Library News

Kew Library Closed Today !! No Power!

2012-02-05T14:18:00.002+11:00

There is an unscheduled closure of Kew Library today (Sunday 5 February) due to a complete power outage in the area.
Boroondara's other four libraries are open at Ashburton, Balwyn, Camberwell and Hawthorn and online services are not affected. Kew Library will resume services tomorrow morning at 10am, assuming that power has been restored.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Australia Day

2012-01-25T15:53:00.005+11:00

All Boroondara libraries will be closed on Thursday January 26 for the Australia Day public holiday.

Even though the libraries are closed you can return items through the after hours returns chutes, use our website to search the catalogue on line, place reservations and renew your items.

Click here for 10 facts about Australia Day

or here to learn how to make an origami koala

We are open today

2011-12-28T13:54:00.002+11:00

All five Boroondara Libraries are open today. (Wednesday)

Ashburton: 10am - 6pm.
Balwyn: 10am - 6pm.
Camberwell: 9am - 5pm.
Hawthorn: 10am - 6pm.
Kew: 10am - 6pm.

Virtual Library: www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/libraries

Phone: 92784666

All Boroondara Libraries closed today!

2011-12-27T10:11:00.002+11:00

Apologies to all! Unfortunately the Boroondara website has reverted to our normal opening hours today. We are trying to get that changed.

All Boroondara's Libraries are closed today for the public holiday. We reopen tomorrow 28 December. Camberwell Library will be open from 9-5, and Ashburton, Balwyn, Hawthorn and Kew Libraries from 10-6.

See previous post for all our online services! You can still keep up with us in our virtual space while our physical branches are closed!

Holiday opening hours

2011-12-23T09:47:00.003+11:00

Boroondara Libraries will be closed from 24 to 27 December and 31 December to 2 January.

Need to return your items while we are closed?

All libraries have external bookchutes which are open 24/7 over the holiday period.

Want to renew your items while the library is closed?

Then head to our website and you will be able to check when your items are due and renew them if no one else is waiting for them).

You can also reserve items online 24/7.

Databases and Bolinda e-audio resources can also be accessed when the library is closed.

Keep in touch with the library 24/7 all year round via our website, facebook, twitter and blogs.

Have a safe and happy holiday period.

System Upgrade

2011-12-11T15:49:00.000+11:00

The City of Boroondara Library Service is having a system upgrade on Tuesday 13 December.

On this day, services offered to the public will be very restricted.

Items can only be issued on presentation of a library card

No Online catalogue searching, either from home or within the library

No Reservations

Renewals are only possible in the library if the item is present

No Borrower/loan record enquiry

PC bookings will only be able to be made by staff

No Processing of payments

Boroondara Library Service apologises for any inconvenience.

Cup Day Holiday

2011-10-31T08:52:00.002+11:00

All branches are closed Tuesday November 1 for Melbourne Cup Day.

However our returns chutes will be open if you want to return any items and you can renew items or place reservations via our website.

Storm problems from yesterday

2011-09-29T10:50:00.002+10:00

All Boroondara Libraries are open today though there are still some difficulties due to storm damage.

Kew is still experiencing network and phone difficulties though the public computers are working. Most critical staff functions and phones have now been switched over from the lightning damaged server.

Ashburton's public network and phones are working but there are currently problems with issues and returns.

Please try to use Boroondara's other libraries unless necessary as Ashburton and Kew staff have enough issues to deal with at present. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Boroondara Libraries Update

2011-09-28T16:52:00.005+10:00

Kew Library may have been struck by lightning: no phones, no staff pcs. IT are working to restore server. However, public computer network is working & power is working.

Ashburton Library has no phones but some power has returned. Computers are being tested.

Camberwell Library is flooded.

All libraries are still open but please try and route requests to other branches (i.e. Hawthorn and Balwyn) for the time being.

Got an iphone or ipad? Get this blog as an app.

2011-09-03T10:35:00.004+10:00

Want to have this blog as an app on your idevice?

Here's how to do it.

1. click here to download bloapp from the app store. (don't worry it's free)

2. snap the QR code below & you will be able to add this blog to the app.

Or search for boroondara if you can't snap the QR code.

3. that's it

Network upgrades today.

2011-07-19T09:19:00.002+10:00

Due to network upgrades there will be some internet, catalogue. and WiFi downtime today (Tuesday 19 July)

All public PCs and catalogues will be down at Hawthorn from 4pm and from 5pm at Kew and Balwyn.

The WiFi network will be unavailable at all branches this afternoon also.

Boroondara Library Service apologises for any inconvenience.

#BlogJune wrap up

2011-06-30T16:01:00.003+10:00

We did it.

30 days 30 blogposts.

At the end of May we set ourselves the challenge -take part in #Blog everyday in June.

We have four library blogs.

We devised a roster for blogging the month between the four blogs. (it was a colour coded roster may I add)

and we did it.

Thanks to Polyxena, Bookwoman, Katy, the youth services gang, and everyone who came up with ideas for us to blog about.

In case you've forgotten our blogs are:

Library News

Bookends (Adult Services)

Tellingtales (Local History)

About the Books (Youth Services)

Enjoy.

Happy Birthday Camberwell Library

2011-06-25T20:58:00.000+10:00

On Thursday 23 June Camberwell Library celebrated its 50th birthday.

Of course there was cake

And balloons

And more cake

And more balloons and more cake

A fun time was had by all.

Join us for birthday cake

2011-06-21T19:49:00.002+10:00

On Thursday (June 23) Camberwell Library turns 50.

Come along at 9 am and join us for birthday cake and balloons.

Have a look at Camberwell Library over the years and see the plans for the new Camberwell Library.

A piece of Camberwell Library Trivia.

* When the library first opened you could borrow one fiction book and one non fiction book, or two non fiction books.

Today you can borrow as many items as you like.

Boroondara Literary Awards

2011-06-17T11:15:00.000+10:00

Calling Boroondara's budding writers

Now is the time to pursue those dreams of becoming a published author.

The 13th annual Boroondara Literary Awards is now open. Budding writers have until 5pm on Friday 27 August to submit their entries.

Entrants have the potential to receive cash awards in two sections.

A prize pool of over $2,000 is available in the Young Writers section, with close to $3000 available in the Open Short Story category.

The Young Writers section includes categories for poetry and prose for students from Year 7 to Year 9 and Year 10 to Year 12, and young people living, working or studying in Boroondara.

The Open Short Story section is a national competition inviting literary works between 1500-3000 words from writers across the country. Anyone in Australia may enter this category. There is a Best Boroondara prize as well as general prizes.

The Boroondara Literary Awards will be conducted in partnership with Leader Newspapers and the Balwyn Rotary Club.

How to enter

Entry forms will be coming soon. Watch this space.

Flyers

Download flyers for the Open Short Story section or the Young Writers section below.

Files

Open Short Story Flyer (pdf, 2.03 MB)
Young Writers Flyer (pdf, 1.85 MB)

FAQs - WiFi

2011-06-13T10:48:00.004+10:00

City of Boroondara Library Service WiFi Information

We have public Wireless Internet (WiFi) access at Ashburton, Balwyn, Hawthorn and Kew libraries.

The service is also accessible in the Ashburton (Copland Room), Balwyn and Kew (Phyllis Hore Room) meeting rooms.

This service is only available to library members.

Anyone can join the library (either online or at the Information Desk) as long as they have a Victorian postal address.

To use the service patrons simply need to ensure their laptop is wireless enabled and look for the connection called [Branch] Library.

On connection, you need to open a web browser where you will be asked to agree to the terms and conditions by logging in using library ID number and PIN. The hours of operation are from 6am to 11.55pm, 7 days a week. The service is speed limited to 256kbps/512kbps per user. Speed may slow down at peak times.

The service is provided to enable use of the World Wide Web. As such, only http and https protocols are permitted.

Patrons using email through a client such as Outlook will be able to receive email but not send it.

Patrons who are debarred, banned or banned from the Internet will not have access.

This is a 'self serve' service. Whilst we will endeavor to maintain access at all times, we do not guarantee it and are not liable for anything that may occur or fail to occur as a result of our WiFi service being inoperable for any reason.

Library Services Advisory Committee - Call for nominations!

2011-06-10T09:59:00.004+10:00

The City of Boroondara is currently calling for community nominations for its Library Services Advisory Committee. If you live, work or study in Boroondara and would like to have a say about your libraries, have a look at the Committee's Terms of Reference on Council's website. Nominations close on 20 June and should be emailed to anne.holmes@boroondara.vic.gov.au.

All branches closed on Monday 13 June

2011-06-09T19:58:00.004+10:00

All library branches will be closed on Monday 13 June for the Queen's Birthday public holiday.

Normal services will resume on Tuesday 14 June.

Don't forget you can visit our virtual library @ www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/libraries to renew your items, check when your items are due back and place reservations.

If you need to return your items the after hours chutes will be open at all libraries.

#BlogJune day 1.

2011-06-01T11:18:00.005+10:00

This week is World Environment Week so to help us celebrate Eco the Gecko has been visiting pre-school storytime and giving the children seedlings to plant in their gardens.

Yesterday Eco the Gecko was at Balwyn Library for storytime (and to check out the library)

Being welcomed to the library by Sharee & Philippa

dancing at storytime

Choosing some books to borrow

Borrowing books

In case you were wondering Eco is a marbled gecko (often found in Melbourne).

For more info click HERE for the Melbourne Museum's fact sheet on the marbled gecko.

Blog every day of June - Introduction.

2011-06-01T11:11:00.003+10:00

So the library bloggers have decided to take part in Blog Every day of June.

The goal is that one of our four library blogs will be updated each day for the month of June.

What, you didn't know we had four library blogs?

Well here they are:

Library News (this blog)
www.boroondaralibraryservice.blogspot.com

Adult book news, views, reviews & events
www.boroondarabookends.blogspot.com

Books for kids & teens
www.aboutthebooks.blogspot.com

Local History
www.boroondaratellingtales.blogspot.com

Happy Reading

Sorry Day Human Library

2011-05-24T09:40:00.009+10:00

Thursday 26 May at 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Hawthorn Library,
584 Glenferrie Road,
Hawthorn
Contact: 9278 4666

Borrow a human book on Sorry Day!

Come and enjoy a one-on-one conversation with an indigenous Australian to celebrate National Sorry Day, 26 May 2011.

All sessions are free, however bookings are essential. Bookings can be made in person at any library branch, by phone on 9278 466 or by emailing the library.

Meet our human books

Maree Clarke

Maree Clarke, a Yorta Yorta, Wamba Wamba woman from northeast Victoria, began working as an Aboriginal Educator in 1978 in her home-town of Mildura. This work experience, althoughnot directly related to her life as an artist, provided a solid base from which to begin her career in supporting and promoting southeast Australian Aboriginal histories, culture and knowledge. More recently Maree’s continuing desire to affirm and reconnect with her cultural heritage has also seen her exhibiting contemporary designs of kangaroo teeth necklaces, along with string headbands, adorned with kangaroo teeth. The latest exhibition of Maree’s work to achieve acclaim has been her creation and installation of kopi mourning caps. The caps were exhibited at the 2010 Melbourne International Arts Festival at the Nyah Bunyah (Temple) exhibition.

Today, in herrole as the Senior Curator and Exhibition Manager at the Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT) inMelbourne (an Aboriginal run organisation and cultural centre that protects, preserves and promotes the living culture of Aboriginal people of south-eastern Australia), Maree continues to curate exhibitions showcasing the development of contemporary southeast Australian Aboriginal art and culture.

Aunty Dot Peters

Maree Aunty Dot is a respected Aboriginal Elder and a descendant of the Yorta Yorta and
Yarra Yarra people of Victoria.

She has worked tirelessly for many years in the eastern region, raising awareness of Aboriginal issues and strengthening the community. In 2006 Aunty Dot, whose father was a prisoner of war and died on the Thai Burma Railway in 1943, approached her local Returned Services League to recognise the service given by Aboriginal people to Australia. That same year, the Honouring Victorian Indigenous Returned Service Men and Women Shrine of Remembrance was established, and the Aboriginal flag was raised at the Shrine of Remembrance for the first time. In 2007, every Australian state held an event to honour Aboriginal service men and women, based on the Victorian model.

Aunty Dotlearnt the art of basket and eel trap weaving from her grandmother and is passionate about passing on her traditional skills to future generations. For over 20 years she has been teaching Aboriginal culture through her basket weaving workshops at TAFE colleges, Museum Victoria, festivals and community organisations.

In 2002, Aunty Dot won the Australia Council for the Arts Red Ochre Award, which is awarded annually toIndigenous Australian Artists who have made an outstanding contribution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture. She was also awarded the Victorian Aboriginal Women’s Award in 2002 and the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee(NAIDOC) Elders Award in 2010.

Len Tregonning

Len is a Gunai/Kurnai man from Gippsland, currently employed by the Koorie Heritage Trust as the Cross Cultural Coordinator, working with a diverse range of groups. Len brings a unique perspective to the training program as he has held a range of roles with an educational perspective withboth government and Aboriginal organisations.

These roles have included outreach health work, 12 years within the employment and industrial relations area and a number of project, consultancy and research roles with organisations including the Aboriginal Advancement League, Aboriginal Community Elders Services and the Victorian Records Taskforce. Len was also one of the first Aboriginal tertiary students in Victoria, attending Swinburne Institute in the mid 1970s, undertaking the Community Organisation Skills course.

Eva-Jo Edwards

Eva-Jo is a Mutti Mutti / Yorta Yorta woman - also a member of the Stolen Generation, who has spent much of her adult life re-discovering and re-engaging in the heritage and culture she lost. Eva-Jo is actively involved in the reconciliation process and has been employed in many vital areas of work. She has been part of Koorie Night Market team from day one, in an evolving role as Community Engagement Officer.

In Eva-Jo's mission to incorporate Aboriginal culture in to the lives of her family, she formed the dance troupe Birri-on Lakidjeka, meaning 'turning the children around'. Eva-Jo's tenacity has seen her become a cultural educator who employs performance, public speaking, administrative and teaching skills in her diverse working life.

Sharon Hodgson-Riley

Aboriginal artist, Sharon Hodgson-Riley lives in Ashburton and has Wurundjeri ancestry. She holds a graduate diploma in Cultural Heritage Interpretation Studies and has done a Master of Arts degree (by research). She is a multimedia artist and has worked with many types of media over the years.

Sharon writes:

"I am an Aborignal descendent a mother a grandmother an artist/designer researcher. My main interest lately is gardening as the environment is our best teacher.

My experience as a multi/media artist has been varied. I have worked with many different types of media over the years from web design, computer graphics, costume, textile and graphic design. a Moomba festival float, book illustration, community mural projects, ceramics, co-ordination of projects, theatre and 5 years in aboriginal community radio. I believe that an artist must be true to oneself to nurture creatively one must also be versatile.

I spent many years engaged in researching our cultural history, ancestry and the impact of westernisation on our sacred land, people and culture. In traditional culture art has always played a role an important role in close relationship to the land and sky. Interpreting spirituality and celebrating life in stories, dance, music and visual arts.

Westernisation in its intrinsic disrespect for mother-nature and indigenous society has been destructive. I observed that the apology on what is now known as sorry day was meaningful, a symbol of hope, to a lot of my people."

Lance Briggs

A Kulin – Boonwurrung/ born in Yalukit Willam at Toorak. Well known member of the traditional owner family of the greater Melbourne area. Born on country, the lands of the Yalukit Willam – living his entire life in spiritual lands which are the metropolis of greater Melbourne.

Lance has been involved with family and country all his life. Involved with various Aboriginal/ Indigenous organisations, and Governments’ departments all over Australia (while living in Melbourne) for over 3 decades – at all levels, as a volunteer, a paid employee, a member of the Board of Directors, a consultant, and now as a consultant and entrepreneur.

An experienced government and economic analyst Lance takes a holistic view of society, government policy, and legal systems with an ability to interpret situations and apply traditional Boonwurrung/ Kulin philosophy and wisdoms and apply them to life in present day Australia.

In maintaining a strong cultural lifestyle, Lance can only live on country (which is his identity) as indigenous settlement is alien to his family and not an option.

-------------

Thursday 26 May at 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Hawthorn Library,
584 Glenferrie Road,
Hawthorn
Contact: 9278 4666

Faith, Expression and Learning Gathering

2011-05-10T19:05:00.004+10:00

Celebrate the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development with the Boroondara Interfaith Network

Wednesday 18 May @ 06:30pm

Ashburton Library,

154 High Street,

Ashburton 3147.

The night will include:

A sacred opening song, sung by the wife of a Rabbi in Hebrew and English.
Guest speakers Michael McGirr, Hanifa Deen and Constant Mews will speak from their diverse religious perspectives.
An Australian Aboriginal elder who will talk briefly and lead an activity (drawing a Rainbow Serpent)
Displays from the Library Service religion collection
Interactive arts and dialogue activities

Supper will be provided.

Please inform us via telephone on 9278 4666 of dietary and interpreter needs.

All community members are welcome to this event.

This event is free, but booking s are essential.

About the speakers

Michael McGirr

Michael McGirr was born in 1961. He is the author of the best-selling Things You Get For Free, a comedy about travelling in Europe with his mother. He is also responsible for Bypass: The Story of a Road, a quirky biography of Australia’s main street, the Hume Highway. Bypass is currently a Year 12 English text in Victoria.

The heart of Bypass is a bike ride that Michael, not the fittest man on the road, made from Sydney to Melbourne with the ever-patient Jenny, now his wife and more patient than ever. By the end of the book, they were expecting their first child. The Lost Art of Sleep takes the story further. It was inspired by the arrival of twins not long after Michael and Jenny’s first little boy. Suddenly there were five in the bed. This meant that Michael, who was used to, after 20 years in the priesthood, long nights on bad mattresses now had a great mattress but only short nights.

Michael McGirr has been a regular columnist and reviewer for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times and a presenter on ABC radio. He has also been was editor of Australian Catholics and publisher of Eureka Street and fiction editor of Meanjin. At the moment, he is a secondary school teacher in Melbourne where he lives near a port with his wife and three children who want to be pirates.

Hanifa Deen

Hanifa Deen is a Melbourne-based award-winning author and social commentator of Pakistani-Muslim ancestry who writes narrative non-fiction.

She has held a number of high profile positions including Hearing Commissioner with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission; Deputy Commissioner of the Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission of WA, and was a director on the Board of SBS for five years.

Hanifa Deen was born in the gold mining town of Kalgoorlie WA and blames all that desert air for turning her into a ‘Muslim maverick’. Five generations of the Deen family ‘belong’ to Australia going back to both her grandfathers who came out from what is today Pakistan in the 1890s, before the White Australia Policy of the era closed the doors for nearly eighty years.

Hanifa is proud of her Muslim childhood and adolescence, but speaks out against what she sees as fundamentalist ideologies on both sides of the religious divide. She is also a feminist and a great believer in the capacity of women to reinvent themselves and is particularly fond of disobedient women in history, literature and real life: she began her career as a high school teacher (English and History), taught English as a foreign language for seven years in (West) Germany at a boys’ high school before returning to Australia where she became active in ethnic affairs and humanrights at both a community and, finally, at a professional level in the public service.

Feeling that an irreverent tongue was better suited to writing than a career in the public service and concerned that years of churning out ‘Yes, Minister’ memos and reports was turning her into a writer of turgid prose, Hanifa turned to full time writing fourteen years ago.

Constant Mews

Although born in Britain, I received my later secondary education and did my initial university studies in history (BA and MA) in Auckland, New Zealand. Subsequently, I did doctoral study at the University of Oxford, UK , followed by five years (1980-1985) teaching British civilisation at the Universite de Paris III, while pursuing my own studies in medieval thought (focusing on Peter Abelard) in connection with Jean Jolivet, at the Ecole pratique des hautes etudes en sciences religieuses. This was followed as two years as a Leverhulme research fellow at the University of Sheffield, UK , working with Prof. David Luscombe, on editing the writings of Peter Abelard.

I came to Australia in July 1987, when I took up a position at Monash University as Lecturer in the Dept of History. Since then I have become involved in developing the Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology and in promoting studies in religion more generally, with a strong interest in interfaith work. I have had spells of study at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, in 1990 and 2000, and have also taught in Paris, at the Ecole pratique des hautes etudes (Ve section) and in the Ecole des hautes etudes en sciences sociales.

*****************************************

Celebrate the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development with the Boroondara Interfaith Network

Wednesday 18 May @ 06:30 pm

Ashburton Library,

154 High Street,

Ashburton 3147.

Meet the Author - Belinda Collins

2011-05-06T21:27:00.005+10:00

Meet Belinda Collins co-author of Warrior princess: fighting for life with courage and hope

Warrior Princess is the true-life story of a woman Belinda describes as 'the most inspirational leader with the power to change the world', Zambian Princess Kasune Zulu. Belinda and Princess met in 2002 when Belinda worked in the media team of World Vision Australia. Belinda and Princess formed a bond that they describe as sisterhood.

Princess lost her parents, baby sister and brother to AIDS. At the age of 21 Princess learned she too was HIV positive. Since that time Princess has travelled the world fighting against the virus that has left one in three children in her country an orphan. Most notably, Princess sat eyeball-to-eyeball with former US President George W Bush in the Oval Office and compelled him to spend $15 billion fighting AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean. Warrior Princess is her story written with the help of Belinda Collins. Belinda describes herself as a social justice entrepreneur with a heart for issues affecting the world's women and children.

This session is free but bookings are essential.

WHEN: Monday 16 May at 7:30 pm.

WHERE: Ashburton Library,

154 High Street,

Ashburton VIC 3147.
Contact: 9278 466

Easter & Anzac Day Opening Hours

2011-04-21T09:44:00.002+10:00

All library branches will be closed from Friday 22 April to Tuesday 26 April.

Normal services will resume on Wednesday 27 April.

Harmony Day. Everyone Belongs.

2011-03-21T09:12:00.000+11:00

Harmony Day is celebrated around Australia on 21 March each year.

It's a day where all Australians celebrate our cultural diversity.

The day is also the United Nation's International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The continuing message for Harmony Day in 2011 is that Everyone Belongs, which means all Australians are a welcome part of our country, regardless of their background.

It's a time to reflect on where Australia has come from, recognising the traditional owners of this land.

It's also about community participation, inclusiveness and respect – celebrating the different cultures that make Australia a great place to live.

A selection of new items will be available for loan at Boroondara Libraries to celebrate Harmony Day.