Our new website is live

For a while now we at the library have been working on a new library website. Well in the last week thanks to a lot of hard work from staff we've got the new library website up and running.

On a sadder note however the new website means that this library blog which we have come to know and love is no longer needed as the new website comes with its own blog in built.

So join us in saying goodbye to blogger and go ahead a visit the new Invercargill City Libraries & Archive Blog.

Summer reading fun

We at the Invercargill City Libraries endeavour to ensure that we are providing services and support for those children and young adults who are enthusiastic about reading.

We have implemented two fantastic progammes that promote active minds while away from school during the Summer holidays from 1 December 2011 through to 28 January 2012.
As you may already know, the Children’s Summer Reading Programme has been running for a number of years now with fabulous success. Last year we introduced a new component to the
mix and offered a reading programme for teens over the summer holidays. The young adults’ programme will be open to anyone in Year 9 through to 20 years of age. The Children’s Reading Programme is open to those from Year 0 to year 8. In doing so we are covering all children interested in taking part.

The Children’s Summer Reading Programme and the Young Adults’ Programme will be coordinated slightly differently to accommodate the two different styles of reading. Children’s participants will be monitored by their parents and/or guardians to ensure they are reading the recommended 20 minutes per day over the set period of time. Once these times have been recorded in the log book provided, children are eligible to collect prizes.

The teen programme, however, will be independently focused with the participants reviewing the material read in order to gain points. Once a certain amount of points have been reached they will go into the draw to win prizes that are desirable and appropriate to the age group.

Registrations open on 1 December for both programmes and will remain open until all places are filled. Online registrations will also be available via www.ilibrary.co.nz We officially invite anyone who is interested in taking part to register as soon as possible and be in to win some amazing prizes.

Embracing the eBook revolution!

It looks like Invercargill City Libraries borrowers are embracing the eBook revolution!

To date, there have been 523 checkouts of eBooks and eAudiobooks from the South Island Downloadable Zone (powered by OverDrive), 25% of which have been by Invercargill people, well ahead of any of the other 14 South Island consortium members.

The new service has been so popular that you may have noticed that there are not many titles currently available for downloading, as so many are already checked out. You can, of course, always place a hold on any title you want to read that is currently out and you will be alerted by email when it is available for you to download.

As of today we have added a number of Advantage titles to our OverDrive website. These are titles that are only accessible to Invercargill patrons and are in addition to the titles available to all consortium members.

Remember you will need to sign in with your Invercargill City Libraries card number if you want to be able to see and access these exclusive Invercargill library titles. If you do not sign in you will only see the titles shared by all consortium members.

Still mystified by the whole process of borrowing eBooks and eAudiobooks? Click through to the South Island Downloadable Zone and visit the “Getting started” section for step-by-step instructions, or contact the library in person, by phone, email, or via Facebook or Twitter, and we will try to help.

Based on the book

The next meeting of the adults’ book group will be held on Thursday 10 November at 5:30pm in the Library Meeting Room on the first floor.

This month’s theme is ‘Based on the book’. Pick a book that has been adapted for the movies.

This is a free event and light refreshments will be provided. Please contact the library for further information about the book group.

Tattoo Magazine

Tattoo magazine has just being added to our collection and we feel it will be a great addition. Based in the USA, this magazine has been around for a long time and continues to meet the demands of its readers.

It keeps you up with who’s who and what’s hot in the world of tattoos, along with entertaining pictures and artist profiles. Available in the adult’s services department at the magazine stands.

JD | Photography

It's going to be Big

That's right the Library's annual book sale is on once again and this year it's going to bigger than ever. So big in fact that we needed more space. We've expanded and there will be books up in the library meeting room as well as down in the foyer.
Books go on sale starting 9.00 am this Thursday and we'll leave them out over the weekend. Make sure you're in by next Tuesday though.
There will be all sorts of ex-library stock for you to choose from including some DVDs, CDs and CD ROMs. Check below for a price list and we'll see you on Thursday bright and early hunting for a bargain.

• Magazines for 20c.
• Children's and adult's fiction for 50c each or 5 for $2.
• Large print fiction and non-fiction for 50c.
• Non-fiction, Graphic novels, Puzzles and Audio books all at $1 each.
• Videos for $2
• DVDs, CDs and CD ROMs for $2.50 each.

Are you a super sleuth?

Your mission if you choose to accept it, is to follow the bloody handprints to the crime scene at Morte Manor.

In each of the manor’s rooms a famous sleuth is investigating a grisly murder.

To solve the crimes, deduce the clues from the police evidence to find out the book title in which each of the sleuths appear and then match them with their authors.

The Competition runs from 1 October to 31 October 2011.

eBooks and eAudio books are here!

Invercargill City Libraries are very excited to announce the launch of our new eBook and eAudio book service, OverDrive. From Monday 3 October you will be able to download free eBooks and eAudio books from home via a link from our Library website, www.ilibrary.co.nz We have joined the South Island Downloadable Zone consortium of 15 South Island public libraries to bring you access to OverDrive. This means we will be sharing the collection with other libraries, with one person able to use a title at a time.

The initial collection of eBooks and eAudio consists of adult fiction titles, with an emphasis on popular and best seller titles. As the collection develops in size and demand for the service increases, popular nonfiction, young adult titles, and children’s content will be added.

This is such an exciting time and we invite you to join in the celebrations of a change in the publishing world.

What you need

· A valid Invercargill City Libraries card

· A computer with internet access (preferably broadband), or a mobile device such as an iPad, iPhone, or Android device etc

· Free software available from our OverDrive website: OverDrive Media Console and Adobe Digital Editions

· A device for reading eBooks, such as a Kobo or Sony Reader etc

· Something to listen to eAudio books (some of these can be burned to CD; others need to be played through a device such as an MP3 player etc)

Loan period

You can choose 7, 14, or 21 days. Titles automatically expire when the due date is reached, or eBooks can be “returned” early if you finish before the due date.

Holds

You can place a hold on any title that is currently out to someone else and you will be notified by email when it is ready for you to download. You will then have three days to download the title.

Number of items

You can borrow up to five items at a time (this includes eBooks and eAudio), and have holds on a further five items. These do not count against your usual 50 physical item limit at the Library.

Cost

OverDrive is free to users with a valid Invercargill City Libraries card. Items are free to download, and place holds on. You will never be charged any overdue fees for OverDrive items as they are automatically “returned” when the due date is reached.

To access the OverDrive

· Go to http://www.ilibrary.co.nz

· Click the “Digital” tab along the top of the screen

· Click the OverDrive link

· Find an available item you want to read or listen to, and add it to your basket.

When you are asked to login, you will need to select “Invercargill City Libraries” from the list of consortium libraries. Then click the next link as directed. You will then be taken to a page where you need to enter your valid Library card number.

Help

There is detailed, step-by-step help and FAQs on the South Island Downloadable Zone OverDrive website. Feel free to explore these and see if they answer any questions you may have. You will also find lists available of compatible devices etc on the website. Library Help Desk staff will also be able to assist you with basic enquiries about OverDrive, so please give us a call or come in and have a chat about the new service.

Going green.

We are working on recycling initiatives in-house, and now we want to begin working to reduce our use of paper. At the same time we are working to reduce duplication of tasks and improve processing speeds so that books will be in your hands sooner. As part of this, from 1 November we will no longer add date due slips to our books.

To help you to know when your books are due, we already provide you with a date due slip (on recycled paper) when you issue the books. If this doesn’t work for you, please talk to our staff about some other options, which include checking your date due online, phoning the library, or starting your own personal library notebook.

In a further effort to help you manage the timely return of resources, we will soon be introducing an early warning email that will let you know before books become overdue. Of course, to access this service, you need to give us your email address! We hope that this new service will benefit you, and once again, contribute to the greening of the library.

We appreciate your help with these green initiatives, and would welcome your suggestions about other ways we can contribute to environmental sustainability.

Come into the library and try an eReader!

Thinking of buying an eReader? Don’t know which one to buy? Come into the library and ask at the Help Desk to trial one of the eReader devices before you commit to buying one. We have a Kobo, a Sony eReader and a Kindle for you to try and if you need any help don’t be afraid to ask any of your friendly library staff for help.

Coming soon, we will be offering a free downloadable eBook and eAudio books for borrowing, via a service called OverDrive. eBooks borrowed via OverDrive are currently compatible with a wide range of dedicated eReaders and other devices, and can also be read or played through your computer.

Be aware that OverDrive is not currently compatible with all devices, so please bear this in mind if you are intending to purchase a device only to access free library eBooks.

Please visit the OverDrive website for a full list of all compatible and incompatible devices.

If you would like to know more about eReaders come into the library and ask one of our friendly librarians or visit some of the following links for more information.

• Sony website
• Kindle website
• Kobo website
  

Compare and read reviews of eReaders.

• Kindle ready.com camparison of eReaders
• eReader reviews.com
  
• my eReader reviews.com
  

Ereaders buying tips

• Laptopmag.com eReader buyers guide
• wired.com buying guide for eReader
  
• dearauthor.com know when to buy an eReader and when to wait

85 Magazine titles, and counting...

Magazines are a very popular part of our collection, but we do wonder how many of you know just how much we have on offer? A quick count of the Adult Services magazines alone showed at least 85 different magazines, and we have many more in the Teen, Childrens, Parents, and Information Services (research) collections .

If you are looking for inspiration around the home it can be difficult to keep up with the latest trends, and still have enough money left to spend on decorating supplies! We can offer you free access to magazines like Architectural digest, House and garden, Better homes and gardens, Ideal home and several others. Of course, if you really just want him out of the house for a while we can offer you The Shed, which might get him out of your hair and into his man cave. Better still, we have Motorhomes, which might see him out of your hair for weeks at a time! Imagine the interior decorating you could get done while he's gone?

If someone at your place has an interest in all things automotive we can support that passion, too. New Zealand classic car, Autocar, 4WD, Two wheels and Top gear are on the shelves, just waiting for a lift to your place. And while we're on the topic, have you seen the extent of our car manual collection in Information Services? There's a little piece of heaven for the mechanically minded amongst you.

For those interested in a different lifestyle, we have Lifestyle block, Lifestyle farmer, Country life, Good: sustainable living in New Zealand, and Grass roots - the Aussie's take on sustainable living. Organic New Zealand is topical and popular, too.

If artistic is a better word to describe you, we can help out there with a selection ranging from The Artist, Australian patchwork and quilting, UP2 scrap - scrapbooking and papercrafts.

Looking good and feeling better are topics of perennial interest, so the list of magazines that support this is too long to bother detailing. Suffice to say, Simply you, Men's health, New Zealand fitness and a variety of healthy food and cooking magazines will get you inspired and on your way to a new you. Who knows, if the results are spectacular enough, you might end up needing to borrow a copy of Bride and groom from us!

We are about to review the magazines we buy, andwould love to have your suggestions and recommendations. If they aretoo expensive for you to buy, but you'd love to read them, or theyare just so good that you think we should have them on the shelves,please tell us. We can't promise we'll have the funds to support allrequests, but we'll certainly throw them in the pot for argument and discussion.

Happy reading, magazine style.

Learn the secret ways of the library.

Have you ever wondered about the intricacies of the Dewey Decimal system? Probably not. Let's be honest there's a lot of information in those wee strings of numbers and most of us don't really need to know all the details. But the basics could definitely come in handy.

With that in mind Jill, our non-fiction buyer, has made herself available on Tuesdays from 11 – 12.30 to teach anyone and everyone a little about using the library. Starting on the 16^th of August Jill will be teaching you the basics of the Dewey Decimal system, which collections are where in the library, and anything else you might need to know.

This is the perfect opportunity for anyone who would like to pick up a few tips on how to get the best out of our on-line catalogue in the library or using it from home.

Jill regularly posts reviews to this blog so if you want to put a face to the name and learn about the library at the same time you can sign up now by phone at 2111 444, in person at the help desk or in the comments field of this post.

Get Lost in the Forest of Your Imagination

Library week is a great way to celebrate libraries and what they represent. We support and encourage literacy and literature by all means so we are offering our patrons special treats throughout the week. The theme this year is ‘Get Lost in the Forest of Your Imagination’.

Bring your overdue books back during our happy hours happening from 12 - 1pm and 5 - 6pm daily as there is sure to be a surprise for you. Spot prizes are available throughout the week also.

Kyle Mewburn, author of Old Huhu and Hill and Hole, is visiting for the Southland big read on Wednesday 17 August at 10.30am. He will be reading a few of his great picture books in the Childrens’ Services Story Room, so make sure you bring your books along for him to sign.

To go along with the theme we would love people to dress up on Friday 19 August as a forest dweller and join us for a forest puppet show for the littlies at 6pm, and then a Spooky Story time for the tweens at 7pm.

Kirsty G.

On this month

Just a couple of upcoming events this month which you might find interesting. First the 2011 Dan Davin Literary Foundation Short Story Writing Competition is now underway. Entry costs $5 each and is open to all. There are 3 great prizes are up for grabs: $250 for first place, $150 for second, and $100 for third. Entry forms with full conditions of entry are available at the Library. Entries close 5pm Friday 22 July.

If your in town on Wednesday June 15 at 6.45pm come along and meet Linda at Information Services. Linda is the manager of Information Services and she'll be introducing people to family research. Find out what resources the library has and how we can help you get started on the search for your ancestors. Later you are welcome to join the Southland Society of Genealogists at their monthly meeting in the meeting room.

Lastly just a quick note. If you are placing a hold on an item from home, please select only “Invercargill Library” or “Bluff Library” as the “Pickup at” location, even if the item is held in Storage or Archives. Remember that Storage and Archive are staff only areas so you will not be able to pick up your book from there. We'll move it to Invercargill or Bluff for you to pick up.

Email notices address change:

There is now a new email address from which all library email notices are generated:

library@southlib.govt.nz

Please note this was previously telemsg@dcc.govt.nz. Please update your “safe senders” list if necessary.

Easter Opening Hours:

Friday 22 April CLOSED

(Observing Good Friday)

Saturday 23 April OPEN

Library open 10am-1pm

Sunday 24 April CLOSED

(Observing Easter Sunday)

Monday 25 April CLOSED

(Observing Easter Monday &

ANZAC Day)

Tuesday 26 April OPEN

Library open 9am-5pm only

(Observing Southland Anniversary

Day)

Let the Library come to you

Do you love to read but find it difficult to get to the Library because of age or disability? Why not let the Library come to you? The Housebound service is available to you in your own home, and with the help of volunteer couriers, can provide books in standard and large print as well as audio books, magazines, videos, DVDs, and music CDs. This is a free service for those people who live within the Invercargill City Council rating area.
If you are interested in becoming a member or know of someone else who would benefit from the service, please contact me. I will then arrange for a home visit to discuss your requirements and explain how the service operates. Please phone me on (03) 211 1444 or email me at housebound@ilibrary.co.nz I look forward to meeting some new housebound members.

Alison Fraser, Housebound Librarian.

Adults’ rearrangement

You may have noticed we have made some small alterations to the entrance area in the Adults’ Department. The catalogue computers have been moved back to create more room and the new non-fiction books have been given more room. We’ve also changed the position of the playpen to the other side of the door.

Now I think these changes make the place look more open and inviting. What do you think?
The placement of the playpen lets parents see their kids better when they are at the desk.
So come in have a look and tell me what you think of the layout. If you want to get creative go further and give us suggestions on anything else you think we could improve.

Remember it’s your library you should have a say in how you want the place to look.

My impression of an infomercial

Are you sick an tired of plastic bags that just don't hold your library books?

Studies show that the average old shopping bag is designed to hold four loaves of bread. This makes it totally inadequate for your modern library needs. Add to this the thousands of plastic shopping bags that litter our road sides and fill our land fills every year.

Well here at the Invercargill Public library we have the answer. Reusable book bags made from recycled materials. Each bag will hold not 1, not 2, but up to 8 hardback novels*. Bags are available in a glorious purple/blue colour and you'll pay no more than $2 for this stunning addition to your library experience.

*Results may very due to size and shape of actual books.

Do you like books but have trouble reading? Do you want audio-books but don't like having to change tape or CD twenty time a book?

Well the Invercargill Public library has the answer to all your prayers. We now stock Playaway audio-books in both our children's and adult's libraries.

“But what is a Playaway?” I hear you ask. A Playaway is a small device which sits in the palm of your hand and, using MP3 technology, contains a whole audio-book. All you need to do is find a pair of ear phones (If you don't have any you can buy them from us at the low low price of $2) press Play, and sit back and be entertained. Playaways are issued for four weeks and are free to borrow. We supply two rechargeable batteries (one in the unit and another as backup) which must be returned with the unit.

Interested?

Of course you are. All you need to do is go to our catalogue and type “Playaway” into the keyword phrase search (that's the one that shows when you open the catalogue). This will bring up a full list of the Playaway audio-books we have in stock. After that you'll find them located in the spoken word collections of our adult's and children's libraries.
Don't hesitate.
Check one out now.

$500 dollars worth of books

In addition to New zealand book month which I mentioned a wee while ago the finalists for this years New Zealand Post Children's book awards have been announced. You can go to http://www.booksellers.co.nz/awards/new-zealand-post-childrens-book-awards if you're interested in learning more about the awards but I'm more interested in the finalists themselves;

Picture books

Baa Baa Smart Sheep Mark & Rowan Sommerset

A Dog Like That! Janene Cooper & Evie Kemp

Hill & Hole Kyle Mewburn & Vasanti Unka

Marmaduke Duck and the Marmalade Jam Juliette MacIver & Sarah Davis

The Moon & Farmer McPhee Margaret Mahy & David Elliot

Non-fiction

The Kiwi Fossil Hunter's Handbook James Crampton & Marianna Terezow

The life cycle of the Pukeko Betty Brownlie

Sensational Survivors Sandra Morris

Who's Cooking Tonight? Claire Gourley & Glenda Gourley

Zero Hour: The Anzacs on the Western Front Leon Davidson

Junior fiction

Finnigan & the Pirates Sherryl Jordan

The Haystack Jack Lasenby

Hollie Chips Anna Gowan

Shadow of the Boyd Diana Menefy

Tussock Elizabeth Pulford

Young Adult

Ebony Hill Anna Mackenzie

Fierce September Fleur Beale

Guardian of the Dead Karen Healey

The Limping Man Maurice Gee

Smiling Jack Ken Catran

Some of the ones that catch my attention are Baa Baa Smart Sheep, a wonderfully irreverent story in the style of The Mole who knew it wasn't any of his business and The Moon & Farmer McPhee for those of a more contemplative mind. I can't let the opportunity go by to recommend Maurice Gee's The Limping Man. It's the last book in a great trilogy and Gee has got to be my favourite NZ author. Feel free to let me know who you think would win and when winners are drawn I'll let you all know if the majority of people in our library agree with the judges.

If you want to make a more formal vote there is a children's choice award where you can get in on the action. If you vote for the children's choice award you go into the draw to win $500 dollars of book tokens for yourself and another $500 for your school (voters must be of school age). So come into the library and grab a voting form. They're free post so it will cost you nothing and could win you $500 dollars worth of books. Voting closes 5pm on the 29^th of April.