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Tag: youth night

Karori Youth Night in Living Colour

Artwork of a globe ornament with a loom wheel inside of it

Image courtesy of Karori Arts & Crafts Centre

Young people aged 14— 18 are invited to join us at Karori Library’s Youth Night on Saturday, 16 September 2023, 5 – 8pm.

These after-hours events are for teens who are into books, gaming, making music, watching movies, crafts, eating pizza, and generally just hanging out!

Logo for Karori Arts & Crafts

This Youth Night, you can add colour to your artwork with alcohol markers! Jenny from the Karori Arts & Crafts Centre will teach some tips and tricks to using marker in your drawings to bring them to life. Learn how to ink and colour your sketches, adding a 3D feel to your characters and drawings in no time. All materials provided!
Our Youth Nights are totally free (pizza included!) but you do need to be 14+ in order to come, so please come prepared to show your student ID. Once you’re in, our space is yours!

Pukapuka for inspiration, available at the library

Pocket fantasy art : the very best in contemporary fantasy art & illustration
“Featuring some of the freshest and most exciting artists working in the genre today, ‘Pocket Fantasy Art’ is an inspirational pocket-sized showcase of the very best in contemporary fantasy art and illustration.” (Catalogue)

Art of protest : what a revolution looks like / Nichols, De
“From the psychedelic typography used in “Make Love Not War” posters of the ’60s to the solitary raised fist, some of the most memorable and striking protest artwork from across the world and throughout history deserves a long, hard look. Readers can explore each piece of art to understand how color, symbolism, technique, and typography play an important role in communication.” (Abridged from catalogue)

Guide to cartooning / Bohl, Al
“Provides instructions for drawing different styles of cartooning, including political, strips, books, and illustration, and gives advice on how to get a job in the field.” (Catalogue)
Manga mania fantasy worlds : how to draw the amazing worlds of Japanese comics / Hart, Christopher
“Manga fantasy is the swords-and-sorcery Japanese animation style featured in the most popular video role-playing games on the market. Christopher Hart’s latest tutorial reveals the secrets and art techniques that go into creating these worlds of wonder.” (Catalogue)
Halo warfleet : an illustrated guide to the spacecraft of Halo / Peters, Kenneth
“The authoritative guide to the spacefaring fleets of the Halo universe. Discover everything about the spaceships of the Halo universe with Halo Warfleet, from the Covenant’s homeworld, High Charity, to the gigantic Forerunner Guardians that lay dormant beneath the planets of the Orion Arm. Each of the featured ships is shown as a detailed cross-section, illustrated by renowned technical artists Hans Jenssen and John R. Mullaney, which shows the internal machinations and features of these incredible spacecraft. Created in collaboration with the team at 343 Industries, this is the perfect companion to the multimillion-selling franchise. Look out for other Halo titles from Egmont: Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Storey of Halo The Art of Halo 5: Guardians.” (Catalogue)

Comics, graphic novels, and manga : the ultimate teen guide / Bonser, Randall
“In Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga: The Ultimate Teen Guide, Randall Bonser explores the history, evolution, diversification, and impact of these storytelling forms. This book looks at the origins of illustrated stories and how they have evolved over the decades.” (Catalogue)


Teenagers Can Like Dinosaurs Too: Youth Night, US State Dinosaurs, And Other Associated Ramblings

The monthly Youth Night at Johnsonville Library is coming up on Saturday the 2nd of September. Youth Nights are a lot of fun! The library is open from 5pm-8pm only for youth aged 14-18, we feed you (arrive before 6pm to be added to the pizza order!), Keith-Spry Pool next door is also open just for teen use from 6pm-8pm, and we also have a different theme each month and exciting activities based on that theme! For example! The last Youth Night at Karori Library was all about crochet – they even had a proper tutor in to teach stuff about how you can take a hook and some yarn and turn it into something miraculous.

As you’ve probably guessed from the title of blog, the September Youth Night theme is dinosaurs! This was a theme requested by one of our Youth Night regulars, so we know it’s going to make at least one person very happy. As well as the librarians of course. We also think dinosaurs are pretty neat.

via GIPHY

We’ve got a whole lotta fun things planned. Dinosaur jigsaw puzzles (we’ve got a big one to put together, and little ones you can paint and take home!), a dinosaur themed scavenger hunt throughout the library, and a short dinosaur-themed quiz to start off the night.

Now, as a result of my preparations for Youth Night I have learned that as well as having state birds, state capitals, and state marine animals, some US states also have state dinosaurs. Like, officially recognised state dinosaurs! Admittedly, some of these deliberately dedicated dinosaurs do come under the rather less exciting title of state fossil, but they still get a dinosaur/dinosaur fossil of their very own!

For example, picking a state at random*, the official dinosaur of the state of Delaware is the Dryptosauridae. Look! There’s even an official Bill from the Delaware General Assembly about the decision!

This gangly genus belongs to the superfamily Tyrannosauroidea and seems to have had slightly longer arms that the famed T-Rex, and one of the reasons put forward in the nomination for this dinosaur is that Dryptosauridae are bird-like, the Delaware state bird is the blue hen chicken, so it would be meaningful to have a bird-like state dinosaur. Go figure.

Black silhouette of a T-Rex like dinosaur

A Dryptosauridae.
Photo by Tasman Dixon, Licensed under CC0 1.0.
*Ok, maybe not picking a state at random. Dear Delaware is still going on. If you haven’t signed up for a pen pal from Delaware yet, you still can! Sign-ups are ongoing so you can register anytime and you’ll be notified when there’s Delawarean pal ready for you!

Hamish Campbell, the geologist and palaeontologist I keep on speed-dial (well not quite speed-dial, but I did text him), has suggested Titahia, an unusual tube fossil, for a Wellington Fossil.

Titahia has been found in, and named after, Titahi Bay. These wee worms would have been making their little tube-dwellings all the way back in the Triassic Period. That’s 252-201 million years ago – the specimen below is around 215 million years old! And it was during this period that dinosaurs started appearing.

A rock on a black background with pale lines of titahia fossils throughout it

Titahia corrugata Webby. Fossil tube worms AU1316
Image attribution: Brian Donovan (Photographer), Geological Collections, The University of Auckland.
All rights reserved.

A tube worm is perhaps not as illustrious as a dinosaur, but hey, you can’t have it all. We don’t have any local dinosaur fossils in Wellington, but we certainly have, um, wind? And tube worms!

Other parts of the country are lucky enough to have evidence that dinosaurs once roamed these lands. If you’re after dinosaurs in New Zealand you really have to go over to the Hawkes Bay and Joan Wiffen’s incredible discoveries. But other than that link, I won’t go into more detail about that particular matter since there is an important discover-versary coming up in 2025 and I believe our illustrious leader in the blogging department has strong feelings and plans on this topic and I wouldn’t want to step on his blog-writing toes two years in advance.

Usually when preparing blogs we do try to justify our subject choice with a list of thematically-linked books. However, this time I don’t have to do that! If you’re after books about dinosaurs, I can simply direct you over to It’s Dino Time, Literally: Discover Dinosaurs During Dinosaur Day!, written by fellow blogger J’Shuall to celebrate, you guessed it, Dinosaur Day.

Youth Night at Karori: Crochet, Pizza & Games

This weekend, young people aged 14— 18 are invited to join us at Karori Library’s Youth Night on Saturday, 19 August, 5 – 8PM.

These after-hours events are for teens who are into books, gaming, making music, watching movies, crafts, eating pizza, and generally just hanging out!

This Youth Night, you also have a chance to learn some of the basics of Crochet with Judy, one of the fantastic tutors from Karori Arts & Crafts Centre. You might learn to make something beautiful to keep you warm on a cold winter night! All materials provided.

Our Youth Nights are totally free (pizza included!) but you do need to be 14+ in order to come, so please come prepared to show your student ID. Once you’re in, our space is yours!

Email karori.youthnight@wcc.govt.nz if you’d like more info — otherwise, we’ll see you there!

For any budding Crochet enthusiasts, here’s a quick intro to crochet from our wonderful blogger Maiph taken from their blog Cool Things to Make During a Study Break.

Crochet

A green, grey, and yellow crocheted caterpillar sits next to a yellow crocheted octopus. The octopus has one tentacle through the handle of a white and blue crocheted teapot.

Just some crocheted friends sharing a pot of tea. Lovely.

Crocheting is done with one hook rather than two needles, so there’s not as many things to keep track of with your hands. And it’s usually faster than knitting too! Particularly with a big hook and chunky yarn…

But there are so many things you can crochet! Crochet a curious critter (as seen on the right), make a garden of flowers, or even the Twelve Birds of Christmas!

Hats are usually a good beginner project, and they can be embellished in very fun ways if you feel like it, or there’s the good old-fashioned granny square – great for blankets, using up yarn leftovers, and cushion covers!

Some of the books we have available for you to borrow include more Literary Yarns, amigurumi style foods or animals, you’ll be sure to find something fun! We’ve got books of crochet patterns available through our eLibrary, and there’s also a few crochet eMagazines, and our eMagazines are always available.

Claude, a grey, green, and yellow caterpillar is sitting on a cushion crocheting the last row of a scarf. The stripes of the scarf are, in order, yellow, white, purple, and the last one is black.

Claude, our favourite crocheted caterpillar with their Non-binary Pride Flag scarf.

 

 

 

Youth Nights Come to Kilbirnie Library!

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re super excited to announce that our popular Youth Nights are finally coming to the queen of gorgeousness herself, the wonderful Kilbirnie Library!

On Saturday the 22nd of July, Kilbirnie Library will be open after hours, from 5.00 – 8.00pm, but only if you’re a teen. Bring along your student ID to prove you’re over 14, and your Emotional Support Adult to sign you in, and the fun shall commence! Our Youth Nights are LGBTQIA+ inclusive and we can’t wait to welcome you 🙂

If you’ve been to one of our Youth Nights at Karori or Johnsonville Libraries before, you know the drill — there’s free pizza, board games, music, crafts, anime, VR (can you beat the librarians at Beat Saber? Only time will tell…), chill vibes, good friends, and oh so very much more! (Did we mention free pizza? There’ll be free pizza.)

Also known as the Ruth Gotlieb Library, after the late legendary former City Councillor, stalwart library enthusiast, and fashion icon Ruth Gotlieb, Kilbirnie Library offers the following amenities for the discerning teen library-goer:

  • In honour of Matariki, a cosy ‘fireplace’ perfect for listening to gentle stories about the stars and doing celestial crafts with your pals
  • Magical ring lights in the ceiling that will ensure every selfie is perfectly-lit (as long as you are specifically taking them in the children’s picture book section)
  • Stunning views of the bustling Kilbirnie Crescent precinct and surrounds (I guess they might not be so bustling at night, and ‘stunning’ may be a strong word to describe ‘across the road from St Pat’s’, but you’ll be chilling indoors with pizza and friends so what does it matter?)
  • Books! Shelves! Comfy chairs! Cushions! Cool librarians! Unicorns! Enthusiasm for literature! Places to be yourself! And much, much more!

What kinds of Mischief, Hijinks, Tomfoolery, and Other Miscellaneous Examples Of Harmless Fun will we get up to at Kilbirnie Library’s Youth Nights? Well, that’s up to you to decide. Get in touch with us by email or message us on Instagram if you want more info, otherwise, we’ll see you there!

Rainbow Youth Night at Karori

I’m sure that our monthly Youth Nights at Karori Library, are already locked in your calendar, but here’s a reminder that this weekend we have a Rainbow Youth Night, Saturday, 17 June 2023, 5 – 8pm to celebrate Pride and Out on the Shelves!

We’ll be open after-hours for rainbow and takatāpui youth (and friends!) to socialise, have fun, and chat to a librarian about your favourite queer literature. As usual, there will be pizza, gaming, movies, crafts, and quiet spaces to chill out. Our Youth Nights are totally free but you do need to be 14+ in order to come, so please come prepared to show your student ID.

Out on the Shelves display, 2023

In case you’re just learning about it, Out on the Shelves, is an online reading resource that aims to connect rainbow young people with the stories that represent them, listing books with positive rainbow representation in them. They also have a Rainbow Writing Competition, and you can submit reviews of books you’ve read too! June is Out on the Shelves campaign month, where our library branches compete to create the most impressive displays!

This rainbow youth night will offer another chance to be part of a large-scale collaborative art piece that will be toured between all fourteen of our library branches around the city. This creation will reflect our collective and individual queer identities.

Hope to see you there!

 

Youth Night at Karori: Manga Masters

This weekend, young people aged 14— 18 are invited to join us at Karori Library’s Youth Night, Saturday, 20 May 2023, 5 – 8pm!

Hand drawn art of facesThis month, we are lucky to have Lauren, a tutor from the Karori Arts & Crafts Centre, coming to teach us all about manga illustration and anime-style art! Lauren teaches step by step skills that will have you creating your own cool characters in no time! All materials provided.

If you’ve been along to one of our Karori or Johnsonville Youth Nights, you’ll know the drill: we have a bunch of games, crafts, anime and free pizza!

Our Youth Nights are LGBTQIA+ inclusive and we welcome folks of all stripes. Bring along your student ID to prove you’re over 14, and the fun shall commence!

Email karori.youthnight@wcc.govt.nz if you’d like more info — otherwise, we’ll see you there!

For any budding illustrators, here’s some pukapuka from our collection to check out!

How to draw manga in simple steps / Li, Yishan
“Learn how to draw boys, girls and creatures (ordinary and extraordinary) in the manga style, using this fun and simple step-by-step book. Starting with basic shapes, professional comic artist Yishan Li shows how easy it is to turn circles, rectangles, squares and ovals into teens, kids, witches, wizards, monsters, animals and much more…” (Abridged from catalogue)


Shojo fashion manga art school, year 2 : draw modern looks / Flores, Irene
“This title provides readers with modern looks and fashions for classic shojo graphic novel themes such high school romances, complex dramas, stories about friendship and sweet comedies.” (Abridged from catalogue)
One thousand years of manga / Koyama-Richard, Brigitte
“…Manga has, in fact, deep roots in Japanese culture, drawing on centuries-old artistic traditions… The more familiar manga comics of today echo similar themes, both light and serious, and draw on narrative forms present in the sagas and skits from Japan’s rich cultural heritage…” (Abridged from catalogue)

Shojo fashion, manga art school : how to draw cool characters, action scenes and modern looks. Boys / Flores, Irene
“Learn how to draw male characters’ figures, faces, and looks, and in settings of groups and in action. “35+ step-by-step demonstrations, including 9 complete character portraits, from athletes to artistic types.” (Catalogue)

Manga mania fantasy worlds : how to draw the amazing worlds of Japanese comics / Hart, Christopher
“Manga fantasy is the swords-and-sorcery Japanese animation style featured in the most popular video role-playing games on the market. Christopher Hart’s latest tutorial reveals the secrets and art techniques that go into creating these worlds of wonder.” (Catalogue)