Auckland Libraries blog

Love is Love display at Central Library We celebrated the fabulous  Auckland Pride Festival  from 1 - 26 February and Valentine’s Day on 14 February with a fun Auckland Libraries promotion. Customers were encouraged to borrow three or more romances from our shelves or via Libby/OverDrive over February for a chance to win a Love is Love prize pack. Love is Love: Take 3 Romances competition winners 🎀 Teresa from Botany Library was the lucky winner of our romantic picnic hamper valued at $200, and runner-up Kate from Whangaparāoa Library won a $50 ‘shop and munch’ gift card from Bunnings Warehouse.  Our Love is Love romantic picnic prize pack Find your perfect book match 💞 It’s never too late to swipe right on these hot tips for finding your next romance read!  Browse books labelled ‘Romance’ on our shelves or in our  library catalogue . Libby/OverDrive is open 24/7 for sweet and steamy romance on-demand! Check out what’s available right now in our  Romance eBook collections  and listen

We’re feeling the love at Auckland Council Libraries this month as we celebrate the fabulous Auckland Pride Festival from 1 - 26 February and Valentine’s Day on 14 February. Love is Love competition: Take 3 romances Borrow three romance titles over February, and you’re automatically in the draw to win a Love is Love prize pack!  Fill your library card with romances for your chance to take home a romantic picnic hamper valued at $200 or a $50 ‘shop and munch’ gift card from Bunnings Warehouse . Swipe right on these hot tips Try out these hot tips to help you find your perfect book match and be in to win a date on us! Browse books labelled ‘Romance’ on our shelves, in our catalogue, and tagged ‘Romance’ in our Libby for OverDrive eBook and eAudiobook collections . Request our newest romance titles , along with the latest erotic fiction , historical romances , paranormal romances and romantic suspense reads . Check our website for curated romance reading lists by our expert librarians L

As part of our  Auckland Pride Festival 2021 celebrations, librarian Alison chatted to Lil and Tanya from the Rainbow community about their recent and all-time favourite queer reads.  You can listen to the conversation on the Auckland Libraries podcast . Ngā Pātaka Kōrero - Auckland Libraries · Books and Beyond: Pride 2021 edition Reading enriches our lives and allows us to see ourselves and others at the intersections and margins of our experiences. Queer reads bring our lives in from the margins and show us that we belong, we matter, and we can thrive. Here are some of Lil and Tanya’s faves: Books to rip your insides out Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg Available as a free download from the author's website. Beautiful writing and an important record of queer history from the pre-Stonewall era. There was no safety for young queer folk in their blue-collar town, even in the drag bars. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Also available as OverDrive eBook

In this episode of Books & Beyond, we present to you the Sisters Gay, who joined us direct from their 2020 smash hit at the samesame but different LGBTQI+ Literary Festival , where they presented their show called Classics (an after-hours storytime for grown-ups and other family members). The Sisters chatted about the show and read some excerpts from Lorde (Audre, that is) et al. Listen on the Auckland Libraries podcast . Ngā Pātaka Kōrero - Auckland Libraries · Books and Beyond: The Sisters Gay Books mentioned in the show Tahuri: Short Stories by Ngahuia Te Awekotuku Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters Who Was That Woman, Anyway? Snapshots of a Lesbian Life by Aorewa McLeod Stung with Love: Poems and Fragments of Sappho by Sappho 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.

Join Alison and Ineka in the Literary Lounge as they discuss books about love, Pride and teen angst.  Listen on the Auckland Libraries podcast . Ngā Pātaka Kōrero - Auckland Libraries · Books and Beyond: Literary Lounge: Love edition Books mentioned in the show Crossing the Lines: The Story of Three Homosexual Soldiers in World War II by Brent Coutts   Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love 1850s - 1950s by Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell One Minute Crying Time by Barbara Ewing - also available as an OverDrive eBook and eAudiobook .   Honeybee by Craig Silvey   2000ft Above Worry Level by Eamonn Marra   Mayflies by Andrew O’Hagan - also available as an O verDrive eBook . 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. Recent shows can be listened to via the Auckland Libraries podcast .

Alison and Morgan discuss the classic 'coming-of-age' narrative in queer literature and discover that an author’s lived experience has a great influence on the quality of the story. Listen to this weeks episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast. Books mentioned in the show: Lie with me by Philippe Besson Queer by William S Burroughs Birthday by Meredith Russo They both die at the end by Adam Silvera Infinity son by Adam Silvera Fun home by Alison Bechdel 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 .

We chatted to a few members of the Rainbow Working Group at Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero Central City Library to find out how their mahi is making a difference for Auckland’s diverse communities.  We are lucky enough to have a uniquely positioned library in Tāmaki Makaurau, which sits at the heart of our bustling CBD. The Central City Library caters to customers from all walks of life, and the staff that work there are committed to ensuring the library is a place that supports and embraces all customers – especially the local rainbow communities.  The Rainbow Working Group at Central City Library has been collaborating closely with the community to find out what we can do to make library experiences fun, safe and engaging but, most importantly, to give a genuine sense of belonging here at Auckland Libraries.  We spoke to members Rhion and Rhi about their innovative projects and their experiences being a part of Auckland’s diverse rainbow community.   Rhi Lennox: Library Assistant a

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