All residents of north-west Christchurch are invited to the meeting, from 7-9pm in the Riccarton Park Function Centre's Bamerino Room on Racecourse Road, Upper Riccarton.

A representative from Warren and Mahoney, the architectural company chosen to design the new library, will be at the meeting to hear the public's suggestions so that these can influence the building design.

The new Upper Riccarton Library, a joint venture between the Christchurch City Council and Riccarton High School, is planned for completion in December 2005 and will serveabout 30,000 residents from the Riccarton, Avonhead, Ilam, Sockburn, Wharenui and Wigram communities.

The library will also be the Learning Information and Communication Centre (LINC) for the Riccarton High School population of about 1100 students and staff.

Ian McKenzie, the City Council's Manager for the Upper Riccarton Library project, says, "We encourage peopleto come and hear about this exciting new combined library, meet the architects and have an input at this early stage in creation of the building design." The library will be located on the Riccarton High School grounds fronting Main South Road, with easy and safe access created for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.

"Before this site was chosen, Christchurch City Libraries considered several other locations in the area but this was by far the best as far as easy accessibility, visibility and setting in an attractive location," Mr McKenzie says. "It also brought the advantage of a partnership supporting lifelong learning. There is much to be gained from the partnership between the school, the Council and the Libraries."

When it is finished, it is predicted that this facility will be the largest library of its type in Australasia. Feedback on how the publicfs suggestions have been incorporated into a draft building design will be given in November.