Auckland Libraries add to the Trophy Case

Auckland Libraries wins diversity award
29/08/2011 - LIbrary Press release

Auckland Libraries has been recognised for an outstanding contribution to the NZ Diversity Action programme by the Human Rights Commission.
The award recognises the services and programmes Auckland Libraries offers that celebrate the region’s diverse ethnic community.
The commission recently announced the winners of 2011 New Zealand Diversity Awards at the conclusion of its Human Diversity Forum in Hamilton.
The forum brings together community groups, government and business organisations to share experience and work related to race relations and diversity.
The commission recognised the libraries as being inclusive and responsive to the needs of residents, diverse ethnic and community groups and organisations.
“We are delighted to have been recognised, especially for our dedicated multicultural services team that works hard to ensure we offer services and information that cater for all Aucklanders,” says Abigael Vogt, multicultural service development team leader, Auckland Libraries.
Examples of library programmes offered are Samoan storytimes, computer classes in Mandarin, read-aloud sessions for migrants and book groups. Events such as Chinese New Year, Diwali, Samoan and Maori Language weeks, World Refugee Day, Matariki, Waitangi Day and Pasifika are highlights of Auckland Libraries’ events calendar.
Auckland Libraries is a network of 54 libraries in locations from Wellsford to Pukekohe and four mobile libraries. It also works with 14 rural volunteer libraries across the region.

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.

Top 5 for Friday - About to hit the shelves

I have moved desk. I now have a little cubby hole down at Orewa in the Auckland Council Service Centre. There are pro's and con's in this move. I know I will miss my storytime kids and customer interaction. But I now get to travel all over Auckland, visit lots of libraries and meet some of our fantastic librarians. So stay tuned for tales on a wider scale than before from all around the City.

The other positive is that I sit just around the corner from where all the new books come into the library to be processed. So whenever I lack inspiration for something to put on the blog I will just pop next door and see what is about to hit the shelves. Which is just what I have done this week. So in no particular order...

1. Sing no sad songs: Losing a daughter to cancer (Sandra Arnold). I think I will cry when I read this book (which I will, especially after just reading the first few pages). But I think I will also find it uplifting. Sandra is a published author and a wordsmith. This is apparent from the first paragraph of the introduction. On 6 April 2002 my youngest daughter Rebecca died of a rare appendix cancer, at the age of 23. For a whole year afterwards I couldn't say her name and the word 'died' in the same breath. though I am a writer and a teacher of writing, I had no words to describe this cataclysmic event in the life of my family. I could no longer read novels, listen to music, or watch films. I stopped dreaming. It hurt to breathe... Leafing through the pages, passages of poignancy leap out at me. I look forward to reading this book.


2. My Life & other stuff I made up (Tristan Bancks). For something completely different this is ia new children's fiction title. It follows on in the style of Andy Griffiths and Morris Gleitzman with short stories based on the life of Tom. Most girls will probably go 'Yuck!' to and most boys will lap up and laugh over. There is a warning on the story My Nan is tougher that adults should not read it under any circumstances, a random list of nit cures and an indepth investigation of Tom's scab. It think this will quickly make it onto the read aloud lists for many school visits.


3. Off the Wall: The World of WearableArt. If, like me, you keep meaning to but never manage to find the gap in your calendar to get to the annual Wearable Arts shows, then this is a book for you. This is the third edition of the Wearable arts design book and was produced to accompany the national touring exhibition. From the cheeky to the surreal and using everything from recycled cricket pads and human hair to used tea bags and bones (not all in the same costume), this is a great book to browse or inspire.


4. Homemade: Over 700 everyday items that are easy to make and will save you money (Reader's Digest). And who doesn't want to save money? There is the added bonus that by using this book you will also avoid artificial ingredients and produce less waste. Divided into sections for the Kitchen, Health and Beauty and Around the House, you can put on some relish, use some of the offcuts for tone your complexion and then when you pour yourself a drink at the end of the day, use a little bit of that vodka in a flea dip cocktail for your pet (page 316 if you can spare the vodka).


5. The Marvel Encyclopedia: The definitive guide to the characters of the Marvel Universe. Updated and expanded and just in time for Comic Book Month which kicks off in the libraries in September (oops - spoiler). An A to Z of the characters, the groups and their worlds. Heroes and villains with their back stories and a journey through the decades of trends within Marvel. A fantastic fact file (and Yes - there is a companion DC Universe encyclopedia).

Have a great weekend everyone. Hope there was something in this list for almost everyone.

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.

Kiwi Historic Fiction

La Rochelle's Road by Tanya Moir is a book that captures both the beauty (and harshness) of the New Zealand landscape in the mid to late 1800's and the struggle of the early settlers against both that landscape and the search to find their place in the new country.




Central to the struggle are the Peterson family who travel to the Banks Peninsula in 1886 to start a new life and the man that they purchased the land off Etienne La Rochelle. There are elements of scandal, love, disaster, ethnic, class and culture clashes and a variety of different colourful characters along the way.

A well researched and evocative first novel from Tanya that is worth picking up.