Auckland Libraries blog

Our libraries are an inclusive and supportive space for everyone – members of the rainbow community can and should feel safe at their local library. Drawing from their own experiences, staff at Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero Central City Library who identify as LGBTQ+ – and their allies – came up with the idea for Rainbow Connection. This pen pal programme has been designed for people to connect with others with similar stories and experiences. If you or someone you know would like to get involved, sign up before 19 June  and we will match you up with a pen pal. You must be aged 18 or over to take part. Below are some stories from a few of our staff about their experiences being queer in Aotearoa and how pen pals have helped them find support, understanding and joy. Rhi Lennox (they/them) I’ve been writing letters to one of my best friends for a few years now – ever since she moved down to Wellington for uni. These letters feel really meaningful to me and are an important part of our fr...

Personal growth comes in all shapes and sizes, and LinkedIn Learning courses aren’t always about project management and goal setting. There are unique courses that can take your self-improvement journey in unexpected directions, whether you want to improve your abilities as an artist, influencer, craftsperson, or team player. Did you know that you can use LinkedIn Learning for free? All you need is an Auckland Council Libraries membership . Learning 3D printing Ready to bring your sketchbook scribbles to life? From scanning and modelling to choosing the right printer, this interactive course will teach you all you need to know about the world of 3D printing. Once you’re ready to put theory into practice, head down to a Makerspace at a library near you and use our 3D printers! Once you’ve graduated from a novice to an artisan, you can move on to other LinkedIn Learning courses like ‘Designing a replacement part’ or ‘3D Scanning a Person’. Sign up for LinkedIn Learning with your libra...

Last school holidays, we ran two Runga Raro Huripoko Over Under Upside-Down challenges on Auckland Libraries Beanstack from 15 April until 1 May. These were open to tamariki aged 5-12 years and rangatahi (teens) aged 13-18 years. Each challenge encouraged participants to roll on in and read every day, whatever they liked and for as long as they liked. They also chose from activities that encouraged them to look at the world from different perspectives, explore the natural and built environment around them and get active and creative in new ways. Together, our Over Under Upside-Down readers logged over 2000 days of reading over two weeks – mīharo (marvellous)! As they logged, they were also earning entries into our prize pack and Top Reader draws. Congratulations to all our readers, and to our prize winners! Runga Raro Huripoki Over Under Upside-Down reading challenge prize pack winners Evelyn (5) from Howick Library won her choice from a selection of entertainment vouchers. Deegan (9)...

Reading Engagement Specialists Alison and Ineka have been revelling in reading and revisiting the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards’ shortlisted titles in the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction and General Non-Fiction categories. Have a listen to their reviews and reckons on our Books and Beyond podcasts: The Ockhams - Fiction The Ockhams – Non-Fiction Ngā Pātaka Kōrero - Auckland Libraries · Books and Beyond: Literary Lounge: The Ockhams Fiction Ngā Pātaka Kōrero - Auckland Libraries · Books And Beyond: Literary Lounge: The Ockhams Non-Fiction In total there are 16 shortlisted titles across four categories and all titles can be requested from our library catalogue . View the full shortlist on the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards 2022 website .  While you wait to click and collect, check out a sample of each title: The Ockhams Fiction Sampler The Ockhams General Non-Fiction Sampler The Ockhams Poetry Sampler The Ockhams Illustrated Non-Fiction Sampler The winners will be announced...

Symonds Street Cemetery. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1-W0245 We’re delighted to offer our popular Heritage Talks series online via Zoom and are pleased to have people tune in from around Aotearoa and worldwide! We’ve just released many of our previous talks on our YouTube channel – tune in to enjoy lectures on topics as diverse as early Chinese restaurants in Auckland, world-leading New Zealand artists and schisms in the 19th-century feminist movement. Explore our picks of the Heritage Talks playlist on YouTube and find out about upcoming Heritage Talks . Heritage Talks picks Two artists and their architects with Megan Walker Both were born in Europe and moved to New Zealand for love. Both enjoyed careers lasting for decades and joined the ranks of Aotearoa’s best-known artists. And both were uncompromising and fiercely creative women who succeeded in male-dominated industries, cementing their places in history by the force of their own talent. Megan Walker presents the s...

It will come as no surprise that we love sharing great books and stories, but did you know that we publish our own books? In 2020, we established a small but exciting publishing partnership programme to create and publish the pukapuka that we need more of in our libraries, with a particular focus on increasing our Māori and Pacific collections. Many New Zealand publishers are already doing amazing work creating Māori and Pasifika books, and we wanted to play a part too. The books we’ve published so far focus on te reo Māori and Pasifika languages and storytelling, often with a local angle. They promote literacy and help ensure that our libraries continue to be places of belonging for all Aucklanders. We follow a unique partnership approach, collaborating with local communities to create stories and working closely with publishing partners to bring these stories to life. Most recently, Auckland Council Libraries joined The Publishers Association of New Zealand / Te Rau o Tākupu as a me...

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...