July School Holiday Programme

The theme these holidays is "Blood, guts and body bits"

All libraries feature storytime sessions and a variety of fun activities such as discovering what goes on inside bodies and making body parts, masks and skeletons.

Helensville Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual 10.30 am Mondays
Wednesday 9 July 10.30 am – Mad Science
Tuesday 15 July 10.30 am - Whose your (Egyptian) Mummy?
Thursday 17 July 10.30 am - Be your own Hero (to take place at the dojo)

Kumeu Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual 10.30 am Mondays
Tuesday 8 July 10.30 am – Come along for a session of stories and body parts surprises
Thursday 10 July 10.30 am – Stories and Body parts
Wednesday 16 July 10.30 am - Stories and More body parts

Mahurangi East Library
Tuesday 8 July 10.30am - What’s inside your body?
Thursday 10 July 10.30am - Making Faces- design a Masquerade Mask
Tuesday 15 July 10.30am - Looking at skeletons

Orewa Library
Storytime and Rhymetime for preschoolers will run as usual
Rhymetime 11 am Tuesdays :: Storytime 11 am Thursdays
Wednesday 9 July 2pm – Body Parts: Stories and crafts for 3 to 6 year olds
Wednesday 16 July 2pm - Body Parts: Stories and crafts for age 6 upwards

Warkworth Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual Monday at 10.30 (but not Thursday)
Tuesday 8 July 10.30 am - If you can’t see or hear? Special guests Peyton & Leica (with carer Gareth) and local author Maria Gill
Thursday 10 July 10.30 am – Make your own body parts
Thursday 17 July 10.30 am – Join the Mad Doctor for stories, fun and actitivies

Wellsford Library
Storytime for preschoolers will run as usual Wednesdays 10.30 am
Thursday 10 July 10.30 am – Body Parts
Wednesday 16 July 10.30 am – Storytime for preschoolers
Thursday 17 July 10.30 am – More Body Parts

Whangaparaoa Library
Storytime and rhymetime for preschoolers will run as usual
Storytime 10.30 am Tuesdays and Wednesdays: Rhymetime 10.30 am Thursdays
Thursday 17 July 6.00 pm – Come along for a fun session of stories, songs, and body parts
surprises!!

Carnegie Medal winner 2008

In Britain the prestigious Carnegie Medal winner has been announced.

Carnegie Medal

"The Carnegie Medal is awarded annually to the writer of an outstanding book for children. It was established by The Library Association in 1936, in memory of the great Scottish-born philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919). Carnegie was a self-made industrialist who made his fortune in steel in the USA. His experience of using a library as a child led him to resolve that "if ever wealth came to me that it should be used to establish free libraries." "

A list of the Carnegie Medal winners held by Rodney Libraries can be found on the catalogue.

This 2008 winner is ...

Here lies Arthur by Philip Reeve.

"Gwyna is just a small girl, a mouse, when she is bound in service to Myrddin the bard - a traveller and spinner of tales. But Myrddin transfroms her - into a lady goddess, a boy warrior, and a spy. Without Gwyna, Myrddin will not be able to work the most glorious transformation of all - and turn the leader of a raggle-taggle war-band into King Arthur, the greatest hero of all time."

Books on the Radio

If you are sensible and don't HAVE to leave the house this weekend (or next week), you can always check out what's new in the book world on the Radio.

SATURDAY MORNING WITH KIM HILL - Radio New Zealand
On the 28th of June the following books are scheduled for mention or review:
Snowdon: The Biography – Anne de Courcy
Smoke: the Beginnings of World War II, the End of Civilisation
Waimarino Country & Other Excursions – Martin Edmond
Paddington Here and Now – Michael Bond

THE ARTS ON SUNDAY
Every Sunday afternoon on Radio New ZealandNational. Interviews and discussions about the following New Zealand books are scheduled for 2pm –2.30pm on Sunday 29 June 2008.
Dame Fiona Kidman on her Michael King CNZ Fellowship Award plans.
Kapka Kassabova – Street Without A Name: Childhood and Other Misadventures in Bulgaria

BOOK OF THE DAY ON NINE TO NOON
Speaking Volumes is the 10:30am book review slot on Radio New Zealand National’s Nine to Noon show.
Monday 30 June Reappraisals by Tony Judt
Tuesday 1 July The Flower Hunter: The Remarkable Life of Ellis Rowan. Christine and
Michael Morton-Evans
Wednesday 2 July Bright ShinyMorning - the latest offering of James Frey
Thursday 3 July A Perfectly Good Family by Lionel Shriver

WEEKDAY BOOK READINGS
NINE TO NOON 10.45am
Monday 30 June & Tuesday 1 July : Unpublished short stories.
Wednesday 2 July & Thursday 3 July : Stories Bodies Tell – Maxine Alterio, Eps 1–2 (of 2)
Friday 4 July : Unpublished short story
AFTERNOONS 2.30pm
Monday 30 June – Friday 4 July
Let Me Sing You Gentle Songs – Linda Olsson; Eps 6–10 (of 12)
ALL NIGHT PROGRAMME 3.15am Monday 30 June – Sunday 6 July
Dogside Story – Patricia Grace, Eps 1–7 (of 10)

What's On in Rodney this Weekend

Let's jump right in with...

Rodney Live Final
Saturday 28th June, 7pm. Remember it's now at Kingsway School, 100 Jelas Road, Orewa.
Come along and view the best dancers, singers and entertainers in Rodney vying to win over $2,000 in prizes. Check out the Rodney Live website for more details.

Puhoi 145th Anniversary
Events all weekend in Puhoi to celebrate the 145th landing of the Bohemians in this very special settlement (but then I might be just a little biased). The big day is on Sunday when you can join the Puhoi Hotel, the Puhoi Band, the Bohemian Dancers, the Historical Society and the past and present people of Puhoi for a special Anniversary Day. Check out details on the Puhoi Historical Society website

Hilarious Hypnotist
Saturday 28th June, 7.30pm. Stanmore Bay School Auditorium. Refreshments beforehand plus two hours of fun. Tickets from the school office 094245540.

Makarau Hall Midwinter Christmas
Join the rural community out at Makarau for the annual Midwinter Dinner and Dance from 6.30pm on Saturday 28th. National Blues Band, plus a three course meal and lots of conviviality. Phone Alison 094205119, Dean 094204044 or Jill 094205112.

Scandrett Regional Park Tree Planting
Sunday 29th June 10am to 3pm. In exchange for a BBQ and hot drinks (which you may need although the weather forecast is more promissing for Sunday) come along and find out what's happening in one of the newest Regional Parks and give them a hand. For information email david.edge@arc.govt.nz

There's probably heaps of stuff I have missed so check out the local papers, Times FM and the noticeboard in your local library.

That's it from me for the week. Batten down the hatches and keep warm this weekend.

Last chance to visit the Worlds Largest Floating Bookshop

My excuse for trolling around the message boards of different internet sites (including Trade Me and Face Book) is that you come up with all sorts of interesting information you wouldn't know about otherwise. This is one of the things I found and this weekend is your last chance to visit before it leaves our waters.

Doulos is the World's Oldest Active Passenger Ship with the world's largest floating bookshop and is currently in New Zealand for the first time in nine years. It has been here since 10 June 2008 and is due to leave on after Monday 30 June 2008.

Built in 1914, two years after the Titanic, the Doulos has welcomed aboard over 20 million visitors for tours, programmes and visits to the floating book fair, with over 6000 titles of quality books in a range of genres. With stops in over 500 ports of call, this unique ship has visited more than 100 countries. It is staffed by an international crew of 320 volunteers from over 50 countries and is owned by a Christian charity, working mostly in the developing world to provide good educational literature at cost to people.

This is the Doulos' third visit to Auckland, the last being in 1999. It will also be the last ever visit, as the ship is due to retire. You can visit over the weekend from 2pm to 10pm. The Doulos is berthed at Princes Wharf, 143 Quay Street in the Auckland CBD.

For more information view http://www.omnz.org.nz/doulos/Auckland.pdf

New Kids Website

LAUNCH OF NZ BOOK MONTH WEBSITE – FOR KIDS!
To coincide with the recent national Storylines Festival for kids, NZ Book Month have launched a junior website kids.nzbookmonth aimed at 8–12 year olds. The aim is to grow a new generation of readers and educate them about the amazing pool of talent on our doorstep… perhaps even inspire budding writers…

The website hosts: new releases – great books from our award winning writers; competitions – nothing like a little research or team building to find an answer; blogs – our inaugural blogger is the bestselling David Hill; and a wacky game (literally)… They will be adding many more fun things to do at home and school for kids in the weeks to come. Sign up to their newsletter here to find out more about The Lunch Pack Competition (to be launched in August) that will be interactive and exciting – including podcasts and video clips!

Rodney’s Teddy Bears are the real Party Animals!

Rodney Libraries are proud to host a free show featuring the magic of Starfish Magic. Starfish Magic is a professional children's theatre company that performs interactive, live music shows at schools, preschools, festivals and private venues.

Bring your teddy bear to see the show and join in the irresistible teddy bear games, magic and fun.

Mahurangi East Library - Thursday June 26th - 4pm
Whangaparaoa Library - Thursday June 26th - 6.45pm
Kumeu Library - Friday June 27 - 4pm

Show duration 40 minutes. Ideal for the whole family and it's FREE!

Rodney Libraries Podcast Poetry Competition 2008

Are you in Years 4-13 at school? If so, we want to hear from you!

Speak it, sing it, rap it - share your poetry with Rodney and you could be in to win a MP3 Player or USB memory stick.

Record and upload your original poem online, then send us the link. It's that simple.

There are two categories - Year 4-8 and Year 9-13.

Have a look at the website for more details and inspiration. It's at http://mpdrlpp.blogspot.com

Competition runs 24 June - 25 July. The last day for entries is 25 July 2008. Winners will be notified after 4 August 2008.

Express Check it at Rodney Libraries!

I was at the supermarket this morning buying my lunch when I noticed that they'd changed the layout of their checkouts. When I looked closer I could see that the new checkouts were actually self-checkouts. You can scan, pack and pay for your own groceries. "Huh" I thought, "They're copying the libraries."

Admittedly we don't have self-checkout or 'Express Check' machines in every library just yet (but we're working on it). There's an 'Express Check' at Orewa, Whangaparaoa and Kumeu. If you're in the mood give one a go. It's as easy as 1-2-3-4.
1. Put your library card under the red laser line.
2. Repeat with each book to be issued.
3. Press on the screen "Print Receipt".
4. Tear receipt off printer.

What's On...

...this weekend in wonderful Rodney.

Create your Own Eden
Saturday 21 June 2.30 - 4.30pm Orewa Community Centre (Small Hall) . The final of this series of courses on composting and worm farming comes to Orewa.

FILM NET to help fund Stanmore Bay School's Senior Fitness Trail
Sunday 22 June 6.15pm Stanmore Bay School at 30 Waiora Road Stanmore Bay.
To raise funds for Stanmore Bay School’s new Senior Fitness Trail.

Planting the Skink Sanctuary
Shakespear Regional Park Sunday 22 June 2008 10am to 12.30pm. Follow the signs to the planting site. Bring sturdy enclosed shoes or boots, gloves and a spade if you have them. A barbeque will be provided following the planting. For further information ring 09 424 5055 or email info@sossi.org.nz

Check out the Rodney District Council What's On website for more details on the above.

Of course if you don't feel like heading outside on what is supposed to be a wintery weekend, you can always head to a movie, one of our many fabulous cafe's or restaurants, call in at the library and grab a couple of good books, a puzzle for the kids then go home and put your feet to watch the All Blacks beat the English (again).

Have a good weekend everyone.

LIANZA Childrens Book Awards Finalists

These unique awards, judged by a panel of librarians and showcasing the expertise of the library and information profession, celebrate New Zealand authors and illustrators and are presented for excellence in literature, illustration, non-fiction and Te Reo Māori.

Esther Glen Award (Fiction)
The judges were so impressed with the high standard of entries for New Zealand’s longest established book prize, the Esther Glen Award (established in 1945), that they have included six finalists.
Salt by Maurice Gee (Penguin New Zealand)
Losing it by Sandy McKay (Longacre Press)
Smashed by Mandy Hager (Random House New Zealand)
The Sea-wreck Stranger by Anna Mackenzie (Longacre Press)
The Dumpster Saga by Craig Harrison (Scholastic New Zealand)
Time of the Eagle by Sherryl Jordan (Simon & Schuster)

Russell Clark Award (Illustration)
When arriving at the shortlist for the Russell Clark Award the judges asked themselves the important question "would a child pick this title up and read it?"
Dad's Takeaways by Melanie Drewery, Illustrated by Christopher White (Mallinson Rendel)
Willy's Dad by Scott Tulloch (Harper Collins)
Rats! by Gavin Bishop (Random House New Zealand)
Te Po Roa by Andrew Burdan (Huia Education)
Tahi, One Lucky Kiwi by Melanie Drewery, Illustrated by John O'Reilly & Ali Teo (Random House New Zealand)

Elsie Locke Award (Non Fiction)
The Elsie Locke Award was established in 1986 and was previously called the LIANZA Young People’s Non-fiction Award. The shortlist this year reflects a number of concerns for New Zealand such as climate change and rubbish recycling while appealing to the young artist, the historian and the junior scientist.
What is a .....? (series - Amphibian/Bird/Reptile/Mammal/Fish) by Feana Tuákoi (Scholastic New Zealand)
Rubbish by Rachael Goddard (Raupo Publishing)
Weather Watch New Zealand by Sandra Carrod (Raupo Publishing)
Draw New Zealand Birds by Heather Arnold (Raupo Publishing)
The Illustrated History of Antarctica by Marcia Stenson (Random House New Zealand)

Te Kura Pounamu (Te Reo Māori)
The Te Kura Pounamu Judges were very excited with the number of entries and said the calibre of Te Reo language was excellent.
A-Kara-Ka-Ru-Ra by Charisma Rangipuna (Huia Publishers, Ministry of Education)
Kai Ora! 2 – Putaiao (series) by Kararaina Uatuku, Che Wilson and Hana O'Regan (Hana Ltd)
Kai Ora! 2 - Tikanga a-Iwi (series) by Kararaina Uatuku, Che Wilson, Hana Pomare and Charisma Rangipuna (Hana Ltd)
Te Haeata (The Dawn) by Mike Davey (Raupo Publishing)
Te Wheke-a-Muturangi by Lee Watt (Hana Ltd)

(sourced Booksellers brief 5/6/08)

I'v included links on all the books that are in the Rodney Libraries catalogue. So all you need to do is click on the title you want to have a look at and by the miracle of the the Internet you will be whisked to that item in our catalogue for a full description and often a cover picture. From there you can see which library it is held at, and put a request through for it.

Starfish Magic at a Library near you!

Starfish Magic were another one of the storytelling performers that I caught up with at the Storylines Festival on Sunday. And the great news is that next week they are going to be performing free at three Rodney Libraries.

StarFish Magic are a professional children's theatre company with years of experience. Since 2002, StarFish Magic have performed over 1200 shows in schools, preschools, festivals, libraries and private functions in Melbourne (3.5 years) and Auckland. When I saw them on Sunday they had the children bopping and singing along with them. It really is an interactive show that the kids (and parents) absolutely adored. They did some of their ocean and fish stories and songs on Sunday, but a little bird whispered that there may be teddy bears involved in the sessions at Rodney.

So here's where they will be next week. Put it in your diary as they are really worth it:

Mahurangi East Library, Snells Beach Thursday 26 June 4.00pm
Whangaparaoa Library, Town Centre Thursday 26 June 6.45pm
Kumeu Library Friday 27 June 4.00pm

Books for volunteers

Since it's time to celebrate our community volunteers I thought I'd do a keyword search on 'volunteer**' in the catalogue to see what I could find. The Keyword search searchs the entire record for the word or words you've typed in. It looks through the title, author, subject, and summary entries. The double * on the end stand in for any extensions to the word e.g. -ing, -s, -ed, etc.

With 234 titles returned I can't list them all so here are a few of the highlights

Volunteer : a traveller's guide to making a difference around the world / [authors, Charlotte Hindle ... [et al.]].
"A volunteering handbook that offers insights, advice and practical information on making a difference with your travels. It is arranged by type of experience (such as organised, structured and self-funding, and do-it-yourself). This book covers both formal, long- and short-term placements with volunteer organisations."


Chicken soup for the volunteer's soul : stories to celebrate the spirit of courage, caring and community / Jack Canfield ... [et al.].
An inspirational collection celebrates the spirit of volunteering.





The wild green yonder : ten seasons volunteering on New Zealand's organic farms / Philippa Jamieson.
"Itching for a change, city girl Philippa Jamieson quits her cosy job in Dunedin to travel around New Zealand on the WWOOF scheme (World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, also known as Willing Workers on Organic Farms). Over the course of two-and-a-half years she volunteers at 40 locations - market gardens, livestock farms, communes - many of which truly lie in the wild and hairy yonder. Along the way Philippa meets a bevy of diverse characters: the irrepressible farm host who's built his own coffin - with a limerick for an epitaph; Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons; and many more, not forgetting Thelma the goat. Some of our unsung heroes can be found in these pages: forward-thinking Kiwis who are quietly working away at producing healthy food without toxins, saving heirloom crop varieties, practising self-sufficiency and improving the soil for the next generation. Informative, entertaining and affectionate, The Wild Green Yonder offers inspiration to anyone with a yen for life's positive alternatives, as well as a unique view on where organic farming is at in New Zealand today."

Tiritiri Matangi : a model of conservation / Anne Rimmer.
"Tiritiri Matangi Island is a conservation success story of international significance. Thousands of trees, planted by volunteers, and the release of rare and endangered birds have produced today's world-famous open sanctuary near Auckland, New Zealand, which attracts over 33,000 visitors per year. This book describes the island's history, its Maori occupation, the farming period, wartime activites, the historic lighthouse as well as the subsequent conservation project."

Books for Coasters : the early years of the libraries of Silverdale, Orewa and Whangaparaoa, 1935 to 1989 / by Anthony G. Flude.
"Published ... in recognition of the work of Hibiscus Coast library volunteers."

It was FANTASTIC

The Storylines Family Day at the Aotea Centre on Sunday that is! I had an exhilirating (and exhausting day) helping out there (taking my turn at being one of those volunteers we are celebrating this week). I have heard reports that there were record crowds there and if some of the queues and crowds following Babette Cole, Joy Cowley, Carole Wilkinson and Hairy Maclary around or at the facepainters or comics stands, then I can well believe it. The storytelling sessions were packed out. The craftmakers were busy. The Kids Lit contest went into sudden death and it looked like everyone there was having a wonderful time.

I had the pleasure of helping visiting American storyteller Cathy Spagnoli navigate the Aotea Centre to get to her sessions. She has travelled extensively through Asia, India and Africa and has some wonderful tales to tell, being truly passionate about the power of the story to open up the world to people. I loved the way she involved the audience, getting them to help her finish the story, or help her tell it in sign language.

Another storyteller I helped was the dynamic Apirana Taylor. This multi-talented man is a musician, poet, painter, actor and (I have since learnt from a local school librarian who heard him speak at their conference last year) an inspirational speaker. I can well believe all that, simply by listening to him tell the tales of Maui and Matariki, often using Maori musical instruments and string figures. Don't turn down the chance if you ever get to listen to him. Or check out some of his poetry and stories that we have in the Rodney Libraries collection.

Have I raved for long enough? Do you get the picture? Will you be there next year? I certainly will be.

Ka kite ano

Volunteer Awareness Week 15-21 June 2008

Rodney District has always had a strong volunteer ethic. The Libraries are fortunate to benefit from the many people throughout the district who want to give something back to the community.

We can’t operate without our Volunteers. They shelve books, check in returns, help out on the desks, deliver to Housebound Customers, cover the new books and mend the ones that have been enjoyed just that little too much.

So if you see someone in the Library wearing a volunteer badge, go up to them today and tell them how much they are appreciated by you as a Library Customer.

Thank you to all of our 238 library volunteers!

Dyslexia awareness week - blessing in disguise

Dyslexia - a Blessing in Disguise is the theme for this year's Dyslexia Awareness Week, 16 - 22 June.

The Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand is focusing on "...promoting greater understanding and acceptance of dyslexia as an alternative way of thinking and one that can offer wonderful creative gifts as well as bringing some learning challenges. The theme refers to the gifts of creativity as well as the difficulties and coping strategies which are the 'disguise'."

"Dyslexia is a term used to describe a range of persistent difficulties children have with reading and writing, and often including spelling, numeracy or musical notation. Students with dyslexia do not make expected progress in these areas in spite of good teaching and the type of extra support that would be helpful for most other children." There is more information on the Ministry of Education Team-Up website. Last year the Ministry formally acknowledged dyslexia as an issue in school. An outline of their work programme and approach can be found on the TKI website.

Rodney Libraries have a number of books on Dyslexia that might be useful. Try the Encyclopedias or Health online databases from the E-resources page. They have excellent articles and entries which are often full-text (i.e. the full article not just a description). One of these articles "DYSLEXIA" from "SICK! Diseases and Disorders, Injuries and Infections." Online Edition. Detroit: U*X*L, 2008, has this definition "Dyslexia is not a disease. It is a condition in which a person's brain learns in a different way from that of other people. Many people with dyslexia are very intelligent and successful. The condition has nothing to do with a person's intelligence. Dyslexics are often highly talented in many areas, including art, athletics, drama, music, and engineering. These talents often require the ability to bring together sight, spatial skills (the ability to locate objects in three-dimensional space using sight and/or touch), and coordination." (Found via the Health and Wellness Resource Centre e-resource.)

The NZ Herald has a story on Geoff Blackwell, "Opening the door to the joy of words". He's one of the men behind the project "Moments of Intimacy, Laughter and Kinship." He also has dyslexia.

What's on??

If you don't want to head out of Rodney this weekend but are still looking for something to do check these out.

Rodney's own second annual Winter jazz extravaganza is set to take place on the Hibiscus Coast, on Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 June. Showcasing performances by some of New Zealand's finest jazz musicians during a weekend long series of four concerts at Whangaparaoa College's theatre. Tickets $20 matinee and $25 evening. For more information go the the Jazz on the Coast website.

Rodney Live continues, hitting Wellsford this Saturday at the Community Centre. Have you been hiding your talents? Now is the time to dust them off and bring them to the public.

If you've always fancied you'd like to try dancing head along to Red Beach School on Saturday 14th June. Let's Dance 'A Chance to Dance' is being held from 2 - 4 pm with a chance to try Spanish or Greek (or you can just watch). There's a small entry fee of $5 but it sounds like fun.

MURIWAI BEACH are having a CLEAN UP on Sunday 15th June. Meet at the end of Coast Road, Muriwai (follow the signs to the parking area) at 11.15am, before the briefing and the cleanup which starts at 12.00 noon. A BBQ and prizegiving follows the unloading of the rubbish bags at 2pm with an estimated finish time of 3.30pm. These are clean-ups supported by the ARC's coastal enhancement fund and being organised by Gecko NZ (a charitable trust) contact email is: events.gecko@gmail.com.

Don't forget the Farmers Markets or the numerous sports fields around the district that will all be a hive of activity this weekend. And if relaxing is more your scene, put your feet up on Saturday night to watch the All Blacks beat the English in the rugby test at Eden Park. If you have tickets, drive safe. Have a fantastic weekend everyone.

STORYLINES - Free Family Day

I am really excited about this weekend. I am volunteering on Sunday at the Auckland Storylines Festival. This free day is on Sunday from 10am to 3pm at the Aotea Centre, for children of all ages (the young and the young at heart).

There are international guests Babette Cole and Carole Wilkinson, plus storyteller Cathy Spagnoli. As well there are plenty of Kiwi authors (Joy Cowley, David Hill, Melanie Drewery are just a few), illustrators, storytellers, publishers and booksellers, plus exhibits, competitions, the national final of the Kids Lit Quiz, performers, facepainters, activities and puppets. The Aotea Centre is going to be a hive of activity. And we will be there!!! I'll even take the camera and see if I can get a few shots and some comments from the famous people.

Did I mention it was free! Take some lunch and have a picnic in the Square before diving back into the hub-bub. Listen to your favourite author and get them to sign a book for you. It should be fantastic. See you there.

Behind the Headlines

The Cops have been getting some pretty bad raps at the moment with headlines about “Not Guilty” verdicts from three high profile trials, discussions on response times and everyone from the Prime Minister to talk back callers voicing their opinion.

I’m not going to get into whether the headlines are deserved or not (and you don’t want me on my soapbox about the media). However away from the headlines and at the coalface, the Police are an integral part of our society. They do have a colourful history and you can read about New Zealand Police, the successes and the failures, the histories and biographies, all in the non-fiction collection at any Rodney Library. You will find most of these under the Dewey Numbers starting with 360. Or you can read about the Police and Crime in our changing society under Dewey Number 305.

There are some interesting and funny biographies from the Police Force which you can find in the biographies which are located under Number 920. And don’t forget that the numbers are the same whether you are in the adult or the children’s non-fiction areas.

Another way of looking for books on a topic is to do a subject or a keyword search in our Rodney Libraries catalogue. If you enter New Zealand Police into a subject search, this will result in a list of subject headings, any of which you can click on to bring up the titles to choose from. If you enter New Zealand Police into a keyword search, this will result in all the books in the Rodney Libraries that have these three words in our catalogue entry.

Montana New Zealand Book Awards - finalists announced

Here's the list of finalists - clicking on the title or author link will take you to the Rodney Libraries catalogue entry where you can reserve the item or just find out a bit more about it. Clicking on the category link will take you through to the NZ Booksellers website with more information about the item.

Fiction
"The Blue" by Mary McCallum
"Edwin + Matilda" by Laurence Fearnley
"Luminous" by Alice Tawhai
"Opportunity" by Charlotte Grimshaw

Poetry
"Cold Snack" by Janet Charman
"A Long Girl Ago" by Johanna Aitchison
"The Pop-Up Book of Invasions" by Fiona Farrell

History
"Age of Enterprise: Rediscovering the New Zealand Entrepreneur 1881-1910" by Ian Hunter
"Devils on Horses" by Terry Kinloch
"Te Tau Ihu o Te Waka Volume II: Te Ara Hou - The New Society" by Hilary and John Mitchell

Biography
"The Best Man Who Ever Served the Crown? A Life of Donald McLean" by Ray Fargher
"The Life and Times of James Walter Chapman-Taylor" by Judy Siers
"Waimarino County & Other Excursions" by Martin Edmond

Reference and Anthology
"Look This Way: New Zealand Writers on New Zealand Artists" edited by Sally Blundell
"A Nest of Singing Birds: 100 years of the New Zealand School Journal" by Gregory O'Brien
"The Transit of Venus" edited by Mary Varnham

Lifestyle and Contemporary Culture
"In Form: New Zealand Graffiti Artists Discuss Their Work" by Elliot O'Donnell
"Mau Moko: The World of Maori Tattoo" by Ngahuia Te Awekotuku
"Shot In New Zealand: The art and craft of the Kiwi cinematographer" by Duncan Petrie

Environment
"Southern Alps" by Alison Ballance
"The Surface of the Sea: Encounters with New Zealand's Upper Ocean Life" by Iain Anderson
"Wetlands of New Zealand" by Janet Hunt

Illustrative
"Aberhart" by Laurence Aberhart, with essays by Gregory O'Brien and Justin Paton
"Bill Hammond: Jingle Jangle Morning" by Jennifer Hay, with Ron Brownson, Chris Knox and Laurence Aberhart; designed by Aaron Beehre
"Comma dot dogma" edited by Aaron Kreisler

For more information
"Montana Book Awards entries praised" NZ Herald
"Women dominate fiction list for Montana NZ Book Awards" NZ Herald
"Debut novel shortlisted for Montana" Dominion Post via Stuff


UPDATED Wednesday 11 June 12:52pm
Gosh. There's certainly some opinion out there on the judge's decision to only choose 4 fiction finalists instead of the usual 5. Read about it on the following blogs
"Montana Moans" Leaf Salon
Beattie's Book Blog (There looks to be an ongoing discussion on this blog (one of NZ's best for book-related news) so scroll down to the last post on Tuesday 10 June where the fun starts.)

And the winner is...

... British author Rose Tremain last week was named as the winner of the 13th Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction with her 10th novel The Road Home (Chatto & Windus). This is a story of an East European immigrant grappling with the challenges of life in London.
“The judges felt that this was a powerfully imagined story and a wonderful feat of emotional empathy told with great warmth and humour,” said the chair of the judges Kirsty Lang. And it's highly recommended by some of the Rodney Libraries staff and patrons as well.

The Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction was set up in 1996 to celebrate and promote fiction written by women throughout the world to the widest range of readers possible. The Orange Prize is awarded to the best novel of the year written in English by a woman.

This awards ceremony also saw the announcement of the 2008 Orange Broadband Award for New Writers. Established in 2005 as part of the Orange Prize 10th year celebrations, the emphasis of the Orange Broadband Award for New Writers is on emerging talent and the evidence of future potential. This year the winner is Joanna Kavenna for her novel Inglorious (Faber and Faber).

(source Booksellers Brief 5/6/08)

Are you a writer? Enter the Western Districts Short Story Competition

21ST CELEBRATION YEAR --- 2008

$1500 in prize money is offered in the Western Districts Short Story Competition, open to any New Zealand writer. Entries will be accepted from June to closing date, and a prize giving will be held on 1 OCTOBER 2008.

The competition is sponsored by the WAITAKERE LICENSING TRUST and supported by the WESTERN LEADER.

Prizes are $500 (first)Plus Travel & Accommodation. $250 (second) $150 (third). In the Junior Section prizes are $150 (first) $100 (second) and $50 (third).

For information write to: P.O.Box 83-065, Edmonton 0652, Waitakere City

Well Done Rodney Schools!!

A big congratulations go today to Mahurangi and Orewa College Kids Lit teams who both came third in their respective heats for the Auckland region on Friday.

Orewa College were up first in the afternoon heat and came in third behind Bucklands Beach Intermediate and Glen Eden Intermediate. In the evening it was Mahurangi's turn, doing the Rodney region proud by repeating the third placing behind Belmot and Kowhai Intermediates respectively.

That's a huge achievement when you consider how many schools there are in the Auckland Region and that each school can enter two teams. So well done to everyone involved.

The finals of the national Kids Lit competition will be held this Sunday as part of the Storylines Festival at the Aoteo Centre (more on that later in the week). If you want to find out more about the competition, hit the link to the Kids Lit website, find out all about and try the sample questions to see how you go.

Matariki - the Maori New Year

Based on early traditions, Matariki is something special for all New Zealanders to share. It connects us with our unique Maori heritage, nature, creativity and expression. For many Maori, Matariki signals the beginning of a new cycle of life and a time to reflect on the previous year.
Today Matariki means celebrating the unique place in which we live and giving respect to the land we live on.
(source Matariki Festival 2008 website)

Matariki is the name for a small cluster of tiny stars also known as the Pleiades. In late May early June Matariki rises on the north east horizon, around the same spot as the rising sun (and one of the best times to spot the stars is about half an hour before dawn).

There are heaps of activities and events around Auckland and Northland (as well as the rest of the country) celebrating Matariki. Check out the two websites to find out more details from happenings at Museums and Observatories, to Art Exhibitions and Concerts, there is something for everyone. These go on for the next three to four weeks.

The Matariki Festival 08 website gives both history and details of Tamaki-Makarau (Auckland) events and the Matariki Northland website gives details of what's happening in Tai Tokerau (Northland).

Locally, Wellsford and Te Hana are the places to be to celebrate Matariki. Events on Saturday 7th June include an Art Exhibition, Wearable Arts and Fashion Parade, a DJ, Kapa Haka, and a Health expo at Wellsford Community centre from 9.15am and a tree-planting at Te Hana.

Have a good weekend everyone. Ka kite ano.

Celebrate World Environment Day

Today is World Environment Day and this year it is being hosted by New Zealand in conjunction with the United Nations. The government website calls World Environment Day "an opportunity to raise awareness and promote action on national environment issues. New Zealand businesses and communities can tie-in their own environmental and sustainable activities and messages to the event and take advantage of WED’s status and media focus."

So there is heaps going on today to try to achieve this, both big and small. Zoos, Museums, Universities, Councils, businesses and schools are all getting behind the day, with exhibitions, activities, plantings and debates. One of the local events is a Kauri tree planting at Te Hana this weekend which is also part of their Matariki celebrations (more on that tomorrow).

Whether or not you believe in climate change (way beyond my limited scientific knowledge) and sustainability, I still think it's a good idea to look after the environment. After all, Aotearoa is a rather special place and I'd like to keep it that way. The best thing is that you don't have to make any big changes. To celebrate the day all you need to do is turn off a couple of switches at home to conserve power, talk to your work mates about carpooling, work on your recycling or go out and plant a tree. Imagine what a difference it would make if we all managed to carpool even one day a week (which is all we are probably going to manage here with all our meetings before, during and after work). And it will save us money too.

If you want to know more about it all check out the World Environment Day website. Or call in and check out what's on offer at your local Rodney Library to help you help the environment.

National Library is getting a Makeover

The National Library of New Zealand will be redeveloped over the next three years at a cost of $NZ69 million. This was announced as part of the 2008 budget.

‘The redevelopment will open up and expand the building, making its valuable heritage collections more accessible to the public, and creating almost 4000 square metros of additional storage and exhibition space,’ Prime Minister Helen Clark said.
‘The National Library’s collections are estimated to be worth $1 billion. They include material such as journals and notebooks of Katherine Mansfield, Sir Apirana Ngata’s papers, and a diverse range of books, cartoons, paintings, photographs, and sound recordings. It also houses the Alexander Turnbull Library. This development is a major milestone in the history of the National Library – a 21st century library for the digital age will be created.’

The redevelopment will provide controlled storage environments, which meet international preservation standards for collections, and will enhance research space and facilities. The National Library will ensure that its collections continue to be available during the redevelopment. Minister for Libraries, Judith Tizard said the redevelopment was an ‘exciting and significant’ milestone in the history of the institution.

‘The redevelopment of this building will ensure that the National Library of New Zealand continues to make an important contribution to our national identity both in our own sense of nationhood, as well as increasing the awareness and understanding of New Zealand internationally,’ she said.

The National Library, not only houses the important collections and items mentioned above. It also plays a major role in supporting school and public libraries throughout the country. On a day to day basis, Rodney Libraries customers will be most familiar with their role in obtaining books not available in our own collection through the "interloan" service.

Time for a Proper Introduction

INTRODUCING “Rosie”

The majority of our customers at Rodney Libraries, ask for us to phone them when the book that they have requested has arrived. Phone calls are also the main way we contact you when you have overdue books and outstanding fines.

The voice of Rodney Libraries has been called many things. “The disembodied voice” is a common one, but there are many others (some of which we probably can’t publish) such as the automated or mechanical voice and talking technology. Well, we decided that was a bit unfair to the hardworking voice of the Library so one day we decided to give her (and we are all pretty convinced that the voice is female) a name and a personality.befitting her status as one of the most important members of our staff. It took a while (several coffees) before we thought that such a sunny personality should have the name “Rosie”.

Rosie is of indeterminate age and nationality, although we are fairly certain English is not her first language. She will not always get the pronunciation of your name right but she does her best. Because this is her second job she makes her calls to you after hours, often around dinner time or when the evening news is on (because that is when she is most likely to find you at home and we want to make sure the message gets through).

If getting a call from Rosie is not the highlight of your day (or week), you do have other options for how we contact you. You can choose to be contacted by phone, email or by letter. Obviously the letter will take a couple of days to reach you, which is why sometimes a letter advising your books are overdue when you have already returned them. And if you opt for being contacted by email, you should check it regularly.

If you would like to change the way we get in touch with you, just advise us next time you are in the library and check that your details are all current.

PS I hope you all had a fantastic Queens Birthday Weekend. And for anyone that is interested, Yes I did start my lawnmower. Have a good day.