Pledging your support for rebuilding Christchurch

Have you signed The Pledge? It’s not a declaration to give up the demon drink or cigarettes but rather signing your commitment to Christchurch and the rebuild of the city.
Pledge sheets have been distributed in supermarkets, businesses, Post Shops and other locations.

If you live in the Eastern suburbs or you are out there visiting – you can now sign The Pledge at New Brighton and Parklands libraries.

You can also check on The Pledge’s Facebook page to see the latest updates on where you can sign, messages of support and other information.

Words for Christchurch: Mark Pirie

Mark Pirie is a Wellington poet, editor and publisher who has a number of relatives living in Christchurch. He was saddened by the deaths of so many, especially fellow poet Rhys Brookbanks in the CTV building.  He wrote these Words for Christchurch.

WATER by Mark Pirie

For Mayor Bob Parker and the people of Christchurch

After the shaking
struck, Christchurch
was never the same.

Everywhere, people
rushed to help rescue
and remove the debris.

As if in a war zone
buildings crumbled,
collapsed, becoming

mere rubble. Businesses
and jobs lost. Lives taken.
Hearts broken in homes.

The age-old question
“Why?” Yet, the human
spirit began once more.

Students, farmers arrived
for the clean-up, the Mayor
helped restore the calm.

It could be weeks, maybe
months, but he was sure
they could rebuild, drink again.

Poem copyright Mark Pirie 2011

• Visit Mark Pirie’s website or try his cricket poetry blog
• Visit the Poetry Archive of  New Zealand Aotearoa
• Place a hold on A tingling catch: a century of New Zealand cricket poems at your library
• Read more in the Words for Christchurch series

The Displaced Reader: Brilliant views and free wireless at New Brighton

My usual library haunt is out of action so as part of my personal quake recovery plan I’ve  decided to become a library tourist. I’m visiting  all the Christchurch City Libraries that are open. This means eleven libraries to visit!  I began on the east side by visiting  New Brighton Library and it was a great trip.

New Brighton is a lovely bright library, with fabulous views of beach and pier, cheerful, helpful staff and heaps of computers. Looking around an unfamiliar library the collection seems new and fresh and I quickly zoomed in on a travel guide for Sydney.  What a great place to chill out with a book or a great CD on one of their listening posts with a view.  New Brighton also has free wifi. Like any good tourist I had my camera and took some happy snaps of New Brighton.

Getting there  I took Pages Road. The traffic flow was good, despite roadworks. Nearer New Brighton the road was still bumpy but that’s a fact of life these days. There is plenty of parking on Hawke Street, just a short walk from the library. Some Brighton shops are looking a bit battered but there is still heaps of useful retail – supermarket, chemist, bookshop, cafes, hardware, surf gear and so on. My best buys? Cabbage plants at the hardware store, then a good coffee and Trade Aid dark chocolate at the  coffee roastery. The pier is open and the beach offers great walking.

Make a trip to the east side – it’s worth it.

Find out which libraries are open and learn m0re about New Brighton  Library.

Next stop on the library tour is Parklands, a cool, laid back modern library with a cafe. Keep following the Displaced Reader on her travels.

Get ya geek on: Really useful resources for NCEA Technology

Let us be your Igor as you channel your inner mad inventor for NCEA Technology.

• Science Reference Center has tonnes of full-text material from encyclopedias, reference books and periodicals;
• Investigate some of the amazing inventions and discoveries that have changed the world at World Book Inventions and Discoveries;
• Get ideas for projects from Make magazine. We also have print copies you can borrow from one of our community libraries now open;
• Fully equip yourself for your NCEA assessments;
• Learn about biotechnology and the latest biotechnology innovations and knowledge in New Zealand;
• Find out what other students are doing in classrooms around New Zealand at TechLink;
• Read the History of Technological Innovation in New Zealand;
• Check out 3D models, photographic images, architectural drawings, commentaries, and links to other related Internet resources at GreatBuildings;
• Understand the elements of spacecraft design through adapting a spacecraft to tackle a space mission.

So where did we find all these great resources? On The Pulse – the library website for teens.