Remembering them: the ANZAC Centenary - explore our history with a book

Between 2014 and 2018 Australia will commemorate the Anzac Centenary, marking 100 years since this country's involvement in the First World War. In the last ten years alone over 150 books with the words Anzac or Gallipoli in their titles have been published. Many more are in the pipeline due for release as the Centenary gets underway. With advances over the years in research methods and easier access to previously inaccessible resources the range of books of interest not only to scholars and battle enthusiasts but to the general reader has flourished to the point where there really is ‘something for everyone’.

Previously neglected areas of research now getting attention include the role of women in the conflict, recently brought to life in the television series Anzac Girls, based on Anzac girls: the extraordinary story of our World War I nurses by Peter Rees (previously published as The Other Anzacs). Life on the home-front is explored in Michael McKernan’s, Australians at home: World War 1 in a new edition of one of the first books on this subject. Khaki Crims & Desperados by Russell Robinson tells the little known story of criminals with extensive police records who were among the thousands who enlisted.

Two new books take a fresh look at the life and work of one of Australia's most well-known war correspondents, Charles Bean in Charles Bean: if people really knew: one man's struggle to report the Great War and tell the truth by Ross Coulthart and Charles Bean's Gallipoli illustrated edited by Phillip Bradley.

The men behind the national legend are revealed in two recent books. Memoirs and letters, as well as poetry, reportage and prose have been edited by author and journalist Mark Dapin in From the Trenches: the best ANZAC writing of World War One to tell the personal stories of the Anzacs in their own words. Investigative journalist Ross Coulthart in The Lost Diggers tells the real life detective story behind the recent discovery in France of lost photographs taken by Louis and Antoinette Thullier of Australian diggers and other allied troops as they passed through the French town of Vignacourt on their way to Pozieres, Bullecourt, and the Somme. The images of young Australians are as moving as the story of their discovery is riveting.

For fans of popular history  two of Australia’s most prolific authors have recently published page turning accounts of the World War 1 conflict from the Australian perspective, Peter FitzSimons in Gallipoli and Paul Ham with 1914:The Year the World Ended.

New opening hours for our libraries!

 

Penshurst Branch Library is now open on Sundays between 2.00pm to 5.00pm. Additionally, from 3 August 2014, Hurstville Library will open on Sundays all day between 9.30am and 4.00pm, instead of just between 2.00pm to 5.00pm.

Visit our library services 7 days a week!

Sydney Writers' Festival and Hurstville Library present an evening with Bruce Lourie



Bruce Lourie

Be part of the Sydney Writers' Festival!

Hurstville Library, in partnership with the Sydney Writers' Festival, will host an evening with Canadian author and prominent environmentalist Bruce Lourie.
In news just to hand Bruce has been declared the winner of the 2014 Earth Day Canada Outstanding Commitment to the Environment Award!  This is regarded as a long overdue acknowledgment as Bruce enters his 25^th year as a professional environmentalist. 
 
Bruce and co-author Rick Smith were a big hit at the 2010 SWF when they talked about the research they undertook (much of it on themselves) into the harm chemicals can have on our bodies and our environment. Their findings were the subject of their runaway best-seller Slow Death by Rubber Duck.

In Toxin Toxout  they went one step further to answer the question they were frequently asked afterwards, “How do I get this stuff out of my body?”  Renowned for presenting his and Rick's research findings in an amusing, easy to understand yet informative way, this evening with Bruce is a must for anyone interested in the effect harmful chemicals have on our health and environment.  Find out more here 


HURSTVILLE LIBRARY

cnr Queens Rd & Dora St, Hurstville

Thursday 22 May 2014 @ 7pm

Free event bookings essential: 
9330 6142 or online

Book available for sale and signing
Light refreshments: 6.30pm

Author Talk: Pamela Cook at Penshurst Library for Library and Information Week 2014

Library and Information Week 2014 gets off to a great start when Penshurst Library welcomes guest author Pamela Cook. Pamela will give us a glimpse into the creative writing process and into her own journey from aspiring writer to successful published author of rural fiction. Her books Blackwattle Lake and the recently published Essie's Way are popular, contemporary stories in an Australian rural setting or in Pamela's own words,  "Australian fiction with a country heart". 
This morning will appeal to both keen readers of Australian fiction and to would-be writers looking for inspiration. Find out more about Pamela at her website 

Penshurst Branch Library

Monday 19 May, 2014 @ 11am

630 Forest Rd, Penshurst

Booking essential: 9330 6422 or online

Books available for sale and signing.

Author Talk with Deborah O'Brien at Hurstville Library

Deborah O'Brien

Join Deborah O'Brien at Hurstville Library when she launches her new book, A Place of Her Own, a contemporary romance in an Australian setting. With a strong female character, this new work is the third in the Millbrooke trilogy, following Mr Chen's Emporium and The Jade Widow.
Deborah is a teacher, visual artist and writer. She has written several non-fiction books, short stories and contributed articles to a variety of magazines. With family links to rural NSW, she divides her time between the city and a country cottage, overlooking a creek frequented by platypuses.

 Praise for The Jade Widow, "O'Brien delivers accuracy and grace in this deftly written tale." - Australian Women's Weekly

Visit Deborah's website to find out more about her and her work

 

Hurstville Library

cnr Queens Rd & Dora St, Hurstville

Thursday 1 May 2014 @ 1pm

Bookings essential: 9330 6142

Book available for sale & signing

Light refreshments from 12.30pm

Valentines and Library Lovers Day

"Today is Valentine's Day - or, as men like to call it, Extortion Day!"

Jay Leno

Valentines Day; a celebration of all things romantic. But what form can romance take? Traditional? Or something more, shall we say, adventurous?  Mr Darcy? Or Christian Grey? Fifty Shades of Grey was our most popular romance title in the last twelve months followed by the venerable Pride and Prejudice so maybe we prefer a bit of both.

In any event the 14th of February is also Library Lovers Day, a day for celebrating all things that we love about libraries. And we even have a book on that subject too, appropriately called The Library Book. So whatever takes your fancy, come to Hurstville Library and you may find a new reading partner to celebrate the day with.

 

Celebrating 50 Years of Adventures Through Space and TIme

It was on the 23rd of November 1963, at 5.15pm, that Doctor Who made its debut. About 25 minutes later the 4.4 million people who were tuned to BBC Television saw the TARDIS take off for the very first time. Television history was made and cemented four weeks later when the most fearsome sink-plunger in the universe made it's first appearance and  Dalekmania seized the UK.

This November marks 50 years since Doctor Who made its debut. To have lasted 26 years as the classic series did is a remarkable achievement. To still be on air 50 years after it began and arguably more popular than ever is something few TV series have done. To date eleven actors have played the role of the Doctor, with a twelfth joining their distinguished ranks when Peter Capaldi takes over from Matt Smith on Christmas Day. Incidentally at 55, Peter Capaldi is exactly the same age William Hartnell was when he first set foot on the TARDIS  in 1963. Spooky, eh?

While we wait for the screening of the anniversary special The Day of the Doctor why not delve into Doctor Who's past and present with the great range of materials held by Hurstville Library. Explore the 50th Anniversary Collection featuring stories of all eleven Doctors or watch DVDs of the classic adventures, The Twin Dilemma and  Lost in Time which contails all the "orphaned" episodes. The soon to be released  The Vault; the official history of the show's production will be a must read. There's something for all Doctor Who fans at Hurstville Library.

Graphic Novel Expo

Come to Hurstville Library's Graphic Novel Expo

Check out the latest graphic novel releases, meet other enthusiasts,choose stuff for the library to buy.
Date:Wednesday 31 July 2013
Time:7.00 pm
Venue:Hurstville Library, Cnr Queens Rd & Dora St, Hurstville.

Contact:9330 6142

Ita Buttrose & Cold Chisel

The recent visit of media personality Ita Buttrose to the Marana Auditorium (Hurstville Entertainment Centre) got us thinking about the strange but true like between Ita and the Australian rock and roll band Cold Chisel. Did you know that Cold Chisel's 1980 album East included a track about Ita? Called simply Ita, the track was a tribute to her prominent position in the Australian media at the time. And despite popular opinion to the contrary, Ita herself has said she was happy about the song.

You can hear Ita on The Best of Chisel, and read more about the band in Cold Chisel: Wild Colonial Boys by Michael Lawrence. Both items are available at Hurstville Library.

Ita's biography Ita Buttrose: A Passionate Life, is also available at Hurstville Library.

We Need Your Help

Optimising Your Local Library

Redrollers Research is currently working with Hurstville City Library to explore how people in the community would like to see their library improved and optimised. During April 2013 we will be inviting a range of people to participate in face to face workshops which will be held at the library.

DESIGN LAB

The face to face workshops are an informal, relaxed process where you will share your experiences and stories, learn from each other and work on creative activities that will be used to develop a future vision for Hurstville City Library. It is kind of like a design lab where you will play with new prototypes and thought starters to build future services catering to the special needs of different people in the community. We are offering some incentives to thank you for your time.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

If you would like to know more about the project or would like to register your interest in participating, please contact: natalie@redrollers.com.au

Illuminating stained glass exhbition at Hurstville Museum & Gallery

Seascapes and Landscapes from Greece

 

Aegan Sea Seascape, stained glass composition

Yanos Bouzioukos

Dragon’s Lair Gallery

Hurstville Museum & Gallery

6 April – 28 April 2013

Yanos Bouzioukos was born in Athens in 1951. This exhibition reflects the seascapes and landscapes of his homeland through compositions of stained glass and glass-collage. Yanos has a strong background in working with glass, lecturing on Contemporary Glass Techniques in Wales and also teaching at the University of Sydney in the Glass Department. Today he lives and works in Sydney and hopes to demonstrate through this exhibition the multicultural nature of the community.


Official Opening:

Saturday 6 April 2013, 1.30pm for 2.00pm.

RSVP by Wednesday 3 April 2013.

9330 6444 or museumgallery@hurstville.nsw.gov.au


Location:
Dragon’s Lair Gallery
Hurstville Museum & Gallery
14 MacMahon Street, Hurstville



Opening hours:
Tuesday – Saturday, 10.00am – 4.00pm
Sunday, 2.00pm – 5.00pm
Other times by appointment.

Road to IELTS

IELTS examinations will be held tomorrow. If you are planning to sit for your IELTS and need a score of 6 or above, then why not try using our online database Road to IELTS. The database offers IELTS testing and training for library members preparing for their exams. The database has been upgraded and is easy to use. There are both academic and general training modules available.

If you plan to sit the examinations at a later date, why not come to Talk Time conversation classes held each Monday from 1:30-3:30pm? These classes offer you the chance to practice what you have learnt in a real life situation.

Decipher your Dreams

Ever had a dream that didn't make sense?

The strangest dream I can remember involved me marrying a seal. Needless to say I woke up feeling confused and a little alarmed. Perhaps if I had taken the time to read a book about dream interpretation I could have put my mind at ease.

According to The Illustrated A-Z of Understanding Dreams the language of dreams is both literal and symbolic. Dreaming of marriage signifies relationship issues, whilst dreaming of seals represents issues we are trying to weigh up. Apparently my subconcious was trying to tell me something.

Find out what messages your subconcious is trying to tell you by exploring our great range of materials on dream interpretation during June as we celebrating dreams during the National Year of Reading. 

Living in the Library

Hurstville City Library has a new resident this week. A living statue has made our Dora Street window her home between 4:30 and 5:30 in the afternoon.She has taken up lodgings during Library Week and is a master of disguise adopting a different persona each day.

Visitors and onlookers have been amazed by the variety of costume choices from relaxed travel gear to lycra superhero clothes to a period gothic dress. She is surrounded by an assortment of books relating to the National Year of Reading monthly theme of Escape and can often be seen perusing their contents.

Rumor has it today is the last day she will appear. I wonder what her disguise will be?

Free Seminar - Get That Job

Are you thinking about returning to work? Are you looking for a career change? Do you want to learn some valuable tips to compete in the job market?

Come along to our free seminar on Get That Job.

When: Wednesday 23rd May at 7.00pm
Where: Hurstville City Library
Bookings required: 9330 6142

This is the first in a series of three free seminars. Keep watching this space for more information on Get That Job Online and Get That Job Resume Seminar.

Annie Murray

Have you ever read a book that you wished would never end, and when it does you feel like you have lost a good friend? All the days of our lives by Annie Murray is one of these.
This is the final book in a trilogy beginning with A Hopscotch Summer and Soldier Girl.
It's 1946 the war is over and three young women Kate, Em and Molly face a new life. But this brings its own problems.
Katie O'Neill's life is dominated by a temperamental mother in a household of many secrets she doesn't understand. Starved for love she meets up with a charming young man who leaves her with a son to bring up on her own. Spurned by her mother she sets out to start a new life.
Em Brown has spent the war living at home with her parents raising her son born while her husband Norm was away at war. Finally after all the waiting he returns but brings with him a new set of problems.
Molly Fox after a sad and brutal childhood joins the Womens Army during the War and at last finds a place to belong.But when the War is over the women are no longer wanted and Molly finds life bleak and difficult as she seeks a place to call home.
I could not put this book down and am now reading other titles by Annie Murray held at Hurstville City Library.

National Year of Reading

To celebrate National Year of Reading we at Hurstville Library took to the streets of Mortdale. Early morning travellers were given free books from the Library to enjoy and pass onto others when finished. A great morning was had by all.

Year of Reading thoughts

I have been thinking about what the Year of Reading can achieve and there are ways that as a community we can all work together to make sure people, and young people especially, can enjoy all the benefits that reading can offer.

There are people in our community who do not enjoy reading, not because they don't like it, more that they don't have the proper skills that they may have missed out on. There are very legitimate reasons that impact on that person and their abilities. The feelings that those people experience everyday in not being able to read or read well as a necessity, let alone for enjoyment, affects their life and confidence. If we can share our enjoyment and gift of reading with others who struggle with this during 2012 and beyond, then we will all be richer for sharing. For those that love to read, it's a year to celebrate the benefits reading adds to your life.

Lisa - Children's Library

Graphic Novel Expo

Come to the Graphic Novel Expo and kick start Hurstville Library's collection for adults.

We'll have a stack of new titles for you to browse; you can catch up with other fans and the guys from Kings Comics will be there to share their insider's knowledge.

Where: Hurstville Library, Cnr Queens Rd & Dora St, Hurstville

When: Wed 2nd November at 6:30 pm

Enquiries: Ring 9330 6142

Steve Jobs - I love my ipad but....

I was in San Francisco when Steve Jobs' death was announced. There was saturation coverage by the media, the windows of the Apple Store were covered in personal tributes and people had congregated on the street in seeming pilgrimage. It brought to mind the public reaction to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

I love my ipad but ...what has this man done to engender such an emotional response on such a scale?

I'm looking forward to reading the new biography by Walter Isaacson, it might give me some insight into an obviously charismatic individual.