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eResources
Summer eReads – Escapism
Summer holidays is about having some me time, wherever you spend them. Sitting back and relaxing with a book, a bit of escapism – and what better than some easy reading novels, like a trashy romance, or a mystery or thriller you can’t put down.
Here’s an interesting fact: Romance is our most popular genre on OverDrive. The best thing about reading romance as an eBook is that no one knows what you are reading; they can’t see the cover with the topless hero with swooning maiden.
Summer Lovin’
eBook summer romances worth swooning over.
A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.The Kiss Quotient
A woman on a quest to be the heroine of her own story and the duke in shining armor she rescues along the way…Duke by Default
Everyone in Green Valley, Tennessee knows that the six bearded Winston brothers have been imbued with an unfair share of charm and charisma… and are prone to mischief.Dr. Strange Beard
He’s been a bad, bad rake — and it takes a governess to teach him a lessonThe Governess Game
A tour de force novel about a troubled marriage and the one old forgotten promise that might be able to save it.All your Perfects
Deep within the peaceful heart of Amish country, a life-or-death emergency shatters a quiet world to its core. Between You and Me is an emotionally complex story of love and loss, family and friendship, and the arduous road to discovering the heart’s true path. Between You and Me
If romance is not your thing and you prefer a fast-paced, spine tingling mystery or thriller, try out these latest eBooks.
It’s a mystery to me
eBook mysteries and thrillers to keep you reading this summer
She planned her own funeral. But did she arrange her own murder?The Word Is Murder
Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are back in the New York Times bestselling series that Lee Child called “the most sustained feat of imagination in mystery fiction today.”Island of the Mad
This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who’s been searching for the truth all these years . . .Jar of Hearts
What if the person you thought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all . . . ?Pieces of Her
New York Times bestselling author William Kent Krueger delivers yet another “punch-to-the-gut blend of detective story and investigative fiction” (Booklist starred review) Desolation Mountain
‘The Death of Mrs Westaway is Ruth Ware’s best: a dark and dramatic thriller, part murder mystery, part family drama, altogether riveting’ AJ FINN, bestselling author of THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOWThe Death of Mrs Westaway
View Full List
Overdrive Libby for travelling families 方便旅行家庭的电子书
旅行的季节又到了！很多华人朋友都利用孩子假期、圣诞节和春节回国探亲或出国旅游。有时在图书馆遇到华人顾客因出国前忘记还书需交超期罚款很是同情。自己也曾在回国时为找孩子的英文阅读材料煞费苦心。其实，这些问题都可以用图书馆的电子资源eResources 解决。OverDrive Libby尤其适合在外旅行的家庭，因为每一家庭成员都能从中找到所需要的资源。
OverDrive Libby 基本信息
OverDrive是世界领先的电子阅读平台，为超过70个国家的图书馆和学校提供电子书、电子有声书和其它多媒体资源。基督城图书馆的Overdrive拥有几千小说类和非小说电子书和电子有声书。有基督城图书馆借书证的顾客可免费借阅。您可在任何时间借阅和预定各十本书，下载后线下阅读。使用OverDrive Libby最大的优点是您可将下载到电子设备的书随身携带到任何地方，所借阅的书到期会自动归还，不用担心超期罚款。
下载Libby插件
Libby是OverDrive新开发的插件，可下载到手机(iPhone 和Android)、电脑、iPad、平板电脑tablet和除Kindle以外的电子阅读器eReader。下载步骤如下：
- 用您的设备在谷歌Google上查找Christchurch City Libraries，进入网站主页在，在主菜单上找到eResources。
- 点击Featured标题下的Overdrive eAudio & eBooks，进入OverDrive说明网页。滚动到下方，在App Information标题下，根据您使用的设备点击Libby—Apple App Store（苹果设备），Libby—Google play（安卓Android设备），或点击Meet Libby 图标（见下图标）进入Libby插件安装网站在App Store, Google play 和Microsoft中选择点击与您的设备相关的图标进入新网页。
- 在新的网页上点击install，下载安装Libby插件。安装完成后，您会在您的设备上看到Libby的图标。
- 双击您设备上的Libby图标打开Libby插件，用借书证号和密码注册您的账号。注册完毕方可进入Libby阅读平台借书。
Libby 电子书阅读平台
所有准备工作完成后，您将进入Libby电子阅读平台选择并借阅您心意的作品。有大量适合成年人阅读的电子英文书，其中的旅行指南类书籍是旅行的好帮手。希望读中文书的顾客可点击页面左上端collection图标旁的下拉箭头，在eBook标题下找到并点击Chinese eBooks链接进入中文书网页。您可以同样方式浏览青少年电子书 和儿童电子书（包括少量中文儿童读物）。
您如果在使用中遇到任何问题可到各图书馆获得帮助。祝大家旅行季节愉快！带着“掌上图书馆”读万卷书，行万里路。
Hong Wang
Network Library Assistant
World Animal Day – 4 October 2018
What did the Bison say when his son left for College?
“Bison.”
World Animal Day is on Thursday 4 October 2018. It is important to recognise our furry friends of the animal kingdom, and World Animal Day is all about raising awareness to improve animal welfare standards across the world.
World Animal Day was a concept originating with German writer and publisher Heinrich Zimmermann. He coordinated the first World Animal Day event in Berlin on 24 March 1925, and held it in the Sport Palace (Berlin Sportpalast) where over 5,000 people attended. Aside: Incidentally, the Berlin Sportspalast later proved a popular venue for party rallies and speeches during the rise of the Third Reich.
Four years later, in 1929, World Animal Day migrated to its current date of 4 October. Whilst involvement was initially limited to Germany, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia and Austria, Zimmermann lobbied hard to have World Animal Day recognised universally. In 1931 he achieved this goal when his proposal was unanimously accepted at a congress of the world’s animal protection organisations in Italy, and World Animal Day became recognised globally as it is today.
What is the significance of 4 October? This is the day of Francis of Assisi, the patron Saint of ecology. Two days before my birthday too, just in case husband is reading this (lol) and wants a birthday gift idea.
Endangered Species
Endangered species are those plants or animals considered to be at risk of extinction. Contributing factors include loss of habitat (e.g. through deforestation), hunting, poaching, disease and climate change.
At present, critically endangered species include:
- Black Rhinoceros – which is in fact grey, and has been poached to the point of near decimation. The black rhinoceros is sought after for its horn, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine and in the making of traditional dagger handles in Yemen.
- Both the Eastern and Western Gorilla – the largest of the apes. The decline of the Western Gorilla is attributable to loss of habitat through deforestation and the Ebola virus, which wiped out a third of their population between 1992-2007. Eastern Gorillas – situated in the Virunga Volcanoes region, the Democratic Republic of Congo and parts of Uganda – face the poaching of their young, and are often caught in the crossfire of armed conflict occurring in and around their habitat.
- The Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat of Australia. One of the worlds rarest critters, these wombats declined due to drought and the introduction of livestock, decreasing their access to food. Recovery plans are in place, but the plight of the animal is grave.
- Red Wolf – The red wolf roams the USA, and is threatened by loss of habitat due to agriculture, and being hunted to near extinction.
Sadly, this is merely the tip of the iceberg, and many of the world’s beautiful and exotic creatures are in imminent danger of slipping away forever. Just to think that in my lifetime we may bid adieu to the majestic tiger, is a terrible thought. And it’s not only animals who are heading for extinction, many of the earth’s plants, algae and fungi are also disappearing.
You can find information on the status of any animal on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and Arkive also has some in depth coverage on conservation issues and the endangered species of plants and animals.
Quick Animal Facts
On a lighter note, here are some rather riveting animal facts in honour of World Animal Day:
- An elephant creates around a tonne of poo every week. No more said.
- Caterpillars have 12 eyes. That’s four more than a spider. How creepy of them.
- Mosquitoes are attracted to feet that smell. Explains a lot.
Explore more fun facts on National Geographic Kids.
Animal eResources: Students & Adults
Find out all you need to know about animals and the natural world through Christchurch City Libraries’ impressive selection of eResources. Here are just a few, click on the links to find out all about your favourite animals 🙂 :
National Geographic Virtual Library & Britannica Library for Adults
Here you will find in-depth reference material, articles, photos and books on animals.
NZ Geo TV
NZ Geo TV contains documentaries on the natural world – New Zealand and global.
Student Resources in Context
Focused reference material and images targeted at students.
Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries
If you prefer your music to be of the natural variety, check out this eResource which has access to thousands of music tracks, both animal and human made. Like this birdsong.
Explore these and much, much more on our eResource A-Z page. All you need is your library card and PIN
Animal eResources: Kids & Teens
New Zealand Birds and Animals, Dogs & Frogs
Informative pages put together for our website, by our librarians.
Britannica Library for Kids & World Book Kids
Encyclopedia and reference material aimed at school aged kids.
National Geographic Kids
Archives from the popular kids magazine- all sorts of fun images, maps and articles on the natural world around us.
All of our other eResources for Kids can be found on our website.
Web Resources
- The Origin of World Animal Day – worldanimalday.org.uk
- Native Animals – Department of Conservation
- Native Plants and Animals – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand
- New Zealand Animals & Animal Rights – Any Questions/Many Answers New Zealand
Books & Magazines
I would recommend Adventures of A Young Naturalist, the exploits of British broadcaster David Attenborough, and any of his groundbreaking and educational documentaries about the natural world which you can borrow for FREE at Christchurch City Libraries (in case you hadn’t heard, documentaries are now free at our libraries!).
Some of our latest animal titles:
You will also find animal mags online through our eMagazine resource RBdigital:
Browse for other books about animals through our catalogue.
Programming: Reading With Our Furry Friends
What kind of monster could resist that face? Reading to Dogs sessions are designed to provide a relaxed, non-threatening atmosphere in which children may practice their reading skills and develop a love of reading. Our dogs are the beloved pets of the Christchurch City Council Animal Management team, and have all been trained and tested for health, safety and temperament. Our dogs:
- Can increase a child’s relaxation while reading
- Listen attentively
- Do not laugh, judge or criticise
- Allow children to proceed at their own pace
- Can be less intimidating than a child’s peers
Library staff and a dog handler will be present at all times to help facilitate the sessions.
See our online calendar for dates and times.
How Can You Help? NZ Organisations Helping Animals
Animal Shelters, Rescues and Adoption Agencies
- CCC Animal Shelter
- Greyhounds as Pets
- SPCA New Zealand
- Cats Protection League Canterbury
- Pet Rescue
- Hounds For Homes
- Dogwatch Sanctuary Trust– the rescue and re-homing of abandoned pound dogs
Animal Rights Organisations
- Save Animals From Exploitation (SAFE): New Zealand Animal Rights
- World Animal Protection NZ
- Helping You Help Animals (HUHA)
- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
- PAW Justice
Zoos & Educational Facilities
- Orana Wildlife Park
- Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
- Arion Farm Education Park
Note: Arion Farm Education Park is part of the National Trade Academy (NTA), which has been providing NZQA approved Animal Care, Agricultural, Horticultural and Equestrian training courses to people entering land-based industries for the past 14 years including pre-employment training for people of all ages. - International Antarctic Centre
As always, more information can be found in our community directory CINCH: Community Information Christchurch.
The Suffrage Experiment in New Zealand
125 years ago – on 19 September 1893 – New Zealand women won the right to vote . Registrations closed six weeks after that date for the next election on 28 November. This would have been fairly exciting for New Zealand women but how did the rest of the world view our landmark decision? Armed with an excellent selection of newspaper archives from around the world, I have researched what was said. For this exercise I used Gale Primary Sources; it searches 19 digital archives of newspapers, periodicals, monographs and manuscripts.
Some of the most interesting articles quote other papers, and titles like ‘The New Zealand Experiment’ seemed to be popular.
VICTORY IN NEW ZEALAND. (1893, September 14). Women’s Penny Paper, (30), [465].
“With a slight feeling of envy, we offer our hearty congratulations to our fortunate sisters , who will now be the pioneers in the British Empire in the exercise of franchise.”
The Experiment in New Zealand. (1893, November 16). Women’s Penny Paper, (39), 620.
This article “The Experiment in New Zealand” has the review of the editor of the Australian edition of The Review of Reviews. This writer suggests what might happen in the upcoming elections.
“The new voters, it is suggested will apply quite new tests to candidates. A candidate, one critic argues, who is old, bald, and, say, bandy-legged, will have no chance of winning the suffrages of the voters in petticoats, as against a candidate who is young, has good teeth, and parts his hair in the middle.”
Pretty Souls! (1893, November 28). Fun [UKP], LVIII(1490), 229.
“…with the result that women are now entitled vote for parliamentary candidates in New Zealand. They were not keen to learn their fate, as the empty benches showed. But a correspondent supplies the key to their apparent apathy. A “Society” wedding was in progress a few yards off! Pretty Souls! “
Hope for New Zealand. (1894, February 25). Rocky Mountain News, p. 12
This article reports on another article that appeared in The Nineteenth Century quoting it:
“The colony is now committed to a course of extreme radical legislation. Such are the results of the female franchise! IT is to be hoped that it will be a warning to English conservatives. We shall probably for some years to come be a dreadful object lesson to the rest of the British Empire. We must trust to beer and the banks to save us from absolute ruin.”
Women Voters in New Zealand. (1894, April 8). New York Herald [European Edition], p. 6.
A report on women voter numbers –
“Dunedin had 7,644 women on the roll, and only 1,338 failed to record their votes. Many of the the absentees were no doubt deterred by the heavy rains which fell on the polling day.”
“…and in Christchurch 5,989 out or 6,710 went to the poll.”
WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE IN NEW ZEALAND. (1894, August 18). Nottinghamshire Guardian, p. 8.
“An interview with Mrs. Sheppard, New Zealand deserves to be called the land of political experiments. Its rulers, with a boldness that would startle even many Democratic English politicians, are passing into law measure after measure of radical reform. Among other changes universal suffrage was last year conferred on adult women, married as well as single, irrespective of property qualifications.”
The journalist finishes his article with this summary:
“Mrs Sheppard is the very opposite of the bogey “advanced women.” held up to frighten reformers. Handsome, well proportioned, and with a glow of health in her cheeks, she is a good representation of the Colonial woman at her best, strong physically and mentally.
The Suffrage Experiment in New Zealand. (1893, December 7). Women’s Penny Paper, (42), 669.
This article reports on a number of other newspapers views on in particular the quotes from a article in The Melbourne Age of October 21 1893.
“….the bulk of their womankind did not demand it and did not want it. The agitation was “got up by a few women” – chiefly women’s Christian associations and kindred bodies..”
Woman in New Zealand. (1894, January 1). Daily Inter Ocean, p. 14.
Mr Webster relays his views on the election in New Zealand in November 1893.
“It was rather amusing” continued Mr. Webster, “to note the eagerness which the ladies working on the committees brought in voters of their own sex to the polls. Wherever a voter had a baby a member of the committee remained to care for it while the mother recorded her vote. Everything was conducted in the most orderly manner, no rowdyism was apparent.” …”All the same” concluded Mr. Webster in a regretful tone of voice, “I cannot, while appreciating the advantages that are certain to result, but imagine that the dainty blush of womanhood is somewhat blurred when woman steps into the arena of political strife.”
WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE IN NEW ZEALAND: LADY VOTERS GOING TO THE POLL AT DEVONPORT, NEAR AUCKLAND. (1894, January 27). Graphic
Spring it on – Get Healthy
The best part about spring is the end of winter and the days getting longer and warmer. It’s also a time to look after your health, and Christchurch City Libraries has some great health eResources for you to get information on everything from the common cold to yoga. Start with Consumer Health Complete and Health & Wellness Resource Center.
Some things to research may include:
The common cold
These always lurk around into spring – discover what scientists have found so far in their quest for a cure.
Food tribes
Thinking about joining the Paleo gang or doing the plant-based vegan thing? Explore some scientific facts first.
Medicines
The Gale Encyclopedia of Prescription Drugs: A Comprehensive Guide to the Most Common Medications is a great resource if you want to find out more about a medicine that you have been prescribed.
Fighting allergies
Flowers and grasses spring into life and release pollen, which won’t fill you with joy if you suffer from hay fever. Find out the latest information and remedies to help with your allergies.
Getting fit
If you’re starting up your exercise regime again after a winter break, be sure not to injure yourself – get some tips on getting fit.
- Read uncover huraina issue 9
- Download uncover huraina issue 9 [11.83MB PDF)
Who are you? Playing with genealogy in the library
In attempt to answer this question or rather who am I, I have been delving into my past using Christchurch City Libraries family history eResources to find out who I am or who my ancestors were. I thought I was a fairly boring Pakeha, with my ancestors coming from Ireland, England and Scotland. While most of my ancestry is from these places, it is not as boring as I thought it was. One of the first things I found was that my great-grandfather was a bookbinder and marbler, so that is possibly where I get my bookish librarian-ness from.
Some of my ancestors arrived in New Zealand in 1842 and one gave birth on the shore straight off the ship, that child was my great-great-grandmother. There seems also a steady stream of my ancestors who came from the incredibly hipster filled Shoreditch, although there may have been lots of beards back then, I don’t think it was very hip in 1800.
So where do you start, with the little bit of information I was armed with? I started on My Heritage. This one is available for free from home, and one of the brilliant things is it not only searches records such as births, deaths and marriages, census records, and immigration records, you can search other family trees. The Library Edition of My Heritage doesn’t let you make you own family tree, only search them. Family trees can be very useful although the connections are not always correct, and no two family trees are the same.
If you want to make you own family tree, you will need to head into a library and use Find My Past, create a login and and you can create your own tree. You don’t have the option to make these public, but it a great way of saving your research. Whilst in the library, you can use Ancestry Library Edition which has the greatest amount of records to search and you can also search other people’s family trees – although again, you can’t make your own using the library edition.
One other thing I have learned about researching my family history, is that there was some dodgy spelling even on official records, so if you aren’t finding the information you need, try spelling the names differently.
As I have always had a thing for tartan, I am going back to researching my family connection to Scotland, I wonder if there is a Douglas, Angus or Flora amongst my ancestors and what clan and tartan I might be able to claim.
Give Me Money $$$
We could all do with a bit of a cash injection, no more so than when you are a student. If you don’t fancy racking up a huge student loan, you could try applying for a grant or a scholarship. Generosity has a database called GivME with over 4000 scholarships and grants for students.
You don’t have to be an outstanding academic or sportsperson (although those scholarships are also listed) you might just have the right set of credentials like ex student of Canterbury Secondary School or the child or grandchild or a service or ex-service person. There is grants for all levels of study from school age to PhD.
There are even opportunities for those who are working and want to some help with professional development. New funding opportunities are added all the time, so once you have created you logon using your library card and password/PIN we suggest you check back in to see if anything new has been added.
So login, find your fund, apply and hope some cash is coming your way.
Wish I was there …
It has been lovely to see the sun, after such a gloomy June – but as my family reminded me, we still have two months of winter to go. I keep thinking that I should have booked a midwinter break to somewhere sunny and warm. I think I will start planning now for next winter and here is my starting place for research. We have an great collection of always available Lonely Planet travel guides from OverDrive, no holds or waiting, there for you to read straight away with your Christchurch City Libraries card and password / PIN.
eMagazines for your reading pleasure
Fresh eMagazines hot off the press from RBDigital Magazines. Perfect for a spot of relaxing reading – on your laptop, desktop, phone, tablet …
- Fashion Quarterly
- Q magazine
- British Vogue
- Vanity Fair UK
- Electronic Musician
- North and South
- Traces (formerly Inside History)
- New Zealand Listener
Christchurch City Libraries Blog 