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Farsi/Persian resources for adults

Wellington City Libraries has Books and Music CDs in Farsi/Persian, as well as many useful resources in English.

Learning English

Focus on IELTS, Susan O'Connell.

In our collection we have:

Books, tapes, videos, CDs and CD-ROMs to help you learn English
Grammar, vocabulary books and dictionaries
Items to help you take IELTS and TOEFL tests
Books about living in New Zealand, including cooking, parenting and health
Stories to enjoy.

These items are available in the Adult Learning Collection, the main collection at 420.7 and 428.24, and the Central Sound & Vision Centre. There are Adult Learning collections at Central, Newtown, Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie), Johnsonville, Miramar and Karori Libraries.

All of these items are FREE to borrow and are issued for 4 weeks. You can borrow as many items as you like.

For more information, visit our English as a Second Language pathfinder.

Magazines

Emel: Muslim Lifestyle Magazine (in English) is available at the Central Library, on the First Floor, near the escalators. You may read magazines in the Library, or borrow lending copies for one week with your Library Card. A borrowing fee is charged for magazines.

Newspapers

Some newspapers in Farsi/Persian are available on the free internet computers at all libraries.

DVDs and Music CDs

CDs and DVDs may be borrowed for 1 week with your Library Card. A borrowing fee is charged for Sound & Vision materials.

Music CDs are on the Ground Floor of Central Library, in the Sound & Vision Centre. Look for the World Music: Iran section.

Celestial harmonies, Ostad Elahi.

Silk Road journeys : when
strangers meet,
Yo-Yo Ma.

Moon rise over the silk road :
Persian and Indian improvisation.

There are also a number of Farsi/Persian films on DVD.

A time for drunken horses.

The circle.

Books

We have a small collection of books in Persian - look for the 'Persian' section on the First Floor of Central Library, to the left of the stairs, near the Arts, Music & Literature Enquiries Desk. Most books can be borrowed for 4 weeks.

We also hold a small selection of bilingual picture books such as Samira's Eid and Dear Zoo (in both Persian and English) at the Central Library. Ask a librarian where you can find them in the library.

Our fiction collection is shelved alphabetically by author surname. We have some Farsi novels translated into English.

Our books in English are organised by a numbering system and the same system is used at all branches. For example, The Road Code for car, motor cycle and truck driver's licenses is shelved at 343.0946 DON. There are copies at all Libraries and they can be borrowed for 1 week. If no copies are currently available, you can reserve one with your Library Card.

Here are some subjects you may find useful:

428: learning English
491.55: Farsi/Persian-English dictionaries
500s: science, the universe, plants and animals
610-616: health
640-649: home care, sewing for the home, children's & adults' clothing, cooking and parenting
650s: information on working in New Zealand
700s: art, calligraphy, music, movies & entertainment
800s: literature, including poetry, plays, essays and letters
900s: countries, travel and history, including Iranian history (955), Iranian travel and geography (915.5) and New Zealand travel (919.31)