Te Ao Kararehe | The World of Animals: Wrap-Up!

As we prepare ourselves for another term of school, let’s look back on all the important learning, incredible creations, and colourful critters that we encountered during our April school holidays programme, Te Ao Kararehe | The World of Animals.

Flip through this photo gallery to see some cheeky animals and check out a few of our holiday highlights!

  • Librarian with three camelids
    Mary the librarian, with 3 camelids at ‘Llamas at the Library,’ outside Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library!
  • A group of children making art
    Creating animal masks at Wadestown Library!
  • Children and parents using LEGO®
    Coastal Ecology LEGO® Lab at Island Bay Community Centre
  • Man walks wearing a kororā penguin suit, child watches.
    Michael the Kororā on the move at Karori Library’s Kororā Penguin Party
  • Child stands behind display, holding artwork
    Alisa (5), one of our Kilbirnie Wheelie Roar-Some competition winners, with her creation Bessie: the bird taxi! Thanks to the Kilbirnie Recreation Centre for helping out with prizes!
  • Two boys hold artwork
    Some of the masterful creations from Under the Sea Animal Craftivity at He Matapihi Library
  • A group of children building LEGO®
    Making LEGO® Habitats at Cummings Park Library
  • Child holds their artwork
    One of the lushly decorated critter creations from Technicolour Furbearers at Johnsonville Library!
  • Children work on craft project
    Creating mix and match animal flipbooks at Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library
  • Group of children and parents watch librarians reading book, with musical instruments
    Our librarians lead a musical animal antics storytime at Tawa Community Centre
  • Children read a story to parents and toddlers
    Young presenters weave a tale at our Brooklyn Library Cuddly Creatures Sleepover!
  • Man with guanaco, watched by children
    Stephen Mulholland introduces tamariki to a guanaco at Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library

Wellington City Libraries and Community Centres would like to give a massive thanks to all our friends from Forest & Bird: Places for Penguins, Wellington University Coastal Ecology Lab, Kilbirnie Recreation Centre, and of course Stephen Mullholand with his herd of camelids!

Thanks to everyone who came along and helped make our programme so special! We hope to see you all again next holidays, or hopefully before then at your local library branch! To find out about our regular programmes, special events, and holiday happenings, make sure to keep an eye-out on the kids’ blog, and our Facebook page, or our events calendar.

Now, it’s time for us to waddle, trot, and soar on our way out of here. Mā te wā!

Announcing Nohinohi Reorua — Bilingual Storytimes!

Kia ora Pōneke! We are excited to let you know about a brand new children’s programme coming soon to our whare pukapuka — Nohinohi Reorua

What is Nohinohi Reorua?

Nohinohi reorua means “bilingual little ones” in te reo Māori, and it is the name for the new bilingual storytime programme coming to six of our library branches after the April school holidays finish. Find out more below, or visit our event calendar to see all of the days, times and locations!

Join us for Nohinohi Reorua | Bilingual Storytimes at your local library!


Nohinohi Reorua! Whāngaia tō Tama Toa ki te pānui pukapuka! E toru tekau meneti pakiwaitara, rotarota, waiata hoki i roto i te reo Māori me te reo Ingarihi, nō ngā kōhungahunga me ō rātou mātua kaitiaki.

Get your superhero hooked on books with Nohinohi Reorua — our special bilingual storytimes! Featuring stories, rhymes, and songs in te reo Māori and English, these 30-minute sessions are open to anyone, and are recommended for tamariki aged 2-6 with their caregivers.

When and Where?

Nō reira, nau mai, haere mai ki ōu tātou whare pukapuka! Come on down to the library to enjoy Nohinohi Reorua with us — everyone is welcome!

Code Club: Register for Term 3

Coding is everywhere, even behind the scenes of this very blog! Here’s a snippet of HTML from one of our most popular Kids’ Blog posts from last year — can you work out which one?

What is Code Club?

Did you know that you can learn how to code at your local library? That’s right! In collaboration with our friends at Code Club Aotearoa, we have been running Code Clubs across Wellington City Libraries since early 2018, and we’re now taking registrations for Code Clubs across the city for Term 3 2021. This year, our He Matapihi branch, on the ground floor of the National Library in Thorndon, joined the Code Club family, and we’re also excited to announce that our Code Club at Cummings Park Library in Ngaio is back up and running after taking some time off in 2020.

How can I register for Code Club at my local library?

Click the relevant link to register (please note some of our Clubs are full already! You can still click the link to be waitlisted for the next intake of students):

  • Cummings Park Library Code Club — Mondays at 4.00pm (register here)
  • He Matapihi Library Code Club — Wednesdays at 3.45pm (register here)
  • Johnsonville Library Code Club Level 1 — Thursdays at 3.30pm (this club is FULL; click here to join the waitlist)
  • Johnsonville Library Code Club Level 2 — Wednesdays at 5.00pm (this club is FULL; click here to join the waitlist)
  • Karori Library Code Club — Tuesdays at 3.30pm (register here)
  • Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library Code Club — Saturdays at 2.00pm (register here)
  • Newtown Library Code Club — Mondays at 4.00pm (register here)

What will I do at Code Club?

At Code Club, you will complete progressive coding challenges under the guidance of librarians and other coding experts! Most of our Code Clubs start off by covering projects in Scratch 3.0 (and it’s useful if you already have an account, but we can help you make one if you don’t!), with some groups moving on to cover other coding practices like Python and HTML/CSS (using popular multi-purpose coding platform trinket.io). Contact your local club if you want to find out more about what they offer, or you can check out some of the projects yourself here!

To finish up, below is an example of one of the simple games you could find yourself making after just a couple of weeks of attending Code Club. It really is fun! How many ghosts can you capture, ghostbuster?

Code Clubs at Wellington City Libraries

Coding is everywhere, even behind the scenes of this very blog! Here’s a snippet of HTML from one of our most popular Kids’ Blog posts from last year — can you work out which one?

Did you know that you can learn how to code at your local library? That’s right! In collaboration with our friends at Code Club Aotearoa, we have been running Code Clubs across Wellington City Libraries since early 2018 — and this year, there is a new library joining the Code Club family — our He Matapihi branch, on the ground floor of the National Library in Thorndon!

Here is the full list of Code Clubs across Wellington City Libraries — click the relevant link to register (please note some of our Clubs are full already! You can still click the link to be waitlisted for the next intake of students):

  • He Matapihi Library Code Club — Wednesdays at 3.45pm (register here)
  • Johnsonville Library Code Club Level 1 — Thursdays at 3.30pm (this club is FULL; click here to join the waitlist)
  • Johnsonville Library Code Club Level 2 — Wednesdays at 5.00pm (this club is FULL; click here to join the waitlist)
  • Karori Library Code Club — Tuesdays at 3.30pm (register here)
  • Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library Code Club — Saturdays at 2.00pm (this club is FULL; click here to join the waitlist)
  • Newtown Library Code Club — Mondays at 4.00pm (register here)

At Code Club, you will complete progressive coding challenges under the guidance of librarians and other coding experts! Most of our Code Clubs start off by covering projects in Scratch 3.0 (and it’s useful if you already have an account, but we can help you make one if you don’t!), with some groups moving on to cover other coding practices like Python and HTML/CSS (using popular multi-purpose coding platform trinket.io). Contact your local club if you want to find out more about what they offer, or you can check out some of the projects yourself here!

To finish up, below is an example of one of the simple games you could find yourself making after just a couple of weeks of attending Code Club. It really is fun! How many ghosts can you capture, ghostbuster?

Kōhunga Kōrero: Whāngaia tō Tama Toa ki te Pānui Pukapuka!

Kia ora e te whānau! Great news — Kōhunga Kōrero, our special storytimes in te reo Māori, are back for 2021! This year, in addition to Johnsonville, Karori, Miramar, and Newtown Libraries, we have Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library joining in on the fun.

Kōhunga Kōrero: whāngaia tō Tama Toa ki te pānui pukapuka! Pakiwaitara i roto i te reo Māori. E 30 meneti pakiwaitara, rotarota, waiata hoki i roto i te reo Māori nō ngā kōhungahunga me ō rātou mātua kaitiaki.

Kōhunga Kōrero: get your superhero hooked on books! Featuring stories, rhymes, and songs in te reo Māori, these 30-minute sessions are open to anyone, and are recommended for children (aged 2-6 years) with their caregivers.

Here’s the full Kōhunga Kōrero schedule for the year ahead — we’d love to have you along!

Festive Family Storytimes are Around the Corner!

Meri Kirihimete, Pōneke!

 

It’s that time of year again! The festive season is right around the corner, which means that our libraries are getting themselves all ready to provide storytimes most merry and mirthful for your jollification. 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?

There will be stories, songs, crafts, and maybe even some special visits from a certain portly gentleman at some locations. You’ll be in for an extra-special treat if you go along to the event at Arapaki Library on Manners Street — you’ll get to hear different festive stories from all over the world, even some in different languages!

All of these events are free, family-friendly, and suitable for children of all ages with their caregivers.

Where and When?

 


Wednesday 9th December

Arapaki (Manners Street) Library, 5.30 – 6.30pm


Thursday 10th December

Island Bay Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm

Khandallah Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm

Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm


Friday 11th December

Newtown Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm


Monday 14th December

Brooklyn Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm

Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm

Miramar Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm


Tuesday 15th December

Te Awe (Brandon Street) Library, 4.00 – 4.45pm

Johnsonville Library, 4.00 – 4.45pm


Thursday 17th December

Karori Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm

Wadestown Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm


Friday 18th December

He Matapihi (Molesworth Street) Library, 10.30 – 11.15am


Saturday 19th December

Johnsonville Library, 2.00 – 2.45pm


Sunday 20th December

Te Awe Library, 2.00 – 2.45pm


Monday 21st December

Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library, 10.30 – 11.15am


Visiting Your Library with Children at Level 2

The day has finally come! Five of our libraries (Johnsonville, Cummings Park (Ngaio), Karori, Newtown, and Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie)) are back open to the public, with two more (Arapaki Manners and Wadestown) opening on Monday. Check here for all the details! Although we’re back, things might look a little bit different. Here’s what you can expect to see when you visit one of our libraries during Level 2:

  • A security guard or librarian checking people off as they enter. Because we have to be careful about how many people can be in the library at once, we have to tick you off and take your details as you come in. Sometimes this will mean you’ll need to wait a little while to get in — don’t worry, everything we’re doing is to try to keep you and your family safe.
  • People keeping far apart. When you’re in the library, you’ll see people trying to keep 2m apart as they make their way through the building picking up books. Please remember to keep inside your bubble at all times, and be patient if you need to wait for someone to leave a shelf before you can leap in and grab the book you want!
  • Lots of hand sanitiser! We’re providing a whole bunch of hand sanitiser so everyone can keep clean and safe. Remember, washing your hands often is the best way to kill germs, so make sure you remember to sanitise your hands after touching your face, and before you enter or leave the library.
  • No comfy chairs to sit and read in. We want you to keep your visit as short as possible — pop in, grab your books, and head back home so the next person can enter the library. We know it’s very tempting to find somewhere cosy at the library to curl up and read a book, but to help keep everyone safe and happy, please save the reading for when you get home.
  • No storytimes or other library activities. During Level 2 of the lockdown, we won’t be able to run any of our regular programmes and activities, like Preschool Storytime, Baby Rock and Rhyme, Let’s Go LEGO, Code Club, or CRAFTerschool in person at the library. We’re still running a bunch of these activities online, so be sure to check out our Facebook page and Family Lockdown Challenge blog posts to join in!
  • No big family groups visiting together. Generally, we want to keep groups of people entering the library as small as possible. If you can, look at the library catalogue online, decide what you want, reserve it if you’d like, and send one person from your bubble to the library to collect it. That might not always be possible, which is fine, but just remember to stick inside your bubble if you are visiting the library in a group.

Our librarians are very excited to see you back again — here’s a photo of the staff at Johnsonville Library at Waitohi giving you a wave and a smile! Make sure to give the librarians a big smile and wave back when you see them as well — it will make them very happy!

Come and visit us! We’re happy to be back online.

 

Free movie night at Johnsonville Library!

Come along to our free movie night on Friday 8th November at Johnsonville Library. 

This month we have a double feature.

First up at 4pm.  For spooky Halloween we have a vampire with a hotel hidden away for tired monsters to visit. He is horrified when a human stumbles in and books a room. What’s worse is that the hotel is full of monsters there to celebrate his daughter’s birthday! He has to keep the human away from the monsters, and also away from his daughter who seems to like the human much more than her father thinks she should.

This film is rated PG and runs for 88 minutes.

At 6pm. A disgruntled girl and her family move into a new house, full of weird and eccentric other tenants. She finds a secret door hidden in her new home and discovers a new world on the other side, one just like her own world only much better! But the world on the other side of the door isn’t all it seems to be and it’s up to the girl and her new feline friend to get back home and save her family.

This movie is rated PG and runs for 96 minutes. Note: Scary scenes may upset younger viewers.

Can’t guess what films we’re talking about? You can call the library or talk to a librarian to find out what is playing each month.

Bring your own cushion for a comfy night in. Movies will play in the Children’s section of the library.

The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo!

Join us with acclaimed local author Elaine Bickell at Johnsonville Library for an especially spooky Halloween storytime this Friday the 18th of October at 6.30pm! Come in your pyjamas, grab a mug of hot chocolate, and settle in to hear Elaine read from her newly-published book, The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo, as well as other frightening favourites from the library stacks.

These ghosts won’t be losing their ‘boo’ any time soon!

Reserve Elaine’s book on our catalogue here, and find out more about Elaine and her connection to Johnsonville Library below!

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