Newsletter no. 17

March 2010

A great idea for promoting your love of reading – and it’s easy!….

Using the signature function of Outlook is a great way of emphasising our role as librarians and our own love of reading, by passing on to other people the title of the book you are currently enjoying. A great way to spread the word not only amongst ourselves, but out into the world as well as we email colleagues, business contacts, friends and family. This can be done as text or as a hyperlink to a book record or web page. Your IS Librarian or Gemma will be able to show you how if you need help. Email Eileen to receive a reply with an example signature.

This month’s guest editorial is by Bernice Sell*……I have a fondness for novels that can be classified as magical realism, since those that I have read have managed to be literary but very readable.
Magical realism is a literary type or form rather than a specific genre. A magical realism novel requires the reader to assume an equal acceptance of both the ordinary and the extraordinary as the distinction between fantasy and reality is blurred. The stories often contain elements of myth, fable or folktale. It differs from fantasy writing though as events take place in the real world, not a fantasy setting.
Magical realism has its roots in South American literature and anyone wishing to sample it could try any of the short story collections of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, or his seminal magical realism work, One Hundred Years of Solitude.
A short list of the best known magical realist works can be found on the Book Lust website:
http://booklust.wetpaint.com/page/Magical+Realism

As usual, LibraryThing comes up trumps with a very comprehensive list found in its tag search:
http://www.librarything.com/tag/magical+realism,+novel

For a bite-sized overview try Oprah’s book Club:
http://www.oprah.com/oprahsbookclub/Magical-Realism-In-a-Nutshell

Excellent magic realism novels for young adults include David Almond’s Secret Heart, and Isabel Allende’s City of the Beasts.
* Bernice is Specialist Librarian – Community Learning at Glenfield Library


Best Reads…..
This month’s Best Reads have been provided by Jan at Albany Village…….


Life according to Lubka by Laurie Graham


The women in black by Madeleine St John


The horse dancer by Jojo Moyes


Aphrodite's workshop for reluctant lovers by Marika Cobbold


The hours of the night by Sue Gee


All together now by Monica McInerney


All the nice girls by Joan Bakewell


Bad behaviour by Liz Byrski


The behaviour of moths by Poppy Adams


A seaside practice : tales of a Scottish country doctor by Tom Smith

Newsletter no. 16

February 2010

Downloadable audio (Overdrive) is almost here...!
We are very close to offering this new service to our customers. Overdrive provides the infrastructure and applications to support the down loading of audio books on to a variety of devices - PC, Ipod, MP3 etc. at home. Yes, you will be taken through it very soon after it becomes available, so that you will be able to promote it to our customers. For a preview of how it works visit Auckland City Libraries and click on “quick start guide” to scroll through and find out what it’s all about. For further information you can also explore the Overdrive website. You will hear more about this fabulous new service soon.

This month’s guest editorial is by Helen Beckingsale*……

For the last 10 years Storylines has followed up the New Zealand Post shortlist with a Notable Books List intended to take the place of a “long-list” as produced for some overseas book awards.
The Notable Books list also gives an opportunity to make special mention of books which are not eligible for awards but are an exceptional addition to our national children’s book heritage. These include Margaret Mahy’s Bubble Trouble in new picture format in 2009 and A.H. Reed’s re-illustrated Illustrated Myths and Legends of the Pacific in 2008.
The Word Witch, the beautifully illustrated collection of Margaret Mahy’s poetry, will fall into that category in 2010.
So, when you can’t find any of the New Zealand Post short-listed titles take a look at the Notable Books List and encourage young readers to look more widely at our great New Zealand children’s authors. If you must have an actual award winner or short-listed title go to: http://www.christchurchcitylibraries.com/Kids/LiteraryPrizes/

· Helen is Specialist Librarian – Children’s and Teens Services at ECB Library and is a member of the Management Committee of Storylines.


Best Reads…..

This month’s Best Reads have been provided by Sheryl at Albany Village…….

The Love of Her Life by Evans, Harriet

Bridge of Sand : A Novel by Burroway, Janet

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Galloway, Steven

The Husband by Koontz, Dean

Very Valentine by Trigiani, Adriana

The Help by Stockett, Kathryn

Constance by Thomas, Rosie


Assassin by Cain, Tom
A Reliable Wife by Goolrick, Robert
Don’t forget to email your “Best Reads” to Ann Hill so they can be shared with us all.

Newsletter no. 15

Newsletter no. 15

January 2010

Welcome to a new year of wonderful reading experiences

Guest editorial…
From time to time a member of staff will be invited to provide a guest editorial about their area of expertise. You never know when you may be invited!

Our first guest is Sean Murgatroyd*:While North Shore Libraries have had graphic novels for children and teens for some time, we have recently opened a great new collection for adults of this material! Graphic novels have come a long way from the superhero comics of years gone by and now cover a vast range of topics – from intimate, moving personal biographies such as Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” to compelling artistic works like Joann Sfar’s “The Rabbi’s Cat”. The more you investigate this fascinating world the more you will find there is something for all tastes. For a great collection of constantly updating reviews, visit the Graphics Novel Reporter.
http://www.graphicnovelreporter.com/

*Sean is Specialist Librarian – Information Services at Northcote Library.

Best Reads 2009…

What were your best reads for 2009? Send a list of your most memorable reads to Ann Hill
and they will be shared over the next few newsletters. Here are a few that I would consider some of my Best Reads for the year in no particular order and for a variety of reasons:

City of Refuge by Piazza, Tom

The Piano Teacher by Lee, Janice

The Hour I First Believed by Lamb, Wally

The Color of Lightning by Jiles, Paulette

Burnt Shadows by Shamsie, Kamila

Baking Cakes in Kigali by Parkin, Gaile

The Help by Stockett, Kathryn

The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam by Liebenberg, Lauren

Cutting for Stone by Verghese, Abraham

A Quiet Belief in Angels by Ellory, R. J.

Towelhead : A Novel by Erian, Alicia

The Lieutenant by Grenville, Kate

This Is Where I Leave You by Tropper, Jonathan

Hiroshima Joe : A Novel by Booth, Martin

Spooner by Dexter, Pete

The Personal History of Rachel Dupree by Weisgarber, Ann

Newsletter number 14

A picture is worth a thousand words......

Have a great Christmas and enjoy summer in our paradise by the sea – here are some recommended booklists* for sourcing the necessary supplies…

From Booksellers New Zealand this is the year’s bestseller list compiled from sales figures

http://www.booksellers.co.nz/book-news/nzs-bestsellers/best-bestsellers-2009

The NZ Listener for Dec 12 – 18 includes 16 pages of books of the year. Read it in the Library or wait until 26 December for the online version at
http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3631/artsbooks/14563/novels.html

The New York Times offers a list of the 10 best books of the year and a list of 100 notable books of 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/gift-guide/holiday-2009/10-best-gift-guide-sub/list.html?ref=books
http://www.nytimes.com/gift-guide/holiday-2009/100-notable-books-of-2009-gift-guide/list.html

The Times of London also provides two lists; the fifty best paperbacks of the year and the 100 best books of the decade
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/fiction/article6847448.ece
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/book_reviews/article6914181.ece

*Links courtesy of Patricia - ECB Info news.

Reader photo from Flickr.

Newsletter Number 13

November 09

Review drought alert!....

The flow of reviews is drying up. Come on guys, don’t let our website become out of date and tired! Keep those reviews coming – we know you’re all out there reading, listening and viewing, we’ve seen the overflowing staff hold shelves! Just a few sentences is all you need to write. Send your reviews to Kim Sipeli

Other people’s libraries…

Working fireplaces, indoor waterfalls and moveable “clouds” to shade the sun are just some of the features of this stunning public library in Salt Lake City. Check out this amazing library and be prepared to be wowed by the features and facilities the citizens of Salt Lake City are able to enjoy.
” The librarians in this area take great pleasure in discussing your reading interests, helping you find more books like the ones you've recently enjoyed, and introducing you to new authors and subjects.”
Mmmm…That sounds strangely familiar!
Yet another library to visit on the Librarian’s world tour.

http://www.slcpl.lib.ut.us/details.jsp?parent_id=7&page_id=5

Website of the month…
http://getwithitweb2.blogspot.com/2009/08/module-6-topic-1-books-and-authors.html

This month you are being taken to North Shore Libraries’ very own blogspot to have a look at the sites included in module 6 of the “Get with it” programme which many of you are currently doing. Module 6 is all about sampling what’s out there for us to explore. Twittering, Facebooking, Blogging… you name it, someone is using it as a forum for talking about books and reading.
And when you have had a look at these, perhaps you may feel inspired to do the Get With It programme… there’s still time!

Newsletter no. 12

October 09

Looking at other people’s libraries…Take a moment to have a look at the outstanding modern Alexandrian Library in Egypt.
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/egypt/alexandria-library-bibliotheca-alexandrina

Designed by a Swedish architect and completed in 2002 it cost $220 million to build and sees 800,000 visitors per year.
Imagine a 70,000 square metre Reading Hall that can accommodate 2,000 readers at one time. And that’s not all… this is a truly outstanding facility. Like the New York Public Library, it would have to be a “must see” for travelling librarians!
Follow the links in this website and prepare to be wowed.

Quote of the month…The time to read is any time: no apparatus, no appointment of time and place, is necessary. It is the only art which can be practised at any hour of the day or night, whenever the time and inclination comes, that is your time for reading; in joy or sorrow, health or illness. ~Holbrook Jackson

Website of the month…http://www.readersadvice.com/
This website is quite a one stop shop. Not only can you search for authors, genres and series, but if you click on Reader's Advisory Tips & Sources you will find links to all sorts of other websites that may help you find that elusive “good read” your customer is looking for.

The Reading Experience conversation

Remember the video we watched at the Reading Experience training sessions?
Here it is, an excellent demonstration of a librarian and a customer engaging in a Readers' Advisory transaction.