Walk like a zombie - special event!

To celebrate the launch of Blue, a debut zombie novel by Aucklander Brandy Wehinger, there'll be a zombie shamble down Queen Street.

I am not making this up.

Dress as a zombie or just walk like one from Britomart to the Auckland Central Library on Lorne St this Friday, October 11 at 12.30pm. The walk will be followed by a fun and *free* event at the library at 2pm, and you'll get to meet Brandy herself.

According to the publicity from Random House: "Blue is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where humans live in colonies high above the ground and have forgotten a lot of what pre-zombie life was like. For instance, there are no cell phones or internet etc.

The main character, Blue is a half-zombie, half-human. The Blue is an interesting state of being: somewhere between ‘normal' and a walking corpse. The Blue is mostly immortal, yet desperately alone.

Apocalypse, zombies, shopping malls – Blue has it all! Told by multiple narrators of different genders, ages and ideologies, it's both a gripping, visceral thriller and a philosophical and lyrical love story." (It's also supposed to be quite funny.)

Brandy works in appearance medicine (what is that exactly?) here in Auckland, although she originally hails from California, traditional home of the zombie apocalypse. She'll be happy to answer your questions at the event. It's one thing you might want to be caught dead at...

Meanwhile, whet your undead appetite with these recommendations:

• Plague Town - Dana Fredsti
• Cryonic: a zombie novel - Travis Bradberry
• Is Your Neighbour a Zombie?: philosophical riddles, paradoxes and conundrums to stretch your mind - Jeremy Stangroom
• The End Games - T. Michael Martin
• Unnatural Acts: a Dan Shamble, Zombie PI novel - Kevin J. Anderson
• Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature's Undead - Rebecca L. Johnson (suitable for children)
• The Golden Age of Death - Amber Benson
• Zombies of Byzantium - Sean Munger

and my personal favourite...

• The Farting Dead - Stefan Petrucha

Today's the Day... New Wellsford Library is Open for Business

After months of planning, building and organising the new Wellsford Library building is finally opened for business. 

And it's a wait that's been well worth it as the new library building is just wonderful.  Light and bright and airy with plenty of space and energy efficient too with 115 solar panels making it the first solar-powered library in New Zealand.

It's certainly a far cry from the cupboard in the town hall that acted as the Wellsford Library back in 1946..

Yep you read correctly - a cupboard.

To say that the new building is a massive improvement from that very first library is... well an understatement.  It's a great testament to all the people who have been involved.

Not only is the new library building a vast improvement but the collection that fills it is sure to please the local patrons.

More than 2000 new items have been added, ranging from books to CDS to DVDs and magazines. 

There is something for everyone.

So if you live in the area or just passing through why not pop into the new library and check it out.

Library Events this week

Family History Lunchtime Series: Wednesday 18 April at noon in Central Library
Researching Your ANZACs with Michael Wynd
Michael Wynd, Military Historian & Researcher at the Navy Museum will talk about searching for family members who have served with the Royal New Zealand Navy and what resources there are for the NZ Army and RNZAF.
To book your place, phone (09) 307 7771 or book online.

Water Tanks for Uganda with Barbara Cuthbert
Thursday 19 April at 7.30pm in Devonport Library
Barbara Cuthbert and Mike Ashmore spent a month in Uganda in October working for Waiheke’s Village Project to build four water tanks at Watoto’s Subii Village. They will show slides and talk about their adventure.
For further details, phone Sue Parr (09) 486 8529

School holiday activities continue this week at all our Libraries so check out our Library website events page to see what our cheeky dragon is up to.

And there are already heaps of events listed on our website for you to put in your diary for May. Book ahead now.

Celebrate NZ Book Month at Auckland Libraries

March is officially New Zealand Book Month! It is about forming a North to South community of readers, connecting Kiwis who are passionate about books and who enjoy spreading the word. From friend to neighbour, school bus to sporting field, workplace to playground, it's about telling and retelling stories, and recommending new books to read.

Auckland Libraries is proud to participate in and support NZ Book Month. Throughout March, we will highlight the life-changing nature of books you can access at your local library, offer inspiring recommendations from our librarians, and host events at libraries across the Auckland region. Some of these have already taken place so I am a bit late off the block but I have it on very good authority that the "Know your NZ Children's Authors and Illustrators" held last week at Takapuna Library went very well.

Here are some of the events happening in the rest of the month.

21 Mar: Doris de Pont on Black: The History of Black Fashion, Society and Culture in NZ (Central City Library)
21 Mar: The Hungry Heart: Journeys with Colenso (Remuera Library)
22 Mar: Frank Rose presents The Art of Immersion (Central City Library)
24 Mar: Author Talk: Michael and Judy Churchouse (Howick Library)
27 Mar: Christchurch 22.2 Beyond the Cordon (Takapuna Library)
28 Mar: Brian Boyd on Stalking Nabokov (Central City Library)
29 Mar: One Island, One Book (Waiheke Library)
29 Mar: Books that inspire us (Panmure Library)
31 Mar: Pear Jam Books 1st Birthday Party (St Heliers Library)
3 Apr: Jan Cronin presents 'The Frame Function: An Inside-Out Guide to the Novels of Janet Frame' (Central City Library)

For more information go to the Auckland Libraries website NZ Book Month page or visit the official NZ Book Month website.

The Pacific Islands celebrate..

...throughout March across the Auckland region with Pasifika. And we are joining in.

Join us to celebrate all things Pasifika at Auckland Libraries, where the Islands come alive. With activities for young and old, highlights on Auckland Libraries' Pacific Island treasures, specialised learning sessions and Storytimes with a Pacific flavour, there will be something for everyone.

Auckland Libraries offers you Pacific stories and legends, bilingual books, CDs and DVDs in various Pacific languages, plus language learning tools and travel guides.

Our Sir George Grey Special Collections holds internationally renowned Pacific taonga that you will not find anywhere else.

Come and travel the Islands at your local library. To find out what's happening near you go to the special Pasifika page on our website. Or pick up a brochure at your local library. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our monthly Pasefika newsletter, with updates about the latest Pacific resources we offer.

Pasifika isn't the only thing happening at Auckland Libraries in March. It's also NZ Book Month, the storytimes in the parks in the South are wrapping up this month and the Family Research lunchtime series is well underway for the year with several offerings. Check out the Events page on our website.

Full service restored at Central City Library

Everything is back up and running, almost as normal today at Central City Library with Sir George Grey Special Collections, the Newspaper Room and the Family Research Centre all open for business. This was thanks to some extremely quick thinking and hard word from the staff at Auckland Central Library when a pipe burst on Friday.

I have it on good authority that there may be several librarians looking or feeling a little worse for wear as the work yesterday was a touch more physical than they may have been used to - moving things around, lifting and carrying beyond the normal day to day running of a library and mopping up. I think the words used were "discovered muscles I'd forgotton I had". I can sympathise with that sentiment. It happens to me everytime my personal trainer gives me a new programme at the gym.

Big ups to everyone at Central involved in preserving the collection and getting services back to normal.

We're all going to the Zoo tomorrow...

... Zoo tomorrow, Zoo tomorrow.....

Well some of us are anyway. Auckland Libraries and Sport Auckland are taking our award winning Wriggle and Rhyme Library programme to the Auckland Zoo tomorrow as part of their Jungle Gym kids fitness week which runs from today 27th February through to Sunday 4th March.

Wriggle and Rhyme will be happening at the Band Rotunda on Tuesday morning at 10.30am, led by the fantastic Joanie Bartel and assisted by some of the local librarians who run the sessions in the libraries.

For more information, check out the Auckland Zoo website

Auckland Central Library - Reduced services

It wasn't a good day for Auckland Central Library on Friday. At 12.50 Friday afternoon a pipe burst on the third floor of the Central City Library, the fire service attended and the water has been turned off.

One of the things we tell all the kids when we do school visits (or when they visit us) is how to look after books. As part of that we go through all the things that books DON'T like. Top of the list is of course water, be it rainwater, bathwater, seawater or your morning cup of coffee. So this was not good news. The Central Library was closed for the rest of Friday and over the weekend while a recovery team worked on drying out any affected areas and a small amount of collection material. Damage to the collection has been minimal thanks to the quick actions of staff.

This work is still continuing, however the Library has reopened following the flooding incident on Friday. Because we are still cleaning up, the library will be operating on reduced services today (Monday). Services on level 2 (CARC , Special Collections, the Whare and the Newspaper Room ) are all closed for today. The Mobile bus that operates from Auckland Central will not run today but will be back on the road tomorrow.

We hope to be back to business as usual soon and thank everyone for their patience.

Happy Birthday Mr Dickens

February 7th is Charles Dickens birthday... or it would have been if he was still alive. And if he was it would have been a rather large celebration as he celebrated his bicentennary - that's 200 years and still going strong.

Today Charles Dickens (7 February 1812 - 9 June 1870) is still one of the best-loved authors in English Literature. Even Keith Richards is a fan and many people refer to him as the Greatest Novelist of English Literature. The Dictionary of British Literary Characters lists nearly a thousand characters created by him (the exact number is 989). Auckland Libraries can help your explore his world both in print, audio and through the adaptations of his books into films and TV. There are books by him and books about him... over 1,000 of them when I do a search of our catalogue (click this link to see the search results to start your search or narrow it down using the options on the right hand side). Whether you are a child or adult, you can enter Dickensian England and France.

Auckland Libraries are celebrating his birthday with a special event in the Whare Wananga on Level 2 of the Central City Library. Join us between 5.30 and 7.00 pm as we toast the great man (courtesy of Glengarry). Nicholas Reid (reviewer, academic, author, film critic) will propose the toast and will suggest why Dickens has his critics and why he has outlasted them. He will be ably assisted by fellow Dickens fans Iain Sharp and Karen Craig. Be enlightened! Be entertained! Pit your wits against our Dickens quiz!

Elevate and Celebrate the Treaty of Waitangi

As part of our Whakamana te Tiriti o Waitangi: Elevate and Celebrate the Treaty of Waitangi 2012 celebrations, Auckland Libraries is delighted to offer a range of FREE seminars across the Auckland region.

Taking place from 2 - 10 February 2012, these fascinating presentations and workshops will be delivered by treaty experts and educators, and will cover a diverse range of topical issues surrounding the treaty. Please note that booking your place for these talks is essential - details of how to reserve your spot are included on the events link on our Library website here.

And what better time to brush up on your knowledge of New Zealand's history?
At our libraries, you can find out about the development of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi), the founding document of New Zealand. Discover a variety of resources from our heritage and research departments, and join us for activities and free seminars to celebrate this important chapter of New Zealand’s history. To find out what is available at Auckland Libraries go to this Libraries website page.

Dare to Explore Celebrations

Around the Auckland Libraries this week, celebration events are being held to congratulate all those who have successfully taken part in Dare to Explore - Auckland Libraries Summer Reading Adventure.

This new programme has been an outstanding success with estimated participation from of over 6,000 children around Auckland. We have heard some fantastic stories, received from great photos and emails from parents and children and the libraries have been abuzz with explorers at Man vs Wild Picnics, waterslides, scavenger hunts, magician and storyteller sessions and lots of other activities.

We have heard that several children have completed ALL 52 challenges that were set as part of Dare to Explore. One young lady is reported to have been to 53 out of the 55 Auckland Libraries. One passport was stamped as far away as Hutt City Library in Wellington.

So if you see a whole lot of very excited (i.e. noisy) children and proud parents, grandparents and caregivers at our libraries this week, cut them some slack. They have been working at their reading all holidays and this is their reward.

Dare to Explore - Auckland Libraries Summer Reading Adventure

It summer (well... it's supposed to be). And that means holidays and sun and time for us to launch our NEW summer reading programme to Auckland. We want you to have fun, get to know your library and read and learn something new and exciting! That's why we are going to challenge you to explore your library and your city. Welcome to Dare to Explore.

Over the summer holiday we want you to read, read, read and see if you can complete the Dare to Explore challenges, starting with Dare to Explore... Your Library.

For those who want even more adventures, there are 5 more challenge sets for you to choose from...

• Dare to Explore... Your Past


• Dare to Explore... The Great Outdoors


• Dare to Explore... Go Aqua


• Dare to Explore... Our People


• Dare to Explore... Get Active

It's FREE to sign up and start exploring! The adventure is open to Auckland kids aged 5 - 13 years and runs from 12 December 2011 to 27 January 2012. There is no limit to the number of children who can register and they can register at any time, right up to the end of the adventure. Register online or at your local library from the 12th of December, and then collect your Dare to Explore pack at the library to begin.

Activities can be done at home, on holiday, at the library, through the internet and with friends. Many of our libraries are running special activities and events over summer as part of Dare to Explore. We are really excited about the scale and potential this programme has to reach the children and families in Auckland. So spread the word, check out the Dare to Explore page on our website and get ready to have some fun.

Top 5 for Friday - 5 events you shouldn't miss in November

The What's On e-newsletter arrived in my Inbox this week and it has a number of events that shouldn't be missed. Here are a selection:

1. Deer, Pigs and a little bit of Bull. Whangaparaoa Library. Saturday 5 November @ 2.00pm. Come along and enjoy a warm beverage as local author Graeme Mackie discusses his latest book. "Tall tales of diggers, drivers, hunters and fishermen. Yarns about pigs, dogs and rifles, about horses and men. And after every adventure, there's plenty of cold beer to wet the whistle". The vast majority of the tales within are based on factual events.




2. A home-grown cook: the Dame Alison Holst Story. At Orewa, St Heliers and Auckland Central Libraries. Spend some time with Alison Holst, New Zealand's groundbreaker in the culinary world as she tours Auckland and talks about her new memoir. "Dame Alison Holst holds more titles than her damehood suggests: she's been invariably described as 'Mother of the Nation', 'Queen of the Kitchen' and 'a groundbreaker in the culinary world'. In the sixties, Dame Alison singlehandedly changed the way women prepared food for their families with her legendary television programme 'Here's How'. She went on to become a prodigious fund-raiser for Plunkett, the chocolate-coated voice of radio, author of a hundred bestselling cookbooks, a successful business brand, as well as our favourite promoter of New Zealand products overseas. In A Home-grown Cook, Alison Holst's fascinating memoir unfolds with the characteristic charm and calm spirit that is so familiar to us all. From a modest upbringing in Dunedin to becoming one of our most endearing Kiwi icons, A Home-gown Cook brilliantly captures Dame Alison's distinctive voice on every page."



3. Bargain Book Sale. Central City Library. 21 - 27 November. Get books, CDs, magazines and kids books at amazing prices at the biannual bargain book sale with many items at $1 each. It's on for a week unless stocks get depleted before then (unlikely as I have seen the number of boxes stored in the basement).



4. An hour with Erica James. Takapuna Library. Tuesday 8 November @ 6.00pm. Presented by the Library and Hachette New Zealand, you are invited to hear much-loved international writer Erica James talk about her latest book The Real Katie Lavender. "Katie Lavender has always thought she was pretty unshockable, until a year after her mother's death she receives a letter from a solicitor telling her that the man she thought was her father, in fact wasn't. Her real father, a man named Stirling Nightingale, has for years been building a trust fund for her. And now she's of an age to collect it."



5. Unlock the Past - A tour of the Central City Family Research Centre. Two dates available. Don't miss this chance to listen to top family history speakers Chris Paton, Rosemary Kopittke, Shauna Hicks, Perry McIntyre and Richard Reid. Then our very own Seonaid Lewis will take you on a tour of the Research Centre which holds one of the most comprehensive family history collections in the Southern Hemisphere. Bookings essential.

Of course these aren't the only things happening in Libraries around Auckland in November. So either check out our Events Listing on the website or sign up for our What's On E-newsletter to stay up to date. There will be heaps happening in the libraries over summer, so now is a really good time subscribe.

Be part of the BIGGEST Wriggle and Rhyme in New Zealand

This week it is all about being proud to be a Kiwi and supporting the All Blacks. As part of the REAL New Zealand Festival the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre at Manukau are putting on the Heart of the Nation during the school holidays. And on Friday 21st November, we are going to be there for something special... but we need your help.

Join Auckland Libraries and the Regions’ Sports Trusts at the BIGGEST Wriggle & Rhyme session ever held in New Zealand. It's on Friday at 11.00 am. It will be fun, it will be free (there may even be giveaways). Parking is free. All you need to do is bring along yourself and your pre-schoolers, plus a blanket or cushion. We will be there with the music, songs, and smiles. While Wriggle and Rhyme is normally targetted at babies from birth to two years old, for this special occasion, the whole family is welcome.

So what is Wriggle and Rhyme? Wriggle and Rhyme is based on the SPARC (Sport and Recreation New Zealand) principles of Active Movement for Early Learning. Movement is a child’s first language so it is important to provide babies with positive whole body movements’ right from birth to stimulate development of both the brain and the body. Wriggle and Rhyme provides a series of sequenced sessions using a range of music and movement, and explanation of the active movement principles. Virtually every library across Auckland provides this programme. The sessions are run during the school term and last approximately 30 minutes.

Wriggle and Rhyme provides a great foundation for early learning. It enhances bonding, demonstrates safe activities and helps you step by step through the development stages. It’s also a great way to meet other new parents and caregivers in your community.

Come along on Friday and make it a day out. We look forward to seeing you there.

October What's On

Have you got your copy of the Library What's On e-newsletter yet? Here's a quick run down of some of the things that are happening, but for all the details you need to either check out the website or subscribe for it to arrive in your Inbox at the beginning of every month.

Diwali : 1 - - 29 October
Across Auckland we celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights, with something for everyone – join in the entertainment, colour and culture at your local library during India's best-loved festival. Events include Bollywood performances, henna painting, sari-wrapping demonstrations, 'Ask me in Hindi' sessions, storytimes and more.

In local libraries, this means Special Diwali storytimes for pre-schoolers at the following libraries:
Warkworth Library, Monday 3 October, 10.30am
Whangaparaoa Library, Wednesday 12 October, 10.30am
Orewa Library, Thursday 13 October, 11am

From 1-15 October you can also enjoy displays of Indic language books and artifacts at Helensville, Kumeu, Mahurangi East, Orewa, Warkworth, Wellsford War Memorial and Whangaparaoa Libraries.

October School Holidays : 10 - 22 October
Across Auckland it's time to take a break from school. We have a bit of everything for kids and teens at the libraries during a busy October. Expect stories, quizzes, games, treasure hunts, crafts, and a writing competition mixed in with a bit of Rugby World Cup and Halloween fun.

Check out all the local Rodney events on this website page or go onto the Auckland Libraries website to see what's happening right across Auckland.

Talks and Presentations
Investigate an eclectic mix of talks from a diverse range of people in October. If you want to keep it this side of the Harbour Bridge, there are several talks coming up at Takapuna Library, but there is some interesting stuff happening elsewhere in Auckland as well, including:
3 Oct: Travel Nights: Motorcycling Vietnam (Central City Library)
3 Oct: Two dogs and a garden with Derelie Cherry (Takapuna Library)
6 Oct: The Alexander technique – discover how the technique can help improve your posture and quality of life (St Heliers Library)
7 Oct: Bring your own rose - a Latin American experience (Otahuhu Town Hall)
11 Oct: An hour with Margaret Pope (Takapuna Library)
12 Oct: How to watch the Rugby World Cup 2011 with Spiro Zavos (Takapuna Library)
12 Oct: Hearing health day
13 Oct: Caught between sunshine and shadow with Georgie Tutt (Pt Chevalier Library)
19 Oct: Expert witness with Dr. Anna Sandiford (Central City Library)
20 Oct: The two of me with John Dybvig (St Heliers Library)

It was a rather despondent weekend, despite great wins to the Junior Warriors and the All Blacks. Still proud of the Vodafone Warriors, commiserations to Dan Carter and I hope the Warriors don't mind if we borrow their mantra for the rest of the All Black World Cup campaign. Come on New Zealand - Keep the Faith.

Celebrate our past

The Auckland Heritage Festival has begun. This runs for a fortnight, from 17 September to 5 October. Auckland Libraries is celebrating the region's rich and diverse past during Auckland Heritage Festival 2011. Here are just some of an exciting range of events, walks and talks in our libraries.

Auckland Central – includes:
various dates: Symonds Street cemetery talks
various dates: heritage walks through Avondale, Remuera and Auckland's early Chinatown
19 Sep: A hot time in the old town with author and TV host, Lindsey Dawson – make a booking now!
21 Sep: 'How to be a property detective' talk by local historian Lisa Truttman
21 Sep: Afrikaner Progenitors family history talk
23-24 Sep: Karen Kalopulu family history 12-hour lock-in – make a booking now!
Auckland Akarana 'The wonderful isthmus' exhibition – a wealth of visual material within our heritage and photographic collections (until 12 November)

Manukau – Heritage walk through Howick with Alan La Roche

Waitakere – 'Locals at play' heritage rugby photography display (until 31 October)

North Shore – including 'A hot time in the old town' with author and TV host, Lindsey Dawson

Pukekohe – See a 1925 Type 35A Bugatti, owned by Ron Roycroft and famously raced by him through the 1950s with a Jaguar XK 150 engine.

For the full list of events go to the Auckland Heritage Festival page on our Libraries website or go to the Auckland Council events website.

Top 5 for Friday - September is...

It's September! Winter is over and it's time to celebrate in a BIG way as the world comes to New Zealand. Today's Top 5 concentrates on some of the things that are happening in the world of Libraries and the big city of Auckland during September.

1. Blue September. This comes first because this one is personal. Blue September is encouraging us to face up to Prostate Cancer. Here's what the website says. Why blue? It's simple - blue is for boys! Did you know men are twice as likely as women to die from cancers that in many cases can be prevented? Come on guys, it’s time to face facts and get cancer aware. Blue September is a nationwide awareness and fundraising initiative for prostate cancer, supporting the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand. The campaign seeks to raise funds for prostate cancer research, as well as helping men reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer by encouraging early detection. In Library terms, we can help by providing reading (subject search Prostate Cancer) for those who may have just been diagnosed and want to make sense of the frustrating rounds of tests and doctors (and for their families) or go to one of our Health databases through our Libraries website to get tips on early detection.


2. Rugby World Cup 2011. It's hard to ignore so we are not going to. The World's here to play, Auckland is ready and so are the Libraries. From fantastic displays supporting one (or all) of the teams, rugby and other sporting literature and provision of internet services so that visitors can keep in touch with home to lots of friendly welcoming spaces and enthusiastic people, Auckland Libraries are right behind the Rugby World Cup. Check out the special RWC2011 page on our library website for more details of events near you.


3. Comic Book Month. The best of all different activities from previous years from all around Auckland have been combined into one event during September. We give you Top 5s, write-ups, an interview with the award-winning Sheehan Bros, and introduce you to our graphic novel and zine collections. There are also reward cards (with the chance to win some fantastic prizes) special events and storytimes being run in some libraries and our Create a Character competition starts up next week. Watch the website or your local library for more details.


4. Auckland Art Gallery. After nearly four years away, a civic ceremony on Saturday 3 September will officially reinstate the Auckland Art Gallery to its original home on the corner of Kitchener and Wellesley Street... The newly developed Gallery has 7,194 sqm of public space, including four floors, 4,264 sqm of display space, a café, gallery shop, Learning Centre, auditorium and more than 800 artworks on display. Museums and Art Galleries are the cousins of Libraries and visiting this family member (which I am ashamed to say I have never done before) is top of my list to do once netball finishes and I get my weekends back. Which leads me to the last item on today's list.


5. Spring. Yes - Winter is officially over and September marks the beginning of spring. This morning every single member of the netball team I coached remarked on how lovely it was to turn up to 7am practice and for it to be daylight. Time to spring clean, prepare the gardens, start the exercise/diet programme that will have you looking the best you can for the beaches this summer. Or just be able to take your book and coffee (or wine) outside onto the deck to relax and enjoy. (If you hit the link on 'spring' you get a rather eclectic mix of library resources which is the result of a keyword search).

It's a full month and I plan to make the most of it. Have an awesome weekend everyone.

A Rugby Legend speaks

You saw it promoted in the local Rodney Times. Now you can talk to the man himself and the authors of his biography. Fred Allen is coming to Whangaparaoa Library on Saturday 17 September at 2.00pm.

Come along to hear Alan Sayers & Les Watkins present the exciting biography of the soldier, player, coach and legend, ‘Fred the Needle: The Untold Story of Sir Fred Allen’.

The well-known rugby hero and local identity will join then Alan & Les in the lounge area of the Library where he will sign copies of his book. You can purchase your own copy of this fantastic book on the day thanks to Whitcoulls.

Events at Rodney Libraries.

As well as the Storytimes, Rhymetimes and Wriggle and Rhyme sessions held at our Libraries over the next couple of weeks, there are a couple of other things you might like to consider.

Mark Bayley family history talk
Auckland Libraries and the Hibiscus Coast branch of New Zealand Society of Genealogists present Mark Bayley at Whangaparaoa Library. Mark, a leading genealogist from the UK, will speak about family history research. This will be held on Thursday 1 September from 10am to 12 noon and is a free event. For further details contact the Staff at Whangaparaoa Library Phone 09 427 3710 Email whanglib@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or just turn up on the day.

Kumeu Bookclub
Join the Book Club at Kumeu Library. The next meeting is Thursday 25 August from 7pm to 8pm. The group reads one book for each meeting discussion and refreshments are served. As well as reading and discussing the book of the month they also share other good books that they have read. For further details contact the Kumeu Library staff Ph 09 412 7995

To find out about events specifically in the Rodney area, this is the events page link.

Or sign up for the monthly What's On E-newsletter for information on library events and exhibitions around Auckland.

What's on in August

Our latest "What's On" e-newsletter is out. Here are some excerpts and some events in libraries around Auckland to mark on your calendar.

Family History Month
Enjoy workshops that aim to continue your love of family history research, or let you discover the fun of it for the first time. Some of the talks are finding your Croatian roots , Family Search with Judy Jones, Flesh on the genealogical bones with Auckland Museum’s Bruce Ralston, Beginning family history research and Social media for family historians. The full schedule of events can be found on this website link. Seonaid Lewis, Auckland Libraries specialist family research librarian will be visiting Whangaparaoa Library for two workshops (12th and 15th of August) so look for those details or ask at the library.

Authors and Poets visits
Meet Lauren Kate 5.30pm, Thursday 11 August // Central City Library
Spend an evening with Lauren Kate, author of the Fallen series which has taken the world of young adult fiction by storm. She stops in Auckland on a world tour for her new book, Passion.

An afternoon with John Marsden 2pm, Sunday 14 August // Central City Library
Join us at 1.30pm for light refreshments. Meet the international bestselling author John Marsden, whose hit novels include the Tomorrow series and The Ellie Chronicles.

Joy Harjo poetry reading 6pm, Thursday 18 August // Central City Library Join us at 5.30pm for light refreshments. Don’t miss this chance to hear internationally known and award-winning poet, Joy Harjo, in performance on a rare visit to New Zealand.

Meet thriller writer John Hart 6.30pm, Tuesday 23 August // Takapuna Library
Join us at 6pm for light refreshments. Author John Hart talks about his latest book, Iron House. There will be an opportunity to ask questions, buy books and get autographs.

Lunchtime concert series 12.10pm - 1pm, Thursdays // Central City Library
Every Thursday, come and enjoy concerts by up and coming musicians and students of the highest calibre.
4 August: Auckland Suzuki Cello Academy
11 August: Students from Avondale College
18 August: University Cello Students
25 August: Students from Diocesan School

Other Events
St Johns - First to Care: 2pm, Wednesday 3 August // Orewa Library Janis Dixon, a St John home health representative, talks about St John' services including Caring Caller, first aid courses and Life Link medical alarms.
Old Fashioned Games: 4pm , Wednesday 24 August // Highland Park Library What sort of fun and games were available back in the 19th century? You can find out by joining guests from Howick Historical Village for some fun, old-fashioned games from the 1860s!
New Exhibition: Auckland Akarana ‘The wonderful isthmus’ exhibition. 13 August - 13 November // Central City Library. Auckland Akarana is a new Sir George Grey Special Collections exhibition that highlights wonderful features of Auckland from the 1800s through to the more modern times.

If you want to get regular updates of whats happening in the library, sign up here for our E-Newsletter