Hamilton City Library Blog

Adult graphic novels

2009-07-01T17:07:00.002+12:00

We currently offer graphic novels for kids and teens. Now we are planning to develop a collection for adults. What do you think of the idea? Can you suggest series or authors that will be popular. We do not wish to supply age restricted titles so please bear that limitation in mind.
Jeff Downs
Collections Leader

Presenting library cards

2009-04-17T15:47:00.002+12:00

From April 2009, customers will need to present their actual library card at the counter when issuing, renewing or placing reserves. This is a change from our previous practice of accepting other forms of ID in place of the library card and will help us to provide a more efficient and timely service. Customers are also reminded to have their library card number ready when making telephone renewals or reservations.

Remember, the same card can be used at all our libraries across the city.

Shattered Dreams: Surviving the hell of a polygamous marriage

2009-02-26T14:09:00.007+13:00

Irene Spencer, author of Shattered dreams, grew up in a fundamentalist, polygamous Mormon village in Arizona. The thirteenth of thirty-one children, she grew up in abject poverty and isolation, and was taught that she should never question the church leaders. Her mother, unable to cope, left her children and three 'sister-wives' with her abusive husband. Desperate to escape her violent home, and believing she had no choice but to live by 'the Principle', at sixteen Irene found herself in a plural marriage, sharing her husband with her half sister. When the government raided her village, she fled with Verlan, numerous other wives and countless children to a ranch in Mexico where Verlan's brother, a self-proclaimed prophet, was attempting to found a new Mormon colony.

The strains of husband-sharing with -- ultimately -- nine other wives were unbelievably hard. Irene's story provides a fascinating insight into polygamous marriage -- the squabbles and the jealousy, and the agony of watching your husband choose other wives over you.Irene eventually escaped with her children and made the bold step into the outside world and into a freedom she never knew existed.

This autobiography should interest those who've read and enjoyed the novel The 19th wife by David Ebershoff. The 19th wife, part historical fiction and part modern-day murder mystery, tells the story of Jordan, who returns from California to Utah to visit his mother in jail. As a teenager he was expelled from his family and religious community, a secretive Mormon offshoot sect. Now his father has been found shot dead in front of his computer, and one of his many wives - Jordan's mother - is accused of the crime. Over a century earlier, Ann Eliza Young, the nineteenth wife of Brigham Young, Prophet and Leader of the Mormon Church, tells the sensational story of how her own parents were drawn into plural marriage, and how she herself battled for her freedom and escaped her powerful husband, to lead a crusade to end polygamy in the United States.

Recent biographies about very different New Zealanders

2008-12-05T11:13:00.025+13:00

Looking for a good biography to read over the holidays? One of these new biographies about Kiwis might appeal.

My father's shadow : a portrait of Justice Peter Mahon / Sam Mahon, published by Longacre Press
'My father communicated best from a distance, in an exchange of letters, and even then we had to work to find him between the lines.’ Justice Peter Mahon is perhaps best remembered for his role in the Erebus Inquiry: an inquiry into the worst air disaster in New Zealand’s history. In this book his eldest son, Sam, describes his father's life, a father whom he hardly knew – through his war years and the Senio offensive, his distinguished legal career, to the insult keenly felt by a proud man when the Court of Appeal questioned his immortal line ‘an orchestrated litany of lies’ – as soldier, lawyer, judge, naturalist, father, colleague, husband. He was at the time of his death ‘one of the ten most admired New Zealanders’. This is a very good read.

Willie Apiata VC : the reluctant hero / Paul Little, published by Viking
Corporal Willie Apiata became the first New Zealander since the Second World War to be awarded the VC for his actions with the NZ SAS in Afghanistan. From his early life in small town East Coast New Zealand to his actions in the deserts of Afghanistan, this is his story in his words: he felt he was an ordinary Kiwi just 'doing his job'.

Jane Hunter : growing a legacy / Tessa Anderson, published by HarperCollins.
From Marlborough to Manhattan, from Rapaura Road to the Ritz - the inspiring story of a quiet, unassuming woman who took her wines to the world. This biography tells how she overcame the tragedy of losing her husband, Ernie, in a road accident, and with great determination fulfilled and exceeded their original dream. Jane is now an internationally respected vintner.

Native wit / by Hamish Keith, published by Random House.
Native Wit, Keith's witty, revealing memoir, gives readers an insight into his well-lived, rich and immensely varied life. Keith has a dynamic personality and is a pleasure to read.

Tim Shadbolt : a mayor of two cities / Tim Shadbolt, published by Hodder Moa.
Tim Shadbolt is a national icon (not to mention a local hero in Invercargill). He is known for his wide-mouthed smile, wicked sense of humour, standing up for causes and supporting the average kiwi. Humorously written, A Mayor of Two Cities covers various topics, including hippie communes, concrete, the peace movement, the '81 Tour, Bastion Point, Waitemata mayoralty, TV appearances, court cases, Invercargill mayoralty, World's Fastest Indian, and other scandals,
achievements and adventures.

We want to know what you think of our free computers & wifi service!

2008-11-06T16:00:00.001+13:00

More than just free internet, the Aotearoa People's Network, available at all out libraries, is a government funded initiative to enable more people to access and experience the digital world at broadband speed. Apart from surfing the web you can send & receive emails, create & print a CV, hunt for a job, facebook your mates, search databases for articles, flickr your photos online, research your family history, and lots more. With free wireless connections there is no need to wait for an available computer, just bring in your own laptop!

Biographies

2008-06-20T18:48:00.000+12:00

Biographies are now interfiled in the main Dewey non-fiction shelves. We have received feedback against the change from the previous separate alphabetical Biography section.
Do you find biographies grouped by subject helpful?
Have your favourite subject areas been improved by the addition of biographies?

Jeff Downs
Collections Leader

Your library in the future

2008-04-11T14:15:00.000+12:00

Your City Expo

Ever wanted to graffiti the library? Well at the Hamilton City Council Your City Expo many residents did exactly that, and all with the permission of staff.

Hamiltonians had their chance to have a say on their library of the future during expo at the Meteor Theatre on Saturday, March 29. They wrote their ideas on a scale model of the library made out of wooden blocks.

We asked you what features you wanted at the library, what you wanted more of, what you wanted less of, and generally any ideas you had on how we can make our libraries better and the centre of your communities.

Below is a selection of some of the ideas. If you have any other ideas you want to tell us about, then post a comment and let us know.

• A café
• A techno room
• A room for teens to be loud
• A quiet room with sofas for reading
• Bigger libraries
• More computers
• More books, cds, dvds, magazines, newspapers
• More displays
• More live performances

If you want to see the model, complete with all the comments people made, then pop on down to the Central Library and check it out on Level 2. Ask staff for directions.

DVDs

2008-03-06T13:55:00.001+13:00

What type of DVDs do you think the library should provide? How much would you pay to borrow them? We already have junior and adult DVD collections - films, docos, music, TV series... but here's your chance to have your say.
Jeff Downs
Collections Leader

Back to school

2008-02-08T15:48:00.000+13:00

Your libraries have lots of books for parents that show you how best to help your child through their school years, including School smart: make your child a success; Teachable moments: a parent's guide to helping your child excel; Homework powerpack: a guide for parents; and Get smart!: nine sure ways to help your child succeed in school.

Picture books to help prepare new entrants for school include Mouse's first day of school, a delightfully reassuring picture-book for first-time school-goers and What did you do today? the first day of school (A child describes the events of the first day of school, from making sandwiches for lunch to holding a parent's hand on the walk home).

For slightly older children there is Back to school by Meredith Badger - Chloe is nervous about going back to school, she has to get used to a new teacher and harder work. Arthur, in Arthur's classroom fib, by Marc Brown, decides to write an embellished version of his own summer experiences, after hearing about the exciting summer holidays of his classmates.

To help with learning to read, we have a large collection of Readers, catering for all levels of developing reader. Ask at your local library.

Don't forget our Kids & Teens Homework Help pages.

What book got you hooked?

2007-10-05T11:19:00.000+13:00

Can you remember the book that first turned you on to reading - that tugged at your heartstrings or tickled your funny bone - and plunged you headfirst into the world of literary delights? Share your memories with others by leaving a comment, below.

For Mark, Winnie the Pooh, and The House at Pooh Corner, by A. A. Milne, were the ones that did the trick.

He says...These books hold a special place in my (not so long ago) childhood memories. They belong to that rare breed that can be read with equal enjoyment by both young and old. Essentially all about nothing, the charm of the stories lies in their subtle characterisation and their wonderfully gentle humour. I defy anyone to read the chapter on poohsticks without having to laugh out loud.

Have your say about our World Languages Collection

2007-08-03T16:36:00.000+12:00

Our World Languages Collection contains over 3500 books for adults, and over 700 children’s books, in 30+ different languages. The largest collections are Chinese and Korean, with Japanese third. Last year our priorities for new items were in German, Afrikaans, French, Hindi, Sinhalese, Urdu, Croatian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Next year we plan to give priority to books in Somali, Farsi, Indonesian, Cambodian, Korean and Chinese. We have two magazines, in Chinese and Hindi, and more magazine subscriptions are in the pipeline. We welcome your comments or suggestions.

Would you like to know more about our library system?

2007-07-23T11:45:00.000+12:00

Here is your opportunity to ask all those burning questions - how it works, how to get messages, how to contact us? Please post your questions to our blog and we will promptly post a response. Remember, for any query you may have there are probably many others out there who have the same question - so come on and ask us a question. We want to help you!

Draft Hamilton City Libraries Customer Charter

2007-05-30T10:56:00.000+12:00

Vision
Shape a City by growing a strong intelligent community with a passion for knowledge.

Hamilton City Libraries aim to:

Create vibrant, inclusive and accessible community places.

Reinforce the importance of bicultural relationships based on good communication, the uniqueness of Maaori heritage, and the values of local iwi.

Provide relevant, up-to-date reference and lending collections, and permanent heritage collections.

Connect the community with leading edge information and communications technology.

Provide great service through highly professional, skilled and knowledgeable staff.

Give you the skills to find the information you want.

Communicate with you and partner with community organisations.

Deliver effective operations with commitment to continuous improvement.

Provide opportunities to receive feedback which will be carefully considered.

Our expectations

To treat one another with courtesy and respect.

To behave in a safe manner in accordance with health and safety regulations.

To act in accordance with operational requirements of designated areas.

To respect and look after the Libraries and their contents for public enjoyment.

To follow library policies and requirements of designated areas.

To refrain from consuming alcohol, drugs and illegal substances in the Libraries; and any food or drink on Level 3 of the Central Library.

To not leave young children alone in the library without reasonable supervision or care (refer the Summary Offences Act, Section 10b).

Inspire me – Were you inspired?

2007-05-30T10:32:00.001+12:00

This nationwide television advertising campaign, fronted by celebrities who also happen to be avid library lovers, celebrated public libraries as ‘inspiration for all New Zealanders’ and began in March and ran through to the end of May.

At Hamilton City Libraries, as part of the ‘Inspire me ‘ campaign, very successful visits were made by players from the Chiefs Super 14 rugby, and the State Northern Knights cricket teams, to the Chartwell, Dinsdale, Hillcrest and Central libraries during April. The players read stories to local schoolchildren and teachers, and library customers. Both the Chiefs and the Knights want to do it again next year.

The celebrities, such as Trelise Cooper & Brooke Fraser, were featured on TV ads and posters. Posters of library staff ‘celebrities’ were a big hit with our customers and other staff. Interesting displays of ‘inspirational’ books were changed regularly at each of the libraries. Films of inspirational people talking about books and why they love libraries were played regularly in the Central library.

How did you find the campaign? What would like us to do next year? Please post your comments on to our blog.

Is anyone interested in establishing a book club?

2007-02-13T14:57:00.000+13:00

Is anyone interested in establishing a book club? Leave a comment here and will see if there is enough interest to start one.

What do you think about our website ?

2007-02-13T14:52:00.000+13:00

Feedback and comments are invited on ways of improving our website.

Web Administrator
Hamilton City Libraries

‘Should Hamilton City Libraries' have a blog?’

2007-01-19T13:55:00.000+13:00

OK, so we have noticed a growing trend of user generated content on websites. That’s you guys submitting your comments/thoughts/suggestions/ anything really… for others to read. And because we are always looking for ways to provide you, our customer with a better service, we thought we would try out the idea of having our own Hamilton City Libraries Blog. Maybe we can think of a much more creative name than that for our blogg space, but let’s see what you think about the idea first.

This is your space to make comment, express yourself, and communicate with us and other Hamilton City Library customers.

So – should Hamilton City Libraries have a blog, and if so, what kind of shape should it take?

Do you want to see book reviews and make comments on them? Do you want a general category where people can simply post comments about any library experience? Maybe you want to know more about the information literacy programmes we run. Or maybe blogging is not for you. It really is up to you.