November 2024 Library Connect

"Mauri tū, mauri ora - an active soul is a healthy soul”. 

This Māori whakatauki is used to encourage people to be active participants in an initiative or to celebrate people’s involvement in activities. This is what our libraries endeavour to do in our communities. 

As you will see in this newsletter, we have been busy at the libraries, and have many more exciting activities planned. We hope many of you are writing up a storm? It is good to see the attendance at our Senior Film Sessions growing – please continue to bring your friends! 

And please take part in our Library Wellbeing and Community Impacts Survey if you haven’t already – it only takes a few minutes. This is the first of its kind in New Zealand, and is following worldwide trends to quantify what your library and its staff do for one’s soul, instead of just counting feet that come in and books that go out! 

Do you love writing but don’t know where to start? Do you have a great story idea but never seem to be able to get it on paper? Are you ready for a Challenge?

November is National Novel Writing Month and the goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days! It can be any writing project you want to work on, whether it be drafting a new idea or rewriting an old one. 

Don't miss our kick-off party on Friday 1st November from 11am to get a good start on the month and join other writers in Hauraki District at our come write-in events happening on Tuesday November 5th and Tuesday November 19th at 11am at both libraries.

Hauraki District Libraries is taking part in a nationwide library wellbeing and community impact survey run by Public Libraries of New Zealand (PLNZ) to better understand what you value most about the services and activities we offer. 

We'd love to know what you think! The survey is quick to complete, and you have until Friday 22 November to fill it in. You can complete the survey by visiting one of our libraries at Ngātea, Paeroa or Waihī, scanning the QR code on the image below or complete the survey here.

Privacy Statement from PLNZ 

The information gathered will be used to demonstrate the value of public libraries to local communities. Sharing of data may be through reports, online portals or raw data. The audience intended for the report is local and central government, libraries, and library associations. The data will be analysed by Public Libraries New Zealand (PLNZ) and may be shared with local councils if the sample size is great enough to be statistically significant in relation to the district population. 

They will ensure: 

● Confidentiality by keeping survey respondents unidentifiable. 

● Privacy by collecting only the information required to demonstrate the value of public libraries for local communities. 

● Security by storing data to keep it safe from unauthorised access. (Note: data storage centres are located in Canada, Ireland and the United States).

Don't be shy - we'd love to know what you think - your feedback helps inform our decisions for now and future generations! Remember to complete the survey by Friday 22 November. 

Thanks | Ngā mihi

Congrats to the winners of our recent giveaways! 

Rachel won our Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori Giveaway and Mark was our Term 3 Children’s Challenge winner! 

We hope you enjoy your book prizes!

Our space-themed School Holiday Programme was one of our busiest yet! Tamariki had fun creating some out-of-this-world creations using strawbees. They also got crafty with space colouring and stickers. 

With Summer fast approaching, we are busy planning and preparing for the long break with lots of fun activities to keep the tamariki busy. Keep an eye out for more info!

AT NIGHT ALL BLOOD IS BLACK BY DAVID DIOP

At Night All Blood Is Black was the winner of the International Booker Prize in 2021. The story is a brilliant, shifting tale of a Senegalese soldier's descent into madness. Translated from to French to English, the story follows two friends fighting in the trenches of the First World War. When one is killed, the effects on the other are devastating. The savage behaviour witnessed that is at first celebrated, soon becomes despised by his fellow soldiers. The writing is beautifully descriptive, creating harrowing images of madness and sadness. 

Review by Library Customer

If you enjoyed At Night All Blood Is Black, then why not try these: 

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste 

Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree

Our Senior Film Sessions continue to be a huge hit at our libraries! Our November film is ‘Operation Mincemeat’. 

Feel free to come along to these showings. 

Our next film session is Friday 29 November. Screening from 11am-1pm in Paeroa and 1pm-3pm in Waihi.

Facebook - www.facebook.com/haurakidistrictlibraries 

Instagram - www.instagram.com/haurakidistrictlibraries 

Website - https://library.hauraki-dc.govt.nz

Phone - 07 862 8609 

Email - hdc-library@hauraki-dc.govt.nz