It’s that time of year again! The festive season for many is just around the corner, which means our libraries (and librarians!) are getting ready to celebrate with stories, songs, teddy bear sleepovers, and of course a whole bunch of books. So why not grab the family, jump in your fuzziest pyjamas (or cheeriest Christmas costume) and head on down to your local library to join in on the fun?
All of our Festive Family Fun events have a slightly different flavour depending on where they’re happening, but in general you can expect to enjoy stories, songs, crafts, and maybe even a visit from a certain portly gentleman at some locations! Stories from all over the world and in different languages also feature at our special trilingual event at Newtown Library. Visit each event link below to find out more.
In addition to the events below, all of our libraries will have beautiful displays of special holiday books from our Celebration Collection. These books will be on the shelf for a limited time only, so make sure to grab your copies today!
The Summer Reading Adventure for Kids runs from 1 December 2022 – 31 January 2023 for children aged 5-13. Read books; write, draw or film reviews; and complete quests to earn all kinds of awesome goodies — and you’ll still be home in time for tea! Adults and teens can also take part in their own Summer Reading Adventures — read our News blog for all the info.
Have you ever wanted to have the chance for your thoughts and ideas to be permanently written in the stars? As part of our fabulous series of space-themed events for the October school holidays, we’re excited to announce a collaboration with Victoria University of Wellington which will see you exploring distant space as well as taking the opportunity to make your mark in the field of stellar cartography.
In this interactive talk and demonstration, Victoria University of Wellington astrophysicists Dr. Tulasi Parashar and Dr. Yvette Perrott will be pulling back the curtain on the various tools and techniques space scientists use to map distant space, including the discovery of exoworlds — planets and stars that lie beyond our solar system. After the session, you will have the opportunity to chat to Tulasi and Yvette to learn more about their cutting-edge research in outer space.
Following the above talk, Tulasi and Yvette will be leading a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for rangatahi aged 10-15. In this workshop, you will be learning even more about the fascinating science behind the detection of exoworlds, how different cultures assign names to celestial bodies, and then work together to propose an official name for one of twenty recently-discovered exoworlds currently being targeted by the James Webb Space Telescope.
As part of the International Astronomical Union’s NameExoWorldsinitiative, the successful name will actually be put forward to the original discoverers of the planet we choose for official inclusion in the stellar charts used by the scientific community worldwide — meaning your thoughts and ideas may well become a permanent feature of the night sky as we understand it.
We are enormously grateful to our friends at Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Physical and Chemical Sciences for providing these opportunities to meet some of the foremost experts in their fields.
Dr. Tulasi Parashar is a space physicist. His interests range from things a few hundred kilometres above Earth to things in the farthest recesses of the universe. He loves chatting with people, grown-up as well as young ones, about all things space. Learn more about Dr. Parashar. Dr. Yvette Perrott is an astrophysicist and lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington. She started off researching exoplanets but now likes to study the biggest things in our Universe using light that we can’t see with our eyes. Learn more about Dr. Perrott. Keen to learn more about space? Your local library has heaps of books and other resources — check out this blog post to get started!
With our Wellington City Library holiday focus and activities on Our Place in Space, we thought it’d be fun to explore some amazing facts and figures about our wonderful universe. Be prepared for some mind-blowing ideas as we take a big picture look at what’s out there.
What is the Universe?
The universe is…well…everything. Every star, galaxy, planet, and all of space down to the smallest cell and atom. We don’t know how big the universe is – it may go on forever, but we don’t know if it does! The farthest we can see is around 13 billion light years away. Everything within this distance is called the observable universe. As far as scientists can tell, space spreads out infinitely in all directions. By observing the known universe, scientists conclude that galaxies fill all of the space throughout the entire universe, and our little corner where the Milky Way Galaxy sits, appears to be no different from any other corner!
The Big Bang – the start (and end) of it all
Most scientists today believe that the universe was created about 13.8 billion years ago by a massive explosion. Matter, space and time all began at this moment. This is called the Big Bang Theory. Straight after the Big Bang, the universe expanded incredibly quickly, doubling in size about 100 times a second! The universe continues to expand even today, but what will happen billions of years into the future? There are three main ideas about how the universe will end:
The Big Crunch theory: According to this theory, the universe will at some time reach its maximum size. It will then start to get smaller and smaller, eventually collapsing into the biggest-ever black hole.
The Big Freeze theory: This theory suggests that the universe will keep expanding forever. This theory has its problems though – as everything is s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d further apart, all of its heat will be spread out thinly across space. In the end nothing will remain warm in a dark and very cold universe! Brrrrr!
The Big Rip theory: According to this theory, everything in the universe will keep expanding until it is eventually ripped apart with all matter destroyed.
To look up space books in the library, go to the children’s non-fiction section and look under the Dewey number 520
Space number crunch! : the figures, facts and space stats you need to know / Pettman, Kevin
“Space Number Crunch! is a snappily written, fact-packed overview of the world of space, bursting with colourful, punchy data graphics and high-impact artworks. It’s guaranteed to contain all the essential info that space fans aged 8 and up need to know. Each piece of data is based around a number, creating an entire book of easy-to-digest information that will hook the most reluctant of readers. Includes features on the Big Bang, Mission to Mars, the Hubble Telescope and each of the extraordinary planets in our solar system.” (Catalogue)
Space record breakers / Rooney, Anne
“Space is mind-boggling. Time is measured in billions of years, and distances in trillions of kilometres. Space Record Breakers takes all this wonder and packages it in digestible, factual form, focusing half on the natural wonders of space and half on the history (and future) of humankind’s exploration. Which is the biggest known planet? What’s the hottest star? Who’s the most intrepid astronaut?Presents information on outer space and human space exploration, including the planet with the most moons, the first woman in space, and the closest star to the solar system.” (Catalogue)
Super cool space facts : a fun, fact-filled space book for kids / Betts, Bruce
“Take an exciting, fact-filled journey that goes where all great space books for kids should – to our solar system and beyond! Super Cool Space Facts is bursting with info about stormy planets, exploding stars, weird black holes, amazing landers, and more. Launch into learning with awesome and easy-to-digest facts about everything from asteroids hurtling through space to astronauts on the International Space Station. Fill your outer space adventure with the jokes, big word alerts, and fascinating mysteries of the universe all space books for kids should have. See how cool space is with incredible pictures of stars, galaxies, planets, constellations, and more.” (Catalogue, abridged)
Super space encyclopedia / Gifford, Clive
“Bursting with fascinating facts and the latest breathtaking images, this space book for children brings the wonders of the Solar System to life. Find out about the never-ending storms on Jupiter. Learn about the towering volcanoes of Venus — all 1,600 of them, and see the Valles Marineris on Mars — a canyon that is ten times longer than Earth’s Grand Canyon. Find out many more fascinating “super” facts about the cosmos with Super Space Encyclopedia. Based on recent research and discoveries, Super Space Encyclopedia showcases everything you need to know about the Universe — from the Big Bang to the formation of galaxies and planets as well as the technology used to explore it unimaginable depths. Fabulous cutaway artworks help to reveal the inner workings of the Sun, planets, and spacecraft.” (Catalogue)
50 things you should know about space / Prinja, Raman
“What exactly goes on at the International Space Station and why does the Earth spin? Just how big is our galaxy and how did the Moon form? From constellations to space shuttles, Space is as endlessly fascinating as the Universe itself. Discover everything you ever wanted to know about space missions, colliding galaxies, light years, solar eclipses, the surface of the Sun and much, much more in this exciting title. Packed with facts and figures, you’ll also find out about astronomers, astronauts and scientists and how their incredible jobs have enabled us to learn so much about our Universe.” (Catalogue)
Exoplanets / Simon, Seymour
“Introduces exoplanets, examining the planets outside of our solar system, discussing what makes them habitable, and exploring the efforts to discover new life.” (Catalogue)
Fiji is a southwestern Pacific island nation located about 800 kilometres southwest of Samoa and 1,800 kilometres North of New Zealand. It is an archipelago (a group of islands) made up of several hundred islands. There are around 20,000 Fijian people living in Aotearoa!
Macawa ni Vosa Vakaviti – Fijian Language Week is Sunday 2 October – Saturday 8 October 2022
This is a chance to celebrate the Fijian language and culture in New Zealand and around the world! This year the theme is:
Me vakabulabulataki, vakamareqeti, ka vakaqaqacotaki na vosa vakaviti. | Nurture, preserve and sustain the Fijian language.
Celebrate Fijian Language week with workshops at Newlands Community Centre!
Wellington Fijian Language class invite children of primary and intermediate age to celebrate Fijian language with a free workshop of language, games, food and art! Learn some simple Fijian phrases, play some traditional games, learn how to do some Fijian weaving. There will be a lunch at 1pm, you are welcome to bring a plate to contribute. Parents and carers welcome. Please contact the centre to register – ph 04 4773724 or email newlandscc@wcc.govt.nz
Click the image to find out about more events here in Te Upoko-o-te-ika-a-Māui Wellington Region!
Here are some simple phrases to get you started speaking Fijian:
Ni sa bula vinaka – Greetings/Hello Ni sa moce – vei kemuni na gole – Goodbye – to those who are leaving Ni sa moce – vei kemuni na tiko – Goodbye – to those who are staying Kerekere – Please Vinaka vakalevu – Thank you
Special phrases to use in the library:
Au tiko ena vale ni vola
I am at the library
Au wili vola tiko
I am reading a book
You can learn some more simple Fijian phrases on the Ministry of Pacific Peoples Website here
This year, our October school holiday programming coincides with World Space Week, which runs from October 4-10. This year, the international theme is ‘space and sustainability.’
Space-themed events at at your library!
To celebrate, Wellington City Libraries has a suite of events across our library branches (visit our event calendar for the full list — note that some events require registration):
Let’s Go Lego®: The Final Frontier – Put your creative skills to the test to design and build your space-bound masterpieces. Recommended for children aged 5+ with their caregivers.
Whānau movie screenings – join us for a range of space-themed family friendly titles at sites including Newtown, Te Awe, Johnsonville, and Wadestown.
Crafting and design sessions:
He Matapihi Library is hosting Space Suit of the Future on 12 October, along with space themed Craftivity sessions on 8 and 15 October!
Over at Te Awe, we have Make Your Own Planet sessions on 6 and 12 October, along with Space Rockets on 5 and 11 October!
Tawa has the awesome ‘Personal Space!’ Clay Workshop For Kids on 7 October, prepared for young space cadets!
Ozobot Stellar Journeys – Join us at Kilbirnie or Cummings Park library for stellar journeys with our Ozobot coding robots!
Outer Space Preschool Storytimes – Join us for special session of space themed stories, to celebrate World Space Week 2022! Some sites will also offer space-themed Baby Rock and Rhyme for your wee one!
Ukulele Universe – get in quick to sign up for an introductory ukulele session with our Johnsonville Library instruments and talented staff! Sessions are coming up on 6 and 13 October.
Star Stitching – Embroider your constellation and mount it on card! Recommended for children (10+) accompanied by parents, or young adults (14+), but open to all. Events are at Johnsonville Library on 9 and 16 October.
Experience VR ISS: International Space Station – suitable for older kids and teens using our Oculus Quest 2s and Oculus Rifts at Miramar, Karori, and Te Awe.
Other special events during the October School Holidays!
Storytime with local author Alan Wade – Alan Wade, author of ‘Grandma and Grandpa Save the Day, is joining us for a very special storytime! Alan and his daughter will do a reading of the book, followed by a little craft activity based on the book’s illustrations! All ages welcome to come along to Cummings Park Library on 13 October at 11:00am.
Spanish Language Storytime – This holidays, join us for a special Spanish language storytime! Fun and interactive stories in Spanish, and crafts for pre-schoolers, kids and the whole whānau. All ages welcome to come along to Karori Library on 4 October at 10:30am.
Bee Curious: Learn about Bees with Eva the Apiarist – Local apiarist (bee keeper & enthusiast), Eva, is coming to Wadestown library on 6 October, to run a wonderful practical session about bees for children and their whānau! Registration is required: please register your interest with Louise Davies by email (louise.davies@wcc.govt.nz)
Poetry Workshop – Come along and learn some poetry techniques with the wonderful Wadestown crew!
Recommended for ages 5 – 12 with their caregivers.
Takes place on 3 – 4PM on Monday 10 October!
Keep an eye out on our event calendar as more events arise (and maybe learn about Lego® sessions for parents and adults too!)
Kia ora folks! It’s been a wonderful Week One of Beyond the Page, our fantastic literary festival for tamariki and their whānau.
Beyond the page is running during the July school holidays, and from the 9th to the 24th of July, our libraries are hosting a huge array of totally free events for kids and families, from sculpture workshops to VR experiences, and everything in between!
Rather than bore you with descriptions of all the fabulous stuff that’s been happening, we thought we’d share with you some of our favourite photos from events around the city. Here goes!
Before the Page: Creative Workshops with VIVITA
Before the official kick-off of the festival, on the opening weekend of the holidays we hosted our friends at VIVITA Aotearoa for two wonderful workshops at Miramar and Te Awe Libraries — Cardboard Costumes and Serious Sculpting:
A young creator inscribes something (magical runes, perhaps?) on the blade of a cardboard sword they have made at Cardboard Costumes at Miramar Library.
Meeting new friends at Serious Sculpting at Te Awe Library!
Beyond the Page: Bricks, Boxes, Stop Motion, and More!
The first ‘official’ days of Beyond the Page saw a whole bunch of awesome events. Some highlights for us were Bricks and Giggles at Brooklyn Library; Zine Machine at Arapaki Library, Box Bonanza at Wadestown and Te Awe Libraries, and Stop Motion Stories at Karori and Kilbirnie Libraries:
A selection of wonderful LEGO® creations from Bricks and Giggles at Brooklyn Library
A cluster of keen zine-makers at Arapaki Library
Learning to animate some aquatic friends at Kilbirnie Library
Karori Library becomes a film studio for a day!
Spotlight on: Stories From Our Place
A big highlight for us all was being visited by the wonderful Sophie from Zealandia | Te Māra a Tāne for Stories From Our Place at Cummings Park Library. The torrential rain didn’t stop our intrepid explorers from venturing out into the bush behind the library for an awesome (if slightly damp) experience!
We started in the library…
…met some cuddly new friends…
…ventured out into the wild weather…
…and enjoyed the beautiful sights of Cummings Park in the rain!
We can’t wait to share with you more Beyond the Page goodness once Week Two is done and dusted as well! Find out more at the official Beyond the Page website.
Kia ora folks! We are so incredibly excited to announce that the hotly-anticipated Beyond the Page festival is returning this July!
During the school holidays, from the 9th to the 24th of July, libraries across the Wellington region are hosting over 100 awesome, FREE events for tamariki and their whānau, from puppetry, poetry, and costume design experiences through to VR experiences, nature walks, sculpting, and stop motion animation workshops!
There’s something on every day of the holidays, so join us to experience the ‘other’ side of libraries — the side that fizzes and pops, is creative, exciting, and adventurous!
Beyond the Page is a collaboration between Wellington City Libraries, Hutt City Libraries, Upper Hutt City Libraries, Kāpiti Coast District Libraries, and Masterton District Library. You can view the full event calendar and find out more about the festival and our wonderful presenters on the Beyond the Page website, or you can follow the festival on Facebook for regular updates.
Read on to find out about some of the excellent events happening in Wellington City Libraries branches:
Vivita X Beyond the Page: Graphic Novel Series
We’re partnering with Wellington innovation studio VIVITA Aotearoa to bring you the Graphic Novel Series — a group of three workshops focussed on bringing the characters and story of a graphic novel to life, from sculpture and miniatures through to cardboard costumes!
These events are suitable for tamariki aged 9-15, and registrations are required.
Have you ever wanted to become a puppeteer? Join the Toro Pikopiko Tales Roadshow to explore an interactive gallery of puppets – from traditionally carved kare-tao puppets, through to puppets inspired by Māori rock art, taniwha, and stories of the land. In this fun-filled workshop, you’ll become the puppeteer!
These events are suitable for tamariki aged 5+ with their caregivers, and registrations are required.
Listen to bilingual stories about our special Aotearoa plant life and animals, then discover more about them on a guided nature walk with a Zealandia educator! Tamariki registered for the first session can explore Zealandia with their whānau free of charge. At the Cummings Park Library session, we will instead be exploring the unique flora and fauna of the beautiful Cummings Park.
These events are suitable for tamariki of all ages with their caregivers, and registrations are required.
Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne | Tuesday 19 July, 1.30 – 3pm (Register here)
Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne | Tuesday 19 July, 3 – 4.30pm (Register here)
Poetry Workshop with Sara Hirsch
Have you always wanted to learn how to write poetry? Have you been writing for ages and would love the chance to get some tips and tricks? Whatever your background and experience, everyone is welcome at this inclusive workshop, from newbies to the poetry obsessed.
This event is suitable for tamariki aged 8-12 with their caregivers, and registrations are required.
Nan and Tuna have been friends for 80 years and now it is time for one last adventure together. But before they leave they will need to find someone to care for the river. Join us for this special bilingual puppet show presented by Anna Bailey of String Bean Puppets!
This event is suitable for tamariki of all ages with their caregivers.
Due to the interference of COVID-19, this event has been rescheduled. The new date and location are:
The holidays are going to be chocka with even more wonderful events, including Bricks and Giggles (LEGO® building galore!), Stop Motion Stories (fun and simple animation workshops!), Box Bonanza (what can you make armed with nothing but a cardboard box and your imagination?), Zine Machine (make your own mini-book!), and Experience VR (enter a whole new world of story through the magic of VR). Registrations are required for some of these events, so make sure you get in quick to secure your place!
Over the school holidays, we asked young people to tell us a story by taking a photo!
We took submissions in three categories: Nature, Whānau, and Objects/Books, and in two age groups, 5-12 and 13-18.
Thanks to all our competition entrants who wowed us with your creativity, eye for detail, and wonderful visual storytelling.
We are grateful for the insightful judging provided by the team at Splendid Photo. Thanks Splendid for helping us pick these winners!
Check the winners out here! Underneath each photograph is the story behind them.
5-12 – Nature: Mala
“I wanted to take a photo of a natural beauty. I want people to feel like they are in the photo, surrounded by towering blades of grass.”
5-12 – Objects/Books: Lucas
“This cat was at the playground. I really wanted a photo of the cats paw because it looked interesting . I spent a long time getting the paw in the photo.”
5-12 – Whānau: Mia
“It was sooooo cool! I didn’t know that sunrises in New Zealand could look like this. We were lucky to go to an old fashioned Bach. It was old and had holes in the floor. But the front bedroom had glass for one wall. So me, mum and my sister all slept in there, so that we could see the sunrise from our beds. I got up so early, so that I could go down and take photos. It was so beautiful I couldn’t believe it. Like art in the sky. Only us there on the beach together.”
13-18 – Nature: Brunella
“For me, beauty is also in nature, and it’s not always exposed on the outside; easy to see, touch, feel, and smell… but it also is sometimes in unexpected places where if you look carefully, you can find light and beauty somewhere dark, small and mysterious.”
13-18 – Objects/Books: Kaitlyn
“This is my netball hoop. Dad bought a new one because the other was tipping over. I have spent a lot of time this holiday practicing shooting for the netball season ahead.”
13-18 – Whānau: Tilly
“The whānau photo took place when my family and I were flying a kite on the beach. People stopped to watch as my family and I laughed willing it to fly higher and higher. The moment captured the familiar essence of whānau.”
Each of our winners won their own reusable film camera, a roll of film, and a voucher to get it developed! We hope they will all enjoy exploring a classic photography medium, that might be what their parents (or grandparents!) grew up with.
Thanks to Ben & Jerry’s Wellington and Light House Cinema who kindly provided some bonus spot prizes for a few other entrants!
Keep an eye-out for the travelling View Finders photography exhibition, including all our young people’s work. Coming soon to a library near you!
This Beanstack challenge will guide you down the path of learning about photography so that you can get your submissions in before the deadline of the 1st of May — and there are some cool spot prizes for people who complete book reviews and take part in activities. We’re choosing a random book reviewer or challenge completer EVERY DAY to win a spot prize, so don’t miss out!
Our Beanstack challenge is full of tips and activities to help you take great portraits of people, find flora and fauna in our wonderful city, and get inspired by excellent object photography!
Some of the digital badges you can earn on our Beanstack!
For our photo competition, we’re taking submissions in three categories: Nature, Whānau, and Objects/Books, and in two age groups, 5-12 and 13-18.
The first prize for each category is a reusable Kodak film camera, some black-and-white film roll, and free development with Splendid Photo!
The Beanstack activities lead to a link to enter your own photos.
We look forward to seeing your photos and hearing the story behind them! You may want to display your photo at your local branch library at the end of the competition.
Our 1st place category prizes! You could win your very own film camera!
Special thanks to our friends at Splendid Photo, who are helping us to judge the competition, and Ben & Jerry’s Wellington, Light House Cinema, and Unity Books, who are kindly providing us with spot prizes to give away. Ka rawe!
It’s that time of year again! The festive season for many is just around the corner, which means our libraries (and librarians!) are getting ready to celebrate with stories, songs, teddy bear sleepovers, and of course a whole bunch of books. So why not grab the family, jump in your fuzziest pyjamas (or cheeriest Christmas costume) and head on down to your local library to join in on the fun?
Bee Curious: Learn about Bees with Eva the Apiarist – Local apiarist (bee keeper & enthusiast), Eva, is coming to Wadestown library on 
Vivita X Beyond the Page: Graphic Novel Series
Toro Pikopiko Tales
Stories From Our Place with Zealandia
Poetry Workshop with Sara Hirsch
String Bean Puppets: Nan and Tuna
