Dragonsource browsing guide 导读龙源

今年春节，妹妹及其家人从国内来旅游。打开行李箱时，她拿出一本《啄木鸟》的杂志要扔到回收桶里。她说这杂志是买来在等待转机时看的，现在已经看完后了，可以扔了。我夺过那本杂志，如获至宝，一口气就把它读完了。出国多年了，国内城市里的报刊亭仍是我最怀恋的地方之一。生活在基督城，没有机会再看到那花花绿绿杂志点缀下的报刊亭了。幸运的是我在基督城图书馆工作，图书馆的龙源数字阅读平台也能满足我这一点小小的怀旧心理。

龙源数字阅读平台提供上百种的综合性人文大众类期刊, 内容涵盖管理财经、文化艺术、文学文摘、经济法律、时政新闻、社科历史、健康生活、科技科普和教育教学几大类别。这一内容丰富的华文阅读平台藏在英文网站中，并不为大多数华人顾客所知。下面给大家做一下导读吧。

Dragonsource 龙源

• 如何进入网页：

1. Google 网站上搜索Christchurch City Libraries, 进入图书馆网站主页；
2. 在Search the 后的搜索窗口点击下拉箭头，选择catalogue；by 后面的搜索窗口选择keyword；在第三个窗口键入dragon source，点击该窗口后的查找图标；
3. 在新出现的网页中找到查询结果龙源期刊网-Long yuan qi kan wang，点击view online 进入新网页，输入借书证号（card number）和密码（password/pin）, 点击login，进入龙源首页。

• 龙源数字阅读平台查阅功能：下面的几项功能比较常用。

1. 您可选择刊名查询，在信息检索后的窗口输入期刊中文名查找某一期刊；
2. 点击顶部的期刊导航，您可以看到期刊可按出版地区、类别、标题首字母顺序分类；
3. 您可选择文本版 （单篇文章，可复制）、专题版 （精选封面文章）、原貌版（期刊原貌，图文并茂）和语音版（智能语音功能，部分期刊在线试听或下载播放）来阅读期刊；
4. 页面右上角有中文简繁体转换图标。

• 期刊推荐：龙源数字阅读平台有两百多种期刊，而且每一期刊在不断更新。尽管一些期刊更适合在中国生活的读者，龙源也能满足生活在基督城的华人顾客的需求。下面是一些例子。

1. 儿童读物：龙源数字阅读平台的儿童期刊杂志是学习中文的好帮手。下面列举一些例子让大家感受相关期刊杂志的功用。 《小猕猴学习画刊》的童话引人入胜，开心语文栏目让你轻松学中文。《小青蛙报》适合3-8岁的孩子学习中文。《少年文艺》和《少年读者文摘》是学习作文写作的优质素材。《小学生导刊》的低年级、中年级和高年级版以及《少年大世界》的A、B、C版可帮助孩子循序渐进地学中文。《快乐巧连智》中的连环画故事生动有趣，很适合有幼儿的家长使用。《故事大王》和《意林》的语音版可用于中文听说训练。
2. 英文学习资料：对于生活在海外的华人来说，英文学习的资源很丰富。尽管如此，龙源数字阅读平台提供的英文学习资源值得推荐。因为它们都是为华人编写的，更有针对性。例如，《新东方英语》为考雅思和托福的学生们提供指南。《疯狂英语》的阅读版、原声版和口语版附有中英文对照，是帮助英文学习者从初级过渡到高级水平的好素材。
3. 养生健康：生活在当下忙碌喧嚣的世界，保持自己和家人的身心健康很重要。在这方面，龙源能助您一臂之力。《家庭百事通》、《养生保健指南》、《大众健康》、《烹调知识》、《父母世界》、《心理与健康》和《问健康画报》提供育儿、烹饪、心理健康、家庭保健和养生的科普和咨询。
4. 人文、生活、历史：龙源也提供诸多人文、生活和历史方面的期刊杂志。您曾经熟悉的《知音》、《读者》、《知音海外版》、《译林》、《啄木鸟》、《长江文艺》、《大众电影》、《婚姻与家庭·婚姻情》和《恋爱婚姻家庭．青春》都在其中。《连环画报》会使您想起儿时的小人书。《醒狮国学》、《中国收藏》和《百家讲坛》将带给您漫步历史的长廊。

现在您可能迫不及待地想试试 龙源数字阅读平台 了吧？这一阅读平台提供在图书馆注册申请了借书证的顾客免费使用权。如果您希望使用这一平台，请按要求申请借书证。当您点击该文章中的链接时，系统会让您输入借书证号（card number）和密码（password/pin）以便进入特定网页。您在使用中有任何问题，欢迎到任何基督城图书馆咨询。希望龙源期刊杂志能丰富您的阅读经验，帮助您的孩子提供中文水平，‘治愈’您的乡愁。

Hong Wang

Garden CATastrophe

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a cat in possession of a good family, must be in want of another garden to do its business in.

Why, oh why do cats feel the need to cause disruption in the surrounding neighbourhood by leaving unwelcome little packages dotted on newly turned soil or – even worse – having spent hours on your knees planting and/or sowing and generally feeling quite good about your gardening efforts, a few hours later there is a trail of destruction ending with displaced earth and a ruddy great hole containing debris that you want to hurl at said perpetrator of the crime.

The neighbours feign amazement when, in passing conversation over the fence, you allude to the fact that your garden is being treated in this cavalier fashion and are smug in the knowledge that their cat wouldn’t be guilty of such heinous crimes as it is a well-known fact that they faithfully use their cat litter facilities.

Of course, cats are invariably both smart and brazen and they don’t feel the need to cover their tracks. They certainly aren’t visible as the guilty culprit when the dastardly deed has been chanced upon. And what if you have several contenders for the nuisance award … You barely flinch when it happens the first time but then, over a period of time, when yet another plant has been uprooted from the security of its new little home and left a bedraggled mess just a few centimetres from its once promising new start in life, your thoughts turn to RE-EDUCATION! Is it even possible?

As kitten season has just arrived, here are a few books and magazines that prospective owners might feel inclined to flick through to keep their kitten/cats on the ‘straight and narrow’ INSIDE which may/may not make them behave better OUTSIDE (not holding my breath though).

Maybe gardening and cats are just an incompatible combination (especially when you don’t own the latter). Anyway, there a lot of practical tips ‘n tricks available via various formats within the library – so good luck with the training of the new recruits to your household and a Merry Christmas to one and all!!

In their own gardens pleeeaaasssseeee

Adult Learners go mad on 3D

My colleague Katie and I learnt something new this Adult Learners Week – how to make stuff and 3D print it! We visited the learning centre at Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre. Thanks to excellent training from Danny McNeil, Learning Specialist (and 3D wiz), we went through the whole process of creating an object and printing it. We learned how to design stuff using 123D (software now on library computers) and Inkscape.

Words like extrude and chamfer are now in my vocabulary. I saw how a background in gaming – particularly Minecraft – can help kids (and adults) design. It gets you familiar with working in a three dimensional space –  orbiting, rotating, and viewing objects from all angles can be tricksy and new when you are not used to it.

Designing a cat toy in 123D – involves some maths!

Danny took us through the process from woah to go – you can watch his how-to videos 3D modelling a step by step guide and have a try. People who’ve done his class have gone on to make all sorts of interesting things – new bits for their tools, flying vehicles, and more.

Ready, set, 3D print!

I highly recommend getting out of your comfort zone and learning something new – this week or any time!

3D printed cat toy

More photos from our training.

More

• Maker spaces and 3D printing
• Want to go to a class too? Try the Beginners 3D printing and design class at South Library in November, or  check out Classes and learning for more.

Cold climate knitting

Wow, we have some great knitting titles from the Scottish highlands and islands, and Scandinavia at our libraries.

Other titles:

• Scottish knitting
• Irish knitting
• Scandinavian knitting
• Norwegian knitting
• All knitting

Groups:

• Knitting groups in our libraries
• Knitting groups in the community

Our Zinio for Libraries collection includes several knitting eMagazines that you can download for free and keep. PressReader has knitting magazines that you can view online. You will need your library card number and PIN/password.

Beat those Winter Blues

Are you finding the gloomy days and cold nights are getting you down? I’ve come up with some blue-busting winter warmers to drag you out of the doldrums:

Exercise

There. I said it. It’s essential. Yes, I can hear you moan! Nothing warms the body up and produces happy brain chemicals like moving. It doesn’t have to be a marathon, a gentle stroll can do it. Christchurch City Council’s Sport and Recreation page has walks, fitness centres, bike, beaches and boating, activities, leisure clubs for older adults pages full of info and contacts.

Find a local club in CINCH or simply walk the dog, dance around the house to some cheerful tunes or get exercising with friends.

Get out of the house

Now this is a simple one. Withdrawing from day to day social contact with your fellow humans can have a negative effect on your mood. Yes, it’s cold out but there are warm places to go such as your local library! Ensure that you socialise with your friends and family regularly or find a social group on CINCH.

Brighten up your house

Let more light in by opening curtains and trimming trees. Ensure your body gets light by sitting by the window. Less light in winter can affect your mood.

Help others

Volunteer your time. Helping others is great for our own mental health. It gets you out of the house, socialising and you may even get some exercise too.

I just can’t do it!

Is depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress stopping you from having a positive outlook and fulfilling life? Visit your doctor/counsellor and these organisations to get help getting your life back.

More resources from our catalogue

• Winter cooking
• Get exercising
• Depression and Anxiety
• Health and Medicine eresources

Resolving My Resolutions

I am firmly resolved not to make any New Year’s Resolutions this year.

Actually, I make the same statement at around this time of year every year without fail and invariably New Year’s Eve finds me trying to think of something that isn’t too ambitious so that I will not let myself down.

If these resolutions involve depriving myself of food or ramping up the ‘I don’t do any’ exercise regime, they are quickly kicked into the ‘totally undo-able’ bin. I have tried to commit to healthier eating and gentle, diligent exercise, but by about Day 5 I’m bored, bored, bored and bored with the whole idea. I need instant results with none of the hard labour!

To help me feel better I thought I would see whether anyone else had the same failure rate as me. Unfortunately, typing in ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ in the library catalogue came up with Judith O’Reilly’s A Year of Doing Good. The author ’embarked on a mission to do one good deed every day. Some called it a social experiment. At times she called it madness.’ My opinion is firmly anchored in the latter camp. Still, it did give me an idea… I am not making a Resolution, but I will try to read this book at some point during the year.

What ‘tried and tested’ Resolutions have proved successful for you?

Abuzz about bees

September is Bee Aware Month, an initiative from the National Beekeepers’ Association that aims to educate us on the importance of bees to our livelihood, environment and economy.

Two thirds of the food that we eat is pollinated by bees so without them we will be in trouble. As September is the beginning of Spring it’s a great time to plan what you’ll be doing in with your garden over the warmer months. This year’s theme is “feed the bees” so now would be a great time for gardeners to consider adding “bee-friendly” plants to their property, if not an actual hive.

And don’t be fooled into thinking that if you live centrally there’s not much point in having plants that bees like. There are “urban bees” in Christchurch (and most cities). For instance, did you know there’s a hive on the roof of C1 espresso? Honey bees can travel several kilometres to find nectar producing flowers so even if there are no hives on your block, your potted lavender may still be visited by a bee (or several).

If you’re keen, to either make your garden a bee-haven or maybe get a hive yourself, or even just rent one, you might want to have a look at –

• Books on beekeeping
• Beekeeping talk at Spreydon Library, 12 September, 11-11.30am
• Backyard honeybees in Christchurch – Host a hive on your property, learn about bees, and get delicious honey.
• Canterbury beekeeping clubs
• Bee Aware Month Facebook page

Ready, set, READ

My toddler loves books and at only one year-old he already has his favourites (Boom, baby boom boom! gets regular outings) however he’s a bit young yet to read them himself. But how do you know when your littl’un is ready to start tackling the mighty task of reading?

For advice you need look no further than our recently revamped Ready for Reading pack.

In it you’ll find an informative booklet that outlines the important skills your child needs to have in order to start reading, some handy tips on how to get preschoolers interested in books, and suggestions of further resources to help get your child on the road to reading.

The pack also contains a special bilingual storybook, Storytime Te Wā Kōrero which features a simple story for young readers and gorgeous illustrations with a Christchurch feel. Also included are stickers and a magnet.

And the best bit? The Ready for Reading pack is free to all four-year olds. Just rock up to one of our libraries with your budding reader in tow and claim yours!

Check out these kids at the Ready for Reading launch at Aranui Library this week. Those are some book-keen future readers.

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho – to Linwood we will go!

It’s that time of the year when our minds turn reluctantly from puddings to jobs: the getting of them, the keeping of them and the changing of them.

Make a start with our Online Career Help Resources. Then have a look at Getting a Job which will yield 219 items. Most are for adults (which is to be expected), but there are 24 for children and only 4 specifically for teenagers which is a little odd. Perhaps by the teen years parents have given up on child labour and are just biding their time. Here’s a few of my favourites:

• What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles. I’ve actually used this book, and look at the job I landed! If you can sweep aside some of the American tweeness, it is jam-packed with hints and is very positive in its approach. It also comes with a version for teens and (is there to be no respite?), I see there is one for retirement as well.
• Happy @ Work by Jim Donovan. Not happy at work? Before you dump what you’ve got, have a look-see for ways to improve it. This book, with its jaunty cover hinting at the possibility that all I need is a new coffee mug, has an upbeat approach and is a popular read.
• Maybe you do just need a break. How to Be Idle by Tom Hodgkinson is a droll look at slowing right down that may just kick-start your What Do I Really Want From Life neurons in unexpected ways.
• And I can’t resist giving a plug to this children’s book: How to Get a Job, by Me the Boss. A sort of “out of the mouths of babes’ approach”. After all, let’s not lose our sense of humour here!

But wait, there’s more. This week, Linwood Library amps it right up with their CV and Cover Letter Week. All week, Linwood staff will be available to help with your CV, cover letter, e-mailing your application and more. It’s a great idea – just book yourself an appointment with your very own librarian by phoning 941-7923.

Finally, it’s not a proper job hunt until it has its own signature tune, so here goes: Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho … and good luck!

The bedside table blog

What’s on your bedside table right now?

I ask because bedside tables and their offerings are the new profiling tool, their little worlds in microcosm giving us copious info about who we are, who we want to be and who we should be dating.

In Enough Said, the last film ever made by James Gandolfini and starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus,  Albert’s marriage breaks up partly because he has no bedside tables. When his ex discovers this she says:

Metaphorically speaking, he’s not
building a life for himself.
I mean, who would date
a person like that?

In The End of Your Life Bookclub, when Will Schwalbe looks round the bedroom of his dying mother, whose bedside table and the floor (every surface actually) is covered with books, he asks himself how much bleaker the room would look had his mother’s night table supported a lone Kindle.

And in the September/October edition of the ever trendy Frankie magazine, five young artists have been commissioned to draw their bedside tables. Way to go, Frankie!

What about my bedside tables at home? My little bedside world currently has  three books stacked on it:

• The Other Hand by Chris Cleave – this book is also sold under the title Little Bee and has been very popular in my Book Club. I love this book, it makes me want to speak in Jamaican patois. If you click on the link you will get the idea of the storyline.
• There’s also The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating. This is an unusual, quietly meditative book in which you will learn a lot (more than may be desirable, to be frank) about a little forest snail.
• And The Tao of Pooh, which is my go-to book on those mornings when I can barely face the cone infested drive to a far-flung outpost of Library Land to get to a library that may or may not have stocked up on the full cream milk I require for my first cup of coffee.

In the parallel universe on the other side of the bed, my husband’s bedside table sports:

Italian Grammar for Dummies – bedtime discourse on the use of the subjunctive in Italian has entirely replaced any need for sedatives in our little world.

There’s also A History of Opera and a lone fiction work, The Panther, which he started reading seventeen months ago and hopes to complete when we travel again at the end of this year. I have to dust that book – often, and each time I wonder how on earth he is managing to remember the storyline.

How about you? Got any bedside books worth sharing?