Library Profession in NZ celebrates 100

Last week library professionals around New Zealand celebrated their official 100th birthday. Here is the news release from our national organisation.

26 March 2010 officially marks LIANZA's Centenary

In January 1910 the Dunedin City Council resolved to convene a conference of the representatives from Public Libraries of New Zealand for the purpose of discussing matters affecting the general conduct and management of libraries.
On 26th March 1910 the first library conference in New Zealand was held where 15 delegates from 7 libraries attended and formed the Libraries Association of New Zealand, now known as LIANZA.
This year marks 100 years of the Association and is a chance to celebrate many of LIANZA's achievements including the introduction of formalised training for librarians and actively lobbying government for the development of library services in New Zealand, setting up of a National Library and providing books in schools.Throughout this year there will be many opportunities for the profession to participate and share in national and regional centennial activities and celebrations culminating in the LIANZA Conference in Dunedin, the same city that hosted the first library conference and the Jubilee Conference in February 1960.

LIANZA is seeking photographs from past and present members of the Association featuring LIANZA representatives, buildings, conferences, events and gatherings. We are especially interested in group shots and photos showing the changes to the profession over the years.
We would love to see your photos and, where possible, use them in the Centenary publication, on the Centenary blog and for slideshow presentations at the LIANZA Conference and other centenary celebrations.
Please dig out any photos you might have and send them in to the LIANZA office. You may wish to scan your images and email them as high resolution jpegs to megan@lianza.org.nz
If you would prefer to send in original copies, please ensure you provide your full return details so we can return the images to you once we have finished.

How many books have you borrowed..

How many books have you borrowed in the last twelve months? I read quite a lot and there are plenty of picture books and junior fiction scattered amongst them (plus the odd comic). Even so I have only reached 1706 books in the last five years from Rodney Libraries.

So I am nothing on a family from the Wainuiomata Library who have borrowed 2044 books in the last year. Granted there are 12 of them in the family, but even so that is a huge amount of reading and benefit that you are gaining from your local library.

Here is the full article from the Manawatu Standard.

Does your family enjoy books? How do you compare to a family of bookworms who have borrowed a staggering 2044 library books in the past year?
Mum Sue Braggins, 49, says her family of 12 now consider Wainuiomata Library "a second home". They average six books a day.
Mrs Braggins is not surprised, saying the whole family are voracious readers.
Her love of reading came from her parents, she says, and it was something she wanted to pass on to her 11 children.
"I was brought up on books from the time I was little. I can't remember not having a book to read. The school system was also very book-orientated back then."

Easter hours and Daylight Saving and School holidays

A reminder that Rodney Libraries will be closed Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. We are open our usual hours on Saturday.
9am-1pm Warkworth, Kumeu and Helensville Libraries

9.30am-12.30pm Mahurangi East Library

9.30am-1pm Wellsford Library

9.30am-4pm Orewa and Whangaparaoa Libraries


Daylight Saving ends on Sunday 4 April 2010. Clocks go back one hour - 3.00am becomes 2.00am.



School holidays also start this weekend. Our school holiday programme is themed "Pirates ahoy!" and starts on Tuesday 6 April (after the Easter break) with pirate stories and activities at Orewa Library.

Joined-up thinking by Steven Colgan

In Joined-up thinking : how to connect everything to everything else Colgan plays the Kevin Bacon game with facts. This game is based on the urban myth of Six Degrees of Separation i.e. that everyone in the world can be connected to everyone else within 6 people (or in NZ, 2 people.) (Obviously not the same people.)
Each set of joined-up thinking is called a 'round'. Each round can be connected to the other rounds...
As the cover quote by John Mitchinson says "The book that nails that odd, slightly unnerving feeling that everything really is connected". An excellent read for the bus or plane as it can be put down and picked up without losing the thread.

"What is the link between the Sex Pistols and crude oil; between Isaac Newton, Pink Floyd and a suicidal dwarf on the set of "The Wizard of Oz"? What is Scooby-Doo's real name, and why should you make a point of avoiding armadillos? This book presents answers to these questions. It reflects the feeling that everything really is connected." -- book blurb

Earth Hour

This year on Saturday 27 March millions of people across the globe will participate in Earth Hour by switching off their lights for one hour from 8.30 – 9.30pm. Rodney residents are also being encouraged to take part in Earth Hour once again this year. Earth Hour lasts for only one hour out of the 8,700 hours in a year. And in those hours you could be saving your family money by reducing energy consumption in your home.

Earth Hour is organized by WWF. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and build a future where people live in harmony with nature. With almost 5 million supporters and a global network in over 100 countries, it’s one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations.

Mackay Books present Script and Scribe

Mackay Books present 'Script and Scribe', a showcase for up and coming New Zealand authors at various locations throughout Rodney. Local author Shelley Hedges and a number of other writers will visit the libraries. All are welcome.

'Script and Scribe' will be visiting the following locations:
Warkworth library, Friday 26th March, 11am
Whangaparaoa library Friday 26th March, 2:30pm
Kumeu library, Tuesday 30th March, 2:30pm

Heather Mackay of Mackay Books will be available at the event to discuss manuscript submissions to be read or assessed.

This is a free event, however advance booking through the relevant library is required.

A Literary Adventures event.

Pirates Ahoy!!

Shiver me timbers! The Jolly Roger is being hoisted over Rodney Libraries during April as Pirates are the theme for the School Holiday Programme.

There will be spyglasses, sea shanties, treasure hunts, parrots and ticking clocks around the District. The swash buckling Children's Librarians may be in disguise as they welcome you on board to tell tall tales and run their popular activity sessions. Here is the programme for the holidays.

Helensville Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual 10.30 am Mondays
Wed 7 April 10.30am Ahoy me hearties! I need a Spyglass!
Mon 12 April 10.30am Avast Matey! I need a Parrot!
Wed 14 April 10.30am X marks the spot!
Fri 16 April 10.30am Raise the jolly roger! I need a Pirate Hat!

Kumeu Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual 10.30 am Mondays
Thu 8 April 10:30 am Swash buckling pirate stories and activities
Tue 13 April 10:30 am Swash buckling pirate stories and activities

Mahurangi East Library
NOTE: No Storytime on Tue 6 April
Tues 13 April 10:30 am Pirate Storytime for preschoolers
Wed 14 April 10:30 am Come on Board for Pirate Stories and activities

Orewa Library
Storytime and Rhymetime for preschoolers will run as usual
Rhymetime 11 am Tuesdays :: Storytime 11 am Thursdays
Tue 6 April 2.30pm Shiver me timbers! Pirate stories and activities
Thu 8 April 2.30pm Shiver me timbers! Pirate stories and activities
Tue 13 April 2.30pm Shiver me timbers! Pirate stories and activities
Thu 15 April 2.30pm Shiver me timbers! Pirate stories and activities

Warkworth Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual Monday at 10.30 am
Thu 8 April 10.30am ‘X’ marks the spot for Pirates. Bring your best Pirate Jokes.
Thu 15 April 10.30am “Ahoy my hearties” Dress in your best pirate gear!
More stories and activities.

Wellsford Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual Wednesdays 10.30 am
Thu 8 April 10.30am Ahoy me hearties! I need a pirate hat
Thu 15 April 10.30am Raise the Jolly Roger! X marks the spot!

Whangaparaoa Library
Storytime and rhymetime for preschoolers will run as usual
Storytime 10.30 am Tuesdays and Wednesdays :: Rhymetime 10.30 am Thursdays
Wednesday 7 April 2.00 pm Come onboard for Pirate stories and fun
Wednesday 14 April 2.00 pm Pirates are back! More high-seas fun at the Library

Winter Sports

The cross over of the sports seasons is in progress at present. The summer sports like cricket, tennis and touch are winding down while trials, musters and pre-season competitions are happening for the winter sports like rugby, netball and soccer. The Indian Summer we are experiencing is certainly making the beginning of the winter sports a bit of a trial (I speak from experience after sweltering in the Northland heat at Whangarei last Sunday).


For all those new (and experienced) coaches out there in Rodney, your library can be a good first stop to get some fresh ideas for running practices, teaching skills and putting your teams together. Here are a selection:


Netball: Guidebooks, coaching tips for the adults and coaches in the adult non-fiction, plus simpler introduction books for the first time players in our childrens non-fiction section. From experience, my favourites are Netball - Steps to Success by Wilma Shakespear and The Netball Handbook - Winning Essentials by Jane Woodlands (current coach of the Adelaide Thunderbirds)

Soccer or Football: I imagine with the All White's heading off to the World Cup this year and the success of the Phoenix, that there is going to be a huge demand for our football resources. It's a good thing we have plenty of them. Drills, skills, fitness and coaching techniques in a variety of formats for both children and adults.

Hockey: It's not the same game that I turned my nose up to at college. Playing on turf instead of muddy fields makes it a much faster (and dare I say, more skilled) game. Not quite as many titles to be found on this sport in the library, but still enough to get you started.

Rugby: Our national game rugby football or rugby union and the aspiring national game rugby league can all be found under this link. There are four pages of subject headings and resources for you to choose from.

If there is a sport we haven't mentioned and that you would like to find out about, just head into the library and ask one of the friendly librarians.

Neil Gaiman at the Wellington Town Hall

I was in Wellington on the weekend in the Town Hall waiting for Neil Gaiman to come out on stage when it occured to me that we weren't waiting for an author. We were waiting for a rockstar. When he did come out, accompanied by chair, Kate de Goldi, the applause was so loud I'm surprised that bits of the ceiling didn't come raining down on us. An impressive reception for someone who hadn't even spoken a word.
Gaiman is an accomplished speaker who seems as if he enjoys being interviewed in front of hundreds of people. He carefully considers each question then comes up with an answer that is usually personal and funny. The interview was bookended by him reading some of his work. Poems at the beginning and an excerpt from American Gods at the end. (He said he would edit out some of the strong words and invited us to "put them back in".)
I found it interesting to discover that he likes to write to order. He noted that he was the kind of writer who could put off finishing something. If a publisher said 'Here's a bunch of money, write what you like, give it to me whenever' then they would be waiting for the rest of their life. "All art needs boundaries. Art needs walls; boundaries to chafe at." He says that it "focuses his head in a certain way."
He's interested in the ideas that we take from fiction. He used the example of the C.S. Lewis books which he loves. 'People will tell you that it's about Christianity. I didn't get that when I was a child. If it is about Christianity then C.S. Lewis is doing a terrible job. He put everything he loved into the books. I got my love of Greek myth from the books." His favourite myths are the Norse myths. Within that he likes the story about when Loki gets drunk and starts insulting the other gods. "They are grumpy and so incredibly human".
He considers that he's lucky to 'hang-out with writers from different genres. People seem to be good at one genre.' He says that he's a storyteller who is 'interested in what makes something more powerful' in a particular medium whether it be books, comics, screen or stage. There's a 'huge difference between them all.'
He had some advice for aspiring writers. "Write. Finish. Publish. Don't wait to publish before you start writing again." Repeat.

The Greatest Show on Earth

No - we are not talking about the Barnum and Bailey Circus. The title of today's blog refers to the book by Richard Dawkins in which he presents his case in favour of evolution. The opposing side in this debate are the Creationists who will also be putting in an appearance in Christchurch this week where the author will be speaking. This came to my attention on the Stuff.co.nz book webpage and I thought was a great opportunity to show how the resources of the library could be used to explore arguments both for and against.

First stop are the library shelves. Do a subject search for Evolution and find a whole range of books, audio books and DVD's. Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species is, of course, where it all started but with the growth in readable non-fiction, there is sure to be something else that you can get to grips with if this classic tome isn't appealing. Even Bill Bryson get's in on the act with The Short History of Nearly Everything.

To explore the alternative viewpoint of Creationism you can search under the Bible and evolution or under Creation. Once again these range from the simple (The answers book : the 20 most-asked questions about creation, evolution & the Book of Genesis answer) to the more in depth discussion.

One of the other options for exploring this debate is our electronic resources (e-resources) page on our website. To use this website you need your library card and a PIN number (if you don't know if you have this just give your local library a quick call and they can check this for you). There is an excellent resource on this page called the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (Gale) which "Provides fact and opinion about today's controversial topics. It contains thousands of articles, statistics, and essays." Fulltext available articles are available to research and download.

It always helps in any debate to have all the information you can. That's one of the things Rodney Libraries can help you with. If you can't find it by yourself, just come in and ask.

The Bledisloe Cup

Cricket is still going (but we won't talk about the results). Most summer sports are winding up and some winter ones have already started (sweltering in the continuing summer heat).

Mahurangi Rugby Club are starting their season off with a bang this weekend with an Open Day tomorrow Saturday 13th March. The highlight of the day is not, as some probably think, The Battle of the Dome with both Mahurangi Senior Firsts and Premier teams playing Wellsford in the afternoon. It is the coup managed by McMahon Builders who are bringing the Bledisloe Cup to Warkworth for the day.

The Bledisloe Cup is named after Lord Bledisloe, a former Governor General of New Zealand. He donated the cup in 1931 to be played for by New Zealand and Australia. The trophy was designed in New Zealand by Nelson Isaac, and crafted by Walker and Hall in London. It has the distinction of being the largest trophy in world rugby.

You can find out more about the Governor General and the match history of the Bledisloe Cup matches by looking at the books on this Rodney Libraries link. If you want to see the Cup up close and have your photo taken with it, head along to the Mahurangi Rugby Club between 12noon and 5pm. The day starts with Junior registration at 10am and continues right through to the evening when you can watch the Crusaders play the Highlanders on the big screen at 7.30pm. There is entertainment all day as well.

Players are still being sought in all grades (from 5 years to 55+ says Sam). That probably means that coaches are required too. You can get help with that at Rodney Libraries as well by looking at the resources we have on this catalogue link. First stops would be the coaching and training books, but there is a wide range to keep you entertained.

Check out your local sports club if you are interested in playing any winter sports, or helping to manage or coach. They will welcome you with open arms.

Hello to Orewa College Library

I was trolling around the library and literary message boards today (I had a brief gap in my day) and tripped over the Blog for our friends at the Orewa College Library. It's not brand brand new, but it is new to me and looks like it is already quite active.


Check them out at http://orewacollegelibrary.blogspot.com/


Are there any other local School Library blogs or websites out there that would like a mention? Send us an email and we will see what we can do.

The Hurt Locker - real life stories

Congratulations to The Hurt Locker for winning the Oscar for Best Picture. The film is a fictionalised account of what it's like to be on a bomb disposal team for the U.S. military in Iraq. As with all fictionalised accounts apparently some liberties have been taken with the portrayal of day-to-day life for the squad.

Try this book for a real-life account from a British soldier.

Eight lives down : the story of a counter-terrorist bomb-disposal operator's tour in Iraq by Chris Hunter.
Chris Hunter has the most dangerous job in the world in the most dangerous place in the world - he's responsible for bomb disposal in the British sector of Iraq, pitted against some of the most ruthless and technically advanced terrorists in the world. It is a 24/7 job - his team defuse over forty-five bombs in the first two months alone. And the people they're up against don't play by the Geneva Convention. For them, there are no rules, only results. Bombs, rockets, grenades, ambushes, booby traps - death by any means necessary.
Book trailer on YouTube


The movie also won Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing and, Best Sound Editing.

Magazine Junkie Antidote

I am an almost reformed magazine junkie. I say reformed after surveying my living room over the weekend (for the brief time that I spent at home). However I have now found something to help me with my addiction. And it's right here on the World Wide Web.

I would like to introduce you to one of our latest E-resources (electronic resources) which are databases we subscribe to for you and which are available through our Rodney Libraries website. All you need to access them is your library card and a PIN number.

This particular database is called Popular Magazines. Here you will find thousands of magazine, newsletter, newswires and handbooks. There is something for everyone, from Harper's Bazaar to Popular Mechanics , the Oprah magazine to Family Handyman.

There is a range of industry and professional publications as well. Although predominantly sourced in America, there are titles from around the globe.

Of course if you are the sort the still prefers to turn the page, you can still take advantage of Rodney Libraries, with the seven libraries holding a range of titles. You can check our range on our website here.

Bookworm Websites

I am going to give away some of my trade secrets today. Here is another list of cool websites for the bookworms out there (and where we go when we lack inspiration)

Beattie's Book Blog - We've said it before, but you are hardpressed to go past Graham Beatties' blog for news both national and international to do with books and the publishing industry.

Christchurch City Libraries - They set the standard really high for Library blogs in New Zealand. Live blogging from literary events around New Zealand are a highlight so check out what is happening at the New Zealand Post Readers and Writer's Week in Wellington this month.

Bookiemonster - A new favourite who was highlighted in the Sunday papers recently by author Nicky Pellegrino (also talking about the new style of book bloggers). Bookiemonster is also an online seller.

Good Books NZ - Another online seller, but this one has a point of difference. All profits go to Oxfam.

Manukau Libraries - Our colleagues down in Manukau have put together some great reviews and news on their new-look website.

NZ Books - This periodical is dedicated to reviewing New Zealand publications.

NZ Book Council - The home of New Zealand publishing news

Trade Me Book Forum - It's amazing what gems you pick up on this interactive forum, from where the big second hand book sales are to what to read next to the regular book quiz.

Have fun on the World Wide Web and have a great day.

Welcome to the Land of Nod

The theme for today's blog is SLEEP. Some may think this is a very strange subject for a library blog, and they would probably be right (although the jokers amongst you would already be peeling off the one-liners about how there is a book in every library that could put anyone to sleep).

The theme came to me because yesterday was my designated "sleep-in" day. I had been looking forward to it all week. It has been a crazy three weeks filled with netball meetings, netball trials, umpiring, work (can't forget that) and more netball trainings. So I had planned rolling over at the usual wake up time, and then curling back up into a ball to waste part of a perfectly good day catching up on my beauty sleep (another brilliant opportunity for a one-liner from the jokers).

Of course, my inability to say "No" with any sort of conviction put paid to my plans (which will be the theme of a forthcoming blog entry) and instead I spent the day in the bright and sunny hotspot of Whangarei ... running around a netball court (what else?).

But getting back to sleep and libraries, have you ever seriously considered us a resource if you are having trouble sleeping. Plenty of parents have as they struggle with restless babies (while considering the inappropriateness of the term "sleep like a baby"). Here are some ideas for you.

Picture books to encourage children to bed: There is a large range to select from Dr Seuss to Martin Waddell. Try The Baby who wouldn't go to bed by Helen Cooper. A subject search under Bedtime reveals a further selection for you and your child.

Sleep and Infants (aka how to get my baby to sleep) is one of our very popular sections and there are plenty to choose from, although the most often recommended one by Plunket is The complete sleep guide for contented babies and toddlers by Gina Ford.

Children aren't the only ones who have trouble sleeping. Whether you have the odd night which drives you to despair, or are a chronic insomniac, check out books under the subject heading of sleep disorders which offer a range of solutions so that you can work out the best one for you.

A time honoured method of getting to sleep is the Lullaby. Rodney Libraries has a range of books and audio to lull you and your family to sleep with the sound of music.

And of course, once you are asleep there are the Dreams. From picture books to adult fiction, dictionaries to interpretation, there is something for everyone.

And if you just want something to read on those nights you can't sleep, we will almost certainly have something for you at Rodney Libraries as well.

Sleep well everyone.

NZ Post Children's Book Awards Finalists 2010

The finalists for the New Zealand Post Childrens Book Awards 2010 have been announced and there are some popular library favourites included in the list.

Picture Book Category
Cowshed Christmas by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Gavin Bishop (Random House New Zealand)
Old Hu-Hu by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Rachel Driscoll (Scholastic New Zealand) in conjunction with the Te reo edition: Hū-Hū Koroheke, translated by Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira (Scholastic New Zealand)
Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig Goes to Dad's Cafe by Diana Neild, illustrated by Philip Webb (Scholastic New Zealand)
The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith, illustrated by Katz Cowley (Scholastic New Zealand)
The Word Witch by Margaret Mahy, illustrated by David Elliot and edited by Tessa Duder (HarperCollins Publishers)
Non-fiction Category:
Ben & Mark: Boys of the High Country by Christine Fernyhough, and John Bougen
(Random House New Zealand)
Dear Alison, edited by Simon Pollard (Penguin NZ)
E3 Call Home by Janet Hunt (Random House New Zealand)
Rangitoto by Maria Gill, illustrated by Heather Arnold (Puffin Books)

Willie Apiata, VC: The Reluctant Hero by Paul Little and John Lockyer (Puffin Books)

Junior Fiction Category:
Cry of the Taniwha by Des Hunt (HarperCollins Publishers)
Friends: Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Gavin Bishop (Gecko Press)
The Loblolly Boy by James Norcliffe (Longacre Press)
My Story: The Mine's Afire! By Susan Battye and Thelma Eakin (Scholastic New Zealand)
Sting by Raymond Huber (Walker Books)

Young Adult Fiction Category:
Banquo's Son by T.K. Roxborogh (Penguin NZ)
The Beginner's Guide to Living by Lia Hills (Text Publishing)
Blood of the Lamb: The Crossing by Mandy Hager (Random House New Zealand)
Brainjack by Brian Falkner (Walker Books)
End of the Alphabet by Fleur Beale (Random House New Zealand)

Congratulations must go to local Matakana author Maria Gill for making the finalists list with one of her three releases last year. Rangitoto is a fantastic book on telling several stories seamlessly at the same time. It was well received by critics and is a favourite of mine. Regular readers of this blog and school children around Rodney will recognise Maria as she helped us out with our School Holiday programmes last year when she launched the book. Her exploding volcano model was very popular. Good luck for the finals Maria.

Wriggle and Rhyme

We have talked a lot about Wriggle and Rhyme since we started it at Rodney Libraries last year. Wriggle & Rhyme: Active Movement for early learning is an initiative which allows parents, babies and toddlers to learn and participate in active movement experiences which can contribute to early literacy development. It has evolved from a 2008 Auckland and SPARC (Sport and Recreation NZ) initiative. In Rodney is it run as a partnership between Sport North Harbour, SPARC and Rodney Libraries.

We are continually getting new parents (sometimes grandparents) and children along to Wriggle and Rhyme Sessions in Rodney. The librarians who present the programme in the library are enthusiastic about encouraging children to participate. Last week we had the opportunity to learn some new skills from Tessa Grigg and Brian Ringrose who together form Tessarose, children's performers. A lot of the music we use in Wriggle and Rhyme comes from this Kiwi duo who are based in the South Island, but had a "holiday" in the north (which included several workshops).

Tessa is a qualified educator and both she and Brian are passionate about focusing on education through music. It was very interesting to hear the science and background that goes into some of the simplest of songs, rhymes and actions. One of the key words that keeps coming up is "vestibular". The vestibular system contributes to our balance and spatial awareness. Obviously this is important to all of us and is something that needs to be learnt by babies to be able to walk and move around. The way we exercise the vestibular in Wriggle and Rhyme is by doing lots of up and down, side to side, backwards and forwards, round and round movements. We also try to include some upside down, although this is introduced in a gentle way so that babies do not get a fright.

The workshop last week was also valuable in a practical sense as we heard how Tessrose put sessions together and watch them perform the songs as they were intended to be done. Brian and Tessa practice what they preach by going out and performing regularly to pre-school and school audiences (including several sessions throughout Auckland while they were here on "holiday").

"Bounce to language" is on of Tessa's catchphrases. She points to a wide range of resources which back up the link between movement, music and picking up on language at an early age, including the story of her own son who started reading ahead of his peers. It was only in hindsight that she recognised that he travelled with Tessarose to performances three to five times a week as a toddler and took part in all of them.

Although the Tessarose catalogue includes DVD's, Tessa enthuses that "people learn more from personal experience than they do from the one dimensional, for example TV". I was also intrigued by stories told by pregnant mums who had attended regular sessions, who said their babies seemed to recognise different songs and become more active in the womb when they came on.

Look out for all the Tessarose resources in Rodney Libraries and visit their website if you have the chance. And come into Rodney Libraries at the following times to try out a Wriggle and Rhyme session for yourself.

Helensville : Wednesdsay @ 10.30 am

Mahurangi East : Thursday @ 9.30 am

Warkworth : Thursday @ 10.30 am

Whangaparaoa : Fridays @ 10.00 am

Kumeu : Fridays @ 10.30 am

Orewa : Fridays @ 11.30 am

Rodney Mayoral Cycle Challenge Rescheduled

The Rodney Mayoral Cycle Challenge is still on for 2010 and has been rescheduled for Saturday 6 March 2010. The Challenge will start at 10am, with registration from 9am at Centreway Reserve.

The challenge was originally intended to be held on Sunday 28 February but was not held because a tsunami warning was in effect for Rodney beaches.

The cycle challenge will now follow a new route from previous years, beginning at 10am at Centreway Road reserve and travel along the Millennium walkway and cycleway to reach Western Reserve.

Saturday 6 March is also National children's day and this is being marked across the country with a range of special events during March. As part of the celebrations the Mayor will lead people on their cycles to the Children's Day activities at Western Reserve which will be celebrated at Coast Day Out.

Coast Day Out is being organised by Rodney Women's Refuge, the Rodney District Council and Te Rito Rodney Family Violence Prevention.

This free event runs from 10am - 2pm and will feature games such as sack races, sports, a bouncy castle and bouncy bungee, skate display, food, and many other attractions. The day will also present ideas from local young people about how their area could be made safer to the community, which will then be workshopped by a range of organisations after the day.

Mayoral Challenge Registration
Registration for the ride is free. You can register on the day from 9am (the challenge starts at 10 am). Download a registration form here and bring it to the registration tent on the day.

There will be free goody bags and spot prizes for the first 1,000 people who register and vouchers awarded to the Rodney schools with the highest levels of participation.

Participants who registered for the challenge when it was to be held on Sunday 28 February will not be required to register again to participate in the event. You will need to bring your registration form to get your goody bag.
A helmet and shoes are required to participate.

Hi Warkworth Primary

I'm a bit late starting my Blog today as have just spent the morning entertaining three Year 3 classes from Warkworth Primary School. Hi everyone - I hope you all enjoyed your visit and walk back to school.

I really enjoy showing off the library to schools. This was the first of regular visits from the Year 3's and today we talked about:

• how to get a library card and does it cost anything?
• what you can use your library card for?
• what sort of things we have in the library?
• if it costs anything to take books out of the library?
• how long can you have a book out of the library?
• what things should they not do in the library?
• what things books don't like having done to them?
• how to check books out?

I also learnt a lot as I always ask them what they want to read and what their favourite types of books are. There were plenty of fiction (chapter books) mentioned with animals, horses, Geronimo Stilton, Captain Underpants, fairies, Maori, Roald Dahl and Star Wars all being very popular. Quite a few read in the non-fiction (information or true books) section with sports, animals, dinosaurs, bulldozers and famous people being popular. Regular readers of this blog will know that I also wasn't so concerned that quite a few times comics were mentioned.

I still have some work to do convincing some of the children that being smart is cool. I think deep down they actually know that it is, they are just too cool to admit it. I will see when they come back next term.

March Events in the Library

Here is a quick summary of some of the things happening in the Rodney Libraries during March

Gluten and Dairy Free Diet
A return visit from popular Joan Buchanan to the Orewa Library. Mark Wednesday 17 March @ 12.30pm on your calendar. Look out for all the goodies she brings in for tasting.


Script and Scribe
A mini festival showcasing new New Zealand authors from Mackay Books. Heather Mackay will be attending and is always on the lookout for new manuscripts to read or assess. This is a free service designed to get first time authors in print. Books by some of the new authors will be available to buy. The events are free and you should contact each of the libraries to book in.

Friday 26 March 11am @ Warkworth Library - phone 094259803
Friday 26 March 2.30pm @ Whangaparaoa Library - phone 094273710
Tuesday 30 March 2.30pm @ Kumeu Library - phone 094127995

Children's Day this weekend

It's Children's day on Sunday 7 March. Organisers say "...whilst children are celebrated, treasured and nurtured in many ways every day, Children's Day is a lovely way to focus families and communities on the children of Aotearoa New Zealand for one day." This year's theme is "Praise and Encouragement".

As part of celebrations community organisations around Rodney have pitched in to create a family fun day events all over the district. Wellsford, Orewa, Silverdale and Helensville are all hosting events. (Rumour has it that there'll be a SpongeBob bouncy castle in Orewa...)