What's on This Weekend

It must be Helensville Show this weekend. How do I know this? Because for the second year in a row it looks like being a wet show for them. What a pity that there is a weather warning out for Saturday as I was really looking to showing of the Rodney Library courier van in the sunshine to all the people out west. Regardless, the show will still go ahead but it will be gumboot weather by the sounds of things. Will cross my fingers for you that the weather clears earlier than forecast. And anyway, I know you lot out west are a hardy lot. A little rain won't deter you.

Hopefully by the time Sunday rolls around, the weather will be better as its the Mayors Cycle Challenge which kicks off at 10am at the Orewa Reserve. Go along and help Rodney become NZ's most cycle mad city FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW!!. There are free goody bags, free entry, and lots of other entertainment. The pink plastic fantastic from the Warkworth display has been moved a couple of times by youngsters who are keen to join in, but so far we have saved it as we are unsure how roadworthy it is.

Sunday 1st March is also Children's Day. Lifeway are putting on a Gala at the Snells Beach Reserve 2-4pm. It's Free and it's Fun for the whole Family with Bouncy Castle, Face Painting, Massive sand dig, and prizes for all children.

Free internet access at your library

You may have noticed some changes happening at your library this week. The Aotearoa People’s Network is being installed in all seven of the Rodney Libraries. The Aotearoa People’s Network is a collaborative programme between public libraries and the National Library of New Zealand to provide free internet access to improve New Zealanders’ access to the internet and the digital world. This means that Rodney Libraries will soon be offering free internet access to all library users.

Along with computers and free internet access the Aotearoa People’s Network provide hardware such as microphones, headphones and webcams. You’ll also be able to bring in your laptop and use wireless internet – all for free.

The 2006 census showed that 34% of Rodney residents do not have access to the internet. “While many people in our community have access to the internet, we can sometimes forget that there are a large number of residents living in Rodney who don’t have access yet.” says Vicki Clarke, Rodney Libraries Acting Manager.

“Free broadband access will particularly benefit those on limited incomes who don’t have the internet at home, people who may not feel comfortable using computers without support and residents in rural areas where high speed broadband is not accessible,” Ms Clarke adds.

RDC is one of 30 local authorities to date who have successfully applied to have computers gifted as part of the Aotearoa People’s Network initiative. Rodney District Council will continue to provide internet and computer access from computers operating in the libraries which will be available for paid usage.

I'v been indulging myself in a little children's literature at the moment to get up to speed with some new books coming in. A lot of them have had a New Zealand flavour as I think it is important to keep up with what is happening locally.

Des Hunt has added to his already impressive list of titles with "Whale Pot Bay". Based in the Wairarapa, this story races along with something happening on almost every page. Lots of our Rodney kids (and their parents) will be able to relate to racing the farm jeep through the scrub, learning how to surf, deserted beaches covered with driftwood framed by high cliffs for climbing and trying to shoot the magpies out of their tree. Mix in some visiting whales in the Bay, an international rockstar and some hounding paparazzi and you can see where all the action might come from. Just for good measure there is a large earthquake off Southern Chile. To find out how that might affect Whale Pot Bay, you will have to read the book.

Another Kiwi author I read this month include Linley Jones who has produced "Making Waves" for Year 9+ based partly on her own experiences sailing around the Tongan group of islands. This is not something 13 year old Jazzy wanted to do but the family insisted so together with Mum, Dad and her younger brother Ryan they set off in their small family yacht for more adventure than any of them had bargained for. As well as diving, snorkelling and island life, there are caves, reefs, auto-pilots with a mind of their own, boys, and smugglers.

Finally is one of the latest additions to the My Story series is "Poor Man's Gold; the diary of Reuben Radcliffe, Northland 1899-1900". My late grandfather had a lovely collection of polished Kauri gum, I think the Kauri Museum at Matakohe is one of the best museums in the country and a visit to Ahipara several years ago and some of the gum digging fields meant I could relate to this book. There are other things that todays students may be able to relate to in this book as it follows a family with a good business who find that because of economic circumstances they have to turn to other avenues for income. Once again the historical notes and photos at the end of the story add to the package by Kath Beattie.

Know your copying rights

Although John Key announced a delay to the introduction of S92a yesterday we should all know our copy rights. Copyright in New Zealand covers everything from 'All rights reserved' to Public Domain or 'No rights reserved'.

Here's a basic run down of the different licenses...

All rights reserved (from Copyright Licensing Ltd )
The Owners of copyright (writers, artists, composers etc) have the exclusive right to:
- copy their work;
- publish their work;
- perform their work in public;
- communicate the work to the public;
- adapt the work (eg. by making a translation or dramatised version.)

It doesn't mean that you can't use the information, just that you have to clear it with the copyright holder first.

Public Domain/No rights reserved (from Copyright Licensing Ltd )
Users can freely reproduce, distribute, communicate, use, modify, build upon, or otherwise exploit this content for any purpose, commercial or non-commercial, and in any way.

Crown copyright (from New Zealand Government Web Standards)

Anyone can utilise any of the material available on the web site free of charge and without permission of the agency provided that:
The material is not altered
The source and copyright status of the material is acknowledged.

No known copyright restrictions. (from Kete Digital New Zealand )

No known copyright restrictions indicates that the content provider is unaware of any current copyright restrictions on the content. This may be because the term of copyright for the content (or work) has expired, or because no evidence has been found that copyright restrictions apply. (The National Library of New Zealand have applied this to their photos in The Commons on Flickr.)

Creative Commons licenses fall in between the two extremes of 'all' and 'no' rights reserved. (Some of our Flickr photos are licensed under a Creative Commons license.) Here are the definitions from the site.

Attribution (BY):
This licence lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as longas they credit you for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licences offered, in terms of what others can do with your works licensed under Attribution.

Attribution-Noncommercial (BY-NC):
This licence lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, and although their new works must also acknowledge you and be non-commercial, they don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.

Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works (BY-NC-ND):
This licence is the most restrictive of our six main licences, allowing redistribution. This licence is often called the “free advertising” licence because it allows others to download your works and share them with others as long as they mention you and link back to you, but they can’t change them in any way or use them commercially.

Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike (BY-NC-SA)
This licence lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms. Others can download and redistribute your work just like the BY-ND-SA licence, but they can also translate, make remixes, and produce new stories based on your work. All new work based on yours will carry the same licence, so any derivatives will also be non-commercial in nature.

Attribution-No Derivative Works (BY-ND)
This licence allows for redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as it is passed along unchanged and in whole, with credit to you.

Attribution-Share Alike (BY-SA)
This licence lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work even for commercial reasons, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms. This licence is often compared to open source software licences. All new works based on yours will carry the same licence, so any derivatives will also allow commercial use.


Here are several useful websites that further explain copyright:
Copyright Licensing Ltd
Creative Commons Aotearoa New Zealand
Kete Digital New Zealand - Rights and Permissions help
The Ministry of Economic Development - Copyright Protection in New Zealand
New Zealand Government Web Standards

81st Annual Academy Awards

The glitz! The glam! The Australian host! What's not to like about the Oscars?
The 81st Annual Academy Awards are held on Sunday (tonight our time). The full list of nominations can be found on the official site. It's amazing to believe that guest tickets only cost $5 for the very first ceremony in 1929! Sometimes it seems as though the awards have become more about fashion than anything else. (I'll admit I spent some time looking at changing fashion statements from Mary Pickford in the 30s to Sean Penn in the 00s. Then, while searching the catalogue I came across this title which is definitely going on my reserve list. Made for each other : fashion and the Academy Awards by Bronwyn Cosgrave.) Although the acting awards are the biggest highlight of the ceremony it is a chance for the Academy to recognise the achievements of the people behind the cameras - directors, editors, makeup, costume etc. There are also Scientific and Technical awards to acknowlege those "whose discoveries and innovations have contributed in significant, outstanding and lasting ways to motion pictures."

On a less serious note the Golden Raspberry is also awarded this week. Called the RAZZIES the Golden Raspberry awards "Dis-Honors for Worst Achievements in Film". The 29th winners have just been annouced. You can find them here... and in the library. (Put a reserve on and judge for yourself.)


Who do you think will will an Oscar? Are the RAZZIEs justified? Leave a comment and let us know.