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.