« Previous Entries

Category

Library




  • Books, Grimm, Library, New, eBooks

    Lots of new eBooks!

    06.06.13 | Permalink | Comment?

    If you’re an eBook reader, then good news! We’ve got lots of new eBooks, courtesy of both Overdrive and Bolinda Digital.

    New from Overdrive

    Heaps and heaps, including:

    Bolinda

    These are all new to Wellington City Libraries. Authors include Jaclyn Moriarty (of Feeling Sorry for Celia fame – although sadly no Feeling Sorry for Celia yet), Meg Cabot, John Marsden and many more!

    To read Bolinda eBook titles on a mobile device, just download the BorrowBox app:

    On desktop computers, you can download titles from our Bolinda website straight to Adobe Digital Editions (like for Overdrive eBooks).

    Do check our eBooks out! Literally!


  • Library, Library Serf

    The new and improved Overdrive

    13.03.13 | Permalink | Comment?

    Overdrive – the home of many of WCL’s e-audiobooks and all the e-books – has had a makeover. The new site features are explained in this news post here. Included is an introductory tutorial, hosted by a polite and competent Overdrive librarian.


  • Books, Library, Library Serf

    Read some YA in another language

    05.03.13 | Permalink | Comment?

    Did you know that Wellington City Libraries has a collection of books in languages other than English? We do! Some of them you may recognise.

    Christopher Paolini: the Inheritance cycle in Chinese (Yilalong, Zhang lao, Di guo: San, and Di guo: Xia)

    Ally Condie: the Matched trilogy in German (Cassia & Ky auf Deutsch: Die Flucht, Die Auswahl, Die Ankunft).

    Lauren Kate: Duo luo tian shi (Fallen in Chinese)

    Suzanne Collins: we have The Hunger Games in German, Chinese, Spanish, French

    Stephenie Meyer: remember Twilight? Well, we’ve got the series in (deep breath) Chinese, Japanese, Korean (these have cool covers), Russian (some), Spanish.

    P C and Kristin Cast: a selection of the House of Night series in Chinese.

    So if you’re at home in another language, or you’re looking for a challenge, this is the perfect place to start. Here’s a complete list of teen fiction books in other languages, including some non-translated titles.

    If there’s something in another language you think the library should definitely get, then let us know (you can fill in a suggestion to buy here).

    Vale,
    Library Serf


  • Library, Library Serf

    Recent ebooks

    27.02.13 | Permalink | Comment?

    More from the library’s Overdrive ebook collection:

    After Obsession, Carrie Jones & Steven E Wedel. “Aimee and Alan have secrets. Both teens have unusual pasts and abilities they prefer to keep hidden. But when they meet each other, in a cold Maine town, they can’t stop their secrets from spilling out. Strange things have been happening lately, and they both feel that something-or someone- is haunting them. They’re wrong. Despite their unusual history and powers, it’s neither Aimee nor Alan who is truly haunted. It’s Alan’s cousin Courtney who, in a desperate plea to find her missing father, has invited a demon into her life-and into her body. Only together can Aimee and Alan exorcise the ghost. And they have to move quickly, before it devours not just Courtney but everything around her.” (goodreads.com)

    Beautiful Creatures series (first 3), Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Since the movie’s out, you might like to re-read these – they’re getting popular again. The regular books are here also.

    The movie website is here, and FB here.

    Dust Girl, Sarah Zettel. A fairy story with an edge. “Callie LeRoux lives in Slow Run, Kansas, helping her mother run their small hotel and trying not to think about the father she’s never met. Lately all of her energy is spent battling the constant storms plaguing the Dust Bowl and their effects on her health. Callie is left alone when her mother goes missing in a dust storm. Her only hope comes from a mysterious man offering a few clues about her destiny and the path she must take to find her parents in ‘the golden hills of the west’: California. Along the way she meets Jack, a young hobo boy who is happy to keep her company – there are dangerous, desperate people at every turn. And there’s also an otherworldly threat to Callie. Warring fae factions, attached to the creative communities of American society, are very much aware of the role this half-mortal, half-fae teenage girl plays in their fate.” (goodreads.com)

    Every You, Every Me, David Levithan. “In this high school-set psychological tale, a tormented teen named Evan starts to discover a series of unnerving photographs – some of which feature him. Someone is stalking him… messing with him… threatening him. Worse, ever since his best friend Ariel has been gone, he’s been unable to sleep, spending night after night torturing himself for his role in her absence. And as crazy as it sounds, Evan’s starting to believe it’s Ariel that’s behind all of this, punishing him. But the more Evan starts to unravel the mystery, the more his paranoia and insomnia amplify, and the more he starts to unravel himself.” (goodreads.com)

    Queen of the Night, Leanne Hall. The sequel to This is Shyness. “The dark is dangerous. So is the past. So are your dreams. For six months Nia – Wildgirl – has tried to forget Wolfboy, the mysterious boy she spent one night with in Shyness – the boy who said he’d call but didn’t. Then Wolfboy calls. The things he tells her pull her back to the suburb of Shyness, where the sun doesn’t rise and dreams and reality are difficult to separate. There, Doctor Gregory has seemingly disappeared, the Darkness is changing and Wolfboy’s friend is in trouble. And Nia decides to become Wildgirl once more.” (goodreads.com)

    If you want to find out more about library e-books, there’s more information in this post right here.


  • Library, Library Serf, Study

    School’s back, oh well

    28.01.13 | Permalink | Comment?

    The library is here to help! We’ve got information, and trained professionals who know how to use it: libraries are useful places when you’re studying. Here are some helpful things:

    • The teen blog study stop pages – full of useful links and tips.
    • Mygateway.info – if you’ve never visited then you really should, it’s like a virtual reference collection with a huge amount of online databases (many that you can only access with your library card – google won’t help you find these treasures). They’re sorted by subject, a helpful jumping-off point.
    • Anyquestions.co.nz – librarians online to help discover the answers to tricky reference questions, Monday to Friday, 1 to 6pm during school time. If you’re looking out of hours, there’s the manyanswers database which is a good starting point.
    • The teen blog book lists page – for if you’re looking for some fiction to read.

    All the best for the school year.


  • Internet, Library, Library Serf

    Lawspot

    20.11.12 | Permalink | Comment?

    Got a puzzling law question? Lawspot is a Wellington-based website that aims to provide answers to people’s legal queries. So you can find out about the legalities of downloading MP3s from YouTube for example.

    While Lawspot isn’t a substitute for personalised, one-to-one legal advice, it’s a great way of finding out general information. If you’re interested in the law in general you can also browse through answers to see what legal concerns people have.

    We – Wellington City Libraries – also have a range of useful online law databases, courtesy of mygateway.info.

    If you’re interested in studying law (and staying in Wellington while doing so), the Victoria University Law Faculty has all the info, obvs. - including a video that features impressive Wellington buildings and scenery (and two tiny clips of people in lectures).


  • Books, Exclusive academies for rich kids who form cliques, Grimm, Library, New, eLibrary

    Some New eBooks

    26.09.12 | Permalink | Comment?

    Stephanie has bought some new ebooks recently, including a couple of popular series and some intriguing plot-lines. 

    Stravaganza: City of Masks, City of Stars, City of Flowers, by Mary Hoffman. We have the first three books in this very popular series as ebooks (you can also reserve the paper version of the soon-to-be-published latest, City of Swords). The official series website is here.

    Gossip Girl series, created by Cecily von Ziegasar. We’ve recently acquired heaps of these (approximately 13), including the first book, It Had to be You (the prequel), and Don’t You Forget About Me (which we partly mention because that’s the name of the theme song of the excellent The Breakfast Club (outstanding teen movie from the 80s! ($4.00 for 1 week))).

    The Académie, Susanne Dunlap. Eliza Monroe is the daughter of the soon-to-be fifth president of the United States (true story!). It is only fitting, then, that she attend an exclusive academy in Paris. She’s not too thrilled at the notion, until she discovers she will be attending with the daughter of Josephine (of Napoleon and Josephine fame), who is marvellously called Hortense de Beauharnais (true story) and the younger sister of Napoleon himself (Caroline). More intriguing: the two girls hate each other. Paris in the early 19th century: what a place to be!

    The Pledge, Kimberly Derting. In the far future the world is divided strictly by language, and the language you speak is a matter of life and death. This world is complicated for Charlie, as she is gifted with the ability to understand all languages. When Charlie meets Max, who speaks a language she’s never heard before (but can understand, of course), she’s intrigued, but Max understands the danger Charlie is in: can he protect her as war threatens?

    Note: you need Adobe Digital Editions to download ebooks. This step-by-step guide will tell you everything!

    For more ebooks, visit our Overdrive homepage.


  • Books, Classic novels, Library, Library Serf, News

    Banned Books Week starts 30 September

    25.09.12 | Permalink | Comment?

    It’s almost that time again, when the freedom to read is celebrated, and when the Banned Books Week people highlight frequently-challenged books (mostly in the United States, not so much here in New Zealand). The list includes some interesting repeat-offenders, including a couple of old-timers:

    To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. First published in 1960 and first challenged in 1966, To Kill a Mockingbird has got staying power, and was number 10 on the list in 2011. Not bad for a 51 year old.

    Brave New World, Aldous Huxley. This was first published in 1931, and first banned in Ireland in 1932. Like To Kill a Mockingbird, it’s on the 2011 list (number 7), and is also regarded as a 20th Century classic.

    Even classic novels court controversy!

    (The Top 10 list of challenged books in 2011 is here. The list of most frequently challenged authors is here.)


  • Books, Library, Library Serf

    Downloadable Audiobooks

    11.09.12 | Permalink | Comment?

    As you know, the library has a growing, eclectic collection of downloadable audiobooks, courtesy of Bolinda and Overdrive. All you need is a WCL library card, the wherewithall to download, and the wherewithall to listen (and time!).

    Here’s a sample of what’s available from Bolinda:

    Rapture, Lauren Kate

    Heaven, Alexandra Adornetto (available 28/09/2012)

    City of Fallen Angels, Cassandra Clare

    The Knife of Never Letting Go, Patrick Ness

    Saving Francesca, Melina Marchetta

    The Whale Rider, Witi Ihimaera

    Here’s a list of young adult fiction titles.

    Titles are available for three weeks: you can reserve them for free, and there are no overdue charges! All good news!


  • Library, Library Serf, eLibrary

    Dystopian E-Books

    11.07.12 | Permalink | Comment?

    The library has a growing collection of -ebooks, including a selection in the popular young adult dystopian genre:

    0.4, Mike Lancaster

    The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Mary E Pearson

    Ashfall, Mike Mullin

    Candor, Pam Bachorz

    Matched and Crossed, Ally Condie

    The Dead, Charlie Higson

    The Declaration, The Resistance and The Legacy, Gemma Malley

    There’s a waiting list for the Hunger Games trilogy, but if you don’t mind that then The Hunger Games is here, Catching Fire here and Mockingjay here.

    E-books are available for three weeks, and they’re free to borrow (and also don’t incur any overdue charges). So easy.

    For other, print, dystopian books have a look at this list.


« Previous Entries