The Law Handbook

The Law Handbook Your practical guide to the law in New South Wales, 11th edition is now at the library. It provides extensive coverage of NSW law and is regarded as the best starting point for most legal information enquiries. Aimed at the the lay person it is written in easy to understand plain English. Reference copies at both Hurstville Central Libray and Penshurst Branch Library can be found in the Find Legal Answers Tool Kit. Ask for assistance at the Information Desk. Copies are also available for loan, browse at the 349.9441/LAW number in the non-fiction collection.

New music releases for free

We've just added some more music releases for our members to borrow for free. With a mix of Australian and international artist be sure to come in and visit us. New albums in the collection include;

Cosmic egg by Wolfmother
Like it like that by Guy Sebastian

Drown in colour by Red Riders
Ragged and ecstatic by Yves Klein Blue
Head of the hawk by Bluejuice
A brief history of love by The Big Pink

For popular titles you can place a reservation via our online catalogue. A great way to ensure you can pick up and listen to the latest albums for free.

Ignorance - bliss or prejudice?

The expression ignorance is bliss is taken to mean that what we don’t know cannot hurt or affect us. Having just read M.E.Kerr’s latest novel for teenagers ‘Someone like summer", I am reminded that often not knowing is an excuse to continue to be prejudiced. This novel explores the relationship between a rich Long Island teenager and a migrant worker from South America. She has no idea of the sort of life he is trying to escape from, his need to provide for mother, sisters, brothers, the whole extended family, as she tries to make him acceptable to her family. Needless to say the attitude of her father and the community to the migrant workers smacks of the U.S. in the sixties.
The attitude of the U.S. government to illegal migrants is even more astonishing – a free green card if you go to fight in Iran!
It would seem that the average U.S. citizen cares little for the plight of non-U.S. citizens and as shown at the end of the novel, even less regard for their own citizens as Cyclone Katina sweeps into the Gulf of Mexico.

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland trailer

Tim Burton and Alice in Wonderland. Sounds like this could be interesting and with a lovely dark twist. That said we are talking a Walt Disney Pictures so it could turn out really bland. As with many 'epic' films of late, this will be located in the 3D fantasy adventure section of your local cinema.

Australian internet filter is given green light

The Australian Government looks to continue on the path towards implementing its controversial Internet censorship . See ABC news Green light for Internet filter plans for more detailed view of Communications Minister Stephen Conroy plans. He is quoted as saying

The Government believes that parents want assistance to reduce the risk of children being exposed to such material.

This is an interesting statement. Who is responsible for raising children? Certainly the Internet is a medium that requires active participation by parents to moderate content viewing. But what duty of care does the government or any organisation have in the moderation and censorship of a medium like the Internet? Certainly, libraries have faced these issues before. As information resources, how do we ensure content available is appropriate for particular ages but at the same time not censor information.