News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

You may have noticed the recent flurry of mainstream news articles about an online service called Twitter. Twitter is a microblogging service that allows its users to post very brief updates about what they’re currently doing, thinking, working on – or even just questions they’d like an answer to.

Celebrities and authors such as Stephen Fry and Neil Gaiman tweet, and there are even some fictional characters who have a Twitter presence – either officially or non-officially, as in the recent case where some of the characters from the popular television program Mad Men turned up on Twitter. Many news organisations also now provide breaking news via Twitter.

Wellington City Libraries has been on Twitter since November 2008. Twitter allows us to provide you with short bursts of information from our website, our blogs, and our databases. We also let you know what is going on, what new material is available and what special events are coming up in our libraries.

We’ve found that being on Twitter helps us to make our digital content more accessible by our customers, and it enables us to promote our library collections and services to our online community in a fast and simple way.

Twitter is also about conversation and community sharing of resources and advice – and we can foster this information sharing by Wellington Twitterers (for lack of a better word) via our own Twitter presence.

For example, via wcl_library (our account on Twitter), you can:

• Ask questions about an article, a book, DVD, CD, magazine or a topic you’re interested in.

• Ask questions about our services (e.g. opening times, storytimes)

• Ask questions about your library card (e.g. how to check your card, renew an item, reserve a title)

We also regularly search for tweets which include words like ‘library’ and ‘books’ in the Wellington area – we do this because we are keen to share book reviews with our followers and catch feedback about our libraries.

A good way to get our attention on Twitter is to mention us (@wcl_library) in a tweet and the best way (and most private way) is to send us a Direct Message on Twitter.

What’s good about using Twitter is that you can receive our updates in different ways: via our wcl_library account; via RSS feed; via your mobile phone or using a third party application on your iPhone.

So if you want to be in the know about exciting new books, DVDs, CDs and more, follow wcl_library on Twitter!

There is fiction galore for avid readers this month, check out:

• Contemporary Fiction Recent Picks
• Graphic Novels Recent Picks
• Mysteries Recent Picks
• Short Stories Recent Picks
• Science Fiction & Fantasy Recent Picks

Enjoy the ride read!

Baby Rock & Rhyme parents – it’s the school holidays and your children are well catered for with our September School Holiday Events, but what about you?

To cater for all of our Baby Rock & Rhyme parents over the school holidays, Wellington City libraries has joined the social networking website Ning and created a Baby Rock & Rhyme online community. (Ning is an online service that allows users to create their own public or private social networks – think of these as mini Facebooks, but on a much smaller scale.) If you’re a regular at our Baby Rock & Rhyme sessions during the school term, join our new Baby Rock & Rhyme online community and connect with other Baby Rock and Rhyme parents over the school holidays!

Please note, to safeguard your privacy, we’ve created this community as a private community – only other Baby Rock & Rhyme parents can join. Once you’re a member of the network, you can interact with other parents and exchange information via blogs, share videos and pictures, create events, start discussions, chat, create your own special interest groups and much more – but before you can log in and view the community you will need to step through a joining process so we can verify your details.

To learn more about this new social network and how to join, visit our News page!

Woody Leonhard’s book Green home computing for dummies makes being green easier. He gives tips on green technology as well as information on buying, upgrading and discarding devices in an environmentally safe way.

Crafters enjoy meeting and sharing their ideas with like-minded people and have embraced blogging with a passion. Tara Fey’s book Blogging for bliss: crafting your own on-line journal gives practical advice and inspiration on how to create an online journal.

In Renaissance Italy the name Borgia struck fear in many – and with good reason. Bribery, murder, corruption, nepotism and greed – the list goes on. Read The house of Borgia by Christopher Hibbert to learn more about this family – the phrase “I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse” could have been coined for them.

You’ll find these books as well as titles about the price of petrol, romantic weekends, and  conquering habits and fears in this month’s Buyer’s Choice.

It is said that Ngaio Marsh was New Zealand’s first author to sell one million copies of her mystery stories but her life makes for just as exciting a read. Read about her “luvvies”, her Bohemian lifestyle, her love of theatre and her spurned suitor in Ngaio Marsh: her life in crime by Joanne Drayton.

Helen Clark: a political life by Denis Welch is an unauthorised biography following her rise in New Zealand’s political landscape. Her time in politics began with the anti-war protests of 1968 and Helen Clark has seen and been a part of huge political change over the last 40 years. In 2006 Forbes magazine listed her a the 20th most powerful woman in the world.

The romance of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor has been called by many as the greatest love story of the 20th century and shook British royalty to the core. In his new book, Mrs Simpson: secret lives of the Duchess of Windsor Charles Higham revisits the life of the Duchess of Windsor with updated information that will add yet another twist to the life of the fascinating woman.

Other titles in the month’s Biography Recent Picks include Florence Nightingale, Coco Chanel, Joan Root and Cornelius Vanderbilt. Have a look!

It can be difficult to find peace and quiet in today’s busy world. Anne D. LeClaire, a novelist, decided to experiment and live one day in complete silence. She found unexpected rewards and now follows this lifestyle two days every month. Her book Listening below the noise: a meditation on the practice of silence tells how periods of silence can be beneficial physically and mentally.

Dr. Kerry Spackman, a New Zealand neuroscientist, works with diverse groups of people from drug addicts, Olympic athletes and businesspeople using a ground breaking tool to improve a person’s strengths. This tool works to “rewire” the brain eliminating the negative, focusing on the positive and helps to achieve goals. Read The winner’s bible: rewire your brain for permanent change and learn these techniques.

Jacky Bowring has written A field guide to melancholy looking at the concept that sadness is a normal part of life and doesn’t need medication or self-help books. Should all sign of sadness be removed from our lives and is this a good thing?

Read these books and others on romance, understanding men and memory in this month’s Personal Development Recent Picks.

Cryptic crosswords are as popular as ever but what do we know of the lives and minds of those who set them?  A display of lights (9): The lives and puzzles of the Telegraph’s six greatest cryptic crossword setters by Val Gilbert includes biographical information as well as some of the best crosswords of all time. Pens at the ready!

Following on from his first biography Rhythm and swing Sir Richard Hadlee has written about the next phase of his life. Changing pace: A memoir covers health issues, his relationship breakdown and how he has created a new life both on and off the field.

In this professional age of sport, coaches are the ones to take the blame for poor results. Wayne Bennett has been the coach of the Brisbane Broncos for 21 years with a remarkable run of successes. Read how he has achieved both longevity and an impressive record in Wayne Bennett: The man in the mirror by Bennett and Steve Crawley.

Read these books and more about sailing, Australian cricket, surfing and golf in this month’s Sport Recent Picks.

Light pollution is an increasing problem threatening not only astronomy, but also human health, eco systems, safety and our human heritage.  But being dark sky friendly does not mean no light – it means using the light that you need for a particular task in the most efficient manner possible. 

Find out what you can do to save energy, money and keep the skies as natural as possible in this free illustrated talk with Steve Butler, Director of the Dark Skies Group, signatory to the NZ Urban Design Protocol and member of the International Dark-Sky Association, an educational organisation working to preserve the natural night skies worldwide.

When: Tuesday 6th October, 7pm

Where: Central Library (Victoria Street)

This month’s selection of Māori books is worth a look at. Items include an exploration of the relations between Māori and New Zealand Chinese  in Dragon & Taniwha, a take on New Zealand carving and colonial history in Rauru: Tene Waitere, and some poetry with Canoe in midstream. There are also books dealing with the Waitangi Tribunal, nineteenth century New Zealand, and Māori kai recipes. And if you’d like to know more about Ranginui Walker, Māori architecture and He maunga rongo, check out our Māori Recent Picks.

Welcome to the libraries’ News Blog! Here you’ll find reviews of new books, information about what’s happening at our libraries, and any breaking author news. We’ll also keep you up to date with exciting book award shortlists and prize announcements as they come to us, so check back often!

Did you know we also have other library blogs?

• Business Blog
• Teen Blog
• Kids’ Blog
• Zine Blog
• Crafts Blog

Update: You can also find us on Twitter