Wellington City Libraries

Due to staff availability, Motu-kairangi | Miramar Library will be closed tomorrow (Saturday 24 August). The returns slot will remain open, and the closest open branch library will be Te Awa-a-Taia | Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library (open 10am-4pm).

Have a wander through Pōneke's past on our Wellington Recollect website. Here are some photos from Wellington Recollect of the floating crane Hikitia (currently berthed at Taranaki Street Wharf, near Te Papa) transporting and lifting a multiple-unit train at Aotea Quay in 1953, taken by J.F. Le Cren (New Zealand Railways photographer). The Hikitia arrived in Pōneke in 1926, to be put to work for the Wellington Harbour Board - you can find a number of Wellington Harbour Board heritage publications on Wellington Recollect as well:
https://tinyurl.com/mtvkc9jf

Are you a fan of dark humour? We've put together n eReading list to tickle the darkest of souls funny bone. Go to:

https://bit.ly/3Xe22Al

Today is National Poetry Day! We've got a great new blog post showcasing a selection of fabulous poetry by Māori poets.

Toikupu: National Poetry Day 2024 Toikupu: National Poetry Day 2024

**Update:** Yesterday's login issues with PressReader are now resolved and PressReader is available again for logging in.

Unfortunately PressReader is currently experiencing issues with logging in, on both the app and website. We're hoping this will be resolved soon by the provider. We'll post an update as soon as we can.

Visit Johnsonville Library at Waitohi between Friday 23 August – Saturday 14 September to see Tamariki/children and taiohi/young peoples’ aspirations for peace at our new art exhibition Tūmanako! (meaning Hope!). Tūmanako! is an annual children's art exhibition originally launched in Te-Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington to commemorate Hiroshima Day on 6 August.

The theme is based on a Whakataukī / Māori Proverb Kōtahi te kākano whakaaro, he nui ngā hua o te rākau houhou rongo - One seed of thought grows the forest of peace. Learn more at www.sginz.org/tumanako

Mōrena Pōneke!

We have lots of fun things on today - Baby Rock & Rhyme at Newtown, Karori and Te Awe; Preschool Storytime on at Island Bay and Miramar and Tinker Time on at Johnsonville.

For more details, check out our event calendar https://www.trumba.com/calendars/wellington-city-libraries

We talked to Jade Musther of Cahoots, about building a business around social justice, bike powered trailers and q***r advocacy in the trades.
🚲🌟🌈🚲
Take a read of the full local business interview at the link below...
Cahoots.nz

Chatting with Cahoots: an interview with Jade Musther of social business, Cahoots. Part 1 Chatting with Cahoots: an interview with Jade Musther of social business, Cahoots. Part 1

Mālō e lelei! This week is Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e lea faka-Tonga | Tonga Language Week and the theme for 2024 is 'E tu'uloa 'a e lea faka-Tongá 'o ka lea'aki 'i 'api, siasí (lotú), mo e nofo-'a-kāingá - "the Tongan language will be sustainable when used at home, church and in the wider community." To celebrate, we've had these displays up in our libraries, featuring some of our books in Tongan and books about the Pacific - take a look when you're in next! 🌺

A recent story from our Business page: Authors Jo Cribb and David Glover kindly share an excerpt from their recent book, Don’t Worry About The Robots: How to Survive and Thrive in the New World of Work.

Don’t Worry About The Robots - Excerpt Don’t Worry About The Robots - Excerpt

Come and visit us at the library today! We'll have the LEGO® out at 11am at Te Awe Brandon Street Library, for ages 5+, and Sit n Knit is on 2-4pm at Waitohi, for thread-heads of all skill levels and ages. Find full details over on our Event Calendar: https://www.trumba.com/calendars/wellington-city-libraries

Ōtari | Wadestown Library will be closed tomorrow (Saturday 17 August) due to staff availability. The returns slot will remain open, and the closest open branches will be Waitohi | Johnsonville (10am-4pm) and Te Awe (CBD) (9.30am-5pm).

Arapaki to close down on 27 September The Council’s temporary Arapaki Library and Service Centre on Manners Street will close permanently at 5pm on Friday 27 September.

Mōrena Pōneke!
Take a break and join us for Calm Colouring at Te Takapū o Patukawenga | Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library today from 2 to 4:30 p.m. 🎨🖍️
We have everything you need—colouring sheets, pens, and pencils—but feel free to bring your own. All ages are welcome to relax and get creative in a peaceful environment.
See you there!

https://www.trumba.com/calendars/wellington-city-libraries?eventid=172299406

This morning we have Nohinohi Reorua, our bilingual storytime, at Miramar Library at 10.30am, along with all of our other regular programming

To find out what else is on this morning, check out our event calendar: https://www.trumba.com/calendars/wellington-city-libraries

Our latest graphic novels have arrived, and we've picked out a few of our favourites for you to browse. Take a look:

Enjoying the read: Graphic novel recent picks Enjoying the read: Graphic novel recent picks

Doctor Who heroes & villains: The Doctor dematerialises in Waitohi

From August 9-20, a trio of the Doctor's most famous enemies, the Daleks, will be camped out in our Waitohi Johnsonville Library.

A special photo booth TARDIS has also appeared, one where you can for take a picture of yourself in a stunning Doctor Who background setting for free.

We’ve also collated a special selection of Doctor Who books, graphic novels and DVDs from our extensive Doctor Who collection.

The Daleks are named Churchill, Thumper and Boris and are visiting the library to celebrate the ‘Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder: Where Science Meets Fiction | Doctor Who Ngā Ao Mīharo: Te tūtakitanga o te Pūtaiao ki te Pakimaero’, currently at Tākina, Wellington’s Convention and Exhibition Centre (running until the 28th of October).

Learn more on our website: https://www.wcl.govt.nz/news/doctor-who-heroes-villains-the-doctor-dematerialises-in-waitohi/

Freshly digitised: riders Verne Grove and W.B. Harvie at Kilbirnie Speedway in 1929-1930. Kilbirnie Speedway was New Zealand's first speedway track, opening in Yule Street in March 1929. The track closed just ten years later and is now the site of Rongotai College.
https://tinyurl.com/ykf3j5c2

These photographs were donated to WCL in 1978 by K. Ricks, though the original photographer is unidentified.

⚠️ Tapu Te Ranga | Island Bay Library is closed today due to staff illness. The returns slot remains open and the nearest open branch is Ngā Puna Waiora | Newtown Library.

Today, 1-4pm at Te Awe Brandon Street Library, teens can come and make their own macramé pot holder with macramé master Issy Freeman! We also have a free zine workshop happening!

This is a free event for ages 13-18 and sign ups are required: https://shorturl.at/FcHqH

Nau mai!

Have a teen who loves making things? Get them to sign up below for a free workshop this Sunday at Te Awe Library! Macramé master Issy Freeman ( on Insta) will be leading a workshop for teens where they can learn the fun and relaxing skill of macrame and create a pot plant hanger to decorate Te Tai Ohinga, the new Youth Hub on Willis St. All materials will be provided for this free workshop. Registrations are essential:
https://tinyurl.com/43pawjyb

8 years ago historian and journalist Redmer Yska discovered a forgotten gem in our stacks - Katherine Mansfield's first published short story! Printed within the New Zealand Graphic & Ladies Journal in October 1900 "His Little Friend" (under Mansfield's birth name Kathleen Beauchamp) is readable in full on our heritage site Wellington City Recollect: https://wellington.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/2515

Have a read, and then check out the brand-new Katherine Mansfield exhibition at the National Library, "A Child of the Sun" https://tinyurl.com/4rc9b2e3

Have you ever wanted to learn how to write your own memoir or life story? Then join us tomorrow, Friday 9th August, from 1 - 2.30pm at Johnsonville Library at Waitohi Hub, for a free workshop with Tākaka writer Charlotte Squire. Learn how to create a basic framework for your book, what to do with your photos, and how to publish your story. Click here for more details and to register: https://tinyurl.com/3u64rz9r

Kia orāna! It's ‘Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki 'Airani - Cook Islands Māori Language Week and the theme for 2024 is ‘Ātui’ia au ki te vaka o tōku matakeinanga - connect me to the canoe of my tribe.’ We have a new post over on our website with information and pukapuka, take a look: https://www.wcl.govt.nz/news/cook-islands-language-week-2024/

It's movie night at Te Awe Library!

TONIGHT
5:45 – 8pm

Indie films, art-house flicks, documentaries and more -- join us at the library for a free film screening every week.

Movies are selected from the library's collections and are suitable for adults. Check with the library to find out which movie is showing.

We're really excited about the Katherine Mansfield exhibition 'A Child of the Sun' opening this week at the National Library! Be sure to pop in ☀️

Get to know Katherine Mansfield – still New Zealand’s best-known writer – through her notebooks, letters and treasured possessions, on display in this intimate exhibition that illuminates the final year of her life.

Opening Friday 9 August at the Te Puna Foundation Gallery on the Ground floor of the National Library in Wellington.

Find out more on our website: https://natlib.govt.nz/visiting/wellington/a-child-of-the-sun-katherine-mansfields-last-year

This exhibition is kindly supported by the Turnbull Endowment Trust, Katherine Mansfield House & Garden and the French Embassy in New Zealand - Ambassade de France en Nouvelle-Zélande.