Auckland Libraries blog

Caption: Image 1: Mr George George - MC for Cook Islands Stage Polyfest 2018, Manukau Sports Bowl Turou! Oro mai! Auckland Libraries is celebrating Te Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani Cook Islands Language Week from 29 July - 4 August 2018. The language week is a special opportunity for Cook Islanders living in New Zealand to acknowledge, celebrate and embrace Cook Islands culture, history, customs and, most importantly, language. Auckland is the largest Pacific city in the world with just over 35,000 people who identify as being Cook Islanders living in Tāmaki Makaurau. Auckland Libraries is delighted to connect with our Cook Islands community and celebrate the pearl of the Pacific. Kiaorana e Kia Manuia! Events O Moana Nui performing Arts Group Drummers, Turou Korero Mai exhibition opening - Corbans Estate Art Gallery 2017 Discover the stories, music and dance of the Cook Islands at Storytime sessions for kids , arts and crafts workshops or visit Central City

This week on Books and Beyond, Karen and Louisa look at books illustrated by artists, books about artists and books by artists, from Hundertwasser for kids to Andy Warhol’s diaries. Read on for all the books mentioned in the show. Kids books Tu Meke Tūī , by Malcolm Clarke, illustrated by Flox. Also available in te reo Māori Hundertwasser for kids : harvesting dreams in the realm of the painter-king by Barbara Stieff And Picasso painted Guernica  by Alain Serres Adult books The lonely city: adventures in the art of being alone by Olivia Laing This is not writing by Julian Dashford Picasso: an intimate portrait by Olivier Widmaier Picasso Strangeland by Tracey Emin My life in a column by Tracey Emin The Andy Warhol diaries edited by Pat Hackett Gordon Walters: new vision curated by Lucy Hammonds, Laurence Simmons and Julia Waite. Gordon Walters: New vision  exhibition is on at Auckland Art Gallery until 4 November 2018. Auckland Libraries&

It’s all about reading recommendations this week on Books and Beyond. Librarians Karen and Louisa highlight the top 10 most requested books at Auckland Libraries at the moment, the most popular choices Aucklanders made when asked what book they’d take to a desert island, two very different online book lists, and what they are currently reading. Read on for all the books mentioned in the show. Karen is reading and recommends: The Graham Kerr cookbook: The Galloping Gourmet  by Graham Kerr The cost of living  by Deborah Levy Modern Romance  by Aziz Ansari Louisa is reading and recommends: Don Quixote  by Miguel de Cervantes Call me Zebra  by Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi My grandfather would have shot me: a black woman discovers her family's Nazi past  by Jennifer Teege My Judy Garland Life  by Susie Boyt Top 10 most requested books at Auckland Libraries right now are: Still me by Jojo Moyes 12 rules for life: an antidote to chaos by Jo

This week librarian Louisa chats with Peter Dragicevich , author of dozens of Lonely Planet travel guides, including guides for London, Venice and the Veneto region, Montenegro, Croatia and New Zealand. Listen to the show on the Auckland Libraries podcast  and hear Peter share a few of his best travel stories and tips on travel writing. We think Peter has a dream job! Books mentioned during the show: If you search for Peter Dragicevich in the Auckland Libraries catalogue you’ll discover the fifty Lonely Planet travel guidebooks and eBooks he has authored or co-authored.  You will also find some of Peter’s travel guides in our Lonely Planet Travel Club eBook list on OverDrive . All of these titles are guaranteed to be available until May 2019 for all your travelling needs.   If you're planning a trip these are ideal to borrow and download onto your device to go with you on your travels. Auckland Libraries' radio show Books and Beyond explores t

This week our librarians Karen and Louisa celebrate nonsense literature, a delightful genre and not just for children. If it sometimes flies below the radar, its gems have a special ability to stick in our memories. Listen to this episode of Books and Beyond on the Auckland Libraries podcast . Books and authors mentioned during the show: Jenny Uglow's biography of Edward Lear, Mr Lear: a life of art and nonsense Edward Lear, The complete nonsense of Edward Lear , with a reading of verses from "The jumblies" John Lennon, In his own write , and, A Spaniard in the works Ogden Nash, Selected poetry of Ogden Nash , with a reading of "The turtle" Mervyn Peake, Titus Groan and Peake's progress: selected writings and drawings of Mervyn Peake edited by Maeve Gilmore, with a reading of "The trouble with geraniums" Margaret Mahy, Non-stop nonsense Geoffrey Grigson, Unrespectable verse , with a reading of "Ballad Tragique a Dou

Books and Beyond is Auckland Libraries’ new radio show! Every Sunday at 9.35pm on Planet FM104.6, we explore the world of books with guest authors, recommended reads, gems from the Central Library basement and… beyond. And every Monday we’ll follow up with a recap of the featured titles here on the blog. You can also listen to us on demand via the Auckland Libraries podcast . This week’s show featured Leanne Radojkovich, author of the short-story collection First Fox (The Emma Press, 2017) and newly-named winner of the 2018 Graeme Lay Short Story Competition. Leanne writes both short stories and short short stories, or flash fiction, an exciting form of highly compressed narratives which is being celebrated around New Zealand this Friday 22 June for National Flash Fiction Day . Listen to this Books and Beyond episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast . Books and authors mentioned: Short story authors Aimee Bender , Kelly Link and Camilla Grudova    Flash fiction writ

Octogenarian, traveller, adventurer and author of Exciting Eighties: a time of high expectations , Esther Paddon chats with librarian Louisa about her tales of adventure and what led her into writing. Listen to this episode on Auckland Libraries podcast. Auckland Libraries' new 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 9.35 pm, and listen to recent shows via the Auckland Libraries podcast.

In this episode of Books and Beyond, Karen talks with Dominic Hoey, whose novel Iceland was an Auckland Libraries Top 100 and longlisted for the Ockham NZ Book Awards. Under the Tourettes moniker, he has also released five acclaimed studio albums, two books of poetry, four short films, and performed spoken-word poetry. Listen to this episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast. 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 9.35 pm. Listen to recent shows on the  Auckland Libraries podcast .

Goodbye to eBook waitlists! Auckland Libraries have just launched a new service which guarantees you immediate access to a selection of popular eBook titles - with no waiting for the reader ahead of you to return their copy! Perfect for book clubs Are you a member of a book club?  The Book Clubs eBook collection contains acclaimed novels and memoirs. It will hold a special attraction for book clubs who read the same book, as it guarantees every member a copy at the same time! Check out literary fiction guaranteed to be available now. Handy for travellers Travelling, preparing to travel - or just dreaming about it? Now you can borrow many of our fantastic Lonely Planet travel guides to top destinations, regardless of whether anyone else has already checked them out. Start packing: grab one of our Lonely Planet travel guides, guaranteed to be available now. Browse OverDrive online or download the Libby, by OverDrive app to your smartphone, tablet or eReader and use

If you haven’t had a chance to see the exhibition Don’t leave town till you’ve seen the country on Level 2 of Tāmaki Ngā Pātaka Kōrero Central City Library, we recommend you go to enjoy its visual richness. In the meantime, we offer you an opportunity to listen to a selection of exhibition interviews in the comfort of your favourite chair, or on your commute. The first track is an interview with Principal Curator Georgia Prince giving a background to the exhibition content and selection process. Georgia shares with interviewer Haunui Royal a couple of highlights including Cecil Burleigh’s diary. The diary begins in 1932 when he was 22, and records his regular holiday trips around New Zealand. Georgia Prince looking at Cecil Burleigh’s diary. Photograph by Sue Berman 2018 The hand-drawn map displayed in the exhibition charts three road trips he took with his mother in 1948 and 1949. In March 1949 they travelled from Auckland to Waiouru and back before he returned to

Librarian Karen and literary biographer Joanne Drayton Karen chats with acclaimed literary biographer Joanne Drayton, whose works include the NY Times bestseller The Search for Anne Perry , about the Christchurch schoolgirl killer who forged a new life as a writer of popular historical crime novels. Her new book about TV chefs Hudson and Halls is due out this year. Listen to this episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast . 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 9.35 pm. Listen to recent shows via the Auckland Libraries podcast.

Auckland Libraries are excited to present our new databases for 2018!  There's something for everyone! Our new databases include Drama Online, BWB Texts Collection, World Almanac for Kids, World Geography and Culture Online, and Road to IELTS. Road to IELTS – General and Academic There has always been a high demand for IELTS study guides from students learning English as a second language. Great news! We offer free access to the world-class Road to IELTS online preparation courses for both the General and Academic modules. These interactive, self-study preparation courses can be accessed online anywhere anytime – allowing you to work at your own pace and in your own time. Check out Road to IELTS General , Road to IELTS Academic  or search the library website. Drama Online Drama Online is an award-winning digital library of over 1,700 playtexts, 350 audio plays and 150 hours of video from leading theatre publishers and companies offering a complete multimedia exp

This week on Books and Beyond, librarian Karen talks with poet Serie Barford about her work and the influence of her mixed Samoan and European descent. Serie reads from her latest book Entangled Islands  and the new anthology of political poetry Manifesto Aotearoa . Listen to this episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast. 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 9.35 pm. Listen to recent shows via the Auckland Libraries podcast .

Join Karen and Louisa on Books and Beyond this week, to explore works from some of New Zealand's finest Pasifika writers.  Listen to this week's episode on  PlanetFM's website  and read on for all the books mentioned in the show. A celebration of Pacific literature: Slavers in Paradise by Henry Evan Maude The Adventures of Vela by Albert Wendt Tupaia: The remarkable story of Captain Cook's Polynesian navigator by Joan Druett The sea! The sea! by Peter Jay Mātini by Rachel Reeves   Auckland Libraries' new 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 via the Auckland Libraries podcast .

On this week's Books and Beyond, Louisa is joined by Keven Mealamu to discuss children's books, illustrations and the All Blacks.  Listen to this episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast  and read on for all the books mentioned in the show. Keven Mealamu - from All Black to illustrator: Paul and the Magic Pencil by John Parker Home Sweet Home by Josephine Sim And Keven's own recommendation: Iceman: the Michael Jones story by Robin McConnell Auckland Libraries' new 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. Listen to recent shows via the Auckland Libraries podcast .

This week on Books and Beyond, Anton Blank discusses his new book Global Roaming , a collection of short stories that focus on the journey of identity.  Listen to this episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast. 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 FM 104.6, Sundays at 9.35pm. Listen to recent shows via the Auckland Libraries podcast .

We're excited to have our first standalone reference collection of Auckland fiction at Research Central , Level 2, Central City Library. Fiction lovers can browse the Kōrero paki nō Aotearoa/Local Fiction Collection seven days a week, and visitors to the city can find a pathway into our culture through our stories. Whilst focusing on Auckland fiction, the collection also includes work from wider New Zealand with an emphasis on Māori, Pacific and Asian NZ writers. Local gems include short story writer O.E. Middleton's 1972 collection The Loners – with each story beautifully illustrated by celebrated artist Ralph Hotere. We also have a complete set of the New Women’s Fiction anthologies first published in Auckland in the 1980s. These were important counters to the lack of publishing opportunities for women writers in literary journals and major anthologies at that time. Aorewa McLeod, Ngahuia Te Awekotuku and Vivienne Plumb are some of the many voices found in these vo

Checkouts from Auckland Libraries’ main digital reading platform, Overdrive , reached 4 million this month, making us some of the biggest digital library borrowers in the world. Auckland Libraries is now eighth in the world for Overdrive checkouts and one of only two libraries outside of the United States to hit 4 million checkouts. We join Toronto Public Library, New York Public Library, Los Angeles Public Library, King County Library System, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Boston Public Library and National Library Board Singapore in the 4 million club. Since November 2013, over 78,800 people have checked out at least one eBook from Auckland Libraries' Overdrive collection and this figure continues to grow, hitting an average of 27,543 eBooks borrowed per week this November. Catherine Frew, Auckland Libraries Head of Content and Access, is delighted to see Aucklanders' eBook borrowing grow and attributes this to Auckland Libraries’ innovative approach to their digit

Dr Majid Daneshgar from the University of Otago is the winner of this year's Auckland Library Heritage Trust scholarship 2016/17.  Dr Majid Daneshgar This is a scholarship awarded annually by the Trust to fund research into collections held in the Sir George Grey Special Collections at Auckland Libraries. Dr Daneshgar is preparing a catalogue of Middle Eastern manuscripts in Auckland Libraries. These include Arabic, Persian and Ottoman Turkish works collected by Sir George Grey and Henry Shaw. Dr Daneshgar reads in Urdu, Persian, Arabic, Ottoman Turk, and Malay (Jawi), and is in the process of completing a census of Middle Eastern and Islamic manuscripts in New Zealand. Libraries and archives that Dr Daneshgar has worked through in search of materials include the Turnbull Library, the Sir George Grey Special Collections at Auckland Central City Library, the Heritage Collection in Dunedin Public Library, and Special Collections at Otago University. A 19th centur

I couldn't help noticing how many people taking part in the Great Summer Read seem to get through their To Be Read lists at such a fast clip compared to me. I'm talking about you, person whose book which had been on her list "forever" was The girl on the train , not even two years old! Why I've had Vanity Fair on my list for 15 years! And wasn't it nice to see that someone logged Vanity Fair for this challenge? I wonder how long their "forever" had been! How long had my choice, The Grand Babylon Hotel by Arnold Bennett, an English author who celebrates his 150th this year, been on my TBR list? I'm not actually sure, but when I encountered it last year in the basement of the Central City Library, a quaint little volume marked on the inside back cover with a pre-smiley-face-era smiley face (no circle! a nose!) by an early, contented reader whom posterity can only know as "L", I didn't waste the opportunity. Reader, I took it o