Congratulations from the Library to everyone graduating from Manawatu campus this week. Turitea and Hokowhitu library staff are proud to have helped you out during your degree.

Hokowhitu Library has just had a scanner installed in the Information Commons. Students were putting it to good use straight after it appeared, so it's going to be popular. Albany, Turitea and Wellington Libraries already have at least one scanner for you to use in the Information Commons. Please ask if you need help with using them.

We've just posted replies to a big batch of suggestions on the Library website.

Under 11 June 2010 see our replies to suggestions on saving paper in the Information Commons, printing from your own laptop, and the Turitea water cooler.

4 June 2010 covers blocking Facebook, soundproofing the Turitea laptop rooms, and birds trapped in the Library.

28 May 2010 has toilets, more computers, SPSS, praise (& minor problems) at the new Albany Library, and a scary man at Turitea.

14 May 2010 includes Turitea's Recreational Reading collection, compliments from a happy extramural student, more on saving paper, ejournals, the Quiet Zone at Albany, and Wellington's closing time.

29 April 2010 has another compliment (go Rob!), extended hours, 2-hour loan books, and more on Albany's flash new Library.

Please feel free to make a suggestion.

Diana Neild, local author whose first two books in the Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig series were short-listed for the New Zealand Post book awards, entertained an enthusiastic group of staff and students today in Hokowhitu Library.

Diana spoke about her love of words and shared with us some hilarious poetry she had written over the year, and then told us the long and sometimes frustrating tale of getting her first book published.

Members of the audience volunteered to get into costume as characters in 'Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig goes to Dad’s Café' and Diana explained how she gets groups of children to act out her books and do other 'Piggity-Wiggity' activities including write for the Morning Porker.

Update 20/05/10: The winners have just been announced - results are available here.

The finalists in the NZ Post Children's Book Awards are on display at Albany and Hokowhitu Libraries. You can request them by clicking on the book covers below to link to the Library Catalogue (though you may have to wait until they come off display!).

The original request for a display at Hokowhitu came from Tim Burgess, a senior lecturer at the College of Education. Tim has organised for Diana Neild, whose book “Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig Goes to Dad’s Café” is a finalist in this year’s awards, to speak to Hokowhitu students on the 26 May from 2-3 pm during their common hour.

Diana is a Palmerston North author and musican who has written three books about the Jig family (a family of pigs) who live in a villa in Karori. They are lovely picture books, illustrated by Philip Webb, with a great use of rhythm and language.

Picture Books

Non-Fiction

Junior Fiction

Young Adult Fiction