on 22nd November 1973.
"The city librarian, Mr I.W. Malcolm, and the deputy librarian, Miss N.M. Irvine, admire the new mobile library."
The new mobile library replaced ...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard Negative Collection
Place: Palmerston North
Date: November 22, 1973
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori Flags flew over the Central Library for the week, 14 September to 20 September 2025. These views are from the entrance to Coleman Mall looking back at the Library, and from the third floor of Central Library looking over Geo...
Creator: Heritage Team, Palmerston North City Library
Place: Palmerston North
Date: September 2025
Rainbow flag raised in George St October 2018 to mark Manawatū's gay and lesbian rights group (MaLGRA) celebrating the groups 41st anniversary.
Creator: Philippa Elphick
Place: George Street, Palmerston North
Date: October 18, 2018
A view of the main desk at the Palmerston North City Library on the first day of re-opening during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Creator: Palmerston North City Library
Place: 4 The Square, Palmerston North
Date: May 20, 2020
The altered layout of the mezzaine level of the Palmerston North City Library. The computers were moved to the ground floor and contact tracing measures were implemented for anyone entering the library.
Creator: Palmerston North City Library
Place: 4 The Square, Palmerston North
Date: May 20, 2020
In order to comply with government requlations, the Palmerston North CIty Library was required to undertake contact tracing measures in order to re-open during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Creator: Palmerston North City Library
Place: 4 The Square, Palmerston North
Date: May 20, 2020
Patrons browsing the fiction section following following the re-opening of the Palmerston North City Library.
Creator: Palmerston North City Library
Place: 4 The Square, Palmerston North
Date: May 20, 2020
The first patron through the doors, as Palamerston North City Library re-opens following closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Creator: Palmerston North City Library
Place: 4 The Square, Palmerston North
Date: May 20, 2020
Computers were moved from the mezzanine level down to Event Central on the ground floor of Palmerston North City Library to allow for social distancing during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Creator: Palmerston North City Library
Place: 4 The Square, Palmerston North
Date: May 20, 2020
These plans showing two different designs for a two-storey Public Library in Palmerston North were designed by Ludolph Georg West (1846-1919). Neither of these proposed buildings were ever built. The Danish-born architect established an architec...
Creator: L G West
Date: 1909
George Street is named after the landowner and building contractor who put the street through, Mr George Frederick Roe (1837-1902).
The image is a derivative of this <a href="https://manawat...
Creator: Heritage Team, Palmerston North City Library
Date: 2024
The City Library was originally constructed as the C M Ross Co. Ltd department store, in The Square in 1928. This window on the third floor, overlooking The Square, was from the original building and was retained when renovating the building as a ...
Creator: PNCC
Place: 4 The Square, Palmerston North
Date: circa 1996
Samplers, Computers, Synths, Drum Machines, Walruses. The Jimmy Lissette experience presents: Electronica Revolution!! make noises with funny looking boxes, twiddle knobs and push buttons, all in the comfort of the Living Room of the City. For asp...
Place: City Library, The Square Palmerston North
Date: July 13, 2009
Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. The first mobile library service was delivered from a caravan to locations around Palmerston North. It was seen as a more efficient way of delivering library books than mainta...
Creator: Lesley Courtney
Place: Palmerston North
Date: April 15, 2023
A message board at the entrance of Palmerston North City Library notifying patrons of some of the changes in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Creator: Palmerston North City Library
Place: 4 The Square, Palmerston North
Date: May 20, 2020
Computers were moved from the mezzanine level down to Event Central on the ground floor of Palmerston North City Library to allow for social distancing during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Creator: Palmerston North City Library
Place: 4 The Square, Palmerston North
Date: May 20, 2020
Extra shelving had to be used to accommodate all of the items placed on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Creator: Palmerston North City Library
Place: 4 The Square, Palmerston North
Date: May 20, 2020
The main desk at Palmerston North City Library with floor markings to assist with social distancing in preparation for re-opening to the public. The library closed to the public on 22 March, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some library staff we...
Creator: Palmerston North City Library
Place: 4 The Square, Palmerston North
Date: May 20, 2020