events

April School Holidays: Te Ao Kararehe | The World of Animals!

Stephen Clothier

The April school holidays are just one-and-a-half short weeks away! This year, Wellington City Libraries is inviting you to enter Te Ao Kararehe: The World of Animals with us all the way through the holidays, from the 8th to the 23rd of April.

Have you ever thought that perhaps you might like to meet a llama at the library? What about a penguin? What if we asked you to design your own animals — would they have claws and scales, or bright purple fur? Is it possible to use LEGO® to build a realistic habitat for a mythological beast? How good would a walking, talking animal be at playing D&D? Whatever your interests, something wild, mysterious, fascinating or exciting awaits you in Te Ao Kararehe: The World of Animals. Visit this page to see the whole calendar, or read on to find out more about what’s happening at your local library or community centre these holidays!

What awaits you in the wilds of Te Ao Kararehe?


Animal Antics Musical Storytime

Join us for these animal-themed storytimes where your multi-talented librarians will incorporate many different musical instruments into their storytelling! Stick around when the stories and songs are done to get up-close and personal to learn about the instruments you heard.

Recommended for tamariki aged 4+ with their caregivers.

Baby Rock and Rhyme: Cubs ‘n’ Bubs Special Edition!

Come on down to the library for these fun and free sessions for parents and carers to interact with their babies through songs and stories — this time with a special animal-themed twist! Rhyme, rhythm, repetition and music are the building blocks of language for babies. Stick around afterwards to chat with our librarians and meet other new parents in your community!

Recommended for pēpī aged 0-2 with their caregivers, but older siblings are also most welcome.

Be Ready In An Emergency! (For Kids)

Learn what to do in an emergency like an earthquake or tsunami with an expert from the Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office (WREMO)! This is an interactive group activity for children aged 5-12. Registrations are required — to book your spot, talk to a librarian or phone Karori Library on 476 8413.

Children’s Librarian’s note: How is this event related to animals, you ask? Well, have you ever heard of ‘turtling’ during an emergency? Okay, okay, the link is fragile at best, we just wanted the opportunity to have our friends at WREMO come for a visit!

The Bad Smell Hotel: Book Launch and Celebration

Karori Library and The Cuba Press warmly invite you to the book launch of The Bad Smell Hotel, by father-daughter duo Rajorshi Chakraborti and Leela (age 11)!

The duo came up with the idea of the book during the 2020 lockdown, and their story is set in the not-too-distant future, where society is contending with mysterious bouts of uncontrollable farting! The forthcoming book is marvellously illustrated by Dan Mills.

Join us at the library for this very special celebration where you can meet the authors and find out more about the wonderful worlds they have created together!

Coastal Ecology LEGO® Laboratory

Ahoy, kids and whānau! Come join the team from the Wellington University Coastal Ecology Lab to learn incredible facts about your local marine ecosystem: from coral and fishes, all the way to mighty sharks! Kids then can build their very own sea critter or underwater habitat with our LEGO® collection! The most creative design will win a prize, and all models will be displayed at Island Bay Library, along with descriptions written by their creators.

Recommended for tamariki aged 5+ with their caregivers.

Create-a-Critter Flipbooks

For our event today, tamariki will create a booklet made of pages cut into thirds, each featuring pictures of different animal body parts that they have drawn or found in magazines. As the pages flip around, the body parts will combine in ways both abstract and hilarious!

Recommended for tamariki aged 5+ with their caregivers.

Create Cuddly Creatures

Bring your old socks along to the library and transform them into a fuzy friend! We’ll provide the thread, needles, and extra accessories for your creature creation, as well as guidance from an expert librarian. Just make sure you’ve washed your socks, it may be difficult to give them a bath afterwards!

Recommended for tamariki and rangatahi aged 8+ with their caregivers.

Critter Creation: Recycled Art

Join us at Newlands Community Centre to turn junk into art! Bring along your own recycling stash to add to our supply, and create the critter of your dreams. Build a lion, a lemur, a llama, or something wild from your imagination!

Recommended for tamariki aged 5+ with their caregivers.

Cuddly Toy Animal Sleepover!

Dress up in your favourite onesie or your PJs, bring a cuddly toy animal, and join us for music, stories and crafts! Those who can bear (geddit?) to may leave their cuddly toy for a special overnight stay in the library — come back in the morning to find out what mischief and hijinks they got up to!

Recommended for tamariki of all ages with their caregivers.

Kids’ Book Club: Animal Edition!

Join us at Wadestown Library for our monthly Kids’ Book Club, where we’ll be talking about the books we love and enjoying an animal-themed craft activity too!

Recommended for tamariki aged 6-12 with their caregivers.

LEGO® Habitats

Join us for these special variant sessions of our popular Let’s Go LEGO® programme! Tamariki will design and assemble an ideal habitat for their favourite animals, living or imagined. There will be small prizes for the most creative habitats as well as for the most realistic or viable ones! Completed models will be displayed in the library following the event, alongside descriptions written by their creators.

Recommended for tamariki aged 5+ with their caregivers.

Llamas! At the Llibrary

Yes, you heard us — get up close with real-life llamas at your local library! Join us for a special outdoor storytime where your llama-loving librarians will warm you up with some stories, then introduce you to our expert Stephen and a couple of camelids — a llama and an alpaca!

Since these are outdoor events we may have to postpone it if weather is poor on the day. Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page for any updates.

Recommended for tamariki aged 4+ with their caregivers.

*Note: The event at Johnsonville Library has been postponed to Thursday, 20 April at 2pm due to wet weather.

Make Your Own Animal Mask

Make your own animal mask at the library! We will provide lots of different mask templates and heaps of craft supplies so that everyone can create their own unique mask to take home. Animal masquerade ball, anyone?

Recommended for tamariki aged 4+ with their caregivers.

Paws and Claws: Pompomania!

This fun craft is no pig-deal! Come on down to He Matapihi Library and we’ll help you make your first pompom animal. Just bring your enthusiasm and can-do attitude — it’s going to be a paw-some time!

Recommended for tamariki aged 7+ with their caregivers. Registrations are required as space is limited, contact the library at 801 4122 to book your place.

The Pet Files: Zine Making

Kia ora kids! Bring in a photo, or draw an illustration, of your whānau pet (or your dream pet!). Then, join in at the library to create your very own fact file zine about your pets, with fun question prompts, and plenty of time to share our favourite pet stories! Once you’re done, you can also choose to have your Pet Files zine catalogued and added to the library collection for your friends and whānau to borrow. Sweet!

Recommended for tamariki aged 6+ with their caregivers.

Poké Pets Pompomania

Anime lovers unite! We got chu doing something fun these school holidays. Come along to Poké Pets Pompomania to make a Poké animal like no other. Create adorable Poké pet pompoms and their pompom Pokéball containers at the end of the session. We have instruction sheets you can bring home too.

Recommended for tamariki aged 8+ with their caregivers. Registrations are required as space is limited, contact the library at 801 4122 to book your place.

Spanish Language Day | Día del Idioma Español

Join us on the 22nd of April for Spanish Language Day at Karori Library! Whether you are a Spanish speaker, a language aficionado, or just love learning about other cultures, you are welcome at this family-friendly celebration.

At Spanish Language Day at Karori Library you will experience a range of activities in Spanish — storytelling, an art exhibition, crafts, and the launch of our new Spanish-language book collection. ¿Hablas español? Sí!

Te Ao Kararehe Animal Storytime

You think storytimes are just about stories? Not so in Te Ao Kararehe! Journey to the tangled heart of the forest, soar to the greatest heights of the mountains, and dive to the inkiest depths of the ocean in these continent-spanning storytimes like no other. If you’re lucky you may even get to craft a souvenir to take home as a memento of your travels in the World of Animals.

Recommended for tamariki of all ages with their caregivers.

Te Ao Kararehe Family Movies

Looking for a purrr-fect chill activity to do in the library? Why not join us for free movie time! It’s definitely a sloth-mode vibe so don’t forget to bring your favourite animal plushie to snuggle. All movies screened will have an animal theme, and will be rated either G or PG. Registration aren’t required; popcorn and beanbags aplenty will be supplied!

Technicolour Furbearers

Welcome to the world of the technicolour furbearers, where nothing is as it seems! At this fun workshop, tamariki will select a pre-prepared model of a fur-coated animal, and decorate their chosen critter with lush paint, shiny gems, colourful fabric, and funky textures.

Recommended for tamariki aged 6+ with their caregivers. Registrations are required.

Under the Sea: Animal CRAFTivity

Whale hello there! Celebrate your school holiday weekend at He Matapihi Library as we create some fun under-the-sea crafts together. Perfect for all ages and stages!

The Wolves of Welton: An Introduction to D&D

Join us for an introduction to the world of Dungeons and Dragons — no prior RPG experience required. We’ll provide the Dungeon Master, dice, books, pack of ravenous wolves, gear, and knowledge — all you need is enthusiasm!

This session is intended to introduce brand new and novice players to Dungeons & Dragons and tabletop roleplaying games, learning from our experienced librarians in a beginner-friendly environment. Intermediate or experienced players might find this one-shot too simplistic and undemanding.

Recommended for tamariki aged 8-12. Registrations are required: sign up below!

Te Ara Pukapuka Children’s Walk at Churchill Park

Joseph Robinson

If you’re like us, you are having a great time reading and getting out and about during Summer (maybe you’re signed up for our Summer Reading Adventure too)!

Why not get into nature and read a lovely pukapuka at the same time!? This Summer, our friends in the Wellington City Council Parks, Sport & Recreation team have partnered with author Moira Wairama to present Te Ara Pukapuka in Seatoun. Te Ara Pukapuka is a children’s walk, where you can read along the way as you wander along the beautiful coastline!

Te Ara Pukapuka img1


This walk begins at the end of the Churchill Park Play area in Seatoun (map of Hector Street entrance), where a trip to the playground or beach can extend to a walk inspired by a very special pūrākau/myth about the creation of Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

Enjoy Te Ara Pukapuka (book pathway) and feel the wairua (spirit) of the ancient taniwha as you and your whānau (family) wind your way around the rugged Wellington coastline towards Oruaiti Pā, at Fort Dorset.

 


Te Ara Pukapuka is in place now until Friday 17 February, be sure to head on down and immerse yourself in the story!

You can read more over on the Wellington City Council website!

This Saturday, 14th January from 10-11am there will be a guided walk through Te Ara Pukapuka.

On Saturday, there will also be a secret code released via the Wellington City Council instagram and facebook that will give you an opportunity to get your very own copy of a pukapuka from a secret box at the trail!

 

Festive Family Fun at Your Library!

Stephen Clothier

Meri Kirihimete, Pōneke!

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!

What’s on for the December holidays?

Monday 12 December

Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library, 3.30 – 4.30pm — Teddy Bears’ Christmas CRAFTerschool and Sleepover

Tuesday 13 December

Johnsonville Library, 3.30 – 4.30pm — Teddy Bears’ Christmas CRAFTerschool and Sleepover

Thursday 15 December

Wadestown Library, 6.00 – 6.30pm — Family Christmas Storytime

Friday 16 December

Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library, 5.30 – 6.00pm — Teddy Bears’ Christmas Sleepover

Saturday 17 December

Karori Library, 11.00am – 12.00pm — Family Christmas Storytime

Monday 19 December

Te Awe Library, 2.00 – 2.30pm — Festive Family Fun: Baby Rock and Rhyme

Tuesday 20 December

Newtown Library, 10.30 – 11.30am — Trilingual Storytime and Christmas Crafts!

Wednesday 21 December

Te Awe Library, 10.30 – 11.00am — Family Christmas Storytime

Thursday 22 December

Te Awe Library, 10.30 – 11.00am — Festive Family Fun: Baby Rock and Rhyme

Children’s Event Schedule over the Summer

Stephen Clothier

Kia ora koutou! The summer holidays are a great time for you to relax, spend some time with whānau, and bask in the sunshine with a good book. Our librarians sometimes like to do this as well, so there will be some changes to our regularly-scheduled events and programmes during Christmas, New Year’s, and January. You can find out where and when everything is happening at the Event Calendar, or the children’s What’s On webpage, but here are the basics for you:

Baby Rock and Rhyme:

Our rockers and rhymers will be taking a break at most sites from the 11th of December, and making a glorious return from the 24th of January. However, if you’re itching for that musical fix in your life, the wonderful team at Te Awe Library on Brandon Street will keep running Baby Rock and Rhyme until the 23rd of December, and return on the 9th of January. Karori and Cummings Park Libraries will resume from the 7th of February.

Preschool Storytime and Kōhunga Kōrero

These will run until the 11th of December at most sites for all your storytelling needs, and our storytellers will be returning from the 24th of January. At Te Awe Library, Preschool Storytime will be running right up until Christmas, and will be back from the 9th of January. At Karori, Cummings Park and Khandallah Libraries, storytime will return from the 7th of February.

LEGO® programmes:

Some Let’s Go LEGO® and LEGO® Time programmes will be cancelled over December and January, and some will keep running. It’s best to check the event calendar to see what’s on where.

Term-time programmes:

Our term-time programmes including Code Club, Tech Time, and CRAFTerschool will mostly be starting up again after Waitangi Day 2023, to give you all time to adjust to being back at school before diving back in to library events. Check the event calendar to be sure!

Don’t forget that our Summer Reading Adventure is running until the 31st of January 2023! Visit this page to learn more and sign up now. There are also plenty of special holiday events happening for children and families during the festive season — visit our blog post to find out more!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact your local library, or you can email the Children’s Librarian to find out more.

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

Wei Jing Tan

On 29th November 1977 the United Nations created the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. This day is to remind people that even though the Palestinians didn’t agree to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 they still have human rights; the right to decide where they live, where they travel and who their government is.  Both Israelis and Palestinians have the right to live in peace. The hope of the United Nations is to build a future of peace.

In 1948 when Israel was created around 750,000 Palestinians were forced to leave their homes and become refugees (Source: United Nations). This number has grown since then and there are now more than 13 million Palestinian people in the world (Source: IMEMC). Palestinian people speak Arabic, Hebrew, English, and other varieties of Arabic. You may know Palestinian people who live in Wellington or greater New Zealand who arrived here as former refugees.

If you want to read more about Palestine, Palestinians and Israel you could look up these interactive resources:

Many famous writers and poets come from Palestine. Some of these writers are; Mahmoud Darwish, Naomi Shihab Nye and Ghassan Kanafani.

Check out the books about Palestine or by Palestinian authors in our collection. (Remember joining the library is free and if there are some books you would like us to buy you can suggest them to us: Suggestions to Buy Library Items (wcl.govt.nz)

The turtle of Oman : a novel / Nye, Naomi Shihab
“When Aref, a third-grader who lives in Muscat, Oman, refuses to pack his suitcase and prepare to move to Michigan, his mother asks for help from his grandfather, his Sidi, who takes Aref around the country, storing up memories he can carry with him to a new home.” (Catalogue)

Three wishes : Palestinian and Israeli children speak / Ellis, Deborah
“Interviews with Palestinian and Israeli children examine how the war in the Middle East has affected their lives.” (Catalogue) This book is for older children 10+

Tasting the sky : a Palestinian childhood / Barakat, Ibtisam
“When a war ends it does not go away, my mother says. It hides inside us . . . Just forget. But I do not want to do what Mother says . . . I want to remember. In this groundbreaking memoir set in Ramallah during the aftermath of the 1967 Six-Day War, Ibtisam Barakat captures what it is like to be a child whose world is shattered by war.” (Adapted from Catalogue) This book is for older children 10+

A little piece of ground / Laird, Elizabeth
“Twelve-year-old Karim Aboudi and his family are trapped in their Ramallah home by a strict curfew. Israeli tanks control the city in response to a Palestinian suicide bombing. Karim longs to play football outside with his friends. But in this city there’s constant danger. Ages 10+” (Catalogue)

Milet mini picture dictionary : English-Arabic / Turhan, Sedat
“Introduces key English and Arabic words for plants, animals, shapes, food, and other common items.” (Catalogue)

My first book of Arabic words / Kudela, Katy R
“Simple text paired with themed photos invite the reader to learn to speak Arabic.” (Catalogue)

Israel and Palestine / Gallagher, Michael
“This series is a fascinating and informative look at the historical background to world trouble spots. Each title is packed with details, photographs and maps. Ages 10-16.” (Catalogue)

Israel and Palestine / Mason, Paul
“An informed, unbiased review of some of the world’s major conflict zones Global Hot Spots aims to fill in the facts behind the headlines, developing students’ understanding of the historical context of the events they see on TV. It provides accounts of real-life experiences and looks at ‘how history was made’ in these conflict zones.” (Catalogue)

The Summer Reading Adventure for Kids: A Sneak Preview

Stephen Clothier

Read books, explore the city, win prizes!

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.

Pick up the Adventurer’s Guide from your local library and visit our Summer Reading Adventure website to pre-register and start logging your reading and adventures today.

Read on to find out more!

Continue reading →

What’s On for Kids in the CBD?

Stephen Clothier

Warning: This blog post is intended for parents and caregivers — kids read on at your peril!

Kia ora folks! As we hurtle towards the summer, a lot more families will be heading into the city centre to visit the waterfront, go shopping, explore the city streets, and perhaps even visit one of our three CBD libraries! And if you’re coming into the city with a child in tow, what could be a nicer thing to do than join one of our wonderful city centre librarians for a lovely Preschool Storytime or Baby Rock and Rhyme session? Read on to find out more about when and where you can expect to find something to do with your preschooler in the central city.

Te Awe Library

A spooktacular Halloween display in the kids’ area at Te Awe Library.

Te Awe Library is our largest CBD library, located between Brandon Street and Panama Street, just off Lambton Quay. At Te Awe, you can find a huge children’s section, lots of cosy nooks to curl up and read in, free bookable meeting rooms, as well as a big collection of books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, and even vinyl records for adults and children alike to browse — and don’t forget the excellent Collective Coffee Shop is located conveniently within the library for a great way to start the day with your tamariki!

What’s on for tamariki at Te Awe?

  • Preschool Storytime — Wednesdays at 10.30am (new time!)
    Fun and interactive stories, songs, and rhymes to inspire your preschooler and grow a love of literacy. Through stories and play, children learn how to express themselves and understand the world around them. Recommended for tamariki aged 2-4 with their caregivers.
  • Baby Rock and Rhyme — Mondays at 2.00pm and Thursdays at 10.30am
    Join us for these fun and free sessions for parents and carers to interact with their babies through songs and stories. Rhyme, rhythm, repetition and music are the building blocks of language for babies. Recommended for pēpī aged 0-2 with their caregivers.
  • Monthly Mandarin Storytimes — First Tuesday of the month at 10.30am
    Regular Mandarin storytimes are starting up again! Join us for these special bilingual events run by our talented staff and learn more about Chinese story, music, and culture. All are welcome, whether or not you speak Mandarin as your first language. Recommended for tamariki aged 2-4 with their caregivers.
    普通话讲故事时间。提亚威 图书馆 上午10.30—11am。 每个月的第一个周二。
    互动和有趣的故事和童谣时间，激发儿童对文学的热爱。通过故事和玩耍，儿童会学习自我表述， 并了周围的世界。
    建议2-4岁儿童和家长参加。免费。
  • LEGO® Time — Saturdays at 2.00pm and Sundays at 11.00am
    Come down to the library and get creative in these free-build sessions with our extensive LEGO® collections. Builders of all ages and experience levels are welcome to get stuck in! Recommended for tamariki, rangatahi, and pākeke aged 5+. Children under the age of 14 should be accompanied by a caregiver.

How to get to Te Awe

All CBD buses go past Te Awe Library — get off at the Lambton Central stops by David Jones for easy access to the library via Panama Street. Free bike parking is available on Grey Street, and paid street parking is available on Panama and Brandon Streets. Visit this link for directions to Te Awe Library from your current location.

Arapaki Library

A beautiful display at Arapaki Library in celebration of Diwali 2022.

Arapaki Library is located on Manners St, perfect for families who live in the city centre or who travel through for work or school. At Arapaki, you can find a great selection of kids’ books, as well as books in a variety of community languages, including Korean, Japanese, French, Russian, Persian and Spanish.

What’s on for tamariki at Arapaki?

  • Preschool Storytime — Thursdays at 10.30am
    Fun and interactive stories, songs, and rhymes to inspire your preschooler and grow a love of literacy. Through stories and play, children learn how to express themselves and understand the world around them. Recommended for tamariki aged 2-4 with their caregivers.
    Our storytimes at Arapaki are very popular with local preschools, but all are welcome to join in on the fun!

How to get to Arapaki

Like Te Awe, all CBD bus routes go directly past Arapaki Library — get off at the Manners Street at Willis Street stop if you’re coming from the Courtenay Place end of town, or at the Manners Street at Cuba Street stop if you’re coming from the railway station end of town. Limited paid parking is available near the library on Victoria Street or Willis Street. Visit this link for directions to Arapaki Library from your current location.

He Matapihi Library

A lovely Pride display from the team at He Matapihi Library, in the small amphitheatre used for events.

Our smallest CBD location, He Matapihi Library is located on Molesworth Street, on the ground floor of the National Library building. He Matapihi’s unique collection contains only books written by New Zealand authors, with a special focus on books of significance to Māori as well as to Wellingtonians specifically. With the wonderful Home Cafe right next door, He Matapihi is the perfect spot for families to chill out together!

What’s on for tamariki at He Matapihi?

  • Preschool Storytime — Mondays at 10.30am
    Fun and interactive stories, songs, and rhymes to inspire your preschooler and grow a love of literacy. Through stories and play, children learn how to express themselves and understand the world around them. Recommended for tamariki aged 2-4 with their caregivers.
  • Craftivity — Saturdays at 10.30am
    Bust the indoor boredom and join us for free arts and crafts for kids at the library! Our talented staff are full of ideas, and we can’t wait to see yours! This is a guaranteed fun time for tamariki and the whole whānau to enjoy together. Recommended for tamariki aged 4+ with their caregivers.

How to get to He Matapihi

The Library is in walking distance of Wellington Railway Station — get off at Wellington Station and turn right up Molesworth Street. For bus users, the 14 and 22 are regular services that go via the library — get off at the Molesworth Street – Cathedral stop. Otherwise, paid parking is available near the library on Molesworth Street and Aitken Street. Visit this link for directions to He Matapihi Library from your current location.

Strange New Worlds: Discovering and Naming Exoworlds!

Stephen Clothier

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.

Find out more about these fabulous events below!

On a Planet Far, Far Away: Discovering Exoworlds

When? Friday 14 October, 11.30am – 12.15pm
Where? Karori Library, Ground Floor

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.

This talk is open for space enthusiasts of all ages, and there’s no need to register! Find out more on our event calendar.

Making Your Mark: Naming Exoworlds

When? Friday 14 October, 12.30 – 1.30pm
Where? Karori Library, 1st Floor

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 NameExoWorlds initiative, 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.

Because space is limited for this event, registration is essential. Visit our event calendar to register your interest in this event.

Meet the Space Scientists

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!

 

 

Our Place in Space: October School Holiday Events

Joseph Robinson

World Space Week – Libraries blast off! 

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 Alan Wade

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 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!)

 

Beyond the Page: Week One Round-up!

Stephen Clothier

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 person wearing a blue sweatshirt draws on the pommel of a stylised sword made from cardboard

A young creator inscribes something (magical runes, perhaps?) on the blade of a cardboard sword they have made at Cardboard Costumes at Miramar Library.


Four small sculpted figurines sit on a green cutting mat. From left to right, they appear to be a sentient brick wall, a one-legged, one-eyed monster, a white block-like creature with tentacle-like arms, and a frog-like creature with tentacles coming out of its mouth

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:

Several colourful LEGO constructions sitting on a table. Among them are several blue-and-green landscapes, a house, a fire engine, and a garden.

A selection of wonderful LEGO® creations from Bricks and Giggles at Brooklyn Library

A large group of children gathered around a table. On the table are a range of craft resources, magazines, pens and pencils.

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.