Auckland Libraries blog

It’s official – Aucklanders are enthusiasts of books written by fellow New Zealanders! Discover the most-borrowed books that made their way from Auckland Council Libraries into the homes and hearts of Aucklanders in 2024. The year saw a rise in the popularity of Kiwi authors, with half of the 10 most borrowed books written by New Zealanders. Leading the charge and taking the top spot for 2024 was Olivia Spooner’s popular war-time love story, The Girl from London . Three memoirs by New Zealanders also made the top ten list, thanks to the success of 2024 We Read Auckland / Ka Pānui Tātou Tāmaki Makaurau. The festival featured 16 must-read local stories in the highly revered Bestie collection, showcasing some of the most in-demand books in Tāmaki Makaurau. Geronimo Stilton returned as a fan favourite in the children's fiction universe, taking the number two spot, with Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas under the Sea knocking Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire from the to...

Audiobooks are a brilliant way to keep kids entertained while soaking in the scenery, and they let the driver focus on the road with a great story in their ears.     Remember slotting CDs into the car radio on long drives? Those beloved stories from childhood haven’t been lost in time – they’ve just gone digital! Many of the audiobooks you enjoyed as a kid are now accessible online for free through your library, along with a whole world of new stories. From laugh-out-loud comedies to magical adventures and gripping survival stories, we’ve rounded up a selection of eAudiobooks that are perfect for family road trips.  How to borrow eAudiobooks from the library Borrowing eAudiobooks is easy. Using your library card number, you can access platforms like BorrowBox , OverDrive , the Libby app and more.  Find and borrow titles via the library catalogue or directly via these online platforms. If you're searching via the catalogue, select your chosen book and find the 'eAud...

Due to maintenance, our online library services will be unavailable on: 12.00am to 3.00am, Wednesday 27 November. The outages will include searching for library items in the library catalogue, logging in and managing your account, paying online and joining the library.   The outages will also affect our eCollections platforms, the Auckland Libraries app and our eLearning resources. Our apologies for this inconvenience.

How can communities thrive in times of change, social isolation and worry? This new adult nonfiction book tells the inspiring stories of how marae across Auckland responded to the needs of their communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. Edited by Dr Kimiora Raerino and co-published by Auckland Council Libraries and Huia, the book is scheduled for release in late November.  Image: The book’s editor, Dr Kimiora Raerino, holds a copy of Toitū Ngā Marae: Pandemic Experiences of Marae in Tāmaki Makaurau. Through 22 interviews with marae leaders and workers, Toitū Ngā Marae: Pandemic Experiences of Marae in Tāmaki Makaurau documents the vital role ten local marae played in supporting whānau and the wider community. They were able to provide healthy food to the community, care for isolated whānau and organise vaccination centres – all while confronting lockdowns, restrictions, illness and the loss happening throughout Aotearoa. Some interviews took place in te reo Māori and others in Engl...

Are you seeking the chill of a suspenseful story in the lead-up to Halloween? If you’re curious about the horror genre but nervous to dip your toes in, you might be wondering where to start.  The idea of horror can be intimidating—full of nightmarish creatures and gory details. But not all horror stories are designed to keep you up at night. There are plenty of not-too-scary stories that create just the right balance of suspense, atmosphere and even humour without veering into outright terror.  In this list, we’ve carefully selected titles that range from whimsical mysteries to unsettling supernatural tales, all ordered from least to most scary based on overall intensity, themes and tone.  We begin with gently eerie books that feel like stepping into a shadowy corner, moving gradually into more intense reads that flirt with fear but never cross into full-blown horror. By the end, you’ll have a taste of the genre’s darker side, should you choose to venture further.  N...