Auckland Libraries blog

Mānawatia a Matariki Winter brings a time for reflection and celebration in Aotearoa. The Matariki star cluster rises in the winter skies, marking the start of the Māori new year. Traditionally, Māori astronomers meticulously observed the night sky, weaving celestial movements into all facets of life. Matariki wasn't just a new year, it was a time for whānau to reflect on the past year, plan for a bountiful harvest, and celebrate with kai, kōrero and entertainment.  Matariki is a special time to come together, acknowledge and reflect on the year and look ahead to the future. Read on to discover a constellation of library events and books to help navigate the Matariki season in 2024. Books about Matariki As winter chills settle in, why not cosy up with a book from your library and delve deeper into its rich meaning? Grow your understanding before the festivities begin with free online access or by visiting a comfy spot in your local branch.  With these recommended reads, c...

In the July school holidays, we ran the Ngā Tamariki o Matariki challenge for tamariki and rangatahi on Auckland Libraries Beanstack . Our young readers learned about Matariki, with reading suggestions for different ages and lots of activities to try. As they learned, they earned Ngā Tamariki o Matariki badges and entries into our prize draws. Together, our Ngā Tamariki o Matariki readers logged 894 days of reading over two weeks! Read on for details about our prize winners! Ngā Tamariki o Matariki 2023 reading challenge prize pack winners We’re pleased to announce the two winners in the kids’ category and one winner of the youth category! Tanzeel (8) from Botany Library, Matthew (7) from Glenfield Library and Pala (13) of Tupu Youth Library each won a Kaupapa boardgame .  Kaupapa boardgames are produced by Kura Rēhia and provide hours of fun while building your reo! Top Reader bonus draw winners All readers who logged 10 or more days of reading out of a possible 12 were entered in...

Pīataata   mai  – Shine your light on  Matariki     The  whetū  (stars) guide us in this special  Matariki  episode of Books & Beyond. Alison and Ineka are joined in the studio by two special guests: Jenny Barnett, who is the Poutuitui Ahunga Māori (Māori Service Coach) and Teri  Ta’ala  who is the  Poukōkiri  Tapoko  Tāpaenga  (Senior Librarian – Māori Collections). Listen to this week's episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast. Ngā Pātaka Kōrero - Auckland Libraries · Books and Beyond: Pīataata mai - Shine your light on Matariki Books mentioned in the show:  Matariki: the star of the year  by  Rangi  Matamua   Matariki: te whetū tapu o te tau   nā   Rangi  Matamua  ngā  korero   The seven stars of Matariki  by Toni Rolleston-Cummins   Te Huihui o Matariki   nā  Toni Rolleston-Cummins  ngā  korero   Puan...

Congratulations to the three lucky winners of our annual Matariki Take 3 promotion, who have each won a $100 Warehouse gift card from The Warehouse Group . Paige from Te Matariki Clendon Library (pictured above) Rashadh from Māngere Bridge Library Amber from Pt Chevalier Library Staff at Te Matariki Clendon Library are delighted Paige has won a Matariki Take 3 prize two years in a row! She is a regular at the library and enjoys taking part in all our Take 3 promotions. Good on you Paige! Thank you to all who took part in the promotion, aimed at encouraging Aucklanders to discover and explore the variety of items for all the whānau in our Māori collections .

Congratulations to the five lucky winners of our annual Matariki Take 3 promotion, who have each won a $50 JBHifi gift voucher. Left to right: Senior Library Assistant Kaikokiri Ratonga Māori Daphne Tangihaere, Paige and Meri (Paige's Nan) Paige from Te Matariki Clendon Library Alana from Māngere Bridge Library Christine from Papatoetoe War Memorial Library Jacqui from Glenfield Library Nazife from Rānui Library Thank you to all who took part in the promotion, aimed at encouraging Aucklanders to explore the variety of items available to borrow from our Māori collections .