Auckland Libraries blog

Announcing the winners of The Great Summer Read  He Pānuitanga Raumati 2018/2019 bonus prize draw! To qualify for this prize draw, readers completed at least five different challenges. Shona from Waitākere Central Library and Jon from Mt Roskill Library each won a voucher from Specsavers New Zealand for two pairs of glasses, including eye examination, lenses and frames Monique from Kumeū Library, Heather from Blockhouse Bay Library and Gaylene from Papatoetoe Library each won a Kobo Clara HD eReader from Noel Leeming   Robert from Remuera Library, Lara from Te Atatū Peninsula Library, Jessica from Glenfield Library and Camelia also from Glenfield Library each won a Britomart Black $100 gift card  Emily from Remuera Library, Jo from New Lynn Library, Steph from Botany Library and Agata, also from Botany Library, Pamela from Waiheke Library, Leigh from Kumeū Library, Ann from Grey Lynn Library, Yvonne from Birkenhead Library, and Ha-Young from St Heliers Library...

This week on Books and Beyond , Peter Bland, prize-winning poet, playwright and charismatic actor ("Came a hot Friday") talks with librarian Karen about his life and poetry, and reads works from his most recent collections. Listen to this episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast : Read on for the books mentioned in the show. Peter read: "The stone owl" from The happy garden "Our garden is a jungle" from The happy garden "Harbours" from A fugitive presence "Living close to the border" from Voodoo Peter's memoir: Sorry, I'm a stranger here myself View Peter's poetry videos on Facebook. Auckland Libraries' radio show Books and Beyond explores the world of books with guest authors, recommended reads, gems from the Central City Library basement and… beyond. Catch us on Planet FM104.6, Sundays at 9.35pm. Recent shows can be listened to as podcasts via the Auckland Libraries podcast ....

Books and Beyond celebrates Pride this week! Alison Fitzpatrick reprises her reading for the "After-hours Storytime for Grown-ups and Other Family" (Move over Brothers Grimm, the Sisters Gay are here!) which our Grey Lynn Library hosted for the 2019 same same but different LGBTQI literary festival, and chats with Karen about rainbow writing. Listen to this episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast : Read on for the books mentioned in the show. Books mentioned in the show: Fairytales for lost children by Diriye Osman (includes the story, "Watering the Imagination" read by Alison The spider's house by Paul Bowles The collected works of Jane Bowles by Jane Bowles Tales of the city by Armistead Maupin Logical family by Armistead Maupin The golden gate by Vikram Seth A boy's own story by Edmund White My lives by Edmund White Arts and letters by Edmund White The swimming-pool library by Alan Hollinghurst The trauma cleaner b...

Massey Library will close at 4pm on Sunday 17 February and re-open with reduced hours and reduced services in anticipation of the opening of our new library and community centre, Te Manawa in late March. Transitioning from the existing Massey Library to Te Manawa is a complex task and we know for a short time it may be inconvenient. We thank you for your patience and can’t wait to share Te Manawa with you on Tuesday 26 March. Read on for the answers to some frequently asked questions about the Massey Library closure and about our new library and community centre, Te Manawa. Why is Massey Library closing? The closure of Massey Library and the opening of our new library and community centre, Te Manawa, has been in the works for well over a decade. It is a legacy project that was committed to by the former Waitākere City Council and passed to the new Auckland Council in 2010. While the Massey Library will be closing in its present building, it will be re-opening as part...

In this week's Books and Beyond episode , Karen and Louisa take inspiration from the Renaissance tradition of celebrating Valentine’s Day with " flirtatious entertainments ", frolicking with great and less great love stories through the ages, and sharing a selection of New Zealand love poetry. Listen to this episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast: Read on for the books mentioned in the show. Books mentioned in the show: The thorn birds by Colleen McCullough Pride and prejudice by Jane Austen Pride and prejudice and kitties: a cat lover's romp through Jane Austen's classic by Jane Austen, Pamela Jane, and Deborah Guyol Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet: a chooseable path adventure   by Ryan North, and William Shakespeare The French Lieutenant's woman by John Fowles Golden flower: a romance of New Zealand by Dulce Carman The first bad man by Miranda July Poems shared in the show: "The brief life o...

Congratulations to all the winners from the final three weeks of The Great Summer Read!  Week 7 Everyone who completed a Great Summer Read challenge, and checked it in on the website between 12 January and 18 January was entered into the draw.   The sponsored prizes went to: Jennifer from Waiuku Library, winner of the Specsavers NZ voucher, including an eye examination, two pairs of glasses from any Specsavers range and prescribed lenses (including polarised sunglasses). Eden-Alexi from Onehunga Library, winner of the New Zealand Maritime Museum family pass to sail on the Ted Ashby heritage scow. Allison from Whangaparaoa Library, winner of the family pass to visit MOTAT . Rolanda from Sir Edmund Hilary Papakura Library, winner of the family pass to visit Auckland Zoo . Five other winners won vouchers for a free rental from our Top Picks new release collection: Eila from Glenfield Library Sabine from Devonport Library Susan from Sir Edmund Hilary Pa...

Shout out to Joshlyn and Wisdom Iyekekpolo, sister and brother and voracious readers both, for completing a whopping 165 challenges between them for Auckland Libraries’ Great Summer Read He Pānuitanga Raumati which finished last week! Over the two months of the programme, Joshlyn, who turns 13 in March, read 111 books as part of the 124 challenges she logged, winning a family pass for the New Zealand Maritime Museum’s Auckland Heritage Boat Sailing, while her 11-year-old brother Wisdom read 34 books while completing 41 challenges, winning a family pass to Auckland Zoo. From a book-loving family, Joshlyn and Wisdom were already keen readers when they came to New Zealand from Nigeria a year and a half ago with their mother and father, a PhD student at the University of Auckland. “Everyone in the family reads, Mum, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa,” Joshlyn told us. She and Wisdom were both reading by age three – books in English, the language of most books available in Nigeria, though th...

Sharing little-known facts, talking about the weather, gossiping, pondering the big questions… What are your favourite conversation topics as you while away a weekend afternoon at the beach, or, one of our long summer evenings? Karen and Louisa recommend a selection of books which will assure you a brilliant head-start at the game! Listen to this week's episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast . Books mentioned in the show: The Guinness book of world records    Come rain or shine: a weather miscellany by Storm Dunlop The cloudspotter's guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney A million years in a day: a curious history of everyday life: from the Stone Age to the phone age by Greg Jenner Can a bee sting a bee? and other big questions from little people compiled by Gemma Elwin Harris Is it true? The facts behind the things we have been told by Max Cryer Factfulness: ten reasons we're wrong about the world - and why things are better than you think by Hans Rosling...