A look back at our 2003 Summer Reading Programe
In the year 2003, Helen Clark was our prime minister, Apple’s iTunes was introduced to the world, and the average kiwi house cost just $263,562. Sadly, we can’t provide a time machine for first-home seekers, but, in anticipation of the launch of our 2023-04 Kia Kaha te PānuiSummer Reads challenge, we can jump into our archives and take a peek at the reading programme as it was 20 years ago!
‘Jurassic Joyride’ was the theme for the 2003-4 ‘Summer Reading Programme’. Children aged 4-13 signed a little contract agreeing to read library books for a minimum of 15 minutes per day over the summer holidays.
Spaces to participate were strictly limited, and with a set ‘sign-up week’ (generously extended from the previous ‘sign-up night’!) you had to be quick to nab one! If you had not done your first check-in visit by Friday, 19 December 2003, your place would be given to someone on the waiting list. These days, we have unlimited spaces for participants as we design and print our own materials inhouse and no longer pre-purchase
Above: Some lovely examples of collateral used for the 2003 Summer Reading Programme
Right: This summer's addition of Kia Kaha te PānuiSummer Reads. We hope you join in the fun!
a set number of small incentives—instead opting for prize draws of larger items.
There were 13 activities to join in with during the summer across our libraries (of which there were only three—Te Ao Mārama - Pāpāmoa Library didn’t exist yet!). These activities included dinosaur-themed stories, dinosaur-themed songs, a dinosaur-themed parade, and a visit from local author and storyteller Angie Belcher (still a wonderful supporter of our libraries) for “interactive fun!”.
In 2023, we have 72 activities happening across four libraries, including crafts, Lego, and robots! (What would the good folk of 2003 think of today’s robots?)
356 children completed the ‘Jurassic Joyride’ by visiting a library the required four times to share with us what they had been reading, and 38 teens participated in ‘YA Rocks’. Last year, with the addition of Mini Reads for the 0-4 age group and Teen Reads for 11–18-year-olds, we had almost 1,000 completions. My, how we’ve grown!
If you like . . . then try . .
Reader’s advisory from our selection experts.
If you like . . .
Murder
by Holly Jackson If you like . . .
by Zana Fraillon and Bren MacDibble
If you like . . .
by Jenny Jackson
then try . . .
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
then try . . .
by Sita Brahmachari
then try . . .
Alternate Side
by Anna Quindlen or . . .
Try these if you like YA fiction with a suspense/ thriller feel and plenty of dangerous secrets. They offer enough shocking twists to keep any reader engaged.
or . . .
Alex Lyttle
or . . .
All Adults Here
by Emma StraubThese junior fiction books are ‘green reads’; dystopian stories about pollution and environmental degradation, and the human response to it.
Character-driven, funny, and moving stories that illuminate the intricacies of the personal lives of upper-middle class families of New York.
.
A Good Girl's Guide to
The Inheritance Games
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
The Raven's Song
Where the River Runs Gold
The Rise of Winter by
Pineapple Street
If you like . . .
The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape
If you like . . .
then try . . .
The Sharesies Guide to Investing by Brooke Roberts et al.
then try . . .
If you like . . .
Wavewalker: Breaking Free by Suzanne Heywood
then try . . .
Life in Every Breath: Ester Blenda by Fatima Bremmer
or . . .
A Richer You by Mary Holm
or . . .
Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See
or . . .
Outside, the Sky is Blue by Christina Patterson
The revised edition of the popular The Barefoot Investor is out now and comes recommended. We also encourage you to check out these other financial advice titles.
Enjoy historical fiction set in different locations and time periods?
These thought-provoking, dramatic, and atmospheric novels cover a range of subjects but all feature strong female characters.
Accounts of people facing challenges and adversity, written in an engaging, accessible, and richly-detailed style.
Dust Child by Nguyen Phan Que Mai The Porcelain Moon by Janie Chang
A coffee with. . .
Mishka Greenberger chats with Joanna Thomas, Manager: Libraries for Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries.
A few months ago, one of our Heritage and Research team members stumbled across an old newspaper article with an image of some children visiting Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga Library way back when. While this was, at first glance, not particularly noteworthy, it was indeed noteworthy – and worth mentioning here –because our very own libraries manager, Joanna Thomas, was featured in the photo— hard evidence that she has been excited and passionate about libraries her whole life. I was fortunate enough to sneak myself into Joanna’s busy schedule recently to chat to her about her journey to working as the libraries manager and her history with Te Ao MāramaTauranga City Libraries.
“I wanted to be a builder or a train driver when I was growing up,” Joanna tells me. This might seem unrelated to libraries, but Joanna has helped build and open, not one, not two, but
three new community libraries in her time and she is currently busy working on the Te Manawataki o Te Papa library and community hub project. It seems that her passion for building – and steering large, diverse groups down the right track towards a shared destination – has come in handy after all! After finishing her library degree in Wellington and working in academic and
“I like to read the acknowledgements in depth when I read a book … I am moved by them,”
medical libraries, Joanna saw an opportunity to work at Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga Library and leapt at the chance. It was there, working on the second level of the old Willow Street building that she “fell in love with working for public libraries.”
Joanna has been the manager of Te Ao MāramaTauranga City Libraries since 2018 and during this time has helped the libraries navigate COVID-19 lockdowns, a rapidly changing digital environment, and the opening of He Puna Manawa in the CBD. “My favourite part of working in the libraries are all the interesting conversations I get to have with people—staff and customers.” Joanna says. I can see that's true, as I have had the privilege of having had many interesting conversations with her myself. “I like being able to look to the future and see the endless possibilities” she tells me, and with plans for the new central library and community hub well underway, this future is glimmering on the horizon.
Joanna’s love for books has not been impacted by her busy schedule. “Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is my favourite book. I love the movie as well,” Joanna says. This is a book she has read many times. We talk about what she has just finished reading, a book called Going Zero by Anthony McCarten, which features a librarian as one of the main characters (who says librarians can’t be action heroes?).
I ask Joanna if she has any weird reading habits and she indulges me, – although she does make me share mine first (I never read the final page of a book that I love!) – “I like to read the acknowledgements in depth when I read a book … sometimes I am moved by them,” she tells me. It is true to Joanna’s character that she takes her time to pay special attention to those who have contributed to a project or piece of work. She knows better than anyone how all the library staff work together to make our libraries the best they can be.
Above left: Joanna enjoying one of He Puna Manawa’s popular reading nooks. Above right: Joanna speaking with pride at the opening of He Puna Manawa in early 2022.Book Talk: our favourite children's book
Mishka
Favourite children’s book: Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl—the first book I remember my Dad reading to me.
First library: The Greater Hamilton Library of Southern Grampians Shire Council Libraries, Victoria, Australia.
Kirsten
Favourite children’s book: Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild because I was obsessed with all things ballet and performing arts.
First library: Pietermaritzberg City Library, Natal, South Africa.
Michelle E.
Favourite children’s book: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe—my first experience of literally feeling like I was in another world. It ignited my love of turkish delight and secret worlds in the back of wardrobes in very old houses with lots of rooms and stairs!
First library: Mount Roskill Library in Auckland.
Gracie
Favourite children’s book: Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden. Maybe not a kids book, but I read it while I was a kid!
First library: Opononi Area School Library [Ah, Northland ... no wonder you're such a wonderful person Gracie! – Ed]
Charliene
Favourite children’s book: The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. It was the first children’s book recommended to me here in NZ while working at the library and I totally got sucked into the story!
First library: Bibliotheek Heyhoef, part of Greater Libraries MiddenBrabant, Tilburg, The Netherlands
Skye
Favourite children’s book: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak— I loved the idea of my bedroom turning into a forest at night.
First library: Greerton Library, Tauranga
Lisa H.
Favourite children’s book: The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don & Audrey Wood. I used to love this book—the illustrations are fantastic, so vivid. It’s also a book about sharing, which appealed to me being the youngest of three kids!
First library: Hillcrest Library in Hamilton, New Zealand [Lisa has just left us to run Hillcrest Library—sad to lose her, but how neat is that? – Ed]
Penny
Favourite children’s book: It is very hard to choose a favourite children’s book, but as a child, it was probably The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. I remember Mum reading it to me. We were supposed to have one chapter a night, but when we got to the part when Aslan was killed, Mum kept on reading—we couldn’t bear to wait until the next night to find out what happened.
First library: Hamilton Public Library
Michelle A
Favourite children’s book: The Runaway Settlers by Elsie Locke. One of the first books I ever read that’s set in New Zealand.
First library: Mount Maunganui Library, back in the day when Mount Maunganui was its own borough council!
Tori
Favourite children’s book: One of my all-time favourites as a child was Winnie the Witch by Valerie Thomas and Corky Paul because I was obsessed with the illustrations—every time I read it I found something new hiding in the pages.
First library: Tauranga Library, about 20 years ago when the carpet was a beautiful red colour!
Lauren
Favourite children’s book: The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson. It’s a sweet, lyrical story and the last page makes me emotional! Both of my daughters are enthralled by it and needless to say, after reading it we make our own paper dolls to play with!
First library: Mount Roskill Library in Auckland. (I loved the feeling of freedom of having my own receipt, and mum not knowing when I loaned novels with romance from the teen section!)
Continued on next page
Book Talk continued
Cameron
Favourite children’s book: The Folk of the Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. It was also the first book I remember Dad reading to me and I still have the copy.
First library: My first library card was from the Pāpāmoa Library, far too many years ago. [Have some respect Cameron, there are people working here with grandchildren older than Pāpāmoa Library itself! – Ed]
Paul
Favourite children’s book: A Mini Called Zak by William Stobb. I was nuts about cars and it had a story about a MINI saving people in a storm and annoying a Rolls Royce bully.
First library: Hillcrest Library, Hamilton [Fun fact: Paul once crashed into Hillcrest Library in a hot air balloon! – Ed]
Leslie
Favourite children’s book: The Uncle series by J. P. Martin (and illustrated by Quentin Blake). Uncle was a wealthy elephant who lived in a mad castle full of odd characters, and regularly in (violent) conflict with his neighbours.
First library: Manurewa Library, soon to become part of the Manukau City Library system (and now part of Auckland Libraries). The first librarians I remember there were Simon Cauchi (who was a lecturer at Victoria’s Library School when I went there in 1984) and Zita Cooke (who was still working there when I worked there for a year in 1983).
Kayce
Favourite children’s book: Serendipity by Stephen Cosgrove. It was a part of a massive series which we owned. It was not only good reading with amazing illustrations, but they were amazing for building with—stacking them all to make dolls houses!
First library: Greerton Library in 1991
Caitlin
Favourite children’s book: Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. This book was super special to me because I won it in a colouring in competition at Whitcoulls, Tauranga and I loved my parents reading it to me.
First library: Tauranga Library (I got the ‘surfer dude’ library card because I used to think it was my dad!) [Aww, so cute! – Ed]
Abby
Favourite children’s book: The Tooth Fairy by Shirley Barber. A gloriously illustrated tale of two children whisked from slumber to see what happens to baby teeth after the Tooth Fairy takes them away. P.S. Fairies are real!
First library: Chartwell Library, Hamilton (toddler times were off the chain there when I was a pēpi!)
Donna
Favourite children’s book: Choosing a favourite children’s book is like choosing a favourite child … a person should never be put in that position! [Come on Donna, I don’t have all day! – Ed]
I do fondly remember Mr Penny’s Farm, which is in a box somewhere in my house.
First library: Newlands Primary School Library in 1967.
Hanna
Favourite children’s book: The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr. I was fascinated by this book because even as a child I knew that one could never invite a tiger for tea! As an adult I always enjoy a nice high tea, which I am certain is a result of my reading this book a lot of times as a child.
First library: Wainuiomata Community Library, Hutt Valley, New Zealand.
Jonathan
Favourite children’s book: The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse. I'd like to think that my curiosity about Paris, the possibility of being carried away by balloon, and the laws of flight stemmed from this wonderful book that is still in print and that I shared with my own sons.
First library: Hamilton City Library.
Daniel
Favourite children’s book: An old pile of Buster and Donald Duck comics. Juvenile humour, fantastic illustrations, lots of variety—all you could want.
First library: Te Kamo Library, Whangārei.
Introducing our new Online Author Talks portal
Meet Online Author Talks, a new service that we’re trialling until 30 June 2024 to see if it’s popular with our customers.
What’s in it?
Exactly what is says on the label! Live talks given online by bestselling authors and thought leaders from around the world. The selection includes writers for adult and young adult audiences, both fiction and non-fiction. At the time of writing we’ve just enjoyed a live chat with actor John Stamos and we’re excitedly anticipating upcoming talks with Tessa Bailey (It Happened One Summer) and Rebecca Serle (In Five Years).
Sounds great! How do I get started?
It’s super simple to use and no library card details are required. Simply visit our website and head to the Digital Library. You’ll find ‘Online Author Talks’ listed in the ‘Streaming’ section.
Once there, you’ll see all the upcoming talks listed on the main page. Registering to watch one is dead simple, and there’s also the opportunity to submit a question to be asked during the live stream.
The talks are typically scheduled at convenient times in the morning or midday, but if you can’t make a live broadcast, you can catch up with previous talks at your convenience—you can find the link to past speakers in the top right-hand corner of the home page.
Is there anything else I should know?
If you know someone who would be interested in one of the talks, feel free to send them the link so they can enjoy it too. Since there’s no need to login with a library card, they don’t need to be a Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries member! Enjoy!
Above: A cup of tea, a nice blanket, and an early-morning author talk—heaven, no?
Immersing Ourselves in the Mauri of Tukutuku
Tukutuku, the art of weaving traditional panels, holds deep cultural importance within the Māori community. Each woven pattern carries with it a rich tapestry of stories, values, and spiritual connections to whenua and our tūpuna; like vessels of knowledge, our taonga tuku iho hand down pūrākau and wisdom through artistic expression. By creating space once more for our tukutuku collection in Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga Library, it allows the vibrant spirit of Māori tradition to resonate once again with both local communities and visitors alike.
The return of the tukutuku collection to the library has allowed us to explore the intertwining threads of culture, history, and craftsmanship that have woven these tukutuku into existence. Additionally, we have realised the profound impact the Māori Women's Welfare League had in the wider community and how younger generations continue to draw inspiration from their united stance and legacy.
After a short wānanga in 1991 during a visit to Paparoa Marae, the idea to create a collection of tukutuku to decorate the library's interior between kaimahi (staff) and hau kaainga led to a collaboration with the Māori Women's Welfare League (Te Rōpū Wāhine Māori Toko i te Ora) and funding from the community, resulting in the cherished collection we proudly celebrate today.
Nestled within the library’s Willow Street whare since 1993, these taonga were generously gifted by the Matua branch of the Māori Women's Welfare League and graciously received by the library during a well-attended ceremony led by local rangatira. The collection’s revival, thirty years later, signifies not only the library's commitment to preserving Māori cultural heritage but also pays homage to the profound symbolism and historical significance of stories expressed through the native arts and crafts of wāhine Māori; and with techniques which the league wanted to preserve and promote for future generations. It also reflects a pivotal moment in the recognition and celebration of New Zealand's Centennial of Womens Suffrage, which granted women the right to vote a century prior in 1893.
What was planned to be a brief re-emergence of our beautiful collection of tukutuku has turned out to be not so brief. Originally scheduled for display until 15 October, the stunning artworks have remained on display by popular demand, and will continue to brighten our space until at least the end of the year.
Image: School performing kapa haka at the tukutuku panels unveiling in 1993 (Photo 21-368)Adult Non-Fiction
Books to look out for
Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice by Adam
MakosThe biography of an African American sharecropper’s son from Mississippi and a white New Englander from the country-club scene. Devotion provides great insights into the fabric of naval aviation heritage though the lens of the unlikely friendship between the Navy's first Black aviator, Jesse Brown, and his wingman Tom Hudner. A great tale of bravery and selflessness.
Adult Non-Fiction
Queens of the Age of Chivalry by Alison Weir
From one of Britain's best-selling historians and aimed at the general reader, Queens of the Age of Chivalry shines a light on all too often forgotten stories of the five fourteenth-century queens in this important and often turbulent era of English history. Weir shows that the women of the Plantagenet Dynasty were instrumental in their countries survival of the Black Death, the Peasants' Revolt, the Hundred Years War and more.
Adult Fiction
The Houseguest: And Other Stories by Amparo Dávila
A collection of short stories from Mexican author Amparo Davila. This is her debut collection in English. The stories will make nightmares come to life through the ordinary and the everyday. Great for fans of psychological horror.
Black Paradox by Junji Ito
Four people struggling with their demons meet through a website which thrusts them into a bizarre adventure of alternate worlds, doppelgangers, robots, and more. For fans of horror, the unusual, and black humour, look no further than the latest from the master of the macabre, Junji Ito.
Adult Graphic Novel
A Little Bit Lost (book three Of The Wildlife series)
by Laura BuntingOne morning in the Australian Outback, Roo the Kangaroo wakes up to find three peculiar looking babies in her pouch. Who are they? Where did they come from and how did they get there? Follow along as Roo and her friends explore the Outback on their quest for answers.
This book is a great fit for children who are just getting into chapter books. The art and text style allows children to fully engage and become immersed in the story in a way that will leave them feeling accomplished and excited for the next book in the series.
Mimi and the Cutie Catastrophe by Shauna J. Grant
Mimi and her stuffed toy are best friends who love to spend all their days together playing around the neighbourhood. As they play, Mimi notices that everybody is always telling her how cute she is. This makes her mad—she's so much more than just a cute girl! Join Mimi as she explores her identity and discovers the true meaning of being yourself.
*Children's fiction selected by guest reviewer, Riley (aged 9)
Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn
When a Witch demands her next companion, Mina offers herself up—though she has no idea what fate awaits her. Stranded with her darkly alluring captor, the mystery of what happened to the previous companions draws Mina into the heart of a terrifying secret.
Everything is OK is a graphic memoir that will take the reader on a journey through the complexities of depression, burn-out, anxiety, and all those emotions that make being human feel overwhelming. This book is a must read for all ages. Follow Debbie through her life as she navigates her mental health struggles in an empowering, relatable, kind of way, filled with colour and vibrancy. Children's Fiction* Children’s Graphic* Teen Fiction Teen Graphic
Everything is OK by Debbie Tung
Novel
The Past and the Curious
A handful of colourful movie stills from 1935 have made their way into Pae Korokī, our online archive.
Hei Tiki, was a ground-breaking film in this countrys early cinema history, shot in 1930 around Lake Taupo and Waihi. Featuring an all-Māori cast, primarily from the Whanganui and Tūwharetoa iwi, it was one of the country's first talking pictures. However, the film's production and release were not without controversy. Directed by American writer Alexander Markey, the film aimed to create a cinematic epic celebrating Māori mythology, music, and dance. It didn’t.
Markey showed little to no interest in Māori tikanga or culture. Instead, the film employed the ‘star-crossed lovers’ theme popular in Western film and literature. The two protagonists, love interests played by 16-year-old Ngawara Kereti (Te Arawa) and Ben Biddle – and themselves royalty from separate tribes in a pre-European Māori idyll –must find a way to be together.
Markey's directing style was characterized by a domineering, impatient, and disdainful attitude towards the cast and crew, many of whom were amateurs. Ben Biddle often acted as a negotiator for the entire cast and crew's benefit. He confronted Markey when wages were withheld or insults became intolerable. He would apply pressure as the leading man by disappearing for several days, retreating further up into the nearby mountains where he would hunt wild pigs or deer. Markey borrowed numerous articles from local participants to use as props and costumes in the film, such as taiaha, tewhatewha, korowai (woven
feather cloaks), taonga like the hei tiki pendant that Mara wears around her neck, mere, kete, and woven floor mats. He later absconded to the United States with these items, leaving behind many debts that the film's financial backers never recovered. The film was released in Great Britain and America with the cringeworthy title Primitive Passions in 1935. The New York Times called it "a disappointment, a sorry mélange of antique melodrama (and) spotty photography...a native legend...native to Hollywood, so many versions of it having been filmed there".
New Zealand wouldn't see it until 1939.
The reel stills that make up part of the collection labelled Ams 227 are in excellent condition, particularly considering they are made from cellulose nitrate, a medium first used by George Eastman in 1889 and regularly thereafter in 35mm motion picture film until the 1950s before being replaced with more stable formats.
So, how did these become part of our archive at Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries? The answer is Margaret Goulding née Wallis (1894-1988). Margaret Goulding, who spent two years with the production of Hei Tiki as a personal assistant to Ngawara Kereti and cook for the production, received a number of reel stills from one of the camera operators sometime in the 1980s. These were part of the Goulding papers, which make up Ams 227.
You can watch a making-of documentary about Hei Tiki at: www.nzonscreen.com and browse our collection of stills at: paekoroki.tauranga.govt.nz.
Above: Ngawara Kereti as 'Mara' (Photo 19-249) Reels were often tinted blue to indicate a night-time scene.
The voices of
our
youth enriching the community
We recently got to sit down with Kurt Cordice from Global Ambassadors who supported 11 rangatahi working on the Te Whakaata I te Matapihi: Glimpses project.
The project involved the rangatahi being invited to explore the Tauranga Heritage Collection with a focus on making a positive impact within their communities.
Dean Flavell and Fiona Kean from Tauranga Heritage Collection helped guide the rangatahi through the collections and challenged them to choose an item that resonated with them, and, for the first time, they were asked to select a taonga to be added to the collection.
While Dean and Fiona helped guide the rangatahi through the collection and facilitated the discussion about the artifacts, Kurt’s role was to support each youth throughout the project so that they could bring their authentic self to the project.
When asked about his experience working with the rangatahi, Kurt only spoke highly off the whole experience working with the youth. He mentioned that they were incredibly professional and that he was constantly amazed at how they handled
Explore the Tauranga Heritage Collection at: view.taurangaheritagecollection.co.nz
themselves throughout the experience. He recalled one moment that perfectly illustrated this: he asked each of the attendees to fill out a form and send it back within two days and each of them sent back the forms filled out. He joked that that doesn’t even happen in his other job when working with adults!
When asked for highlights of the project, he shared how awesome it was to see the rangatahi grow in confidence and make waves in their own spaces. One member of the project, Blessing, decided to launch an initative at her school to share her Samoan culture. Mia, who was so passionate about the Chinese community and having them represented in the collection, made connections within the Chinese community, and choose a lion costume for inclusion in the collection which has a rich history within Tauranga.
When asking for final thoughts about the project Kurt shared this: sometimes we pour information into our youth with the idea that this is helping to prepare them for the future but without ever listening to them and their experiences. This project is an example of what happens when we pause to listen to the voices of our youth—we get a valuable insight into how they view Tauranga, for the betterment of the community.
Above: Kurt Cordice of Global Ambassadors shares a look-book produced as part of the Te Whakaata I te Matapihi: Glimpses project.
Plant-based book coverings a step towards sustainability
As passionate book people we can probably all agree on two things: 1) Books are amazing—they inspire, teach, and open up new worlds of ideas and possibilities and 2) Books have used a lot of resources by the time we get to read them.
With this in mind, our Content Team has been looking at ways that we can offset some of this environmental impact. Thankfully, our primary vendor, Wheelers, have been looking into this too and we’ve recently taken them up on their offer to start covering the books we buy from them with a plant-based covering. We sent Wheelers’ General Manager, Pete Darbyshire, some questions about this and the other sustainability initiatives they’re undertaking.
What inspired Wheelers to start thinking about sustainability?
Sustainability has been a subject of interest of mine for some years, driven in part by my children who have grown up being more aware of their impact on the planet. The challenge for us as a business has been where to start. With sustainability now on the Wheelers strategic agenda, it has been embraced widely by our team, as well as our customer and supply partners. For us at Wheelers, it is a journey, and one where everyone can play an active and important role.
Plant-based book coverings. Interesting … does that mean we can eat the books once we’ve read them?
To be honest, I haven’t sampled a plant-based covering—it might be too sweet for my taste! Book covering is just one part of our sustainability plan. We remain committed to covering books as it provides protection for the books, they can be cleaned more easily, and a cover extends the life of a book. We have been investigating various covering options to the current PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) and at this stage we think the plant-based (sugarcane) material, which is manufactured in a carbon neutral process, is the best solution. We will continue to assess other raw material options as they become available, either here in New Zealand or internationally.
You’re also recycling packaging to deliver our books. How does this work?
We’re doing a couple of things here. When books are delivered from suppliers to us, wherever possible we reuse the carton for dispatching to our customers. It’s like a circular economy; cartons come in, the same cartons go out! If a carton can’t be reused, we’ll often shred the carton pieces with our commercial shredder to create shredded protective packing material, replacing other materials previously used for packing, including
plastics. Separately, we’re working with our carton suppliers to source cartons which are made from recycled board material as much as possible.
Are there other things you’re doing that we can’t see down here in Tauranga?
What’s exciting about the Wheelers sustainability journey is that there are so many other opportunities, whether they’re identified internally or presented to us by our partners. Some other things we have on our working agenda include: converting our PVC packaging tape to a plant-based or paper-based tape, consolidating our waste disposal to ensure the minimum landfill impact, moving to LED lighting in our office and warehouse (thereby reducing our energy and carbon footprint), more efficient invoicing processes meaning less paper printed, to name a few. We’ve partnered with Trees that Count, an environmental charity, which allows Wheelers to purchase native trees to positively impact the environment with the offsetting of carbon emissions. We’re also working with Toitū Envirocare to help us better understand our carbon footprint today and develop strategies to reduce our impact going forward.
Thanks Pete!
What else are we doing to reduce our environmental impact when it comes to books?
We mentioned above that we have moved to a plant-based covering for the books that we order from Wheelers. This represents the majority of physical items that we purchase each year.
Lots of our magazines and newspapers are delivered in plastic to protect them in the mail. We collect this and take it to the soft plastics recycling station at the Customer Service Centre in He Puna Manawa. This service is available to anyone so feel free to drop yours in too when you next visit Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga Library.
The number of items that we send to landfill has been greatly reduced by the removal of the charge for withdrawn books that we put out in all our libraries for customers to take. Along with many other libraries around the country, we also continue to send selected withdrawn items in good condition to public libraries in the Pacific through a long-term initiative co-ordinated by our former Library Manager, Jill Best.
Above left: Chantelle with a fresh delivery of books from Wheelers, complete with plant-based covers. Above right: Young library fans will benifit most from our sustainability efforts
More e-magazine and e-newspaper options
Have you noticed that the BorrowBox app now features digital magazines? We are trialling Bolinda BorrowBox’s latest digital offering ‘ePress’, a product which sits alongside the e-audio and e-book options already available on BorrowBox.
ePress currently features 35 popular local and international magazines. There’s no need to reserve the latest issue of a magazine and you can instantly borrow up to 10 titles. Plus, bonus unlimited issues of a magazine title’s back catalogue.
Trending titles on ePress include: NZ Listener, NZ Woman’s Weekly, Your House & Garden, New Scientist, Delicious, Hello!, BBC Top Gear, and more!
Please note that the trial ends on 30 June 2023.
If you don’t know already, we have other fabulous options for e-magazine and e-newspaper fans. One of our key streaming platforms, hoopla, (the lowercase ‘h’ is how they like to spell it!) offers a seven-day magazine ‘BingePass’, which grants access to over 100 magazines. For those after newspapers, checkout our very popular PressReader product. PressReader features a huge variety of newspapers and magazines from all around the world.
Access to these digital products is free for anyone with a current library membership. Everything you need to get started can be found under the ‘Digital Library’ tab on our library website.
