'Blind date' books wrapped up for Valentine's Day

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Queenstown Library manager Robyn Robertson (left) and children's librarian Ann-Marie Wilcox stand with armfuls of "blind date" books for Wakatipu residents to enjoy. Photo by James Beech.

Librarians have selected 50 books and wrapped them in silver paper with only the barcode visible, in time for Friday, February 12.

Library manager Robyn Robertson said library cardholders were invited to choose a book and take it home on "a blind date".

Although the selection was bound to contain some romance, the tomes could be anything from travel, art, poetry, thought-provoking material to a mixture of fiction and non-fiction.

"They're ones the librarians were passionate about, ones they really enjoyed, or new ones that are particularly appealing," Mrs Robertson said.

"It's a broad range.

It's pretty much every section in the library and it's not just aimed at women."

The initiative had been adopted by other New Zealand libraries, particularly in the North Island, but this was Queenstown's first time.

"It's a fun way of encouraging people to read things they normally wouldn't," Mrs Robertson said.

"If people want to write a review of the books they've read, we're more than happy to post them on the website."