Monday, December 21, 2015

Prime Minister's Literary Awards for 2015





The Prime Minister, the Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP, and the Minister for the Arts, Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield have announced the winners of the 2015 Prime Minister's Literary Awards at an event in Sydney on Monday 14 December 2015.

The winners are:
FICTION
The Golden Age by Joan London (Penguin Books Australia)

POETRY
Poems 1957–2013 by Geoffrey Lehmann (UWA Publishing)

PRIZE FOR AUSTRALIAN HISTORY—JOINT WINNERS
Charles Bean by Ross Coulthart (HarperCollins Publishers)

The Spy Catchers—The Official History of ASIO Vol 1 by David Horner (Allen & Unwin)

NON-FICTION—JOINT WINNERS
John Olsen: An Artist's Life by Darleen Bungey (ABC Books, Harper Collins Publishers)

Wild Bleak Bohemia: Marcus Clarke, Adam Lindsay Gordon and Henry Kendall by Michael Wilding (Australian Scholarly Publishing)

YOUNG ADULT FICTION
The Protected by Claire Zorn (University of Queensland Press)

CHILDREN'S FICTION
One Minute's Silence by David Metzenthen and illustrated by Michael Camilleri (Allen & Unwin)

Thursday, December 17, 2015

e-sounds of Christmas!




Freegal offers access to streaming services for up to 6 hours per day and three downloads per week. It is quick and easy to use. Read the Freegal FAQs to help with technical specifications, conditions of use and navigating the Freegal site. Some Christmas classics available include:


Party Songs for Christmas 2015
Mirror 2 Mirror Music 2015

For Christmas: Beautiful Concertos for the Holidays
Cobra Entertainment LLC 2009

Christmas Family Essentials
Yuletide Music 2015

100 Classic Christmas Songs
Holiday Music Inc. 2012

Greatest Christmas Ever!
Yuletide Music 2015

Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Cobra Entertainment LLC 2012

With plenty more to choose from, why not let Freegal provide the sound track to your Christmas?

Wednesday, December 09, 2015

' O come all ye ... virtual'


Hey all you advocates for the wonders of technology and the capacity for the virtual realm to bring us together, here is a treat demonstrating the wonders of virtual community and the delight of bringing those in a variety of locations together for a performance for the Christmas season  - a virtual choir sings 'O come all ye faithful'

While you're in the festive mood, you might like to download some free Christmas vibes from Freegal on the Newcastle Region Library website.

Wishing you the wonder and joy of the season.

Monday, December 07, 2015

Free Mechatronics and Coding Course for Teens

Bots in the Books

This is a free 3 day course for teens aged 14-18.

When: 12th, 13th and 14th January 2016


Time: 10am-2pm daily

Location: "Mad Science Theatrette", 1st Floor, Newcastle Library, Laman St, Cooks Hill

Activities will be delivered by Hunter TAFE and include:
  • Introduction to electronics, application of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) theory in practice with physics based practical sessions, high reliability soldering, component measuring, and circuit assembly. 
  • Introduction to mechatronics, coding, project building.  
Bookings essential via Eventbrite
For more information call 4904 3341.

Competition

Bonus competition for ages 5-18

Decode this hexadecimal question, and work out the answer within the code 
to win a mini quadcopter:


4e 61 6d 65 20 61 20 62 6f 6f 6b 20 61 62 6f 75
74 20 72 6f 62 6f 74 73 20 61 6e 64 20 74 65 6c
6c 20 75 73 20 77 68 6f 20 77 72 6f 74 65 20 69
74 2e 20 49 66 20 79 6f 75 20 6e 65 65 64 20 68
65 6c 70 20 61 73 6b 20 61 20 6c 69 62 72 61 72
69 61 6e 2e

If you need help ASK a Librarian for tips and tricks

Send your answers to: nlbookings@ncc.nsw.gov.au by 12.00 pm Monday 11th January 2016. Include your name, age and phone number.

The first correct entry drawn will win a prize.

Friday, December 04, 2015

THE BOOK CLUB - Voted five of the best for 2015 - with Jennifer Byrne

VOTES are in for the TOP 5 books that were relished by You - the reader, in 2015:

1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
2. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
3. A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson
4. The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood
5. Flesh Wounds by Richard Glover


The Girl on the Train  A Little Life A God in Ruins The Natural Way of Things Flesh Wounds

Five more books recommended by The First Tuesday Book Club

6. When There’s Nowhere Else to Run by Murray Middleton
7. These Things Happen by Greg Fleet
8. Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar
9. A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
10. Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee

When There's Nowhere Else to Run These Things Happen Salt Creek A Spool of Blue Thread Go Set a Watchman


 

Thursday, December 03, 2015

Summer Reading Club

The always popular Summer Reading Club kicks off on Monday 7 December and runs until 28 January 2016. Kids are encouraged to read as many books as they can during this period to qualify for great prizes. Some exciting new titles for Summer Reading include:

Where's Santa?  by Louis Shea

Over 700 things to spot! Santa has flown Down Under to visit his cousin Barry. But Rudolph has created chaos on the farm and red-nosed animals are flying everywhere! From kung-fu cassowaries up north, to footy-playing possums down south, can Santa and Barry put everything right? Will Australia ever be the same again?!






My Brother is A Super Hero by David Solomons

Luke could have been a superhero, except that he needed a wee! Instead, older brother Zack is granted superpowers by a visiting alien, and Luke must work with him to defeat the evil Nemesis! A super-exciting, laugh-out-loud novel, with enough heart to fill the entire galaxy, recommended for readers aged 8-12.





Little Stars by Jacqueline Wilson

Hetty Feather has begun a new chapter in her life story. Escaping from Tanglefield Travelling Circus with her dearest friend Diamond, Hetty is determined to find them positions as glamorous music hall artistes. Hetty and Diamond quickly become the Little Stars of Mrs Ruby's show, alongside many colourful acts including an old friend from Hetty's past, Flirty Bertie. But the Cavalcade proves a dangerous place, and Hetty must fight to protect her darling Diamond, who longs for a normal childhood. Will Hetty become a true star? Starring a cast of wonderful characters, both old favourites and new, this is the fifth fabulous Hetty Feather story.


Eye to Eye by Graeme Base

From one of Australia's favourite picture book creators comes a remarkable look at the connection between the animals that inhabit our Earth - even the human ones. A child, brave and curious about the world, flies high over the mountains, goes out on a limb and dives into the deep. From here, he can see eye to eye with majestic and curious creatures, from the miniature to the enormous, the everyday to the fantastic.  Eye to Eye will give you an amazing new perspective on the world!
 

Tuesday, December 01, 2015

World AIDS Day





Image result for end hiv by 2020



Advances in HIV treatment and testing technologies may make it possible to end the HIV epidemic in Australia by getting more people tested, treated early and practising safe sex. The Ending HIV Red Ribbon Appeal supports community based initiatives that aim to stop the spread of HIV in NSW by 2020.

For more information about AIDS or HIV or to donate to their work go to the ACON website.  ACON also supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex health.