Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Lest we Forget
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Berlin Wall
Claudia Lux, the Director General Central and Regional Library of Berlin, was in New Zealand for the national library conference this year. She told several tales of what it was like during that time. One was about library staff in East Germany who volunteered to stay in their library on the first day. Noone came to visit them. By contrast the lines for the librayr in West Germany were very long. Some of the people were carrying books which they had taken out from the library before the borders closed (over 25 years previously). They had carefully looked after them and were now returning the books to the correct branch.
There are a few items in Rodney Libraries about the Berlin Wall which is a good place to start if you want to know more about this fascinting era of German history. Alternatively you could go along to Novemberkinder the German Film Festival New Zealand put on by the Goethe Institue. The Auckland dates are 11-18 November.
Monday, 9 November 2009
Mo-vember
Ah, November. The weather starts to settle down. Baby birds and moustaches come out to play. Moustaches...? You may not have ever heard about Movember but surely you've seen the increase in facial hair about the place during spring? It's all for a good cause.
This year there are two causes being highlighted - prostate cancer and depression in men. Funds raised will be split equally between The Cancer Society and The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand.
There are rules
1. Once registered each Mo Bro must start November 1st with a clean shaven face.
2. Then, for the entire month of Movember each Mo Bro must grow and groom a moustache according to these rules:
• There is to be no joining the Mo to the side burns – that’s a beard. There are no beards.
• There is to be no joining of the handlebars on the chin – that’s a goatee.
• A small complimentary growth under the bottom lip, aka a tickler, is allowed.
There are donations – either to an individual or to a team.
There’s even a style guide!
It's not all beer and skittles however. There is a serious side.
"As an organisation, we have a goal to change the attitudes men hold towards their health. The moustache is the symbol by which we generate the necessary awareness and funds in order to be able to achieve this ambition. It is a simple and effective way to reach our number one objective – awareness – as during Movember, each Mo Bro effectively becomes a walking billboard promoting men’s health. "
Friday, 6 November 2009
Echoes, kilts and stones
Those in the know will immediately realise I am talking "Gabaldon speak" (a new term I think I just invented). To those who aren't quite sure where I am going with this - last night a couple of Warkworth Librarians went down to listen to Diana Gabaldon who is author of the Cross Stitch (also known as the Outlander) series of novels.