Author Archives: ttglibraryjess

Afternoon tea with the Mayor

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You may remember our post about our Summer Reading Club program over the holidays. Participants up to eighteen years old were encouraged to read (or be read to) a minimum of 10 books over the summer school holidays.  The program aims to make reading fun and entertaining for everyone, particularly averse readers. The Library rewarded everyone who participated in the program by throwing a Grand Finale event on Wednesday 23 January. Over the school holidays we received 127 reading logs and 12 book reviews, covering an outstanding 1,282 books!

On Monday 18 February the top seven participants who submitted the most book logs or the most creative book reviews attended an afternoon tea with Mayor Miriam Smith.

Mayor Miriam Smith and Summer Reading Club book log and review finalists

Each finalist and their family received a $20 Nile book voucher, a Summer Reading Club pack and additional prizes before helping themselves to drinks and nibbles. Mayor Miriam Smith, along with the Library’s Children’s Services Officer Holly Marling, congratulated each finalist for continuing their journey into the magical world of books and participating in our program. The Mayor extended her recognition to the participants’ families for supporting their children’s development and fostering a passion for books, reading, literature and their public library.

The Summer Reading Club encourages children to continue reading and writing during the school holidays and to explore the amazing world of books. For more information about the Summer Reading Club please visit their website  and look out for our next Summer Reading Club Program during the December/January school holidays.

2012-2013 Summer Reading Club: Untangled Tales

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This summer the  Library embarked on a journey into the magical world of books and got tangled up in fairytales, myths and legends by participating in the 2012-2013 Summer Reading Club. This year’s theme was ‘Untangled Tales.’

Participants ranging in ages from birth to eighteen years were encouraged to read (or be read to) a minimum of 10 books over the summer school holidays and submit a reading log or book review.  Each participant became a Summer Reading Club member and received a prize pack and an invitation to our ‘Untangled Tales Grand Finale’.

On the night of the Grand Finale participants and their families came dressed to the library as one of their favourite storybook characters. The Library was swarming with bumblebees, graced by elegant princes and princesses and terrified by the Incredible Hulk.

As the party started, everyone helped themselves to light refreshments, an assortment of delicious healthy nibbles and were given a raffle ticket before discovering their way through the Children’s Area to our various stations for games, activities, face painting and badge making.

Wobbles the Clown

At 6:30pm Wobbles the Clown made a guest appearance and captivated the crowed with his hilarious stage show. There were plenty of laughs as he fumbled his way through silly ticks and stunts. After the performance, the children paraded around the library in their costumes and the best dressed boy and girl where chosen to win a prize.  

The clock was ticking and little Cinderella couldn’t be home too late so we kicked off the raffle. Raffle tickets were flying as the eager children waited for their numbers to be called. The children did not need to worry though, because each child received a prize for participating in our Grand Finale.

Last but not least, congratulations to our participants on behalf of the City of Tea Tree Gully Library was in order as we calculated a grand total of 129 reading logs and 14 book reviews; that was an outstanding 1,304 books read over the school holidays.

The Summer Reading Club is a great opportunity for children to explore the amazing world of books and stories during the summer school holidays. For more information about the  Summer Reading Club please visit their website.

Reconciliation Week 2012

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"Carpet Snake"

‘Carpet Snake’-an acrylic dot painting mounted on an unframed canvas featured during the Tea Tree Gully Reconciliation Week Art Exhibition from local Aboriginal artist Tanya Sansbury.

The  Library and the Hive are celebrating National Reconciliation Week 2012.

What is National Reconciliation Week?
National Reconciliation Week is celebrated across Australia each year between 27 May and 3 June. The chosen dates recognise two significant achievements in the reconciliation journey; the anniversaries of the successful 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision. The theme for this year is, ‘Let’s Talk Recognition’ with a strong focus on how all Australians can better understand and appreciate each other, the wonderful contributions, cultures and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Why are these dates significant?
27 May marks the anniversary of Australia’s most successful referendum and defining event in our nation’s history. The 1967 referendum saw over 90 percent of Australians vote to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders in the national census. 2012 marks the 45th anniversary of the 1967 referendum.

On 3 June 1992, the High Court of Australia delivered its landmark Mabo decision which legally recognised that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders  have a special relationship to the land which existed prior to the colonalisation and still exists today. The recognition helped  pave the way for land rights called the Native Title. This year is the 20th anniversary of the Mabo decision.

Check the Reconciliation Week webpage for details of upcoming events across council.

We all know the importance of recognition and how great it makes everyone feel. National Reconciliation week is a wonderful opportunity to recognize all Australians, and the unique place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders  within this country. So get involved by attending an event and do your part for Reconciliation Week.

“One World, Many Stories”

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City of Tea Tree Gully Library's Book Week 2011 display

The City of Tea Tree Gully Library celebrated Book Week last week, 20th-26th August!
What is Book Week? Founded by the Children’s Book Council of Australia in 1945, Book Week is a volunteer run, not-for-profit organisation.

 

Book Week is the longest running children’s festival in Australia, celebrating its 65th birthday in 2010.
Each year, schools and public libraries from all over Australia spend Book Week celebrating books, especially those by Australian authors and illustrators.

To help celebrate Book Week this year, the City of Tea Tree Gully Library’s Children’s and Youth team presented workshops to various school groups based on this year’s theme, ‘One World, Many Stories’.
The workshops highlighted the ways in which cultural differences can be expressed and celebrated through literature.

“Big Rain Coming” by Katrina Germein, “Immi” by Karin Littlewood and “Anna Hibiscus’ Song” by Lauren Tobia Atinuke were just a few of the beautiful books read aloud to local primary school students, ranging from Reception to Year 7. Students were also delighted to view several of the books nominated for the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s 2011 Awards.
In addition, students actively participated in singing rhymes, making a fun craft, and taking a tour around the library.
To view the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s 2011 Book of the Year shortlist, go to http://cbca.org.au/shortlist_2011.htm or take a look at the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s 2011 Book of the Year Winners, http://cbca.org.au/winners2011.htm

See a ‘One World, Many Stories’ Book Week book you like? All of this year’s nominees are available at the City of Tea Tree Gully Library.

Western and Horror Adult Fiction Paperback Books

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Round ‘em up cowboy and stick a stake through the beast’s heart…where have all the Western and Horror Adult Fiction Paperback books gone?

The Western (blue dots) and Horror (black dots) books have now been relocated and shelved next to our Science Fiction books (yellow dots) within the Adult Fiction Paperback Collection.

Now that we have moved the Western and Horror Adult Fiction Paperbacks both library staff and patrons have more room to shelve the AAO (Short Stories) Collection. The AAO Collection is a very popular collection that we are growing. Thanks to your suggestions we have spread out the AAO collection over two shelving bays where the Western and Horror books once were.

In addition, the Library is working on revamping our signage to help patrons find the collections and services around the Library. The branding will be red with white text, and include new ceiling signage and eventually shelving bay end panel signage. You will also notice new artworks and quotations on the walls, replacing the local history photos that were taken down recently. The implementation of new signage will be phased in as budget allows.

In the mean time, if you have any questions or require further assistance finding any of these items; please ask one of our staff members at the Customer Service or the Ask Here Desk to point you in the right direction.

Our Work Experience at The City of Tea Tree Gully Library

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The City of Tea Tree Gully Library has been lucky enough to have several work experience students join our crew over the past few weeks. This gave the students an insider’s view of what a public library was like front of house and behind the scenes.

As part of our Work Experience Program, each student was asked to write a post about a topic they were interested in to contribute to our blog. This was an opportunity for the students to gain new skills and learn how to express themselves through writing.

Watch this space as we reveal a series of blog posts written from our work experience students to give you a cutting edge insight on hot topics ranging from our Work Experience Program to movies, graphic novels and much, much more!

…This is Justine’s Story… Let me start off by saying that I have enjoyed every minute of working in a public library because of the books and not to mention the friendly staff who have helped me out whenever I needed it.

I love books! You will never see me without a book. If I am going on a long car trip I will have a couple of books in the back seat with me so I can not only block out the sound the car makes but also that of my parents and brother. If it is a rainy day and my mum has instructed me to stay indoors I sit on my bed and read, sometimes finishing four books!

I chose the library because I knew I would be surrounded by books all day but I also wanted to see what goes on behind the scenes. I thought all they did was scan a couple of books; serve a couple of people and that was it. The first day I was completely blown away by the fact that people are on their feet all day. I’ve learnt that time management is needed in order for the library to function to its full capacity; that organization is important to keep the books in order. I’ve also been taught how to use the phone and ring clients and that is in itself one of the most important jobs within the library. I have also developed my customer service skills working on the Customer Service Desk. Serving customers, scanning in and out library books and making sure the library receives them back on time is a lot harder than you think!

…And here’s Claudia’s Story…Have you ever wondered the type of duties that are being done at the City of Tea Tree Gully Library? There is much more than what meets the eye. There are all sorts of different jobs that occupy the employees such as serving customers, processing, chute room and shelving. Though, what’s great about this library is that the employees are always very helpful to customers whether that’s locating a specific book for a person or solving computer difficulties. One of the best parts of the library is the team work.  Every hour or so the employees switch their current activity to another. I think this system works well and is a wonderful opportunity for each employee to have experience in each area. 

As a year 10 high school student, one of the compulsory activities each student must do is work experience. I thought it would be a great idea to choose a place which relates to the future career I aspire to. So as I want to have a career in the writing field, I thought it would be a great opportunity to spend 9 to 5 hours for 5 days surrounding myself with books. I’ve learnt many things and now have a new found respect for libraries. I now know the hard work that goes into keeping the City of Tea Tree Gully Library safe and friendly for all.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

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Are you counting down the number of sleeps until the upcoming epic fantasy film, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” is released in cinemas? Well, so is the City of Tea Tree Gully Library!

Join us on Monday, 18th July 2011 at Hoyts Cinema-Tea Tree Plaza at 6:30pm for a private showing of the final ‘Harry Potter’ movie, adapted from the book series by author JK Rowling.

“The end begins as Harry, Ron and Hermione go back to Hogwarts to find and destroy Voldemort’s final horcruxes, but when Voldemort finds out about their mission, their biggest battle begins and life as they know it will never be the same again.”

This movie is suitable for ages 12+ years. Parents please note, children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult.

Bookings are essential. Tickets are only $10 and can be purchased at the Library Customer Service Desk.

For more information please call us on (08) 8397 7333 or visit the Library and while you’re here, check out our Harry Potter display.

Judge a Book by Its Cover Competition Winners

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City of Tea Tree Gully Mayor Miriam Smith with the ‘Judge a Book by Its Cover’ competition winners.

Congratulations to our Tea Tree Gully Library Readers’ Festival, ‘Judge a Book by Its Cover’ competition winners!

This year we had over 125 amazing entries over three age categories- under 7 years, 8-12 years and 13-18 years. The winning entries were displayed at the Reader’s Festival over two big days on 1st and 2nd of July, 2011.

On Friday, 1st July the City ofTea Tree Gully Mayor Miriam Smith presented each competition winner with a gift voucher and book prizes sponsored by the The Nile, Good Reading Magazine and South Kids.

Each age group was asked to re-design a book cover of a well loved children’s or youth book. We were looking for the best “new” cover designs which included the title, author, spine labeling, an interesting grabbing blurb, ISBN and eye-catching illustrations for these books:

The under 7 years: “Who Sank the Boat?” by Pamela Allen or “Where the Wild Things Are” By Maurice Sendak. The competition winners for this age group were:

1st  ($50 gift voucher)                               Tyla Peters

2nd  ($30 gift voucher)                              Joseph Snelling

3rd ($20 gift voucher)                                Oliva Wyatt

Honorable Mentions:                               Amber Tilley

                                                                            Amelia Bain

The 8-12 years: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl or “The Cat on the Mat is Flat” by Andy Griffiths. The competitions winners for this age group were:

1st  ($50 gift voucher)                               Sahar Hussaini

2nd  ($30 gift voucher)                              Natahlya Eleftheriadis

3rd  ($20 gift voucher)                               Danielle Kay

Honorable Mentions:                                Briannon Ross

                                                                             Maria Salcedo

The 13-18 Years: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by JK Rowling or “Stormbreaker” by Anthony Horowitz, or “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins.

1st  ($100 gift voucher)                             Riley Mullen

2nd  ($70 gift voucher)                              Joel Orn

3rd  ($50 gift voucher)                              Dylan Bishop

The winners and their families enjoyed a presentation event at the Library with music by local musician Chloe Irvine, as part of the Readers’ Festival.

To see photos of the winners go to our Flickr site http://www.flickr.com/people/cttg/

For more information visit our website www.teatreegully.sa.gov.au or give call us on (08) 8397 7444.

 

Watch This Space…

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The  Library has been lucky enough to have several work experience students join our crew over the past few months for one week periods. This gave the students an insider’s view of what a public library was like front of house and behind the scenes.

As part of our Work Experience Program, each student was asked to write a post about a topic they were interested in to contribute to our blog. This was an opportunity for the students to gain new skills and learn how to express themselves through their writing.

Watch this space as we reveal a series of blog posts throughout the next several months, written from our past and up and coming work experience students to give you a cutting edge insight on hot topics ranging from a student’s perspective on work experience at the Library to movie reviews, why you should read graphic novels and much, much more!

If you’re interested in doing work expereince at the Library, give us a call.

Check Out Our New Environmental Collection!

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Are you keen to find out more about environmentally hot topics such as tips and techniques for growing an organic pest-free garden or environmentally safe practices in your home or workplace?
Then come and explore the Library’s new Environmental Collection, which features books written by prominent local and international authors on environmentally hot topics, issues and concerns.
You’ll find them in  Adult Non Fiction around 333.1 or browse our catalogue for some titles.

This collection was unveiled to the public on 26 October, as part of the International Year of Biodiversity and provides a wonderful opportunity to learn, grow and share as a community and to better understand the world we live in and how we can make a difference to help preserve it.

For more information about our Environmental Collection or environmentally friendly programs, events and resources, please check with staff  at the desks in the Library…and while you’re there grab yourself a copy of our “What’s On” Guide! for details of citywide programs and events.

If you have an environmentally friendly tip you’d like to share, please leave a comment so we can all learn something new to help save the planet!