Community Newsletter

A Grand Tour of Italian Gardens

Are you an armchair traveller? Or a keen gardener? Then let your tour guides, Lorna Barnett and Cathy Cocks of local business Haughty Culture take you on a lavishly illustrated tour of Italian gardens.

Sunday 13 November 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm Nedlands Library

Free event, bookings essential.

Upcoming events

Look out for our new Subjects of Note brochure for more information on the October to December events held at the City’s libraries.

Bookings are essential for all events.T 9273 3644 E library@nedlands.wa.gov.au

Nedlands Library60–64 Stirling Highway, Nedlands

Mt Claremont Library105 Montgomery Avenue, Mt Claremont

How to Keep Stroke SafeWhat is a stroke, and do you know how to identify a stroke to save a life? To find out more, come and join the National Stroke Foundation as they talk about how to keep stroke safe.

Tuesday 8 November 1.30 pm to 2.30 pmHakea Room, Mt Claremont Community Centre107 Montgomery Ave Mt Claremont

Free event, bookings essential.

Nedlands Library Service Spring 2011

Kids’ corner

The library holds regular events and activities for children ages zero to high school. Book early as places fill quickly.

Ola the Magician!

See a world –class magician in action. Learn hands on magic tricks and read about magic in books found in your library. Make sure you’re watching and listening carefully as he may teach you a magic trick or two!

Suitable for ages 5 to 12.Free event, bookings essential.

Thursday 6 October10.30 to 11.30 amMt Claremont Library

Friday 7 October10.30 to 11.30 amNedlands Library

Christmas sing-a-long storytime with Clare

Get into the Christmas spirit with Carols in the library. You are invited to join Clare and helpers for a special Christmas sing-a-long storytime.

Suitable for ages 2+Free event, bookings essential.

Friday 16 December10.30 am to 11.30 amNedlands Library

Make your own Christmas decoration

Do you like art and craft? Come to the library and make your own Christmas decoration for your special tree at home. Craft materials will be provided.

Suitable for ages 6 to 12Free event, bookings essential.

Tuesday 20 December 201110.30 am to 11.30 pm

Nedlands Library

Local studies

Tales from Swanbourne

The author Joseph Furphy, who used the pen-name Tom Collins, lived in Swanbourne and wrote to his mother in Victoria describing his life. These letters are published in Bushman and Bookworm, which is in the Local Studies Collection.

Here he describes his pleasure in surf bathing in 1906 at the age of 63.

It is a novelty to squat down on the firm wet sand and see a breaker 5 feet high by a quarter of a mile long rolling in on top of you. It lifts you from the sand and deposits you 3 or 4 yards further ashore. Then you follow the receding water at your leisure and squat again to wait for the next. If you attempt to stand upright you will be knocked down flat by the force of the swell; you must let it pass over you. Beyond the line of breakers, the water is alive with sharks; but so far as I know, there is no record of any accident.

Joseph Furphy

New online resourcesWe have two new genealogy resources for family history buffs. They are both available at the Online Resources page of our website, and can be accessed in the libraries only by up to two users at once. Why not come in and try them out?

Find my past Australia provides access to over 50 million historical records covering Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. These are mainly family history records, but you’ll also find thousands of social, government and general history records.

Find my past UK is a family history and genealogy website with a focus on the United Kingdom. This is an ever-growing collection of over 650 million records including the most complete 1841-1911 census collection and index of births, marriages and deaths (1837-2006), parish and migration records, military records and social and historical information to provide background context.

NextReads looking for a few good books to read? Sign up at NextReads for monthly e-newsletters of book suggestions in the genres you choose. With suggestions for kids, teens and adults, there’s something for everyone. Click on the First Chapter link to read the first chapter. If you find a title that takes your fancy, click on the link to check our catalogue, and reserve a copy.

What’s hotAre you wondering what others are reading lately? Why not check out one of these popular titles and see what the buzz is all about!

Fiction• Bloodline by Lynda La Plante• A clash of kings by George R R Martin• Cold comfort farm by Stella Gibbons• The savage altar by Asa Larsson• That deadman dance by Kim Scott• When God was a rabbit by Sarah Winman

Non-fiction• Franklin & Eleanor: an extraordinary marriage by

Hazel Rowley• Batavia by Peter FitzSimons• Good living street by Tim Bonyhady• The happiest refugee by Anh Do• Rome by Robert Hughes• Trains unlimited in the 21st century by Tim Fischer

Young adult fiction• Just a girl by Jane Caro• City of fallen angels by Cassandra Clare• Red dog by Louis De Bernieres

Children’s books• Holes by Louis Sachar• Babysitting bandit by Carolyn Keene• The Black circle by Patrick Carman• Dork diaries: pop star by Rachel Renee Russell• Two peas in a pod by Christopher McKimmie

DVDs• Fair game • Somewhere• Tangled• Desperate Housewives

Talking books• Harry Potter and the deathly hallows by J K

Rowling• The girl who played with fire by Stieg Larsson• Single spies by Alan Bennett• This is not a drill by Paul Carter

Focus on classic romanceIt’s spring and love is in the air! What better time to settle down with one of these classic love stories? Readers, watch your hearts – the course of true love never does run smooth, nor does it always end happily.

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte• Possession by A S Byatt• Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier• The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald• A room with a view by E M Forster• The end of the affair by Graham Greene• A farewell to arms by Ernest Hemingway• The English patient by Michael Ondaatje

Literary quotes on love‘There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.’ - George Sand

‘Who, being loved, is poor?’ - Oscar Wilde

‘Life isn’t long enough for love and art’ - W. Somerset Maugham

‘Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.’ - Robert Frost

‘Love is a great beautifier.’ - Louisa May Alcott

‘If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.’ - Jane Austen

Staff picksHere are some of the books, films and music that Nedlands Library staff have enjoyed lately.

The Worst Week of My Life (DVD)This is so funny, as well as being a little bit cringeworthy when the main character keeps on trying to cover up what he’s done with one lie upon another. Excellent actors, great timing, and makes for a fun evening! Jackie

Abbey Road (CD) andBeatles 1962-1966 Red Album Remastered (CD)These are great to listen to - it’s lovely to hear the original songs again after so long. Good reminiscing. Jackie

Five hundred kingdoms series: The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes LackeySet in a mythical world where “Tradition” is a living force that twists people’s lives into set paths for good or ill, stepmothers are wicked, virgins are sacrificed to dragons, the king’s three sons go on quests, witches live in gingerbread houses, and woodcutters leave their children in the forests. What happens to a Cinderella that never went to the ball? She is recruited by the Fairy Godmother to learn to push and manipulate the tradition to happy ever afters. A fun and clever read and a wonderful introduction to the series that gives a whole different look at fairy tales. Angela.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver Incredibly moving vignettes about everyday life; the mundane, the tragic and the beautiful. Carver says so much of the human condition in so very few words. Clare

Ankh : the sound of ancient Egypt (CD)I did a double take when I saw this CD - how could anyone know what ancient music sounds like? Intrigued, I chose this as my latest car music and I like it. It’s serious music but the tracks are varied and range from what sounds like a cacophony of bicycle bells through to a jolly pub sing-along, with some beautiful female voices in several numbers. These celestial harmonies were written by Michael Atherton, Professor of Music at the University of Western Sydney, who has impeccable intellectual and musical expertise. A close study of Egyptian

drawings, instruments and writing gives clues about the sounds that could be made, and a knowledge of ancient music inspires the way these sounds have been put together. Anthea

Venice: Pure City by Peter AckroydThis gives a very detailed history of Venice, starting at the very beginning, when the first settlers arrived in the 8th century. Ackroyd shows what it was like to live in Venice throughout its history through accounts from various famous visitors to the city such as Henry James.

I felt the book goes much further than a typical tourist guide, because by providing such a vivid history I was able to experience more than just an account of places of importance. The book gave me a genuine appreciation of the life of the city itself, and I feel I already know it very well, even before going there.

Before travelling, I would recommend reading not only the usual tourist guides, but also doing a little research into the history of your destination as well. Jacqui

What librarians and Google are for

From Phil Bradley’s weblog “Where librarians and the internet meet”philbradley.typepad.com

Librarians are there:To help, aid, assist. To teach, collate, enthuse. To catalogue, index, arrange, organise. To find, discover, promote, display. To interest, intrigue, amuse and amaze. To instil wonder. To help children, adults, old people, the underprivileged, the rich, the poor, those with voices and those without. To protect resources, to archive them, to store them, to save them for the future. To provide differing viewpoints, to engender thought, conversation, research, fun. To provide the best answer possible, to match the answer to the enquirer, to provide just enough information without overwhelming the user, but enough to always help. To better a local community, a company, a school, a college, an organisation, a country, the world.

Google is there:To make money.

Need a Justice of the Peace?A JP service is now available every Wednesday from 9.30 am to 12 pm at Nedlands Library.

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Contact usNedlands Library60–64 Stirling HwyNedlands WA 6009T 9273 3644E library@nedlands.wa.gov.au

Mt Claremont Library105 Montgomery AveMt Claremont WA 6010T 9383 1462E library@nedlands.wa.gov.au

Opening hoursNedlands LibraryMonday 9.30 am – 6.00 pmTuesday 9.30 am – 8.00 pmWednesday 9.30 am – 8.00 pmThursday 9.30 am – 8.00 pmFriday 9.30 am – 6.00 pmSaturday 9.00 am – 1.00 pmSunday 1.00 pm – 5.00 pm

Mt Claremont LibraryMonday 9.30 am – 7.00 pmTuesday 9.30 am – 6.00 pmWednesday ClosedThursday 9.30 am – 6.00 pmFriday 9.30 am – 5.00 pmSaturday 9.00 am – 12.00 pmSunday Closed