The National Geographic for Kids database (NEW)

Photo: A young Nenets boy stands in the sub-zero cold near his home in the Siberian Arctic, Russia. (Steve Raymer/National Geographic Stock)

The award-winning National Geographic for Kids database is now available 24/7 from Hurstville City Library's website. A great resource for homework and school projects with information on a wide range range of subject areas including: Animals, the Environment, History, Peoples and Cultures, Place, Science and Technology.

Did you know, for example, that:
* About 12,000 years ago, the Sahara was covered with millions of trees;
* Hurricanes north of the Equator spin in the opposite direction to those south of the Equator;
* The earth rotates on its axis faster than a pistol's speeding bullet. (1)

The National Geographic for Kids makes learning fun, with online eMagazines, eBooks, photos, videos and games that include action adventures, puzzles and quizzes. Login with your library card's barcode and help your child access a world of amazing information.

Reference
Petit, Zachary. "30 Cool Things About The World." National Geographic Kids May 2013: 24. National Geographic Kids. Web. 25 Sept. 2013.

Australian Top Ten Free Video Downloads

1. Ooh La La (from The Smurfs 2) - Britney Spears
2. Best Song Ever - One Direction
3. Acapella - Karmen
4. Want U Back - Cher Lloyd
5. Kiss You - One Direction
6. We Can't Stop - Miley Cyrus
7. To The End Of The Earth - Jessica Mauboy
8. White & Nerdy - Weird Al Yankovic
9. Wonderful - Annie Lennox
10. Thriller - Michael Jackson

Is your favourite music video clip included in the top ten list? If not, check out the Freegal catalogue and see if  it is available for free download. Make sure you have your Hurstville City Library membership card and pin number handy so you can log into Freegal.  Go to the library website and click on eLibrary catalogue  which will take you to our free online services.  

What is the role of the community gallery in museums today? - Guest post by Dr Nina Parish & Dr Chiara O'Reilly

Part of the Greek community display at Hurstville Museum & Gallery

We recently hosted a workshop at the Australian National Maritime Museum to present some of our research on telling migrant stories in Australian museums.One of our research areas considers the community gallery and here we discussed the Spotlight space at Hurstville, which is currently showing an exhibition on the Greek community, as a strong example of this type of gallery in Australian museums. 

The exhibits in this space are community-led and reflect a collaboration between the local community of the St George region and staff at the Museum and Gallery. Although it’s just a small space – with three dedicated cases - it plays an important role in crafting particular stories of identity, belonging and in showcasing diversity. At Hurstville, as elsewhere, the community gallery is also vital to the generation of community events – as Gemma Beswick, the Historical & Cultural Services Coordinator at Hurstville, explained in an interview with us, the openings of exhibitions in the community gallery often turn into a festival, a party. And it doesn’t take much to understand why a celebration of your community, a chance for you to see yourself in a museum, to have some sort of input into this type of institution, this type of representation, would be so popular.

This type of dedicated community-led space is essential to modern museums – not only does it celebrate specific communities but it also has the potential to increase participation. Our research is interested in how this space is able to include new voices in the museum and open the museum up to the community. We are particularly focused on how museums today can best balance the tensions between telling local history, celebrating achievements and reflecting critically on sometimes difficult stories of diversity and its significance. Spotlight spaces like that at Hurstville are key to understanding the role of museums in twenty-first century life and we will keep you up-to-date about our research project as it develops.

Dr Nina Parish (University of Bath)

Dr Chiara O’Reilly (University of Sydney)

Click here to find out more about the Suitcases, Boats and Bridges: Telling migrant stories in Australian museum project!

Download Your Free eMagazines and Enjoy Them Wherever and Whenever You Want to!

Hurstville City Library customers can now download and enjoy their favourite eMagazines on their Ipads, iPhones, Android devices, Macs and PCs. Just go to the Hurstville City Library website, click on the link for the eLibrary catalogue and then click on the link for Zinio eMagazines.

To access Zinio, you need to first create an account on our library page of Zinio. Once this is completed, you're ready to start downloading! Enjoy an unlimited borrowing period, full colour pictures and interactive elements, such as video and audio. Magazines can also be read offline once they are downloaded. eMagazines include Gardening Australia, GQ, Marie Claire, Forbes, Newsweek, Good Taste Magazine and more.

So, what are you waiting for? Enjoy your own eMagazine collection today!

Stroke Awareness Week, 9th - 16th September, 2013

Illustration of an embolic stroke, showing a blockage lodged in a blood vessel (Wikimedia Commons)

A stroke is a medical emergency and rapid access to medical care may mean the difference between life and death. In most cases, a stroke occurs when there is either a disruption to the flow of blood to the brain, (which results in the death of oxygen-depleted brain cells) or when blood vessels burst and the blood  spreads into nearby brain areas (haemorrhage). Warning signs may include: dizziness, unsteadiness or headache; any change in mental abilities; numbness, weakness or paralysis in face, arm or leg on one side of the body; garbled speech or inability to speak; and eye problems, such as double vision. (1)

The Stroke Recovery Association of NSW has played a major role in the support and recovery of  many stroke survivors. The services that they provide include:telephone counselling; stroke information kits; seminars and workshops; newsletters on stroke issues; a library of books, videos and brochures; referrals to other services; and coordination of Stroke Awareness Week.

If you would like to find out more about strokes, login to EBSCOs Consumer Health Complete database or Britannica database with your library card's barcode, or ask staff to help you find such topical books as, Brain injury and stroke : a handbook to recovery by E.A. Freeman (616.8043 FRE) or Stroke : a guide to recovery and prevention by Vladimir Hachinski and Larissa Hachinski (616.81 HAC). To find out more about Stroke Awareness Week 2013, go to the website of The Stroke Recovery Association of NSW.

Reference
The Stroke Recovery Association of NSW. (2013). Retrieved August 22, 2013, from http://www.strokensw.org.au.