The Gig Guide: February to April 2016

Planning on attending a concert, show, or gig in Christchurch? Then why not take a look at what we’ve got of that artist’s back catalogue?

Music

• Fly My Pretties, 12 February
• Simply Red, 5 March
• Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, 7 March
• James Reyne, 8 March
• Buzzcocks, 18 March
• Mamma Mia 31 March – 16 April
• The Stranglers, 15 April
• The Proclaimers, 23 April
• Jamie Lawson, 24 April
• Iron Maiden, 29 April

Comedy

• Danny Bhoy, 22 February
• The Laughing Samoans, 12 March
• Dawn French, 14-18 March
• Mrs Brown, 17-19 March
• Michele A’Court, 23 April

What gigs are you looking forward to in the near future? Anything we’ve missed? Do let us know in the comments.

Services for the visually impaired

Librarians recently had some useful training by Tom Smith, the Accessible Information Consultant at the Blind Foundation. Here’s some useful information from Tom on things that can help anyone with visual impairment, and some other resources available at Christchurch City Libraries.

The Blind Foundation

The Blind Foundation Library offers books and magazines in audio, braille and etext to its clients around the country. Books and magazines are available via a postal service or can be downloaded to a device. The Blind Foundation has special rights under the Section 69 of The Copyright Act 1994.

If you are used to the Blind Foundation’s old daisy players and not interested in those it please spread the news that they now have an app called BookLink available through the Blind Foundation for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Newspapers will be added to the app, and an app for Windows PCs and Android devices will be developed in 2016.

For more information read more on the Blind Foundation website:

• Information on accessibility
• E-books and accessibility

If you have low vision or dyslexia, you may now be able to access talking books through the Blind Foundation’s new app as an associate member. Contact the Blind Foundation for more information.

Accessibility on Apple devices

If you have low vision, poor hearing or problems with co-ordination, the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch all have great accessibility functions to make life easier. The Blind Foundation works with their clients to show them how to use these functions and customise the settings on their devices.

Find out more about accessibility on Apple devices:

• Accessibility
• Use Accessibility features in iOS
• Accessibility tips and tricks

Christchurch City Libraries

Accessibility tools on library computers

Accessibility, when referring to the design of software, refers to the practice of designing software so that people of all abilities and disabilities have equal access to information and functionality. Some software is specifically designed to make other software accessible to users who, for example, are sight-impaired. The following accessibility tools are available on our computers:

• Magnifier
• Narrator
• NVDA

Collection

Large print
Search our catalogue for fiction and non–fiction books in large print.

eAudiobooks and audiobooks
We have two eAudiobook platforms you can borrow from: OverDrive and BorrowBox.

Find downloadable eAudiobooks in our catalogue.
Browse the latest downloadable eAudiobooks.
Search our catalogue for audiobooks.

Playaway
An easy–to–use audio player provided by the library and ready loaded with up to 80 hours of listening. It can fit in your pocket and go anywhere with you. Search our catalogue for playaway.

Talking books
Fiction and non–fiction items recorded on a variety of other formats e.g. tape or CD. Search our catalogue for talking books.

DVDs
A list of DVDs that include captions for the hearing impaired. Search our catalogue for captioned DVDs.

Find out more about library resources for people with visual and/or hearing impairments.

Darryl Barnaby & Donna Robertson