Auckland Libraries blog

On our national day of remembrance, we commemorate those who served and lost their lives for our country.  If you want to learn more, delve into Auckland Council Libraries’ books, podcasts and online research resources or come along to one of our events. Events Online Cenotaph Celebrating 25 Years with Victoria Passau – Wednesday 20 April 2022, 12pm-1pm Online Cenotaph is a database of more than 255,000 individual records spanning the South African Wars to today. Managed by Tāmaki Paenga Hira / Auckland War Memorial Museum, in December 2021 the initiative marked 25 years of telling the stories of military veterans.  In this online-only event, Victoria Passau will be exploring the history and impact of the Online Cenotaph over the last quarter-century. You can book tickets for free on the OurAuckland website . Flanders Fields Heritage Concert – Thursday 28 April 2022, 12.10pm-1pm Our Thursday Heritage Concert Autumn Series starts with a commemorative concert acknowledgin...

You’re never too old to learn something new. Auckland Council Libraries offers a vast selection of tools, resources, classes and workshops designed to help you sharpen your mind, broaden your skill set and reach your goals. Learn life skills through Pathways Awarua Pathways Awarua is a free online learning tool that helps you improve your reading, writing and maths skills and teaches you practical tasks like budgeting and learning to drive. We’re delighted to have developed a new learning path called ‘Living in your Community’ - with easy-to-use interactive modules that give you the knowledge, skills and support to thrive. Try out our first two modules focused on public libraries and how to use our services and navigate the shelves. Visit the Pathways Awarua website on your home computer or device or from a public PC at the library and sign up for an account. Once you’re logged in, you can start learning immediately! Classes and workshops Tāmaki Makaurau is a diverse city, and our l...

The world of Pacific literature is diverse, full of surprises and powerful! Our latest Pacific titles cover an ocean of subjects including feminism, beautiful Pacific poetry, and myths and legends. Explore these curated lists of adult and kids books put together by Senior Pacific Content Specialist Veronica, and celebrate Pacific literature by checking them out at your local library or via our catalogue. New Pacific adult books Vā: Stories by Women of the Moana  edited by Sisilia Eteuati & Lani Young An anthology of female-driven narratives from 38 writers drawn from across the Pacific. The stories touch on themes such as family, history, culture and feminism. Tackle Your Success: 7 Truths of a Professional Athlete: A Step-by-step Guide to a New Life After Sports by Filipo Levi From playing for the Highlanders to captaining Manu Samoa against the All Blacks, Filipo Levi has faced more than his fair share of challenges throughout his illustrious career. In this in...

For lovers of literature and those who don’t know where to start (and everyone in between!), we have the perfect podcast to help build your ‘to be read’ pile. Books and Beyond  is our weekly radio show and podcast where we explore the world of books with guest authors, recommended reads and… beyond! Discussing everything from time travel and banned books to Pacific poetry and feminist fiction, each week hosts Alison and Ineka share their love of reading and give you inspiration for what to add to your library request list. With informative insights, fresh perspectives, and a feast of fun – no matter the theme of the episode, one thing’s for sure – you will learn something new every episode! Meet the hosts Alison and Ineka are our Reading Engagement specialist team and are passionate about the benefits of reading for pleasure and wellbeing and want to inspire you to join them to get cosy with a great book. A science graduate and constant reader, Alison began her career as a chemist ...

If you’ve got a long list of books you want to read, but it feels like there’s never enough time to read – why don’t you give our fantastic selection of eBooks and eAudiobooks on BorrowBox a go? With a wide range of popular New Zealand, Australian and international authors, you can read on the bus, enjoy a short chapter with a morning cuppa or listen while you’re vacuuming the house! No cost, high reward Borrowbox is free if you have a library card, and the number of titles is staggering. There are 1000s of free eBooks and eAudiobooks on offer, from classics like Lord Jim and Lee Child’s blockbuster novels to modern sensations like Where the Crawdads Sing (more on that later). Not sure where to start? Take a page out of someone else’s book. You can explore what’s flying off the shelves by browsing through the bestsellers section or find the next big thing by looking at what’s trending . The lowdown You can borrow up to 15 eBooks and 15 eAudiobooks at a time, so you’ll never be sh...

The world can feel pretty challenging at times, and we all have different ways that help us to cope. For some, it’s getting out in nature, calling a friend, or dancing in the living room; for others, it’s getting cosy with a favourite book. We asked our librarians what books they turn to when seeking comfort. Read on for their reading recommendations, or pop into your local library to chat with our friendly staff. John – Birkenhead Library Fables  by Bill Willingham is my favourite comfort read as it has amazing art and a compelling story about fairy-tale characters coming into the real world, it’s a fantastic detective-esque story with great characters that’s fun to read over and over again. Ineka – Reading Engagement   My pick is My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell. This classic memoir is by renowned English naturalist Gerald Durrell. It recounts his tween years when his family shifted from rainy England to the idyllic island of Corfu in the four years befor...

Hot off the press: did you know that your library card gives you access to thousands of eMagazines and eNewspapers in full colour, full-page format? Read on to discover how we can help you use PressReader to read content from more than 100 countries in 60 languages. What’s the story? PressReader has made keeping up to date with the news more accessible than ever before. And we aren’t just talking about standalone articles. You can read entire magazines and newspapers cover-to-cover on your device. In addition to articles, you can enjoy all the same content you would expect from print publications, such as classifieds, comics, puzzles and family notices. Whether you’re looking for your morning fix of The Guardian or El País , or you’re eager to relax in the evening with the latest edition of Mindfood or Rolling Stone , PressReader has something for everybody! Also featured are regional newspapers from across Aotearoa / New Zealand, from the Northern Advocate down to the...