Tsunamis

The big news this morning has been the earthquake in Samoa and the resulting tsunami warning for New Zealand. The reaction in Rodney was controlled with the Emergency teams advising people to stay away from Rodney's East coast beaches. The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management have now downgraded "the tsumai warning to a tsunami alert. The first wave may not be the largest so people are still advised to stay away from beaches, river mouths and esturies until an all clear has been issued. "

Te Ara has a very good article on "Tsunamis - New Zealand's underrated hazard" which explains how tsunamis are created and how they cause so much damage.

GeoNet has Tsunami Gauges with a graph that "represent a snapshot of the latest tsunami gauge recordings for operational instruments in the New Zealand region."

Both the NZ Herald and Stuff.co.nz have articles on the New Zealand response.

You can make a donation to NZ Red Cross Samoa Tsunami Relief on give.a.little

School holiday programme Wednesday 30 September

The theme these holidays is MAD SCIENCE. Here's what's on in the libraries today.

Mahurangi East Library 10.30am Stories and activities - Bubbling Fun

Whangaparaoa Library 10am-3pm Hibiscus Porcelain Artists are doing mugs or tile painting for children from 10 am to 3 pm. Bookings essential. Contact the library 09 427 3710 or whanglib@rodney.govt.nz

Whangaparaoa Library 2 pm - Join our Mad Scientists in some fascinating experiments plus some for you to take home

The 10 pm Question by Kate de Goldi . . .

A great read for both young adults and adults. NZ Post Book of the Year 2009 and Readers Choice in the Montana New Zealand Book Awards 2009.

Frankie is an intense young man with a head full of questions. He’s fascinated by birds and spends a lot of time both studying them and drawing make-believe birds of fabulous colours and amazing plumage.

Meanwhile, on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula a team of dedicated volunteers (SOSSI) are creating an open sanctuary to ensure the safety of our own beautiful native birds.

Come along and support their work by attending the Shakespear Open Sanctuary Information Evening at Whangaparaoa Library Thursday October 8th at 7 pm

A DVD documenting the predator fence project on Great Barrier Island will be shown

ALL WELCOME

A gold coin donation to SOSSI will be appreciated

Check out the beautiful Jeff Thomson artwork too. Jeff is donating part of the proceeds from each sale to the Shakespear Open Sanctuary Project.

School holiday programme Tuesday 29 September

The theme these holidays is MAD SCIENCE. Here's what's on in the libraries today

Helensville Library 10.30am Space science with our Mad Scientist Cliff.

Warkworth Library 10.30am “Do Try this at Home” Join the junior Myth Busters for stories, and experiments

Orewa Library 2pm Mad Science stories and activities

About NZ Book Month

NZ Book Month is a non-profit initiative that has the whole book industry behind it, from writers and publishers to bookshops and libraries. Quite simply, the idea is to get more of us reading New Zealand books.
We are proud to be a nation of readers. On a global scale, Kiwis are highly literate and recent surveys show that many of us wouldn’t think about relaxing without a good book. But we want more of those books to be ones that have been written by New Zealand writers. We want to celebrate and showcase the brilliant writing talent we have, to support new and upcoming writers in our country, to tap into the pride we feel in our literary landscape and show you that whatever your taste, there’s a fantastic New Zealand book for you.
NZ Book Month is an annual event, which will grow over time to be a nation-wide festival involving everyone from local communities to the Prime Minister.
NZ Book Month will be celebrated in October this year.

School holiday programme - this week

The theme these holidays is MAD SCIENCE. Here's what's on in the libraries this week.

Helensville Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual 10.30 am Mondays
Tues Sept 29th 10.30am Space science with our Mad Scientist Cliff. Thurs Oct 1st 10.30am Bubbles of fun (experiments with bubbles).

Kumeu Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual 10.30 am Mondays
Thu Oct 1st 10:30 am - “Do Try this at Home” stories and activities

Mahurangi East Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual 10.30 am Tuesdays
Wed Sep 30th 10.30am Stories and activities - Bubbling Fun
Thu Oct 1st 10.30am Stories and activities - Popping popcorn

Orewa Library
Storytime and Rhymetime for preschoolers will run as usual
Rhymetime 11 am Tuesdays :: Storytime 11 am Thursdays
Tue 29 Sep 2pm Stories and activities
Thur 1 Oct 2pm Stories and activities

Warkworth Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual Monday and Thursday at 10.30
Tues Sep 29th 10.30am “Do Try this at Home” Join the junior Myth Busters for stories, and experiments

Wellsford Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual Wednesdays 10.30 am
Thur 1 Oct 10.30 Stories and Activities- Colours of the Rainbow

Whangaparaoa Library
Storytime and rhymetime for preschoolers will run as usual
Storytime 10.30 am Tuesdays and Wednesdays :: Rhymetime 10.30 am Thursdays
Wednesday Sep 30th 10am-3pm Hibiscus Porcelain Artists are doing mugs or tile painting for children from 10 am to 3 pm. Bookings essential. Contact the library 09 427 3710 or whanglib@rodney.govt.nz
Wednesday Sep 30th 2 pm - Join our Mad Scientists in some fascinating experiments plus some for you to take home

World War II Children's & Teens Fiction

I have probably posted about this before, but when I was just a wee young thing (probably 9 or 10) at Tauhoa Primary School, our teacher used to read aloud to us every day. One chapter a day in his rich dramatic voice took us through highs and lows of many adventures. A couple of those books stayed with me longer than others but the one that made the most impression and which I credit for turning me from a reader into an absolute book worm with a passion for page turning was I am David by Ann Holm.

With the innocence (or should that be naivety) of a child, it was only later that I realised the setting and background for the tale of a young boy who is allowed to escape imprisonment with just a compass, a small bundle of food and instructions to head to Denmark. With the help (and despite the hindrance) of several characters along the way, David finally achieves a happy ending in a moving book seen through the eyes of the main character.

The catalyst for this post is actually my recent reading of a similar book The Boy in Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. We go on a journey with Bruno, as seen through his eyes. The story starts in Berlin during the Second World War where he lives with his family. However is Father receives a new position and the family must move to a strange new house which "stood all on its own in an empty, desolate place". From his bedroom he can see a huge wire fence and behind it a whole lot of "small boys and big boys, fathers and grandfathers" and they were all wearing the same clothes "a pair of grey striped pyjamas with a grey striped cap on their heads".

Even more so than I am David, this book gets inside the head of the nine year old Bruno and tells of how a young boy may have seen this time of secrets and fences between them and us. Bruno knows nothing of this when he befriends one of the boys from the other side of the fence. Both these books can be found in our Young Adult section but while I am David would be suitable for younger readers, The Boy in Striped Pyjamas is a little more brutal.

Lastly is Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine. This children's non fiction book successfully combines the two parts of the War, Europe and Japan. The story follows a youth group called "Small Wings" in Tokyo who have created a small museum to interest other Japanese children in the Holocaust. A suitcase arrives for their museum and sets them on a journey of discovery from Czechoslovakia in the 1930's through to the 21st century in North America and Japan. This is a lovely true story with photographs and copies of documentation from the time.

Fashion in Fiction

From Chick Lit to Literature, children and teens to adults, or print to audio - there is some fashionable fiction to suit all readers in the Rodney Libraries collection.

For the full list of fashion and fiction at Rodney I did a keyword search using those two words and got four pages of results (click on the highlighted words to see them all).

If you don't want to scroll through the full list, have a look at these:

Breaking the Rules is the latest release of Barbara Taylor Bradford and like many of her earlier novels, is based around the fashion industry. "When those you love are threatened, there's nothing you won't do to protect them! you'll even resort to Breaking the Rules... From the chic fashion capitals of London and Paris, to the exotic locations of Istanbul and Hong Kong, Breaking the Rules is an enthralling story of love and redemption, secrets and survival from the bestselling author of A Woman of Substance." We have just received multiple copies of this book from the suppliers so book your copy now.

Teen readers can follow The Interns by Chloe Walsh which is a young adult series following four lucky and talented girls for whom fashion is an obsession. Fashionistas is book 1 of the series and introduces us to Callie, Nadine, Ava, and Aynsley who all begin their internship in New York at Courtere magazine.

For younger readers wanting to read stories about fashion, Kelly McKain's Totally Lucy series is a good start. Makeover Magic is book 1, but there are many more in the series of stand alone stories including Catwalk Crazy and Picture Perfect.

High Fashion

I am probably one of the least fashionable of the librarians that walk the stacks in Rodney Libraries. Some of the up-to-the-minute fashions that strut the catwalk are not compatible with running a children's storytime or school holiday programme (and we won't even talk about a librarian's income). However, as it's Air New Zealand Fashion Week in Auckland this week, fashion is definitely a topic worthy of blogging.

Today it's about celebrating the New Zealand Fashion Designers. If you click on the link it will take you through to resources held in Rodney Libraries about some of our top Kiwi designers including Trelise Cooper, Karen Walker and Nom D. We also have a range of New Zealand fashion magazines which report on up to the moment fashion both here and overseas (and will no doubt include in depth coverage of Fashion Week in upcoming issues).

And for those of us who want a hint of what Fashion Week is all about, tickets to the Air New Zealand Fashion Weekend are only $15 a person which includes entry into the New Zealand Herald Garage Sale.

photo courtesy of Air New Zealand Fashion Week website

Read to Succeed closes Friday

A BIG REMINDER to all Year 9 to 13 students who are working on their wide reading requirements for NCEA English. The Rodney Libraries Read to Succeed teen reading challenge closes this Friday 25th September. So if you have done some (or all) of your reading for NCEA, grab an entry form at your local library, fill it out and drop it back in to be in the prize draw.

Most school libraries in Rodney will also have the entry forms, so check in your library or with your English teacher.

Libraries and Movies

Your two bloggers took themselves off to Matakana for lunch and the movies on Sunday. It could have been in celebration of this blog getting a mention on the Nine to Noon programme on National Radio on Thursday, but was in fact just something we decided needed to be done.

We saw Young Victoria, which we agreed was an exceptionally good movie. Part period drama and part romance, this covered the year leading up to her accession to the throne and the turbulent first years of her rule, up to and including the birth of her first child. While it was a fictionalised version of her life, it was still insightful in many ways. The movie provided a view of the class structure, the control over the young woman and the protocols that had to be observed in the late Georgian and early Victorian eras.

After going to movies based on true lives, I often come back to the library and search out reading on the subject. Obviously I am not the only one with such an idea as when I did a catalogue search for Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, I discovered that all books on her life were currently unavailable. However if you do want to read more, have a look at the selection anyway and put a hold on it so you are next in line. We also have children's and teens books which you can check out on this catalogue link.

Picture from IMdb (Internet movie database) website.

Mad Science - School Holiday Programme

Firstly - Hi to the students at Waimauku School who are getting a visit from Tina from Kumeu Library today. Have a fantastic day and good luck with your quiz.

As I am sure they know (as well as all other children and parents reading this), only one week of school left before the September/October school holidays. Rodney Libraries have a packed school holiday programme for you at your local library. Here's the full list.


MAD SCIENCE
Come to your library for stories and fun for school age children

Helensville Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual 10.30 am Mondays
Tues Sept 29th @ 10.30am Space science with our Mad Scientist Cliff.
Thurs Oct 1st @ 10.30am Bubbles of fun (experiments with bubbles).
Oct 5th - 9th @ 10.30am Mad Scientist crafts.

Kumeu Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual 10.30 am Mondays
Thu Oct 1st @ 10:30 am - “Do Try this at Home” stories and activities
Tue Oct 6th @ 10:30 am - “Do Try this at Home” stories and activities

Mahurangi East Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual 10.30 am Tuesdays
Wed Sep 30th @ 10.30am Stories and activities - Bubbling Fun
Thu Oct 1st @ 10.30am Stories and activities - Popping popcorn
Wed Oct 7th @ 10.30am Stories and activities - Optical illusions
Thu Oct 8th @ 10.30am Stories and activities - Wacky Windmills

Orewa Library
Storytime and Rhymetime for preschoolers will run as usual
Rhymetime 11 am Tuesdays :: Storytime 11 am Thursdays
Tues 29 Sep @ 2pm Stories and activities
Thurs 1 Oct @ 2pm Stories and activities
Tues 6 Oct @ 2pm Stories and activities
Thurs 8 Oct @ 2pm Stories and activities

Warkworth Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual Monday and Thursday at 10.30
Tues Sep 29th @ 10.30am “Do Try this at Home” Join the junior Myth Busters for stories, and experiments
Tues Oct 6th @ 10.30am “Bubble Trouble” Join the Mad Professor for more Stories, activities and experiments with a high “mess-o-meter” rating.

Wellsford Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual Wednesdays 10.30 am
Thur 1 Oct @ 10.30am Stories and Activities- Colours of the Rainbow
Thur 8 Oct @ 10.30am Science experiments to amaze you and to try at home!

Whangaparaoa Library
Storytime and rhymetime for preschoolers will run as usual
Storytime 10.30 am Tuesdays and Wednesdays :: Rhymetime 10.30 am Thursdays
Wednesday Sep 30th @ 2 pm - Join our Mad Scientists in some fascinating experiments plus some for you to take home
Wednesday Oct 7th @ 2 pm - More experiments with the Mad Professor & partner

Book Review: Children's Picture Books

A combination of new shelving and storytimes in the Children's section this week has meant that our library hasn't exactly been the quiet place that we are traditionally expected to be. Add in a children's librarian with a large hammer and you may think it is positively dangerous. However the result was that I could spread out our children's picture books a bit more and I found several wonderful titles that I want to share with you.

Dave (Sue Hendra) is a new book which was a huge hit at storytime a couple of weeks ago. Which is fitting really as Dave is a HUGE cat who get's stuck in the cat door. Big bold pictures and print combine to create a fantastic story with a fun ending that will have everyone giggling.

Jack's Tractor (Thomas Taylor) has easy to read rhyming text, lots of potential for sound effects and more bright illustrations. Jack's big red tractor and trailer take all sorts of animals on a trip. But as the sun goes down, Jack realises that he can't remember the way home. Can something as a mouse save the day and get them back?

Cross Crocodile is just one of a series of titles written by Mwenye Hadithi and illustrated by Adrienne Kennaway. Have you ever wondered why crocodiles hide just below the surface of the river, waiting to try and catch out the animals that come to drink? Journey to long ago on the Great African Plains to find out the story of how the Monkey tricked the Crocodile.

A couple of titles which the kids will think are fantastically funny, but parents may be a little more reticent about reading to them are When Mommy was Little (Valerie Larrondo) and 1000 Times No (as told by Mr. Warburton). The titles give them away, just as the books themselves may give your children ideas (such as you not being the angel you want them to believe). But they are great fun nonetheless.

Book Review: The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street

"Shortly after five in the morning Helen Budd-Doyle chopped her bed to smithereens, manufacturing a million toothpicks, sufficient kindling for a week, pulp enough to make sixty rolls of toilet paper, and a thick layer of mulch for garden bed - how ironic was that, she thought. Her bed could be all these things, yet could not provide her with one decent night of sleep."

As first paragraph's go, this one certainly has impact. The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street by Marlish Glorie starts with a bang, introducing Helen who is the central character of this Australian suburban comedy. There are more than a few things in the story that appeal to me such as the picture of a second hand bookshop in a tree lined street or the numerous collections of Mr Budd-Doyle, which have grown to take over the family home and ultimately driven Helen to despair (I am a hoarder from way back, but not quite to that extent).

Two chalk and cheese sons, a love interest who causes sibling rivalry, a neighbour with a gambling problem and an illiterate bookseller are just some of the other eccentric characters you meet along the chaotic meander through this book, and who somehow manage to get things sorted by the final chapter in a satisfying way (or as a book byline says "If only life was like a book ... in that everything made sense and you know all will be resolved in the end").

This was a light, funny and enjoyable read.

Book Review: Children's New Releases

I did not spend all my recent two week break reading (the hay paddock around the house did get turned back into a lawn, and a fair amount of energy and sweat was used up at the week long netball tournament I went to), but I managed to sneak a few of the large pile in the corner of my lounge. While I read across a wide range, here are a few of the children's titles.

Kiwi Author Des Hunt has served up his standard mix of adventure and conservation in his latest release The Secret of Jelly Mountain. Twins Jason and Jessy, live on a remote farm in the shadow of Jelly Mountain. There are rumours of strange creatures living on the top of the bush covered peak. Life is peaceful until Shawn Morris arrives to carry out tests for oil on the farm and generally bully his way into their lives for his own benefit. Ideal for intermediate readers, this book will also provide plenty of conversation points on extinct species, global warming, people's duty to protect the environment, as well as family relationships.

Continuing on the twins theme, I re-read Under the Mountain by Maurice Gee in preparation for the movie that is being released in December. A mix of families, adventure and weird creatures wanting to take over the planet, the story races along at a swift pace. Although the movie is an adaptation of the book, rather than a faithful re-telling, I now have a starting point firmly in my mind.

Brother Sister Soldier Cousin by Phyllis Johnston is set during the Second World War in rural New Zealand. Helen is struggling to find her place not only among the family, but life in general. Her brother is overseas fighting, her sister treats her with contempt, her best friend is keeping secrets from her and everything seems to be changing. When her brother returns home, a series of events leads to discovery of a secret bigger than anything she imagined. Although this book provided some great insights into life in 1940's New Zealand, the ending felt abrupt and it left me strangely dissatisfied. Maybe it was just the mood I was in when I read it.

I'v just grabbed some more children's new releases to browse, so watch out for more recommendations next week.

The ASB Wordbank Competition for kids

New Zealand Book Month and the ASB are asking this question - What are words worth?

They think words are worth plenty and they need your help to prove it in the new ASB Wordbank Competition. Kiwi books are inspirational, they tell our stories, in our voice, and take us to new places where we can meet choice characters and have cool adventures. If a Kiwi book has made you think or act or see something differently they want to hear about it. AND they want to give out lots of prizes!

How to Enter

All Kiwi primary and intermediate school kids can enter, just choose the category that suits you: Level 1 - 5 to 7 year olds

Level 2 - 8 to 10 year olds

Level 3 - 11 to 13 year old.

What they want from you is for you to choose a Kiwi fiction or non-fiction book that you’ve read and then write them a letter telling them what you felt about it. They’d like to know if it was inspiring, if it made you laugh, made you angry, if it taught you something or made you look at the world differently. Your letter shouldn’t be more than 300 words so choose what you want to say carefully. Entries are open from 1-30 October 2009.

For more details (and the entry form) have a look at the New Zealand Book Month website. Have fun!

Roald Dahl Day

Today, Sunday September 13th is Roald Dahl Day. And all around the world people are celebrating the day with events, readings and (as you would expect) fun.

13th September is the author's birthday which is why it was selected. There is a dedicated website for it in Britain which you can visit by clicking on the link http://www.roalddahlday.info/.

The official Roald Dahl website can also be visited.

Here at Rodney Libraries we have celebrated by replacing a lot of our terribly well read copies of Roald Dahl books, as well as purchasing many of the titles on audio book, which is another fantastic way to introduce these tales to your family. Check out our catalogue on this link (which was an author search) for all 91 entries we have for Roald Dahl at Rodney Libraries. Personally I am a big fan of the Revolting Rhymes, but they are all good, and still some of our most popular items.

Book Review: The Blue Notebook

Brutal but beautiful! These two words hardly seem to go together, but they aptly describe The Blue Notebook by James A. Levine. This title was recommended by New Zealand author Vince Ford at a conference I attended recently, so I grabbed one of our Rodney copies as soon as it came free. I was not disappointed.

The inspiration for the book came when the author, who is Doctor at the Mayo Clinic, was in India researching child poverty. The image of a child prostitute sitting outside her cage writing in a blue notebook remained with him and sparked the story. Batuk is a young Indian girl who is taken from the countryside and sold into slavery by her father. The book is written in diary form, reminiscing about her past, detailing her present and recording her flights of imagination which allow her to escape the reality of her brutal life.

It's not a big book, but it is powerful, endearing, frightening and thought-provoking. Proceeds from the sale of the book are going to help missing and exploited children around the world. It will be among my Top 10 for 2009.

GIANT Lions Book Sale

Lions Club of Whangaparaoa are holding their annual Book sale in conjunction with Rodney Libraries during 16 - 20 September. Held in The Plaza Whangaparaoa, opposite the $2 shop by Post shop. Some great bargins to be had - satisfy your bookish cravings and support your community at the same time.

Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2009 shortlist

The Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2009 shortlist was announced on Tuesday 8 September 2009.
There's more information on the website including interviews with the authors and audio extracts from the books.

"The children's book" by A. S. Byatt
A group of children play in a story-book world - but their lives, and those of their rich cousins, and their friends, the son and daughter of a curator, are inscribed with mystery. Into their world comes a young boy, from the potteries, drawn by the beauty of the Museum's treasures.

"Summertime" by J. M. Coetzee.
A young English biographer is working on a book about the late writer John Coetzee. He plans to focus on the years from 1972-1977 when Coetzee, in his thirties, is sharing a run-down cottage in the suburbs of Cape Town with his widowed father. (Sequel to: "Boyhood" and "Youth".)

"The quickening maze" by Adam Foulds.
Centres on the first incarceration of the great nature poet John Clare. After years struggling with alcohol, critical neglect and depression, Clare finds himself in High Beach Private Asylum - an institution run on reformist principles which would later become known as occupational therapy. At the same time another poet, the young Alfred Tennyson, moves nearby and becomes entangled in the life and catastrophic schemes of the asylum's owner, the peculiar, charismatic Dr Matthew Allen. For John Clare, a man who had grown up steeped in the freedoms and exhilarations of nature, who thought 'the edge of the world was a day's walk away', a locked door is a kind of death.

"Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel
England, the 1520s. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal Wolsey is his chief advisor, charged with securing the divorce the pope refuses to grant. Into this atmosphere of distrust and need comes Thomas Cromwell, first as Wolsey's clerk, and later his successor. Cromwell is a wholly original man: the son of a brutal blacksmith, a political genius, a briber, a charmer, a bully, a man with a delicate and deadly expertise in manipulating people and events. Ruthless in pursuit of his own interests, he is as ambitious in his wider politics as he is for himself. His reforming agenda is carried out in the grip of a self-interested parliament and a king who fluctuates between romantic passions and murderous rages.

"The glass room" by Simon Mawer
High on a Czechoslovak hill, the Landauer House shines as a wonder of steel and glass and onyx built specially for newlyweds Viktor and Liesel Landauer, a Jew married to a gentile. But the radiant honesty of 1930 that the house, with its unique Glass Room, seems to engender quickly tarnishes as the storm clouds of WW2 gather, and eventually the family must flee, accompanied by Viktor’s lover and her child. But the house’s story is far from over, and as it passes from hand to hand, from Czech to Russian, both the best and the worst of the history of Eastern Europe becomes somehow embodied and perhaps emboldened within the beautiful and austere surfaces and planes so carefully designed, until events become full-circle.

"The little stranger" by Sarah Waters
In a dusty post-war summer in rural Warwickshire, a doctor is called to a patient at Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for over two centuries, the Georgian house, once grand and handsome, is now in decline, its masonry crumbling, its gardens choked with weeds, the clock in its stable yard permanently fixed at twenty to nine. But are the Ayreses haunted by something more sinister than a dying way of life? Little does Dr Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become entwined with his.


NB. All book descriptions and links to the library catalogue.

Read to Succeed - teen reading challenge

Our Read to Succeed teen reading challenge is almost drawing to a close. Are you in to win?

The programme is aimed at students in Years 9 to 13 who are challenged to read five books across a range of genres by the end of Term 3 (25 September). Successful entrants will qualify to go into a draw to win an iPOD and other prizes. The reading requirements will be based loosely on the school curriculum. This means that reading for the challenge can be used to satisfy curriculum requirements.


Entry forms can be obtained from Rodney Libraries. The form must be completed and signed by a parent, teacher or a librarian each time a book has been read. Once five books have been completed and signed off, the student should drop their entry form into the library. Students must read five books by the end of Term 3 to be eligible to enter the prize draw. Prize winners will be notified at the beginning of Term 4.

Rodney District Arts Awards

Venue: Helensville War Memorial Hall, 49 Commercial Rd, Helensville
Dates: Sat 10th & Sun 11th October 2009
Viewing Times: 10am to 3pm
Theme: Open
Prizes: Will be awarded for:
• Two Dimensional Award: 1st $1250, 2nd $750, 3rd $500
• Three Dimensional Award: 1st $1250, 2nd $750, 3rd $500

Prize Presentation: 8pm Friday 9th October 2009, by invitation only

Judging: All work will be selected and judged. (Judges decision is final, no discussion or correspondence will be entered into).Works: Must be original by the Artist and not previously exhibited in the Rodney District. The Artist must be resident in Rodney District area.
All works must be for sale.
- Maximum 2 artworks per person - 2 Dimensional 1m x 800mm overall - 3 Dimensional within cube area 300mmWx300mmDx1500mmH, including optional plinth.

Entry Fee: $10 per artwork
Entry Forms: Complete the entry form and return with payment to be received by the 13th September 2009 to:

The Treasurer,
South Kaipara Rodney Community Arts Council,
16 Karaka Street,
Helensville

Delivery of Exhibits: To the War Memorial Hall, Thursday 8th Oct. between 9am – 12noon.
Commission: 15%, cheque to be posted direct to artist, less commission, by 19 October 2009
Insurance: Responsibility of Artist
Unsold works: to be collected between 4pm and 4.30pm Sunday 11th October 2009.
Enquiries to: Gaylene Earl (09) 411-5416 or: Jo Ogilvie (09) 420-8711 (a/hrs)

Rodney Youth Art competition - deadline extended

Good news - the deadline for intention forms for the Rodney Youth Art competition has been extended to 30 September. Open to ages 13-18 the theme is "Current Trends".

For more details
Email: youthrap@xtra.co.nz

E-day 2009

It's time to purge the electronic waste from your home, school or business again and take it for recycling. E-day aims to clean up New Zealand's electronic waste to save our environment. Here is what the website says:

Recycling electronic waste (e-waste) enables the recovery and reuse of valuable materials and ensures toxic materials are not buried in our landfills - so it's better for our environment.
eDay is a cars-only drive-through recycling event which gives you the opportunity to recycle old computers or mobile phones in an environmentally sustainable way.
Over 16,550 cars dropped off 87,056 items during eDay 2008. A total of 946 tonnes of e-waste was diverted from our landfills. This year we hope to divert over 1,000 tonnes of e-waste from New Zealand landfills.
eDay 2009 is to be held on Saturday 12th September 2009.

The nearest drop off point to Rodney is on the North Shore at Carpark 2 on Smales Farm or if you are out west the New Lynn Community Centre carpark may be closer.

To find out more visit the E-day website. If you want to read more about recycling go to our Library catalogue and choose from one of the subject headings at this link. At if you want to find out how you can live a more ec0-friendly lifestyle to minimise your impact on the earth, try some of the books at this link.

I'm off to pack up my old computer and see what else I can find that fits the list on the website. It's a great time to spring clean.

Starfish Magic return to Warkworth

Just a reminder that on Friday 11th September, Starfish Magic are returning to Warkworth to perform "Funky Fairytales" for us.

This is the show that we missed as the finale to our 150th Birthday celebrations at the Warkworth Library (even fairies get sick sometimes). However they are back and promising us a fantastic show.

The performance will be in the Warkworth Masonic Hall (next to the Library). Doors will be open from 5.30pm with the show commencing at 6pm. It lasts approximately 45 minutes and includes singing and dancing for all ages.

And the best news is that the show has a free entry. This has been made possible by the Rodney District Council Community Grants.

The Vintners Luck

While we're all waiting for the news about the Auckland Council boundaries, here's the trailer for the new film "The vintner's luck". Based on the book by Elizabeth Knox, directed by Nicky Caro and starring Keisha Castle-Hughes.

Via NZ BookMonth

(Victoria University Press and NZ Book Month are giving away copies of the film tie-in edition of The Vintner's Luck - check out the website for more details!)

Interloan - what is that?

The Library has so many services that some of our longer lived ones can get lost in the mix. The Interloan service is a case in point. Did you know that you can get items from other libraries around New Zealand if Rodney Libraries doesn't have what you want? Not everyone does.

It will cost between $5-$30 depending on which library will send it to us. We have reciprocal arrangements with several libraries around New Zealand which basically says that we will lend some of our items to them for free if they will lend their items to us for free. There are some restrictions around that (no lending out the latest bestsellers for example) but generally, if you want it, and another library has it, then we can get it for you. (It will cost slightly more if we have to get it from a library that we don't have an arrangement with.)

To request an interloan you can either contact a librarian at one of our libraries or click on "Can't find it?" then fill out the appropriate form on the Interloan page.

Tales from Te Papa online today!

Join Simon Morton and Riria Hotere for your personal guided tour of the nation’s treasures in Te Papa. "Tales from Te Papa" is a series of mini-docos (between 2-5 minutes long) showcasing significant objects and taonga from the collections of Te Papa and other museums.
Using their inquisitive minds, they get to know some of the curators and collection managers at Te Papa and discover the fascinating and sometimes unexpected stories from Te Papa’s collections.
Tune into TVNZ6 at 8.25pm Tuesday 1 September to catch the premiere episode. The episodes will screen each night between 6pm and midnight so keep an eye out.

Old Gems hidden on the shelves

Many of our patrons wait with baited breath (cliche alert!) for the new releases to hit our library shelves, while they are waiting the old and faithful remain on the shelves, often gathering dust from misuse. Today my challenge to you is to go forth and find one of those hidden gems and show it the light of day (I did you warn you about the cliche's today).

An oldie but a goodie that I saw come across the desk today was the inimitable Mr Spike Milligan. His irreverant humour delights readers, viewers and listeners of all ages and we have a wide selection here at Rodney Libraries. From Bad Jelly to the Goons, books to audio to DVD's, there is something for everyone.

The book that sparked this post was The Bible: The Old Testament according to Spike Milligan. First published in 1993, it has not lost either it's power to produce a giggle, nor it's relevance. Consider this excerpt:

"In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth....
3. And God said, Let there be light; and there was light, but Eastern Electricity Board said he would have to wait until Thursday to be connected.
4. And God saw the light and it was good; He saw the quarterly bill and that was not good."

To find all our Rodney Libraries titles click on this link for Spike Milligan. They may not look new or shiny, but old, well-used books have a charm all their own. To find out more about the man, head to this Spike Milligan tribute site.

Have a good day everyone.