Roads Less Travelled: Twenty Years of Exploration with New Zealand Geographic

By Kennedy Warne.

Kennedy Warne was a founding editor of the New Zealand Geographic magazine and here he tells some of the stories of his 20 years of adventures researching New Zealand’s natural and cultural history for the magazine. The tales and photos range from our Pacific neighbours to the ancient Moa to his long suffering wife and the tricky process of attempting to photograph a common wasp on a sausage (to illustrate the hazards they pose at a typical kiwi barbeque). The book is a wonderful way

to gain an insight into places in New Zealand you may not have visited and see some beautiful photography. Highly

recommended.

Available in the NZ General Living Room.

WT's pick

Th e Leisure Seeker

By Michael Zadoorian

This is a road trip with a difference. John has Alzheimer's and Ella is dying of cancer. Defying the advice from their adult children and doctors, Ella "kidnaps" John, packs him into their trusty old camper van and heads off across America, determined to have one final bite of life. With John flitting between clarity and confusion and Ella constantly popping pain relief and sleeping pills, the pair follow the old Route 66 to the West Coast, reminiscing about previous family holidays. They give us an insightful, funny, and poignant glimpse into the realities of life and death.

Available in General Fiction.

PK's pick

Relax, Play & Create (don't panic)

What's New

Christmas & New Year Hours

Off the Beaten Path– Friends of the Library

Staff Picks

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Palmerston North City LibraryPO Box 19484 The SquarePalmerston North

Phone: (06) 351 4100Renewals: (06) 351 4101Email: pncl@pncc.govt.nz

Monday 10am – 6pmTuesday 10am – 6pmWednesday 10am – 8pmThursday 10am – 6pmFriday 10am – 8pmSaturday 10am – 4pmSunday 1pm – 4pm

Branch HoursM-W-F 10am – 1pm & 2pm – 5pmT-Th 2pm – 5pmSat 10am – 1pmDuring Daylight Saving - Friday 5pm – 6pm

Ashhurst Community LibraryCnr Cambridge & Bamfi eld StreetsPhone & Fax: (06) 326 8646

Awapuni Branch LibraryCollege Street Shopping CentrePhone & Fax: (06) 356 7634

Te PātikitikiMonrad Park, Highbury AvenuePhone: (06) 357 2108

Roslyn Branch Library8 Kipling StreetPhone: (06) 357 9287

Mobile LibraryPlease see website or leafl et for timetable

Website

“TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TO EXPLORE THE PATHWAYS TO THE WORLD - TE ARA WHANUI O TE AO”

www.citylibrary.pncc.govt.nz

ORE TARA WHA

“TO IN

f the New Zealand

Relax, Play & Create (don’t panic) “Relax, Play & Create (don’t panic)” was our motto for November 2009. We set ourselves free to experiment with social networking websites.

We tried out new and innovative ways of communicating with our customers and delivering the excellent customer service we pride ourselves on, using digital tools. There was an explosion of interest and excitement and a little fear as we tried out Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, Blogger, PB WIKI, Library Thing, Shelfari, Good Reads and even the relatively unknown newcomer, Plurk!

Content and feeds from these various platforms were drawn together in one place - the library blog.

But what is it all for? Are we just amazed by the sound of our own tweeting, blogging and posting echoing in the void?

Well, no, because social networking or Web 2.0 is all about making space for customers to have a conversation with us and us tuning our digital antennae so that we can hear the conversation.

Did the experiment work? Well, at the time of writing this (mid-November) we are about to conduct our formal evaluation of the experiment, but it’s pretty obvious that our customers are spending more and more time online and I think we may have found a way to meet them where they are.

If you want us to keep on connecting with you in this way then visit our blog at http://palmerstonnorthcitylibrary.blogspot.com/ and let us know what you think. We want you to get involved!

Jay Robinson (Head of Community Outreach): What are your roles with the Friends?Midge Minot (Elected Secretary at recent AGM): I was on the Committee to help get it re-started. I would do whatever is needed for that.Stewart Harrex (Elected Chair at AGM; also interim Treasurer): I was part of kick-starting it, and then to do whatever it takes to make what we talked about, and agreed to, happen.

JR: Why has the Friends of the Library re-started? MM: My reading of the past Friends’ activities inspired me to help it start again.SH: Lots of organisations come and go, as times change. People sometimes run out of puff – here we are again blowing a bit of puff back into it.

JR: What do you personally find most exciting about the rebirth of the Friends?SH: I see it as a necessity. MM: I enjoy meeting these new people, who are passionate about the Library. It is bigger than each individual person.

JR: What do Friends do? SH: We do what any good friend would do – encourage and support the Library staff, and admire them for their great work.MM: Yes, we are doing that already, but as well we would help raise awareness, and help as needed with supporting the annual plan and working at the annual booksale.

SH: We are another voice for the community, serving inwardly and outwardly as an additional conduit for that support.

JR: What are some plans for the immediate future?SH: We are looking forward to our next public event in later February, “Treasures from Our Past,” with Lesley Courtney, City Archivist.

JR: How can people get involved?MM: Interested people can contact us at friends.of.pncl@gmail.com. We do have an email list to help keep people informed.

JR: How do people join? Is there a membership fee?MM: For those who want to join as members, there is a form to fi ll out and an optional $10 annual membership fee. We do have expenses to meet as an organisation, but we don’t want to discourage anyone from participating. Rather, we want to be inclusive.

JR: What is your personal vision for the Friends in particular and for support of Palmerston North City Library in general?SH: Libraries are about books, knowledge and curiosity. They are about encouraging and enriching lives. The whole atmosphere is enhanced by the manner of the staff, by the architectural wonder of it all, and by the encouragement of as many as possible to share.MM: I want to promote and encourage the use of the Library. If everyone values it the way the Friends do, then its future is secure. We want to make sure it carries on.

SH: I like to see the kids going for the buzz, and that’s what’s important.

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DecemberDecember

Mobile, Awapuni, Roslyn, Te PMobile, Awapuni, Roslyn, Te P –atikitiki atikitiki & Ashhurst& AshhurstThursday 24th – Thursday 31st CLOSEDThursday 24th – Thursday 31st CLOSED

Season’s Season’s GreetingsGreetings

Christmas & New Year Christmas & New Year 2009 – 20102009 – 2010

Central Library HoursCentral Library Hours

Library Branch HoursLibrary Branch Hours

DecemberDecember

Thursday 24th 10am – 1pmThursday 24th 10am – 1pm

Friday 25th – Monday 28th CLOSEDFriday 25th – Monday 28th CLOSED

Tuesday 29th – Thursday 31st 10am – 5pmTuesday 29th – Thursday 31st 10am – 5pm

JanuaryJanuary

Friday 1st – Monday 4th CLOSEDFriday 1st – Monday 4th CLOSED

Tuesday 5th – Friday 8th 10am – 5pmTuesday 5th – Friday 8th 10am – 5pm

Saturday 9th 10am – 4pmSaturday 9th 10am – 4pm

Sunday 10th 1pm – 4pmSunday 10th 1pm – 4pm

Monday 11th – Friday 15th 10am – 5pmMonday 11th – Friday 15th 10am – 5pm

Normal hours resume Saturday 16th JanuaryNormal hours resume Saturday 16th January

Ian Matheson City ArchivesIan Matheson City Archives

Thursday 24th December 10am – 1pmThursday 24th December 10am – 1pm

Friday 25th December – Sunday 17th January Friday 25th December – Sunday 17th January CLOSED CLOSED

Normal hours resume Monday 18th JanuaryNormal hours resume Monday 18th January

JanuaryJanuary

Regular Mobile Stops, Awapuni, Roslyn Regular Mobile Stops, Awapuni, Roslyn & Te P& Te P –atikitikiatikitikiFriday 1st – Sunday 17th CLOSEDFriday 1st – Sunday 17th CLOSED

AshhurstAshhurstFriday 1st – Monday 4th CLOSEDFriday 1st – Monday 4th CLOSED

Tuesday 5th – Friday 8th 2pm - 5pmTuesday 5th – Friday 8th 2pm - 5pm

Saturday 9th CLOSEDSaturday 9th CLOSED

Monday 11th - Friday 15th 2pm - 5pmMonday 11th - Friday 15th 2pm - 5pm

Saturday 16th CLOSEDSaturday 16th CLOSED

Special Mobile Library Stops at Branch LibrariesSpecial Mobile Library Stops at Branch Libraries

Tuesdays – 5th & 12th Tuesdays – 5th & 12th Awapuni 10am – noonAwapuni 10am – noon

Wednesdays – 6th & 13th Wednesdays – 6th & 13th Te PTe P –atikitiki 10am – noonatikitiki 10am – noon

Thursdays – 7th & 14th Thursdays – 7th & 14th Roslyn 10am – noonRoslyn 10am – noon

All normal hours resume Monday 18th January All normal hours resume Monday 18th January

An interview at Café Jackowith Midge Minot and Stewart HarrexFriends of the Library offi cers

Evening Book Club

Are you thinking of joining a book club? Perhaps you are

new to the city and don’t have a ready made group of friends

to start your own book group. Or maybe you want to meet

some new people with a similar interest in reading and books.

The City Library can help! We have a new evening book club

beginning in February 2010.

You may already have ideas about the type of book club

you would like to see starting at the City Library.

Whatever your interests come along and fi nd out what

we are all about on Wednesday 17th February at

6.30pm – Fiction Zone 1st fl oor.

Contact Jill or Nicola 351-4100 or jill.pearcey@pncc.govt.nz

Camerata Choir

– Sound and Vision

December 19th, 1.30pm

Come and celebrate Christmas with the

talented harmonies of the Camerata Choir,

singing a mix of traditional and

contemporary music.

Is a book club for young people aged 16 +.

Why? Because life’s too short to always communicate via social networking – sometimes you just have to meet face to face!

Panna (Basement frequenter) says, “it’s a great opportunity to socialise and express opinions, as well as look at peoples shoes.”

We get together in the Basement on the fi rst Friday of the month at 4pm and discuss a selected genre. Each month has a different theme, for instance October was horror and November was Sci-fi or fantasy. December’s topic is books that have been made into movies – New Moon yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sometimes we even go online and use Shelfari and Facebook!

Fun and Games at Te PātikitikiHave you always wondered what younger people are talking about when you hear the word Wii? If so, come along to ‘Fun and Games’ at Te Pātikitiki on a Thursday morning and fi nd out more.

‘Fun and Games’ is a new event for older adults who want the chance to play traditional board games, cards, Nintendo Wii, and to enjoy morning tea. The group meets at Te Pātikitiki every second Thursday of the month (excluding January) at 10.30am. There is easy access and parking at the door.Come along and join in the fun. For more information, please call: 357-2108.

New

... with a little help from our Friends: