Change History Competition – Time To Vote

The entries are in and it’s time to vote for your favourite in our “Change History” competition.  We asked you to take a photo from our collection and reimagine it, and your imaginations ran wild!  Dinosaurs in Tea Tree Gully, UFOs in St Agnes, come and see them all at the library service desk and have your say in who will walk away with one of the Kindle Fire prizes.

The lucky winners will be announced at a special event in the library Saturday 19th May at 2pm.

Bonza bus tours

Interested in Tea Tree Gully’s history, but don’t want to sit around reading about it? You should go on one of our bus tours!

The Library’s historical bus tours are a great way to get out of the house, meet other like-minded history enthusiasts and take a day trip through the Tea Tree Gully area. The $30 cost includes a home-cooked lunch at the Old Highercombe Hotel Museum, and you get to have a look through the museum afterwards.

Our next upcoming tour is the “3 G’s” – Golden Grove, Glen Ewin and the Gully. It’ s on Monday 30 April from 9:30am to 2:30pm and bookings open on April 13.  Later this year we even have a couple of brand new bus tours, including a 70s themed one! For more details, see our Local History Program.

Get down and literary with the National Year of Reading

I’m very proud to be a librarian and I’m a huge supporter of life long learning but I’m sad to say –  I just don’t read enough! However, if there was any year to get myself into gear it would be twenty-twelve for it is the National Year of Reading. Inspired recently by some very clever women out there I have a theme to my recreational reading pursuits – “Beginnings.” I’ll be searching out first novels by cult authors Julian Barnes and Martin Amis, and, reaching for debut novels that are released this year by Australian authors. Celebrate and participate in the National Year of Reading however you choose but if you’re looking for somewhere to start Public Library Services is hosting a launch on Tuesday 14 February from 12pm under the Gawler Place Canopy in Rundle Mall, Adelaide. Included on the list of guests is the charming Mem Fox who will be reading from one of her famous books. So scrap all of your Valentine’s Day plans and get literary with your fine self.

You can find all of the official details here.

Chinese New Year Fun

January 23rd will mark the start of the Year of the Dragon and here at the library we’re getting pretty excited about it. To get into the Chinese New Year spirit we’ve hung lots of lanterns and there might even be some dragons around over the next couple of weeks.

If you’re after some school holiday fun, why not come and help us celebrate the New Year with the Chinese New Year Storytime on Monday 16, Tuesday 17, and Friday 20 January from 10:15am to 11:00am. Join our Library family in a session of enchanting stories, songs, activities and rhymes. Create your own Chinese Lantern to take home.

Start the year with a roar and let your imagination run free! Join in the Design-a-Dragon Workshop and create your own colourful dragon to take home. The workshop is on Wednesday 11 January from 10:30am to 11:30am. Bookings essential. For booking details check out the School Holiday brochure.

For the adults, qualified Tai Chi instructor Brenda Hum will be providing two free Tai Chi sessions, one on Monday 23rd at 11.00am and again on Tuesday 24th at 11.00am. Bookings are essential for these as well.

 

Zoomobile was great!

The Zoomobile visit to the Library has been a huge success for the third year in a row!

Hands on with the animals

Judging by the smiles on the faces of the children and their parents, a fun time was had by all.

 

 

 

 

Andrew Moylan from CTTG talking biodiversity

The Zoomobile visit featured a selection of Australian native animals and celebrated Biodiversity Month.

Family History Course for Beginners

Anstey the Echidna researches his family tree

Have you ever thought about starting your family tree? Interested in where you came from but not sure where to start?

Come along to our Family History Course for Beginners. This course will be run every Saturday morning for four weeks by our Local History team. Over the four sessions you will be taught how to find information about your family, and how to record the information you find.

Dates: Saturday 6, 13, 20, 27 August
Time: 10:00 – 11:30am
Venue: City of Tea Tree Gully Library Local History Area
Cost: Free

There are limited spaces available for this course, so book now!

Books and Babies – it’s never too early to start

Is there a baby, toddler, or young child in your life?
Do you enjoy reading to/with them but aren’t sure which books to choose?
Would you like to learn more about your baby’s development and the best ways/times to introduce basic concepts like colours, shapes, or the alphabet?
Looking for some hints on using rhythm and movement?
This year’s Readers Festival at the Library has just the answer: Opening Doors to Early Literacy with Dr James Thomas.

Dr James Thomas

 

James has 30 years teaching experience in the USA, completing postdoctoral work in early childhood. He developed the special early literacy programs whilst a children’s librarian in the Pacific Northwest area of USA.

 

 

 

There will be two sessions run on Saturday July 2.

In the first, Ready to read - learn about the six early reading skills, how they relate to brain development, and ways to integrate them into daily life.

In the second, The Young and the Restless: Activities and Ideas for Captivating and Communicating with Ones, you will learn how to introduce concepts like alphabet, counting, shapes, and colours; developing self-concept; choosing appropriate book titles; using rhythm, movement and songs in everyday events.

All participants need to bring a blanket and teddy bear and wear comfortable clothes for sitting on the floor.

Time: 1.00pm – 4.30pm
Venue: Community Learning Centre
Cost: Free
Bookings: 8397 7333

Library Lovers Day

While today is traditionally known as Valentine’s Day, within Libraries across Australia it’s also known as Library Lovers Day.

I’m taking this opportunity to say thank-you to all Library staff, and those across Council who assist us in delivering you one of the best public library services in South Australia.

Summer Reading Club finale

Check out the photos (see the Flickr box, left) of the Summer Reading Club Scare up a good book finale, where over 60 children and their parents celebrated the books that have been read over the school holidays. Highlights were the fantastic scary costumes worn by the kids (and staff), and the Monsters Aren’t Real puppet show by Sue Harris.  I think the Pin-the-Spider-on-the-Web game was a hit, as well as the face painting, witches brew trail and craft activities.

The top three readers from the Summer Reading Club are about to be determined, and they will be invited to a special afternoon tea with Mayor Miriam Smith, and receive their book voucher prizes from www.TheNile.com.

Well done to all participants, and thanks for joining in our party!

Tea Tree Teens LOUD lock-in these school holidays

It’s time for teenagers to take over the Library…well, for one night at least. This Thursday night (20 Jan) from 6pm to 9pm there will be music and games and run of the Library for 13-18 year olds. Choose a CD from the collection to play on the stereo, then challenge your friends to a game on Wii Sports or Playstation.

Have some laughs with Twister or Celebrity Head, check out your favourite sites or do some random net surfing. It’s up to you! To book in, give us a call (8397 7333) and have your Library card handy. I promise no one will ‘Shhhh!’