Rockingham Information & Library Service

Premier's Summer Reading Challenge

2011-12-07T14:10:00.003+08:00

The Premier's Summer Reading Challenge encourages students to read more over the summer. Want to win cool prizes? Sign up today!

Just drop in to your local library or visit Summer Reading Challenge for more info.

Warnbro Library Holiday Hours

2011-12-05T14:41:00.003+08:00

Please note our opening times will change during the Holidays. Please check the following table to see when a RILS library is available.

Day	Rockingham Regional Library	Warnbro Community Library	Safety Bay Library
Fri 23 Dec	8am - 12noon	9am - 12noon	9am - 12noon
Sat 24 - Tues 27	Closed	Closed	Closed
Wed 28 - Thurs 29	Closed	10am - 7pm	10am - 7pm
Fri 30	Closed	10am - 5pm	10am - 5pm
Sat 31	Closed	Closed	9am - 12noon
Sun 1 Jan - Mon 2 Jan	Closed	Closed	Closed
Tues 3 Jan	Closed	10am - 7pm	10am - 7pm
Wed 4 - Thurs 5	8am - 8pm	10am - 7pm	10am - 7pm

2011-11-22T13:28:00.004+08:00

¿Habla una otra idioma?
Вы говорите другой язык?
Spreekt u een andere taal?
Do you speak another language?

If so, check out our Foreign Language section, featuring recent release novels. Looking for a particular language, do a Subject search for the language of your choice.

Here's a few to get you started:
French Books
Spanish Books
Serbian Books
Italian Fiction
Afrikaans Fiction

Your Story: Kitty Cat Cake!

2011-11-15T14:03:00.005+08:00

A young library patron came in about a month ago. Her birthday was coming up and she wanted a fancy cake.

After roaming the Cake Decorating shelves (641.865), she found a book on Animal-shaped cakes.

After some wheedling and begging, her mother agreed to check out the book and give it a try. (Good on ya, Mum, for being game!)

This was the result:

What is Your Story? What have you been inspired to do thanks to a book from the library? Leave us a comment and tell us all about it.

Holiday Fun @ Warnbro Library

2011-09-21T13:16:00.003+08:00

Join us for some fun activities at Warnbro Library!

Warnbro Community Library
Swallowtail Parade
Warnbro 6169
Tel: 9593 4608
wclcontact@rockingham.wa.gov.au

SciTech Science of Slime Show
Wednesday 5th October, 2pm-3pm
Ages 6-12
Bookings Essential--Limited Numbers
How much do you know about Slime? Want to know more? Come along to our
Scitech Science of Slime Show…

Dynamic Dinosaurs Storytime
Friday 7th October, 10.30am
Ages 2-7 yrs
Please Book
Are you amazed by Allosaurus? Delighted by Diplodocus? Then you will love our
Dinosaur Storytime!

Super Science Crafts!
Wednesday 12th October, 1.30-3.00pm
Ages 7 –12 yrs
Please Book
Liquid Lava Lamps - Bring in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and make a lava lamp. Have fun with clay and plaster and make fossils, sea creatures and animals to take home and decorate.

Fantasy Storytime
Tuesday 11th October, 10.30am.
Ages 2-7 yrs. Please book.
Fairies and Monsters...Knights and Dragons... Come and join us for a fantasy feast.

Storytime
Storytime is a fun and interactive weekly session for children aged 2-5 years. Each session involves stories, songs, rhymes and craft activities.
Older children are welcome to join story time during the school holidays.
Warnbro Community Library –Tuesdays & Fridays 10.30am

Bookstars
The Bookstars Club at Warnbro Community Library are held 3 times per school term at 3.45pm - 5.00pm .Activities at the Club include creative writing new book displays, crafts, storytelling, author visits, games, and puzzles.
For further enquiries please Contact Veronica at Warnbro Community Library ph. 9593 4608

Holiday Fun @ Safety Bay Library

2011-09-21T13:10:00.003+08:00

Join us for holiday fun at Safety Bay Library!

Safety Bay Library
197 Safety Bay Road
Safety Bay 6169
Tel: 9527 3338
sbycontact@rockingham.wa.gov.au
Bookings essential!

STORYTIME
Tuesday 4th October, 10.30am—11.30am
Suitable for ages 2—7 yrs
Bookings essential!
Its Library Day so come along and listen to stories about fun in the library. Then make your own library bag to take home!

The H₂O Scitech Show
Tuesday 4th October, 1:30-3:00pm
Ages 9 years & up.
Bookings essential!
See water walk the tightrope and discover the secret of the fireproof balloon. Learn about the amazing properties of water and why it behaves like it does.

STORYTIME Classics
Tuesday 11th October, 10.30am—11.30am
Suitable for ages 2—7 yrs
Bookings essential!
Wolves are sneaky and sly and you can meet them in many fairytales! Come along and listen to the stories and make yourself a wolf-o-licious craft to take home!

Snow Domes
Wednesday 12th October, 1.00pm—3.00pm
Ages 8 years & up
Bookings essential!
Be Creative! Come to the library and design your own Christmas decoration. Don’t forget to bring your own glass jar with lid. (Mums and Dads welcome)

Storytime
Storytime is a fun and interactive weekly session for children aged 2-5 years. Each session involves stories, songs, rhymes and craft activities.
Older children are welcome to join story time during the school holidays.
Safety Bay Library - Tuesdays 10.30 am

Bookstars Reading Club
If you are primary school age and you love to read then you must come along to the Safety Bay Library. Be a part of our reading club, read and be rewarded!
Joining in is easy: Complete your application, collect your reading log and just read! For every 10 books you read come and have your log stamped. When you finish your log, return to the library to receive your small prize and new log.
By leaving the completed log in the prize barrel you will have the chance to WIN some fabulous prizes at the end of term.

Holiday Fun @ Rockingham Library

2011-09-21T13:02:00.003+08:00

Come join us for holiday fun at the Library!

Rockingham Regional Campus Community Library
Dixon Road
Rockingham 6168
Tel: 9553 7060
rocquery@murdoch.edu.au

Please Book your place for all activities.

Pipe Cleaners
Tuesday 4th Oct, 10-11:30am
Ages 8+
Bookings essential!!
Can you make a dinosaur, a dog or a ring out of pipe cleaners? Come along to find out how.

Games Afternoon
Thursday 6th Oct, 2-4pm
Ages 8+
Bookings essential!
Come and join us for a fun packed afternoon of games! Wizard Bingo, egg races and more.

Circus Skills
Tuesday, Oct 11th, 10-12pm
Ages 7-12 years
Bookings essential!!
Learn 3 ball juggling, diablo spinning and more. Don’t miss this amazing session.

Storytime Sessions
For babies to 7yrs
No bookings needed.
Children’s story time and great art activities. Every Wednesday and Thursday @ 10am. It’s never too early to start reading to your child!!

Storytime
Storytime is a fun and interactive weekly session for children aged 2-5 years. Each session involves stories, songs, rhymes and craft activities.
Older children are welcome to join story time during the school holidays.
Wednesdays and Thursdays 10.00 am

Young Adult Book Club

Rockingham Library is home to a fantastic young adult book club and meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month between 4.15 and 5.15.
The club provides young people with the opportunity to socialise in a casual friendly atmosphere and talk about books, music, television and movies. Depending on what the group wants to do. There are also activities such as games, display making and craft activities.
All people aged between 12 and 18 are welcome.
The meetings are free but bookings are essential!

Roald Dahl Day

2011-09-13T10:11:00.002+08:00

Today is Roald Dahl Day!

Roald Dahl is a children's author best known for writing "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and other beloved classics.

Pop into Warnbro Library today and fill out our Roald Dahl quiz for your chance to win a bag of silver coins.

Avast ye swabbers!

2011-09-09T12:34:00.002+08:00

Ahoy! Will ye be having a bit o' linguistic fun this month?

Monday 19 September will be International "Talk Like a Pirate" Day.

So pull out yer parrots and peglegs and practice yer "Arrrrs!"

Meanwhile, here be a whole booty of books about pirates.

Arrrr!

Forgot your "My Borrower Record" PIN?

2011-09-06T11:17:00.002+08:00

Passwords, PINs and other secret keys. They're so important, yet we forget them all the time.

If you have created a login for "My Borrower Record" but forgot your numeric PIN, you can reset it one of two ways:

* Come in to the library. We can reset your PIN at the circulation desk. Then you can go to a Webopac machine and input a new PIN.

* Reset it yourself.

Resetting Your Own PIN
Note: this method only works if you have a valid email address listed on our system. If you do not have a valid email address listed, you can add it to your record by coming in to the library and speaking to one of the friendly staff on the circulation desk.

Browse to http://prospero.murdoch.edu.au/ and select "City of Rockingham Libraries".
Go to ‘View Your Borrower Record’, and click on the link “Forgot your PIN?”.
Enter your library ID (your barcode number on your library card).
You will be sent an email with the following text:
- The library received a request to allow you to reset your Personal Identification Number (PIN) used to log in. If you did not place that request, please ignore this message. Your PIN has not changed. Otherwise, please click the link below to choose a new PIN.
  https://prospero.murdoch.edu.au/pinreset~S1?info=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
  This link is valid for 3 hours from the time of your request.
Click on the link. You will be taken to a web page where you can reset your PIN.

Are your library details correct?

2011-08-25T11:46:00.003+08:00

In an effort to be more green, Warnbro Community Library is sending more and more holds/overdues notices via email. (Previously, we snail-mailed notices. That's a lot of paper.)

However, you won't receive these notices if your email information on our system is incorrect.

Recently, we had over NINE HUNDRED email addresses bounce. Was one of them yours?

When you're next in the library, please check to see if your details (address, email, phone) are correct. If we don't have an email listed for you, consider adding it to your membership.

Benefits of Emailed Notices

Reduce paper wastage
Receive notices faster
Keep in the loop about library stuff

Library Users Survey

2011-08-23T12:34:00.004+08:00

We would like to invite you to take part in an important survey for Warnbro Community Library to help us provide the best possible services and resources in our existing libraries; and to plan for the establishment of future libraries.

Have your say! Drop into Warnbro Community Library and pick up a blue survey form. Answer a few questions and either hand it in to the Library staff or drop it in our Suggestion Box.

We want to know what you think. Help us improve library services.

Random Library Facts

2011-08-22T12:44:00.002+08:00

Did You Know...

The biggest library in the world is the US Library of Congress in Washington DC. It houses 30 million books and was built in 1800.
The National Library of Australia has over 10 million items in its collection.
In 2006, Libraries were the second most attended cultural venue, with about half of Australia visiting libraries. (The cinema came first.)
Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai, Egypt, has the oldest active library in the world, dating from the 5th Century. However the collection only available to the monks of the monastery and/or special guests or scholars. (The monastery library preserves the second largest collection of early codices and manuscripts in the world, outnumbered only by the Vatican Library.)
The oldest library open to the public is the Bibliothèque nationale de France, which can trace its origin to the royal library founded at the Louvre by Charles V in 1368.
The first, albeit unsuccessful, attempt to establish a public library in the new colony of New South Wales was in 1809. However, it wasn't until the 1820's that subscription libraries began to emerge.
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions estimates there are between 500,000 and 1 million professional libraries worldwide.
The first large-scale Online Public Access Catalogues (OPACs) were developed at Ohio State University in 1975 and the Dallas Public Library in 1978.
The first library catalogue was The Pinakes, dating back to 245 BC. It was created by Callimachus and was based on the Library of Alexandria.

New Arrivals at the Library

2011-08-17T09:12:00.003+08:00

You're an avid reader. We know it.

You want the latest books. We've got 'em.

Wanna see what new arrivals have shown up at Warnbro Library? Check out our Shelfari Page and see what's new in stock.

Access to our Shelfari is also available in-house on our Webopacs. Check out Shelfari, then check out some of our new arrival books.

Find a book you want, but can't find it on the New Arrivals shelves? Ask the circulation desk to put a hold on it for you, or do it yourself in My Borrower Record.

Happy reading!

2011 Census Help

2011-08-04T09:25:00.005+08:00

Need help filling out your 2011 Census form? Free help is available at the library. For more information, please contact your local library (numbers listed below).

Important: Please bring your census forms with you.

Warnbro Library 9593 4608
Come to the Census Help Station and take a number. You will be assisted as soon as possible. Meantime, feel free to browse the library.
• August 7 Sunday - 2pm - 5pm
• August 8th Monday – 9am to 1pm
• August 9th Tuesday – 1pm - 7pm
• August 10th Wednesday – 8am to 1pm

Rockingham RCC Library 9553 7060 or 9553 7068
• August 6th Saturday - 1pm to 4pm
• August 8th Monday – 9am to 12pm & 12.30pm to 3pm
• August 9th Tuesday – 9am to 12pm & 12.30pm to 3pm
• August 10th Wednesday – 1pm to 5pm

The 16th Census of Population and Housing will take place the night of 9 August, 2011.

The Census aims to accurately count the number of people in Australia.

Every household and person in the country is required to answer specific questions on the paper form or through eCensus online.

Have your say and help contribute to the history of Australia.

Want more info? Australian Bureau of Statistics

Geocaching

2011-08-03T09:44:00.004+08:00

Here at the library we're all about helping you find stuff.

However, for this one thing, you're all on your own.

Geocaching is best described as a cross between hide'n'seek and a treasure hunt. Armed with a GPS device (like a iPhone), a pencil, a coordinate and a sense of adventure, geocachers roam the world looking for little stashes or "geocaches" that others have hidden.

Sometimes it's little more than a tupperware container and a logbook. Other times it's a locker with little treasures to swap. They could be buried underground, or hidden up in a tree.

Your job is to find it and leave your mark (thus the pencil).

There are dozens of geocaches located all around Rockingham. If you're feeling lucky, give it a go.

Leave a comment here if you find one.

Wanna know more about geocaching? Check out Geocache on Wikipedia, Geocaching Australia, or the site that started it all, Geocaching.

Finally, please respect all found geocaches and leave them in good condition. Also, respect the surrounding environment. It's considered good form for geocachers to remove any litter they find in the area.

DVD Review: Last Holiday

2011-08-01T12:58:00.004+08:00

Tepid sales clerk Georgia Byrd dreams of an exciting and fulfilling life, but doesn't indulge her dreams. Then when she's diagnosed with a terminal illness, she decides to live it up after all and splurges on the holiday of a lifetime.

I love this film because it's about a woman following her dreams. Granted, it takes a dire and very pressing deadline to motivate her, but she follows them nonetheless.

Georgia (played by the classy Queen Latifah) doesn't mope or give in to depression over her fate, but liquidates her assets and heads to Europe. She checks into the Presidential Suite, orders every haute cuisine dish on the menu and sets off to try some of those things she didn't dare do when she wasn't faced with an imminent Deadline of Death.

As part of her well-deserved self-indulgence, she doesn't pander to the influences of others.

The message I took from this film was that one must take care of one's dreams first. Georgia sacrificed her own happiness for so long. It's refreshing to see her pleasing herself without a shred of guilt. This is not to say that she neglected anyone else. Her heart was just as big for them as it was for herself. Her attitude was more, "I care for myself. You should care for yourself too." She wasn't out for selfish purposes, nor was she trying to win/buy others' opinions.

Her message: Let happiness be. Don't deny it for reasons that aren't as important as you think.

Something else I liked: the romantic element of the story was not the main plot. It was a pleasant side plot that served to illustrate that a woman doesn't necessarily need a man to be happy in life, but that happiness in a relationship can come when a woman is first and foremost secure within herself.

A wonderful remake of a 1950's film of the same name starring Alec Guinness.

Recommend you get your hot little mitts on this one. Put a hold on Last Holiday through the Webopac today!

Woo hoo! One hundred posts!

Book Launch: "Mad Dad For Sale"

2011-07-15T13:03:00.002+08:00

You are invited to celebrate the release of
Mad Dad For Sale
by Teena Raffa-Mulligan

Friday 22 July
6:30-8:00pm

Warnbro Community Library

RSVP to Teena traffa-m@bigpond.net.au

Learn more about Teena's books.

E-tax Annoyances!

2011-07-13T14:02:00.003+08:00

Every year E-tax offers a month of annoyances for the poor IT staff who have to install it. Each year brings new and unique quirks that belong only to that year's build of E-tax. Nobody (even E-tax's programmers) knows what those quirks will be until E-tax is released into the wild.

One year the icons malfunctioned. Another year patrons couldn't upload their tax returns until they'd updated the program. But they didn't discover this until after they'd filled everything out. And if they'd forgotten to save their file? Well, bad luck.

This year's quirk (so far):

Our dutiful IT staff downloaded E-tax on 1 July and installed it faithfully on the public machines. A preliminary functionality test said everything was okay.

But then today, when a patron attempted to use E-tax, it wanted updating.

So, our intrepid IT staff go to update the program, only to have E-tax crash every single time. Joy.

Having no idea what was going on, the IT geeks downloaded E-tax one more time and reinstalled the sucker.

This time, things worked.

However...

One thing they noticed was that the release date of 'Old' Etax2011 was 8 June 2011. But the 'New' Etax2011 was release date 24 June 2011.

For shame, ATO! Please tell us the 8 June version of Etax2011 released into the wild was an accident. And another thing we'd appreciate is version release information, including update release information available on the ATO web site so we can figure out these things the easy way and not the hard way.

IT staff have better things to do than wonder why Etax ain't working. We install it, maybe update it, and that's about it.

SO...

1. If you're having problems with Etax2011, check that your release date is at least 24 June. Any earlier, and you're best downloading and reinstalling.

2. Public libraries are happy to offer Etax for the benefit of their patrons. HOWEVER...

3. They only provide access to the program. They can't actually do any support or troubleshooting. The ATO is more than happy to do that for you.

We wish you well in doing your taxes.

Online Databases

2011-07-11T11:28:00.004+08:00

"Google" has become synonymous with finding pretty much anything you may desire on the internet.

But did you know there's a whole 'nother world of information out there--juried, scholarly, reliable stuff--that you wouldn't find through Google?

Welcome to the world of Library Online Databases.

If you've got a library card, you've got access to some pretty spectacular research resourse--perfect for students, professionals or anyone who wants more than "I'm feeling lucky".

So pull out your library card and check out these excellent databases:

Encyclopedia Britannica
Remember those twenty-plus volumes, arranged alphabetically, on the library shelves at school? Remember pulling them out and thumbing through their elegantly-bound covers in hope that you could find what you were looking for for your term paper?

Now it's all electronic. All you need is your library card to log in.

Infotrac Gale Group: Popular Magazines Plus and Health & Wellness Plus

Popular Magazines Plus is a collection of Australian based journals and newspapers with 22,124,083 articles updated as recently as July 10, 2011.

Health and Wellness Resource Center and Alternative Health Module, containing articles from 1980 - Jul 2011. Provides instant access to carefully compiled and trusted medical reference materials.

NoveList
A fiction database that provides subject heading access, reviews, annotations, as well as author read-alikes, book discussion guides, and feature articles.

Australian New Zealand Reference Centre
Full text content from Australasian and International magazines, newspapers, news wires, reference books and company information as well as biographies and a fully searchable image collection.

Business Source Elite
Academic journals, trade publications, magazines... it's all here. Includes audio "text reading" of articles in your choice of American, British or Australian accents.

Ancestry.com - Library edition
Come research your family history through the powerful databases of Ancestry.com. Due to licensing agreements, Ancestry.com can only be used within the library computer network and is not available for home use. Feel free to drop by.

Busy Things
Fun games and activities that help children learn important skills in the key learning areas of creative development, problem solving, reasoning, numeracy, communication, language and literacy and knowledge and understanding of the world.

Want more database fun? Liswa has more for you to enjoy.

Holiday Fun @ Your Library!

2011-07-11T09:22:00.003+08:00

Come keep the kids entertained these school holidays with these great activities at your local library:

Safety Bay Public Library
Please book: 9527 3338

Storytime: Teddy Bears
Date: Tues 12 July, 10:30-11:30am
Age: 2-7 yrs
Bookings essential!

Bring your teddy bear and listen to some stories about all different sorts of bears. Then make a beary nice craft to take home!

Pets, Pets, Pets!
Date: Thurs 14 July, 1:00-2:30pm
Age: 8+
Bookings essential!

Children and pets can be a great combination! Why not come to the library and learn how to look after a pet correctly, while handling/cuddling some animals.

Storytime: Dinosaurs
Date: Tues 19 July 10:30-11:30am
Age: 2-7 yrs
Bookings essential!

If you love Dinosaurs, you will love the stories we have to read! Come along and listen to the stories and make yourself a fabulosaurus craft to take home

Sewing
Date: Thurs 21 July 10:00am - 12:00pm
Age: 8+
Bookings essential!

Be Creative! Come to the library and design and sew the first patch of what could be a blanket or a cushion cover. (Mums & Dads welcome)

Rockingham Retional Campus Community Library
Please book: 9553 7060

Zombies
Date: Tues 12 July, 1:00-2:00pm
Ages: 8+ (strict)

Fact or fiction: feeding salt to a zombie will make it human again. If you don't know the answer to this question you had better come to Scitech's Zombie Workshop.

Glass Deco
Date: Tues 19 July, 10:00-11:30am
Ages: 8+

Use specialist craft materials to create your own stained glass art which can be moved from window to window.

CD Art
Date: Thurs 21 July, 1:00-2:30pm
Ages: 8+

Did you know that from daggy old CDs you can make awesome art work and wall hangings? Come along and see how.

Storytimes: Wednesday and Tursday mornings 10am

Warnbro Community Library
Please book: 9593 4608

Boomerangs - Dot Painting!
Date: Tues 12 July, 1:00-2:30pm
Ages: 6-12 yrs
Please book

Come create your own colourful boomerang and artwork! (Please wear suitable clothing for painting.)

Australian Dreaming Storytime
Date: Fri 15 July, 10:30 - 11:30am
Ages: 2-7 yrs
Please book

Join us for Aussie Anima and traditional Aboriginal Stories. Decorate a boomerange and create an aussie animal puppet.

Beautiful Bead, Shrink Art, Memo Boxes
Date: Tues 19 July, 10:30am - 12noon
Ages: 7-12 yrs
Please book

Take your pick and create wonderful beaded necklaces, fabulous shrinky key rings or magnets and/or a colourful memo box using tribal design paper.

Patch Theatre Presents: "The Emperor's Nightingale"
Date: Wed 20 July 10:30 - 11:30am
Ages: 6-12 yrs
Please book

Enjoy this wonderful live performance of the traditional Chinese Story!

Bedtime Storytime
Date: Thurs 21 July, 5:45-6:45pm (evening!)
Ages: 3-7 yrs
Please book

Come along to the library at night! Wear your pyjamas and listen to bedtime stoires told my Mrs Kate. Enjoy Milo and biscuits and then go home to bed.

E-tax 2011

2011-06-27T13:34:00.003+08:00

Warnbro Community Library offers free access to E-tax 2011 on our public computers. Complete your tax return and lodge electronically @ your local library.

E-tax 2011 will be available for use from 2 July.^[1]

What do you need to complete your taxes via E-tax?

Your Tax File Number (TFN). You cannot create your eTax file without your Tax File Number. For technical reasons it is not possible for a return to be lodged online without a TFN.
All necessary documentation and records for the 2010-11 income year (1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011), including:
- Tax File Number
- records of income and expenses
- a notice of assessment from a previous year if you wish to lodge online.
- additional information as required (E-tax will ask you for this when necessary, or you can look it up on the ATO web site)
Plenty of time. On average, people take more than an hour to complete their tax return. Please notify staff at the time of booking and they will be happy to grant you additional time. We're nice that way.
A storage solution (ie a thumb drive or email account) to save your *.TAX file. Please do not leave your *.TAX file on our public computers. We cannot guarantee the security of your file.

You don't have to complete your tax return in one sitting. Save your *.TAX file to your thumb drive and come back another day if you have to.

More info is available on our intranet on the public computers to help you.

^[1]Why not from 1 July? The Australian Tax Office (ATO) does not release their E-tax software until the first day of the new financial year (aka 1 July). Then our poor computer geeks have to download and install it on our computers. Depending on configuration neepery and other minor hiccups, we can't guarantee access to the software until it's all installed. Might take all day. However, they inform us that it should be operational by 2 July.

The Library -- Serving Your Needs

2011-06-27T13:01:00.003+08:00

Our library offers webopac catalogues so patrons can look up stuff. But occasionally a patron can have a bit of trouble finding what they need.

While I was servicing a webopac one day, a patron experienced a bit of frustration and asked for help.

"I'm looking for a book I'd had before, but I can't remember the title or who wrote it," he pined.

"Do you remember what it was about?"

"Um... CDs."

Great. Asking a few leading questions, I got a bit more info out of him, vis digital media and how it worked, how was data encoded on a CD or DVD, etc.

In the end, we came up with some successful key words that led us to the particular non-fiction Dewey Decimal number that put him in the right spot. Pleased with this result, the patron headed off to the appropriate shelf.

He soon returned with two thick books in his arms. "I found it!"

I made the comment that if he really liked that book, he should give it a rating in the webopac.

But he declined. "What I really like about these books is that they're just the right height for my head."

And with that, he went to the nearest table, plunked down the books, laid his head on it and promptly went to sleep.

What can I say? We serve all needs at the library.

Dusties

2011-06-14T09:15:00.003+08:00

Last week I walked by a trolley of books that one of our librarians was processing.

"Oh," I exclaimed as I lifted a book on English accents and social perceptions from her stack. "This is fascinating."

"What a shame," she replied. "It's a dusty."

A dusty is a book or other library item that has not been checked out in a while. For Warnbro Library, that amounts to about two years or so, give-or-take. To keep a collection fresh and vibrant and relevant, dusties are occasionally weeded and removed from the collection.

I looked mournfully at that poor little book on accents and wondered if I should rescue it from its dusty fate. (I didn't).

While some libraries (frex, the US Library of Congress) strive to include as much as they can in their collections, other libraries strive to maintain collections that appeal to their lending publics.

Library books are meant to be read. They are meant to be issued and used. The books you see on a library's shelves is only a fraction of its true collection--the rest are checked out and roaming the neighborhood.

And that's how it should be. Books shouldn't be occupying a shelf for the greater part of their lives. The shelf should be only a temporary resting place until another library patron comes along and takes the book for an outing.

Books have got to earn their keep in our collection. For many dusties, they simply aren't appealing to our library patrons. A book on the various regimental flags of the Napoleonic Wars aren't going to draw a whole lot of readers here.

If nobody wants to check it out or read it, why should we keep it? So, out it goes to make way for a book that people may want to read.

Once in a while, a dusty comes along that might have had some appeal for someone. So, why didn't it get checked out? Many reasons: it might have been misshelved and therefore unfindable at the one time someone was looking for it; it might have fallen back behind some books and not been visible; obscurity may not have brought it to the attention of an interested party; trends might not favour its subjects, etc.

Should I have rescued that book on English accents? I don't know. Its subject fascinated me. But then, I work in a library and most subjects fascinate me. I could have saved the poor book, enjoyed it and then returned it, undustified, to our shelves where one of two fates could have happened to it.

First, I might have been the first of many interested patrons to enjoy this book.

Second, I might be the only person in the city to show interest in this book, and it might spend another two years languishing unwanted and unloved.

If that were the case, perhaps it was best that I let it be and allow it to be put out of its misery.

Do you feel any sympathy for dusties? If you do, feel free to roam our shelves and rescue them from obscurity.

Library Information Week - We Find Stuff!

2011-05-20T12:32:00.006+08:00

Come join us for Library Information Week (22-28 May 2011)

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL! Contact your local library for more information.

Rockingham RCC Library

We Listen to Stuff: Kids' Cushion Concert
Tues 24 May, 11:30am
Suitable for 2-7 year olds.
Tickest $10 (under 2yrs free, ticket required)
Join the Education Chamber Orchestra (EChO) as they explore the wonder and fun of classical music and the instruments of the Orchestra. These 50 minute concerts are a brilliant introduction to music for young ones and include sing-alongs and other interactive elements including "have a go" on instruments.
Tickets available from West Australian Symphony Orchestra - Book online!

We Read Stuff Aloud: National Simultaneous Storytime
Wed 25 May, 10:00 - 10:45am
Feathers for Phoebe, songs, crafts, etc.

We Eat/Fundraise for Stuff: Big Morning Tea
Thurs 26 May, 10:00 - 11:00am
Cost: Gold coin fundraising for Cancer research.

Safety Bay Library

We Search for Stuff: Ancestry.com
Wed 25 May, 10:30 - 11:30am
Into Genealogy and Family History? Come learn how to search Ancestry.com and trace your roots.

We Scrapbook Stuff: Scrapbooking
Thurs 26 May, 10:30am - 12:00noon
Find out how to do scrapbooking and create some precious memories.

Warnbro Community Library

We Look for Stuff: Webopac for Smarties
Tues 24 May, 2:00 - 3:15pm
Fri 27 May, 2:00 - 3:15pm
How to make the most of the Library's Online Public Access Catalogue from home, including renewing items, placing holds, and more!

We Solve Mysterious Stuff: Crime, Detectives and Whodunnits
Wed 25 May, 2:00pm
Come join a WA author and learn how to write these spine-tingling stories.

Fun with eReaders

2011-05-16T12:12:00.004+08:00

Friday was a fun day where we got to play with a few ebook readers.

One of our staff won a Kobo ebook reader in a contest, so she brought it in to show.

It was a loffly little pink ('scuse me, "lilac pearl") thing and it was capable of holding around 1000 books. It had an expansion slot for a memory card, thus increasing its capacity to 10,000 books. Yes, ten thousand books.

The screen looked like paper and was so easy to look at. Would even work in sunlight, unlike other LED-based devices such as the iPad.

The Kobo handles ebooks in PDF format. Books can be purchased from http://www.kobobooks.com/, or any retailer that sold ebooks in PDF format (which is most of them). Also available were downloads of classics from Project Gutenberg, free and legal.

What we liked about the Kobo was its wi-fi capabilities, and its potential for borrowing ebooks from the library. (Not that City of Rockingham libraries have ebooks yet, but it's nice to know that potential was there).

What we didn't like was the lack of backlighting on the screen, and the fact that you needed to install software before you could download books to the reader.

Also on Friday a library patron brought in her Kindle from Amazon. She'd been given it as a gift from a relative in the US. (Ebook readers are quite popular over there.) She wanted a bit of help in downloading some classics to read.

It was an easy enough to connect the Kindle to a public computer and download books from Project Gutenberg. The Kindle also had wi-fi capabilities for accessing and purchasing books from Amazon.com
We loved the Kindle's easy-to-use interface, and its ability to handle various formats, from the Kindle format to PDFs and plain-text files. It even had the capacity for playing audiobooks. The onboard speakers weren't terribly loud and I didn't see an earphone port (but then, I wasn't looking too hard for one of those).

The Kindle came with a little onboard keyboard--useful for everything from setting up the wi-fi connection to making notes on a txt file. (We liked that little feature).

The Kindle's page looked like a real paper page in a book.

Overall, we were impressed with the ebook readers and hope they catch on in Australia, enough so that we can offer ebooks for loan through the library some day.

Webopac for Smarties - Reading History

2011-05-04T14:30:00.003+08:00

About Reading History

Reading History is an opt-in feature that can keep track of your borrowing history. The Library takes your privacy seriously. Read this for more info on Reading History and Your Privacy. Please read this before you choose to opt in on "My Reading History".

Once you opt in, everything you borrow from now on (not including items currently out) will be recorded in “Your Reading History”.

Using Reading History

This list is editable, enabling you to make changes to this information. You can choose to keep anything in your reading history or you can delete items. Mark any items on the list you wish to delete then click “Delete Marked”.

If you wish to remove all items on your list, simply click “Delete All”. There is no need to mark all your items.

Deleted items are permanently removed and cannot be restored to your reading history.

You can turn the "My Reading History" feature off at any time by clicking on Opt Out. If you choose to opt out you must first delete all items from the list.

Reading History and Searches

If you have enabled Reading History then you can limit titles in searches to exclude titles you have already read. This feature is very convenient if you wish to find all the Marion Chesney novels you haven’t read.

Tick ‘Limit to titles which aren’t in my Reading History’ when you do a search.

Next: Searching the Catalogue. A whole lot more powerful when you're logged in.

Webopac for Smarties: Personal Information and Privacy in My Borrower Record

2011-04-29T14:19:00.003+08:00

Keeping Your Stuff Secure
Here at the library we take your personal information and privacy very seriously. To ensure your information is kept secure, we use a secure web site for My Borrower Record.

To tell if a site is on a secure server, look at the web address. If it begins with https://, it's a secure site. https:// stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure. Note: a web page via https:// may be slower up uploading and downloading. This is due to the use of encryption, which keeps your data secure over the Internet.

Your information is protected behind a login and a pin. Some features of My Borrower Record can store personal information and keep track of user statistics. For your security, these features are turned off, and you will have to opt in to activate them.

Personal Info
If you click on the ‘Personal Information’ link you are taken to a pop-out window that shows your information as we have it on our Millennium catalogue.

You cannot change your personal information (address, etc.) in this page. If you wish to make changes to your personal details, you can do so in person at your library’s circulation desk. Please bring proof of information change (driver’s license, etc). This is for your security and privacy.

You can change how you receive notifications from the library. Under ‘I would like to receive my notices from the library by:’ tick either ‘Postal Mail’ or ‘Email’ and click ‘Submit’.

Modify Your PIN
You can change your numeric PIN by clicking on ‘Modify PIN’. A pop-up window will ask you to enter information.

Enter your old ‘Library PIN’.

Under ‘Enter Your PIN’, enter your new PIN. ‘Enter your PIN Again’. Then press ‘Submit’ to change your PIN.

Putting PINs (and Passwords) in Twice
Once upon a time in the early days of computing, when someone created a new user account and a new password, they only had to put in a password once. Then someone noticed that anyone looking over someone's shoulder could read the password, which appeared in plain text. This was called a 'security hole'.

So, to protect passwords from being observed, the text was "hidden" by appearing as dots or asterisks ( * ). While this helped hide passwords from casual eavesdroppers, it also obscured the password from the creator. Spelling mistakes abounded. This was called a 'major annoyance'.

So, to double-check against slips of the fingers and other spelling mistakes, programmers included a fail-safe in their password-creation applets, where you have to type the password again. If the two don't match, then you are alerted of the possible mistake.

And thus, the problem of mistyping a password was solved.

Next: Reading History

Webopac for Smarties: My Borrower Record - Overview

2011-04-28T12:15:00.003+08:00

Yesterday we showed you how to access the Library Webopac from home and how to log in.

Today we'll give you an overview of My Borrower Record.

When you log in, this is the page you'll see. From here, you can do all sorts of fun things:

New Search: Creates a new search the catalogue.
Log Out: Logs out of My Borrower Record.
Return to Your Record: Brings you back to this main page—essentially a “Home” button.
Search button (accompanying the “Keyword/Title/Author” and Library location” search features in the grey search box. Allow you to search the catalogue for books, videos and more.
Items Checked Out: shows the items you have checked out, including Title, Status and more.
Sort by Due Date button: allows you to sort your items to see which are due back earliest.
Renew All button: Allows you to renew all books you have checked out. Useful if you can’t get them back to the library by their due date. Note: sometimes a book will be unable to be renewed. Some possible reasons: it has a hold for another patron, it has been renewed too many times, etc. If you have trouble renewing a book, please contact your library for more information.
Renew Marked button: Allows you to renew select books. Use in conjunction with…
Renew tick box. Tick this box to mark an item to renew.
Title. All book titles are hotlinks. Click on a book title to access the library’s bibliography record of that item. Includes information such as Title, Author, a summary of the book, subject info and more.
Request (holds): Shows you the items on which you have placed holds, including their status (due, available, in transit, etc). This line will also notify you immediately if there are any items ready for pick up.
Personal Information: Shows your contact info as listed in our Millennium database. If any of this information is incorrect or incomplete, please contact the library to change this information.
Modify Pin: Allows you to change your PIN.
Preferred Searches: If you regularly search for certain subjects, authors, etc., you can save your searches and come back to them later.
My Ratings: Like a book? Hate a book? Give it a rating. “My Ratings” keeps track of books you’ve rated.
My Lists: While you are searching the catalogue, you have the opportunity to create and add to lists. For example, you could create a list of books of James Patterson that you’d like to read. Or maybe have read. “My Lists” allows you to view and modify the information you save to your lists.
Reading History: “Reading History” keeps track of the items you have checked out in the past. Can’t remember if you read that Julia Quinn novel? Have a look through your Reading History to find out.

By default, the “Reading History” is turned off, and will only be activated once you opt in. After opting in, “Reading History” will keep track of your past check-outs. You can opt out at any time.

Reading History is accompanied by the links “Reading History and Your Privacy” and “How to Use Reading History”. Please read these privacy statements before choosing to opt in.

Don't worry if this seems like a lot of info to take in all at once. Over the next week we'll take a look at some of the more useful tools and deely-bobbers available to you. Meanwhile, if you have created a login and a PIN, feel free to have a poke around.

Next: Personal Information and Privacy in My Borrower Record

Webopac for Smarties: How to Log In

2011-04-27T11:16:00.004+08:00

How to Log In

Regardless of which library you chose (Rockingham, Safety Bay or Warnbro), you are considered a “City of Rockingham” Library Patron. Use the City of Rockingham Library Patrons login box. Murdoch University is for uni students only.
Your User ID is your library card number. It is located on the back of your library card under your barcode.

Your Library PIN is a personal identification number that you can set as your password. It must be numeric (numbers only) and must have a minimum of four digits.

If you have a PIN, you can put it in and press “Submit”.

Creating a new PIN
If you don’t have a PIN, you can create one. After you put in your user ID, leave the Library PIN blank and press Submit. A few more entry blanks will pop up asking you to enter your new PIN.

Enter the PIN of your choice. Your PIN will display as asterisks for your privacy. Enter your PIN again and press Submit. Your new PIN will be saved.

If you forget your PIN, it can be reset by our friendly staff at the circulation desk.

You can now log in.

Logging out
When you are finished viewing your borrower record, please log out by clicking the Log Out button at the top right of your screen. Logging out protects the security of your information.

Next: My Borrower Record

Webopac for Smarties - Access the Webopac from Home

2011-04-27T10:55:00.005+08:00

The Webopac is the Web-based Online Public Access Catalogue. Wanna look up a book? Wanna see what you've got out? Wanna put a request on or renew a book? Do it via the Webopac.

Now you can access the Webopac from home.

Logging in
Browse to http://prospero.murdoch.edu.au You will be taken to the main Murdoch Library page. This lists all the associated libraries with Murdoch University. All three of the City of Rockingham Libraries are associated with Murdoch University.

Click on your local library.

Rockingham RCC Library's catalogue
Safety Bay Library's Catalogue
Warnbro Community Library's Catalogue
City of Rockingham Catalogue (all three libraries combined)

The local catalogue page will open. It'll look like this:

Click on “View Your Borrower Record”. You will be taken to a secure web site. You will know you have moved to a secure site because the address will change from http:// to https://. Your address bar may turn green, or a little lock icon in the status bar may show up. These are indications of security.

About Security Certificates
When you browse to a secure site, one of the methods of ensuring your confidence is the issuing of Security Certificates. They prove the secure site is genuine and not a potentially harmful site. Your address bar may light up green, a little lock icon may present and your browser may present other happy signs of security.
Murdoch University has a security certificate that covers its entire prospero web site. Be assured the site is safe to browse.

Next: How to Log On

Holiday Opening Hours

2011-04-15T11:33:00.004+08:00

All the Rockingham Information & Library Service libraries will be closed from Friday 22 April to Tuesday 26 April. Libraries will re-open on Wednesday 27 April.

Warnbro Community Library will be on School Holiday Hours 20 April - 4 May. (see sidebar for more info)

Meanwhile, enjoy the ultra-long Easter Weekend and ANZAC Day.

School Holiday Program

2011-04-15T09:49:00.007+08:00

Come have some fun @ your library these school holidays. We've got plenty of fun and free activities for all ages of children.

Safety Bay Library
For bookings and other info: 9527 3338
Bookings essential for all activities

Jewellery Making
Thurs 28 April
10:00am-12:00pm
Ages: 8+
Bookings essential
Finding it difficult to buy a present for your Mum for Mother's Day? Why not come to the Library and make her some jewellery. We will teach you how to pattern and design necklaces or bracelets to your own unique taste.

A Night at the Library!
Thurs 28 April
5:30-6:30pm
Ages: 2-7
Bookings essential
Ever been to the Library at night? Come and listen to your bedtime story at the library, hot chocolate/milo and munch on a cookie and then go home to bed!

Mother's Day
Tuesday 3 May
10:30-11:30am
Ages: 2-7
Bookings essential
Bring your Mum and listen to some stories about how special our mums really are, then decorate a bag to give to Mum on Mother's Day!

Ready, Set, Read!
Wed 4 May
1:00-2:30PM
Ages: 6-12
Bookings essential
Love to read? Enjoy making things? Then you must come along to the library. Join a reading club and make your own library bag. Read for hours and win great prizes throughout the term.

Rockingham RCC Library
For booking and info: 9553 7060

Easter Fun
Thurs 21 April
1:00-2:30pm
Ages: 8+
Please book
Make sure the Easter Bunny hits your house. Come and make Easter craft, join in some Easter games and eat chocolate!

Theatre Workshop: Pirates
Thurs 28 April
10:00-11:30am
Ages: 8+
Please book
Come and experience high drama on the seven seas. Walk the plank, tame that parrot, hoist the Jolly Roger and enjoy some sword duelling with specialist drama coach Emma Lupin. Come in costume or free dress. Arrrr!

Gorgeous Glass
Fri 29 April
10:00-11:30am
Ages: 10+
Please book
Did you know that you can easily turn boring old glass jars into stunning works of art? Come and make snowglobes, paperweights and capture the ocean in a bottle.

Warnbro Community Library
For booking and info: 9593 4608

Traditional Tales Storytime
Fri 29 April
10:30-11:30am
Ages: 2-7
Please book
Listen to classic stories! Huff and puff! Join in with the Three Little Pigs, the Wolf, Goldilocks and the Three Bears and more! Make your own three bears house and popstick puppets. Come dressed as yoru favourite Storybook character.

Fabulous Photo Frames
Tues 3 May
1:30-2:30pm
Ages: 7-12
Bookings Essential!
Come create a colourful mosaic photo frame for someone special or just for you! If you would like to bring a 6x4 photo with you, you can take home your frame complete.

Acting Cool - Helen O'Grady Drama Academy

Wed 4 May
1:30-2:30pm
Ages: 7-12
Bookings Essential!
Calling aspiring young actors to enter the magic of Egypt! Join in for a creative and fun afternoon.

Mother's Day Storytime
Tuesday 3 May, Friday 6 May
10:30-11:30am
Ages: 2+
Please book
Come along and listen to special stories about Mums. Decorate a photo frame for Mother's Day. Bring along a 6x4 photo to put in your finished frame.

{library:/hack/}

2011-04-06T09:32:00.004+08:00

Libraries got lots of stuff. You know that. For years you've been reading, listening, taking it all in.

But now's the time to transcend passive usage.

Don't just absorb info, turn it around and make something of it. Libraryhack is a mashup and apps competition using data from Australian and New Zealand libraries.
Clever? Artistic? Resourceful? Tap into library stuff and show us what you can do.

Libraries have tons of stuff from books and newspapers to music and photographs. You'd be surprised what you might find. Libraryhack has taken that library data and put it in to easily mashable formats for re-use by anyone. The copyright status of this info allows for this form of public use.

So take this info and go get busy. Make applications, photos, videos, audios... show us what you can do. You are only limited by your cleverness.

Impressed with what you've done? Enter the Mashup Competition starting from 1 May 2011 for your chance to win cool prizes like cash or an iPad.

You know you wanna do it.

Want more info? Check out Libraryhack.org and get started!

Rescue Resumes with OCR!

2011-03-21T10:30:00.003+08:00

It happens to us all. We find ourselves in a position of needing to apply for a new job.

That requires a resume.

If you have an electronic copy on your computer, you simply update the resume and send it off. No problems.

BUT...

Not all of us are that lucky. Sure, we've got an old hardcopy of a resume in the back of our filing cabinet, but it's five pages long and our prospective future employer wants it emailed.

SIGH!

But before you break down at the prospect of retyping the whole resume all over again, buck up. There's hope.

OCR to the rescue!

OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is a scanning program that will capture text from a printed document and let you edit it.

Want to rescue a resume (or any other printed document)? Come on in to Warnbro Community Library and ask to book a computer and a scanner.

Plug in the scanner, place your document, select OCR from our Scanner Toolbox, and capture your text into a Word document. Save, edit and send in a few simple steps.

Easy instructions available on our Intranet.

Stepping Out

2011-03-11T11:05:00.003+08:00

How far do you walk in a day? Check out a pedometer from the Library and find out.

Pedometers are available for public loan to anyone with a library card. Ask for them at the Circulation Desk.

Then over the next four weeks, find out how far you walk in a day. Five hundred steps? thousand steps? Fifty thousand?

Many health organisations recommend a person walk Ten Thousand Steps a day to maintain good health.

Ancestry.com for free @ Your Library

2011-02-14T12:48:00.003+08:00

Got a library card? Come use Ancestry.com at Safety Bay or Warnbro Community Libraries.

The library edition of the popular Ancestry.com genealogy site provides instant access to genealogical and historical information including:

Census and electoral rolls,
Birth, Death and Marriage records,
Immigration and emigration lists,
Passenger Lists,
Military records,
Court, land and probade records,
Photos and more...

The database even includes digital images of original documents.

To find out more, come down to your local library, book a computer and click on the Ancestry Library Edition icon on the desktop.

Or speak to our friendly staff.

Please note this resource is for within-library use only.

Review: Dark Hearts of Chicago

2011-02-10T12:44:00.003+08:00

Anna Zemeckis goes missing during the 1893 World Fair and ambitious female reporter Emily Strauss wants to know why.

And she's not the only one.

Chicago is a dangerous place, especially for a young single woman. Will Emily be able to solve the mystery of Anna Zemeckis before she herself is made to disappear?

Dark Hearts of Chicago is a well-written, tightly-packed novel full of historical detail and intrigue. Authors William Horwood and Helen Rappaport have done an excellent job of bringing turn-of-the-Century Chicago to life, with all its colour, from the glitz and glamour of the World Fair to the sheer desperation of the impoverished slums.

It's got a good pace, memorable characters and will grab your attention and not let it go until the end. If you like a good historical mystery with lots of vivid historical detail, pick this one up.

The Return of Storytime!

2011-02-07T12:45:00.003+08:00

Now that school's back in session, if you still have littlies at home, why not bring them down to the library for Storytime? Storytime is ideal for ages 2-5. Come sing songs, listen to stories and complete an art project, all centred around a theme.

Rockingham Regional Library (Ph. 9553 7068)
Wed and Thurs 10am – Bookings required

Safety Bay Library (Ph. 9527 3338)
Tues 10:30am

Warnbro Community Library (Ph. 9593 4608)
Tues and Fri 10:30am (School term only)

Rhyme Time (for infants) and Toddler Time (for toddlers) are also available at select libraries. Please contact your local library for more information on these programs for infants and toddlers.

You know...

2011-02-04T12:06:00.003+08:00

Working at a library, we get all sorts of interesting things through here. We're avid readers and we peruse the collection in order to familiarise ourselves with it.

So while familiarising heself with the newspaper, one of our staff came across the following horoscope in Jan 23 issue of the Sunday Times STM magazine:

Cancer:
They say that what counts is not what you know but who you know. And if who you know knows what you know, they can tell what you know to who they know. But you want who they know to know you. So don't tell all you know to you-know-who. Just get them to tell you what they know about who they know! Remember that and this will yet be a surprisngly straightforward and satifying week.

Huh. Who knew?

Premier's Summer Reading Challenge - ending soon!

2011-02-02T11:45:00.003+08:00

As the summer holidays draw to a close and school resumes today, it's time to turn in your Reading Logs for the Premier's Summer Reading Challenge.

All logs MUST be in before 14 February in order to be eligible to enter the draw for some really cool prizes.

Have you been collecting your stickers?

If you have met the reading challenge (ten hours for Kindy - Year 3 and fifteen hours for Year 4 - 7), you are eligible for a small prize from your local library--a temporary tattoo, pencils, pens and more.

If you have run out of space on your reading log, simply continue writing down your reading on a separate piece of paper and stick it to your log.

We hope you've had fun reading this summer and that you keep up the habit for the rest of the year.

Self-booking at Safety Bay

2011-02-02T11:41:00.003+08:00

Safety Bay Library now offers a self-booking station for computer reservations.

If you have no overdue or billed items you will be able to self-book a public computer for your use. If you need help using the self-booking station, please ask one of our friendly staff for a demonstration.

Don't forget your thumb drive!

2011-02-02T11:32:00.003+08:00

Over the past few weeks we've had a fair number of patrons leave their thumb drives in public computers at Warnbro.

When we find them, we collect them and keep them safely behind the circ desk. If we can, we will have a quick look to see if we can locate their owners. If there is contact information (for example, on a resume), we will attempt to contact you.

But not every thumb drive has readily-available contact info. And so these poor little thumb drives sit in our Lost'n'Found until its regular quarterly purge.

Have you misplaced your thumb drive? Could have been you left it at the library. Come in and have a check.

Meanwhile, we've put a little reminder on our public computer desktops, just by the PC Reservation logout box.

Please remember your thumb drives. Take them with you.

FYI, if you tend to forget your thumb drive because you can't see it plugged into the CPU behind the monitor, try plugging your thumb drive into the side of the monitor instead. Have a look. There's two conveniently-located USB ports on the left-hand side. that way you can keep your eye on your thumb drive at all times.

Tropical Cyclone Bianca? Ne'ermind...

2011-01-30T14:09:00.004+08:00

Alas, Bianca was a no-show as she fizzled out literally overnight. The cyclone went from a Category 3 to a Category 1 in a matter of a few hours, then slowed its approach to the mainland. The tropical low that is the remains of Bianca may cross the coast sometime Sunday night.

Ah well. We didn't expect the drought to be over that easily.

Due to the dearth of extreme weather, the library is open for business. Come enjoy our air-con.

Tropical Cyclone Bianca

2011-01-28T10:35:00.003+08:00

Tropical Cyclone Bianca is expected to hit the Perth/Mandurah/Bunbury area on Sunday.

Even if it weakens to a Tropical Low, it will still mean stormy weather.

Our computer systems don't like stormy weather. They tend to misbehave, slow down and stop working altogether sometimes. It may take longer to check books in and out due to system issues. Please be patient with us.

If, on Saturday and Sunday, the weather is stormy, with rain or strong winds, we recommend you to stay home.

If you do choose to come to the library during that time, we ask that you protect your books to/from the library with a plastic bag. You may be charged for weather-damaged books.

At this time there are no plans to close the libraries. This status may change depending on subsequent weather forecasts.

Circ Desk work

2011-01-19T08:38:00.005+08:00

For the past few days the circulation desk at Warnbro Library has had a bit of an upheaval while the carpet behind the desk is replaced. Five years of constant walking, standing, and wheeling trolleys and chairs will make for a bit of wear and tear on even the best of high-quality industrial-grade carpet.

As the circ desk is the nerve centre of the library, what does one do when the desk can't be used?

Create a new circ desk. So while the floor of the old desk has been stripped to bare cement, the staff have pulled together a few tables, set up a few computers and have been able to soldier on, providing all the necessary services of our regular circ desk.

It's a bit tight, and service doesn't flow as quickly as it does with our regular circ desk, but at least we can issue books.

And it's only temporary. Pardon our dust. We'll be back to normal in a few days.

Meanwhile, when one British local council threatened to close a local library, the patrons decided to protest: People power empties threatened library. Lesson learned: don't mess with the local library.

Brisbane Floods

2011-01-17T11:16:00.004+08:00

Want info concerning the Brisbane Floods? Try these links:

Google's link to flood info.
ABC News before/after aerial phographs, interactive.
Queensland government Donation page, or you can donate here in WA at any bank.
Bureau of Meteorology Qld flood info page.
State Library of Queensland is closed, but their web page offers tips on how to save family mementos, photographs and documents that may have been damaged by the flood. Don't throw out the irreplacable.
Australian Library and Information Association shares which Qld libraries are open or closed.

Summer School Holiday Program

2010-12-21T12:38:00.003+08:00

Come have some summer holiday fun in January @ your local library.

Warnbro Community Library

Guest Author Talk: Elaine Forestal
When: Thursday 13 Jan
Time: 11am - 12noon
Ages: 8-12
Bookings Essential

During the Premier's Summer Reading Challenge, author Elaine Forestal will give a presentation. This is a great opportunity for 8-12 yr olds!

* * * * *

Sparkles the Magician Storytime
When: Friday Jan 14
Time: 10:30 - 11:30am
Ages: 3-8
Bookings Essential

Interactive comedy magic with Sparkles! come and be entertained, see Hamish the mischievous rabbit.

* * * * *

Hey Presto! Magician
When:Wed 19 Jan
Time: 4-5pm
Ages: 8-13
Bookings Essential

Fantastic Magic Show that's interactive and fun, balloon sculpture, magic and much more!

* * * * *

Seahorses Splish Splash Storytime
When: Fri 21 Jan
Time: 10:30-11:30am
Ages: 2-7
Please book

Great sea stories and crafts, make a magical Seahorse.

* * * * *

Wow Water Colour
When: Tues 25 Jan
Time: 1-2:30pm
Ages: 8-12
Please book

Create wonderful watery artwork using paint, collage, fabric. Wear old clothes!

* * * * *

Summer Fun Storytime
When: Fri 28 Jan
Time: 10:30-11:30am
Ages: 2-7
Please Book

Join us for fishy stories and sea creature crafts.

Closed for Christmas

2010-12-17T11:19:00.003+08:00

To ensure that our staff can enjoy the Holiday Season with their families, Warnbro Community Library will be closed on the following days:

Saturday 25 Dec
Sunday 26 Dec
Monday 27 Dec
Tuesday 28 Dec
Saturday 1 Jan
Monday 3 Jan
Wednesday 26 Jan

Warnbro Community Library will be open during these times:

Thursday 23 Dec 10am - 7pm
Friday 24 Dec 9am - 12noon (Note: HALF DAY ONLY)
Wednesday 29 Dec 10am - 7pm
Thursday 30 Dec 10am - 7pm
Fri 31 Dec 10am - 5pm
Sunday 2 Jan 2pm - 5pm

School Holiday Hours commence Tuesday 4 Jan - Friday 28 Jan

We wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Premier's Summer Reading Challenge

2010-12-08T11:21:00.004+08:00

Join us for the Premier's Summer Reading Challenge: Dive into Reading.

All school-aged Primary student from Kindergarten to Year 7 are invited to join the Summer Reading Challenge. All you need to do is read 10-15 hours over the summer. That's about fifteen minutes a day or less. Easy! And you can read whatever you want: books, magazines, comics and more.

Quick! Grab a 'Dive into Reading' log from your teacher before school lets out for the summer and get reading. Missed out? Download one from the website. Then when you've read five hours, come into your local Library to collect a sticker.

And there's more fun for you. Join Ollie, Finn and Shelley on their Dive into Reading Blog for surveys, hot topics, and more. You can even send in your stories, poems and pictures for a chance to be selected for the blog.

Register for your chance to win cool prizes such as an iPod shuffle, books or even a family holiday to Broome.

Parents can join in the fun as well by registering for the Parents' Challenge. (They can win prizes too!)

Library Without Walls

2010-11-26T10:25:00.003+08:00

On Thursday November 18, 2010, (yes, just last week) the Claremont Library burned to the ground. From the ashes, Claremont Library Without Walls was born.

Libraries are so much more than just a shelf for a book and the intrepid staff of Claremont Library are determined to continue the work that is so vitally important to the community.

Although it is still early days, follow their incredible journey as they continue to serve the City of Claremont: Claremont Library Without Walls (http://ClaremontLibraryWithoutWalls.blogspot.com).

For further information and photos:

ABC News: "Fire guts Claremont Council and Library"
WA Today: "Community devastated as fire engulfs Claremont library, Council chambers"

Sorting Stuff at the Library

2010-11-23T10:56:00.004+08:00

Ever wonder how we know where to shelve stuff at the library?

Every item has an assigned place, thus making it easier to find.

We shelve our books according to the Dewey Decimal Classification (aka the DDC).

A librarian named Melvil Dewey^[1] created the system in 1876 as a way of categorising books to make it easer for researchers to find what they were looking for. Until then, authors and titles were the general way of sorting books in public libraries. In private libraries, it was even more chaotic, with books often being sorted by size and colour!

The DDC arranges books principly according to subject. Want a book on knitting? They're all stored in the same place (746.432) so you don't have to go searching all over the library for what you want.

So, what's that 746.432 number mean?
The DDC is broken into ten main classes, then ten divisions, then ten sections, and so on.

So, the 7 means Arts & Recreation, the 4 means Drawing & Decorative Arts and the 6 means Textile Arts.

Then there's further subdivisions after the decimal point. The.4 means Needlework and Handwork, the 3 refers to Knitting, Crocheting and Tatting and the 2 means Knitting. And the system could go on, as necessary, to make sure that every single subject in the world had a place on some shelf in some library.

Why is it arranged this way? Because most people who are looking for a book generally are looking for it by subject.

Even fiction has its place in the DDC. But for the convenience of their readers, most public libraries separate their fiction out from their non-fiction collections and store them on their own shelves, usually in alphabetical order of author(s). Some times some libraries might subdivide their fiction into genres or other categories.

Warnbro Library divides their fiction into Books-on-CD, Large Print Books, Foreign Language Fiction, Adult Fiction, Junior Fiction, Children's Fiction, etc. Within these divisions, books are arranged according to author.

So now you know how stuff is sorted making it easier to find what you're looking for.

^[1] Melvil Dewey, for all of his librarian genius, was a bit of a prick, even by 19th Century standards. Even his friends didn't like him that much. One of the innovations he tried was a reformation of English spelling. Didn't take off very well, considering that well over half of English words aren't originally 'English', but sourced from foreign languages, like Norman, Saxon, Latin, Greek etc. By the way, his name was originally spelled 'Melville'. I guess he thought the last two letters were superfluous--oh, sorry. I meant, 'suprfloous'.

Movie Week!

2010-11-16T10:54:00.004+08:00

Of course you can get book at a library. But did you know you can check out movies? Between all three Rockingham libraries, we boast over 8000 Videos/films/DVDs. Come browse our collection and see what we've got to offer. We've got recently-released motion pictures, classic movies, TV series, non-fiction videos and DVDs, kids programs and more.

Found a movie you want in our webopac that's out or at another library? Put a hold on it and request it. We'll ship it down for you, or snag it the moment it's checked in and let you know it's arrived.

DVDs and VHS cassettes can be checked out for four weeks. (That's a lot longer than a video shop will let you hire one.) However, there are limits as to how many DVDs you can take out at a time. (VHS cassettes, no limit.) Ask at your local circulation desk for more information.

Library collections aren't for sitting on the shelves at the library, but for being check'd out and enjoyed by you, our ~~reading~~ DVD-watching public. So for the rest of November, come load up on all the movies you can legally fit on your card, go pop some popcorn and spend a few hours of escapist bliss in the comfort of your home theater.

Then come back and get more.

Checked out a DVD you really enjoyed? Why not comment here and let us know!

DVD Review: Precious

2010-11-09T12:41:00.003+08:00

Precious Jones is illiterate, abused and incredibly naive. Kicked out of her Harlem high school for being pregnant again, she is sent to an alternative school where she learns that she does have the power to become more than what is expected of her.

Usually films set in the American slums are dark, gritty and leave the audience to draw their own conclusions (read: overall depressing and lacking in plotty detail).

But this one is different. Yes, it has its very dark moments; life in Harlem can be very hard, especially when one is stuck in the welfare circuit. But Precious has a spark of hope within herself that life doesn't have to be as dour as her mother believes.

To escape her own personal horrors, she flees into a fantasy of being famous, glamourous and adored by all. I don't blame her.

The strength of this movie is in the character of Precious Jones. She may be ignorant, but she's got that spark of wanting to have a better life. This spark is seen when she openly expresses her desire to listen in math class and her willingness to stay in school. As her education increases, she finds the power to say no to the things she doesn't want and to fight for the things she does.

We recommend this DVD. Our library staff had wrestling matches over who got to watch this film first and our patrons have shown interest. Best chance of getting your hands on it? Put it on hold. We'll let you know when it's come back in.

Bibliotherapy

2010-11-01T11:21:00.002+08:00

Could it be that your doctor might prescribe a book?
In the Kimberley, they are.

Vanessa Mills shares how books are being implemented in the Kimberley as part of holistic health care program called Bibliotherapy.

Books are chosen by doctors to aid patients suffering from anxiety, depression and other related conditions through expressive therapy. In other words, there's nothing like a good book to make you feel better. And it's not just limited to books. Sometimes a good movie is just what the doctor ordered.

Want to lift your own mood? Come on in and sample the wide variety of fiction and non-fiction available @ Your Library.

We recommend the following:

Feeling blue: A good comedy DVD
Broken heart, optomist: Marion Chesney
Broken heart, pessimist: Marian Keyes
Boredom: Things to make and do
Loneliness: Sisterhood and BFFs
Dullness: Escapist fiction

Philby's 10 Most Loved Books

2010-10-26T14:04:00.017+08:00

I like...

1 Shantaram Gregory David Roberts
2 Cloudstreet Tim Winton
3 Dirt music-Tim Winton
4 A long way down Nick Hornby
5 The Hobbit J R R Tolkein
6 The lord of the rings J R R Tolkein
7 Coma Robin Cook
8 The day of the triffids John Wyndham
9 For the term of his natural life Marcus Clarke
10 Catch me if you can Frank Abagnale

What do you like? Let me know.

What Library Resorces are Available to Job Applicants?

2010-10-25T11:46:00.002+08:00

Looking for a job? The Library has resources to help you.

Come browse through the Classifieds in several newspapers. Or get online and hit the job sites. Want to be a more effective job searcher? We've got several job search books available.

Found one you want to apply for? Create or update your resume/CV on one of our computers and print out copies for snail-mailing. If you prefer to email your application, you can. Log on to your web mail account and upload. Faxing services are available for a nominal fee if you prefer. Ask at the circulation desk for more information.

Don't know how to create a resume? These books on resumes can help. (Pss! Dewey Decimal number 650.14) Also, Microsoft Word has resume templates available. Simply fill in the blanks!

Scan any relevant documents like qualifications, certificates, diplomas and more. (Note: some libraries will charge for scanning services.) You can save these to your thumb drive or email them.

Many companies, such as Woolworth's, prefer that you complete an application online. You can do this at any internet terminal. Book a computer at the circulation desk.

Library staff are extra-friendly towards job seekers. If you mention you are booking a computer to work on a resume or job application, they'll treat you well, and may even extend your time if policy allows.

Hypothetical: Checking out a Library E-book

2010-10-01T11:09:00.002+08:00

If a library were to include e-books in their collection, how would a patron hypothetically check out that e-book?

For example...

1. Patron could go to http://wwwopac.murdoch.edu.au/. They could access this either from a computer at the library or from their Internet-connected computer from home.

2. The patron could look up the e-book of their choice in the catalogue. In the entry could be a download/access link. The patron could click on the link and download or access the book to their computer or e-book reader.

3. Patron could have access to the e-book for the proscribed check-out time (for example, four weeks). At the end of that time, they can "check in" the book, thus removing it from their e-reader or they could renew it, just like a hardcopy book.

It would be that easy.

How would a library handle an e-book for patron usage?

When a library purchases an e-book, a library also acquires a license to be allowed to loan that book to its patrons. How many "copies" of that e-book a library can lend out at any one time depends on how many copies of the license they acquire. If a library acquires five licenses, they can lend that e-book out to five different patrons at the same time.

An e-book would be stored on a library-hosted server (probably one very much like the server used to host the webopac catalogue) and that server could be accessed by any patron with a library card.

An e-book would carry a special expiry code (similar to a cookie for a web site) that would give that patron temporary access to that book for a period of time (for example, the check-out time of four weeks for Warnbro Library). This access could mean they can temporarily download and read a copy until their time is up.

Then, when their time has expired, unless they renewed the book, they would no longer have access to the ebook. No more overdue books!

E-books plus libraries does not equal obsolescence.

2010-09-21T11:19:00.004+08:00

The e-book is becoming a more and more mainstream format. Its electronic format makes it easily accessible for purchasing and storing. There is no actual physical book per se, but rather the idea of a book stored in an electronic format.

Many people, conscious of this fact, wonder if the e-book (and the Internet to some degree) means the death of the library as we know and love it.

When people think of a "library", they think of a large building with shelves and shelves of books. It is the repository where a physical book, with a cover and pages and that distinct musty smell, are kept. Therefore, if we do away with the cover and pages and distinct musty smell, would we need a library, if there's nothing solid to put on the shelves?

We will always need libraries. Libraries aren't just a bunch of shelves on which to store stuff (like books). Libraries are the collections of information. So what if for hundreds and hundreds of years that information has been stored on printed, bound paper? In the 20th and 21st Centuries, it isn't the information that changed, but the storage medium. Print books, microfiche, sound recordings, film recordings, digital recordings, electronic resources... the medium changes, but the information remains.

Information is information. Someone's got to maintain it, store it in whatever format, catalogue it and know how to access it. A library isn't the guardian of the bookshelves, but the guardian of the information. There's a lot more to Library Science than knowing the Dewey Decimal System.

Librarians don't fear the e-book. If anything, they could welcome it, as one of the more tedious and back-breaking tasks of anyone who works in a library is reshelving books. :)

Next time: a hypothetical on how an e-book would function in a library system.

What is an e-book?

2010-09-10T12:49:00.002+08:00

Over the weekend I attended a professional development convention where one of the topics we discussed was the e-book.

An e-book is a book (such as a novel) in an electronic format (as opposed to a print format).

An e-book is simply another media in which a book can be found. The traditional format is the good old printed-on-paper book that we've known and loved for centuries. Books can also be found in audio format (aka Books-on-Tape).

E-books are designed to be read on a device such as a computer, an e-book reader such as a Kindle or even on your mobile phone.

The concept of an e-book has been around since 1971 with the birth of Project Gutenberg. But it wasn't until about 1985 that books in electronic formats came out on CD-ROMs, to be accessed and read on computers.

Dedicated e-book readers came out in 1998 with the Rocket ebook, Cybook and SoftBook.

E-books may come in many different formats: .epub .pdb .arg .azw .djvu .html .lbr .lit .mobi .opf .pdf .pdg .tr3 .txt .xeb .mp3 and more.

The most famous and recognisable ones are .txt (a basic text file), PDF (Adobe's Portable Data Format) and .html (Hypertext Markup Language, the stuff web pages are made of).

Some e-readers can handle multiple formats whereas others have proprietary formats that can only be read on that reader (frex, only the Kindle can read .azw).

What does this mean for a library? We'll discuss more of that later.

October School Holidays at Safety Bay Library

2010-09-09T12:24:00.003+08:00

What's on @ Safety Bay Library these school holidays?

Wednesday 29th September 1pm

The Science of Slime

Explore the properties of fluids by making different kinds of slime and get a little messy along the way!
Scitech Presentation with hands-on activity.
http://www.scitech.org.au/

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL FOR THIS ACTIVITY- 6 years and over
Ph 9527 3338

Friday 8th October 1pm

“Spineless Wonders”

Spiders,
Centipedes,
Scorpions….

Get up close and personal with live mini-beasts!
www.spinelesswonders.com.au/

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL FOR THIS ACTIVITY- 6 years and over
Ph 9527 3338

Fair Use and Fair Dealing

2010-08-30T10:41:00.004+08:00

In previous entries we covered how essentially Copyright means that the creator/holder controls the right to make copies of a work and Public Domain means that nobody holds the copyright to a work.

Today we'll touch upon Fair Use and Fair Dealing.

From Wikipedia, on Fair Use and Fair Dealing: "In Australia, the fair dealing exceptions under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) are a limited set of circumstances under which copyrighted material can be legally copied or adapted without the copyright holder's consent.... Under current Australian law it is still a breach of copyright to copy, reproduce or adapt copyright material for personal or private use without permission from the copyright owner."

So, you are allowed to make copies for the purposes of:

research and study;
review and critique;
parody and satire;
news reportage;
the giving of professional advice (i.e. legal advice).

How does this work for you? For example, you are writing a school report on dinosaurs. You find an excellent page in a book on why the collection of spines on a stegosaurus' tail is called a "thagomizer". Under Fair Dealing, you would be allowed to make a photocopy of that page for the purpose of research and study without having to seek out permission from the author of the book.

So, how many pages can you copy before you infringe upon copyright? Fair dealing dictates that you are allowed a "reasonable portion", namely up to ten percent of the pages/words or one chapter of a book.

Want to know more? Check out COPYRIGHT ACT 1968 - SECT 40

In all libraries, a copyright advisement is posted near all photocopiers, computers, and other reproductive devices, notifying you of these conditions.

A Bit About Copyright

2010-08-27T09:47:00.004+08:00

Yesterday we briefly touched upon Public Domain and what it meant for use of an existing work.

Works in the Public Domain are not covered by copyright. Everything else... that may be a different story.

Copyright is the name for a collection of the various rights of an author/composer/creator/patent holder to control how and when their works are used--literally, the rights to make copies. These rights can be licensed or transferred to another person or party, as the copyright holder sees fit. For example, a publisher is granted the right to make copies of a novel manuscript and distribute it for the purpose of deriving an income on behalf of the author.

Ideas cannot be copyrighted. The expression or fixation of that idea into a tangible form (a novel, a film, a piece of music, a blueprint, etc) can be copyrighted.

The purpose of copyright is to protect the intellectual property of a creator, to prevent exploitation, loss of income or misrepresentation.

Copyright laws vary from country to country, though there is a global standardisation due to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. Copyright laws cover the rights held, the fair use regulations and the duration of a copyright. Copyright does not last forever and eventually pretty much everything ends up in Public Domain. (Don't hold your breath, though. Sometimes it can be hundreds of years before a work enters the Public Domain.)

A creator does not need to "register" or otherwise make official their copyright. In most countries, by simply creating the work, they are guaranteed copyright. Other countries require the marking of a work with a copyright notice and the year, often as simple as this: © 2010

There are limitations and exceptions to copyright, such as Fair Use, and they do not require permission from the copyright owner. Exceed Fair Use, and you could be liable for breach of copyright.

From Wikipedia regarding Fair Use in Australia: "In Australia, the fair dealing exceptions under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) are a limited set of circumstances under which copyrighted material can be legally copied or adapted without the copyright holder's consent. Fair dealing uses are research and study; review and critique; parody and satire; news reportage and the giving of professional advice (i.e. legal advice). Under current Australian law it is still a breach of copyright to copy, reproduce or adapt copyright material for personal or private use without permission from the copyright owner. Other technical exemptions from infringement may also apply, such as the temporary reproduction of a work in machine readable form for a computer."

To ensure that people know what is and isn't covered by Copyright and Fair Use, all Rockingham libraries post copyright notices by every computer, photocopier and other reproductive devices to advise you.

Public Domain and Copyright

2010-08-26T10:42:00.004+08:00

Ever since its publication in 1813, countless readers have enjoyed Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". Millions of copies and editions have been printed and sold and this essential classic is still found on bookstore and library shelves.

And then one might come across a book called "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies".

Pride and Prejudice and... Zombies? Can they do that?

Well, yes, they can.

Jane Austen's original book "Pride and Prejudice" is in the Public Domain.

Works (novels, patents, ideas, etc.) in the Public Domain are not covered by intellectual property rights. Ergo, "Pride and Prejudice" is not covered by a current copyright and is free for anyone to use as they see fit. If someone like Seth Grahame-Smith wants to come along and stick zombies in the storyline of "Pride and Prejudice", run off a whole print run and sell it to the public at large, he can. This is called creating a derivative work.

Works under copyright may not be used for derivative works without permission from the copyright owner (usually the author) while public domain works can be used without permission.

Want to know what's in the Public Domain? Public Domain Works is a good place to start.

Much classic fiction and non-fiction in the Public Domain can be found at Project Gutenbert. As copyright law varies from country to country, what may be in the Public Domain in one country may still be covered by copyright in another country. Here is Project Gutenberg Australia, featuring Australian fiction.

Books Moove Me!

2010-08-19T11:55:00.006+08:00

Meet the Books Moove Me Cow, a recent acquisition of the State Library of Western Australia. She promotes Western Australian authors and illustrators. Visit her sometime up at the State Library.

Mascots and promotional displays are a staple at every library. Here are some recent displays found at Warnbro Community Library:

This is our Troll Under the Bridge to promote Book Week:

And Artoo-Detoo populates our Star Wars display:

And somewhere we have a Dalek lurking...

The name "Warnbro" - more speculation

2010-08-17T11:18:00.003+08:00

From http://www.landgate.wa.gov.au/, a brief explanation of the name "Warnbro":

WARNBRO

The suburb of Warnbro derives its name from Warnbro Sound, the bay on the shores of which the suburb is located. Warnbro Sound was surveyed by Surveyor General J S Roe in 1837, and in 1838 he recorded the name, but it is not known why the name was chosen.

Does not mean we can't speculate.

John Septimus Roe was the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia and as such, it was his job to go around and survey the environs. Now, Roe was a man under a bit of pressure. There was only him and an assistant responsible for surveying a great deal of Western Australia in preparation for all the settlers that kept showing up and wanting farmland. He didn't exactly have a lot of time to hang around and check the variations of conditions of the places he surveyed.

In December 1837 he discovered and surveyed Warnbro Sound and roundabouts. Only back when he named it, he spelled it Warnborough.

Looking over the list of places he discovered and named, we discovered a bit of a pattern:

Safety Bay: Roe called it "a safe well protected boat anchorage". Ergo, "Safety" bay.
He called headland near the present junction of Safety Bay Road and June Road, "Point Shelter".
Shoalwater: Roe named it thus, because of the shallow water and the various "shoals", making it a bit difficult to navigate for ships under a full load.

Roe apparently like to call a spade a spade.

The word "Warnborough" is apparently derived from a Saxon name for Whitewater. So could Roe have known this and applied the name thusly?

Warnbro Sound is bordered on the west by the Shoalwater Islands (including Penguin Island and the Sisters) and by Five Fathom Bank (FFB). At times, FFB can be as shallow as three or four metres in some places. Coventry's Reef is an exposed part of FFB and one can see waves break over it if there's any swell (pretty much every day, give or take). Penguin Island is connected to the mainland by a sand bar that, at low tide, is shallow enough for people to walk across (not that we recommend this practice).

Perhaps the time that Roe surveyed Warnbro Sound was during a low tide. He could have tried access it from Shoalwater Bay via Penguin Island. Seeing a nearly solid line of breakers over Coventry's Reef and Five Fathom Bank may have daunted him, but once he got past those navigation hazards, he discovered Safety Bay (at least a good eight fathoms) and Point Shelter (protected from fierce swells thanks to FFB).

Anyhow, upon his return from the survey, Roe reported what he had discovered and people accepted what he reported--good achorage, but too many reefs and impossible passage for all but the lightest of vessels.

Ten years passed before someone followed up on this report and discovered that Roe might have been a little hasty in his survey. In "The Colony of Western Australia: A Manual for Emigrants 1839" we find a report on Warnborough Sound:

"The late accounts of Warnborough Sound now demand our notice; while some expressions of surprise may be permitted, that ten years shoulod have elapsed before a fine harbour, not more than twenty-eight miles south of the mouth of the Swan River, was discovered! The oversight is ciriuous, and at the same time indicates neglect in some official department.
"Captain Adams, of the American whaler Pioneer, has frequented the harbour, and with his officers paid the minutest attention to the state of the bar during heavy gales, and saw no breakers when the sea was highest, but rrports that the channel was more than usually apparent. There are six and a half fathoms on the bar; and no doubt is entertained of its being safe to run through it in the heaviest gales. Captain Wickham, of her Majesty's sloop Beagle, corroborates the statement, and has written to say, that his vessel had there ridden out a terrific gale in perfect safety. The survey made by Captain Belches, and transmitted to the Admiralty, was kindly lent to the Geographical Society, from whence it mysteriously disappeared, which has prevented the information it conveyed being given...."
"On the receipt of Captain Belches' report, the governor, surveyor-general, and a party, proceeded to the place. The late Lieutenant Jones and Captain Bannister justly deserve the credit of calling the attention of the colonists to this important harbour."

A letter from the late Lieutenant Samual Jones sent to the Perth Gazette (27th Jan 1838) explained how he and Captain Bannister went for a look-see. The two found passages sufficient enough for their colonial schooner the 'Champion' to work through (about 3-4 fathoms), and they believed even larger vessels of 1-2 tons could pass through.

Jones talks about his meeting up with Roe: "On my return to Fremantle on the latter occasion.... I happened to meet Mr. Roe, the surveyor-general, to whom I communicated my conviction of the existence of a good channel south of Garden Island; but not having a lead and line in the boat, I regret I could not state minutely the depth of the water. Mr. Roe differed with me in opinion, and positively denied the existence of such a channel for any thing larger than boats; and endeavoured to describe to me the nature of the shoals and reefs in that vicinage, and how carefully he had examined the locality. Mr Roe's explanation had not the effect of shaking my conviction, so recently stapmped on my mind by practical observation, and confirmed on a former occasion by ocular proof.
"A few days after this, Mr. Roe sailed through the said passage in a large boat; what his discoveries were upon that occasion, I know not; but I was pleased, yet not astonished, to observe that, in the recent excursion of the 'Champion' to the island, that she was sailed through the identical passage, piloted, I presume, by the surveyor-general, the existence of which he, a few days previously, had so plainly doubted. I lament that Mr Roe should have been so totally unacquainted with this valuable passage within twenty miles of this place, after his residence in the colony as surveyor-general from its commencement--a period of nine years! and doubtless this is a subject of still greater regret to himself."

Oops.

So, Warnbro = whitewater? What do you think?

New Computers!

2010-08-10T11:25:00.003+08:00

Warnbro Community Library has just rolled out some lovely new computers for our public patrons. These replaced our older, slower, and not entirely stable older beasts.

We hope you love our new computers.

Wider screen. Lots of room to see what you're doing.
Windows 7. Don't let it's funky new look confuse you; Windows 7 is even friendlier to use than previous operating systems. Much of its basic functionality is much like XP (icons on the desktop, File menus, even the Start Button's not radically different) but you may find it easier to navigate.
Faster! Our new computers are top-of-the-line models that are super-quick.
Environmentally friendly. With their reduced energy requirements and energy-efficiency screens, we're moving towards greener computing.
Compatible. No more bringing in a .docx document or Works file, only to discover it won't open. Windows 7 will handle them both.
More Large Font computers. We've doubled the number of Large Font computers due to popular demand.

Now, since these are new machines, they're bound to have a few minor quirks until we've given them a good test run. But you're more than welcome to come down and give 'em a try. Let us know what you think.

Scanning!

2010-07-15T13:07:00.005+08:00

Warnbro Community Library and Safety Bay Library now offer scanning services for our public patrons. Please contact the individual library for details as there may be scanning or printing charges associated with this service.

What is scanning?
Scanning creates an electronic copy of a hardcopy document. A scanner works like a photocopier, but instead of putting out a paper copy, it creates an electronic copy (for example, a TIFF, JPEG or PDF format image document).

Some of the items our patrons have scanned: education diplomas; qualification certificates; birth/marriage/death certificates; forms of identification; signed documents, old photographs, children's artwork and more.

Why scan a document?
Having an electronic copy of a document means you can email it, store it on a CD or share it on Facebook. Scanned documents can be archived, shared and preserved long after the original has perished.

Scanned documents are shareable. Many banks and other financial institutions require documents with signatures. They'll allow you to sign a hardcopy, scan it, and email the signed form back to them. Quick and easy!

Have old family photographs you want preserved? Scanning will not only save those precious memories, but let you email a copy to all the family and even post them to the Internet if you wish.

Keep a record of the cards in your wallet. Scan them all and save the document. Then, if your wallet should ever get lost or stolen, you'll have a record of what was in that wallet. (Good for if you need to cancel anything like bank cards, etc.)

Can you scan text?
Absolutely! Warnbro Community Library also offers Optical Character Recognition (OCR). This clever little application will scan a page of text and convert it to an editable text document. Have a printed document (the novel you wrote, old typed recipes, family history) you want to store and edit as a Word document? OCR will let you capture that text.

P.S.: Leanne is wonderful!

Green Computing

2010-07-06T10:23:00.005+08:00

"Green Computing" is the practice of employing hardware and practices that are environmentally friendly and contribute towards reducing the carbon footprint.

Warnbro Library is moving towards greener computing. Here's what we're doing:

Reducing Paper Wastage

A few years ago our public computers printed directly to the printers. People would send print jobs, forget they'd sent them, then send them again, wasting paper.

To solve this problem, we installed a Print Queue. Now, print jobs go to a electronic queue where they sit until they are needed. Only necessary print jobs are printed.

In the workroom we believe in recycling paper. If it has an empty side, we'll print to it. Most of our internal print jobs are printed on the second side of pre-used paper.

Changing the Definition of a 'Necessary Print Job'

One of the expected benefits of the computer age was the Paperless Office. Now while we haven't gotten away from paper completely, we have reduced what we consider necessary to print.

Email saves countless printed notes being passed back and forth (and what sort of person receives email and then prints it out to read? Not us!). Our library processes have been moved to entirely electronic means.

If you have an email account, why not elect to receive your library notices electronically? (We can do that, you know.) Courtesy notices, etc can be sent via email now. If you are still receiving paper notices and you would like to help us be greener, next time you are in the library, ask to be moved to email notices. It's a quick and simple procedure to add your email address to your library card.

(Don't have an email account? We can help fix that too!)

Energy Efficient Monitors and Computers

A few years ago we got rid of the big old CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors--you know, the big square boxes that took up most of the desk space. They used an awful lot of energy compared to the smaller, flatter LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors we employ now.

If you put your hands on the back of an old CRT monitor, you can feel the heat from the wasted energy. Put your hand on the back of an LDC? It's cooler to the touch.

Currently we are in the process of rolling out newer, more energy efficient computers. These ultra-small form factor computers use even less energy than our already-efficient current models. In fact, they are so efficient and teeny-tiny they comfortably sit behind the monitor. (Check out our new webopacs!)

Now, it'll take us some time to roll out all our newer computers, but when we're done, we'll be more energy efficient than ever!

Printers: not only have we reduced our paper usage, we've set our printers to go to sleep and conserve energy when not in use.

The best way to conserve energy on a computer? Turn it off when not in use. Most people don't realise just how much energy a computer uses, even in standby mode. At Warnbro Community Library we shut down all our computers at night.

You Can Use 'Green Computing' Too!

Worried about how much energy your computer uses at home? The Library has an Energy Assessment Toolkit you can borrow, take home, and check the energy efficiency of your home. (Good for checking the energy efficiency of your other appliances, the radiant coefficent of your windows and roof, and more.

If you still use a clunky old CRT monitor, you can upgrade to a flat panel LCD monitor. If your computer is older than five years old, upgrade to a newer, smaller model, or even a laptop (the ones with solid state hard drives are the most energy efficient of laptops).

Can't afford a new computer? Even by simply turning off your computer and monitor at night will save you lots of "standby" energy--energy you don't really need to spend.

Greener Computing uses less energy and resources and that benefits us all.

Research Question of the Week

2010-07-02T11:03:00.004+08:00

Here's something for you to wrap your brain cells around.

What is the origin and meaning of the name 'Warnbro'?

This question was posed to Warnbro Community Library staff and we've been having fun looking into it. We'll post the results of our research next week.

Do you know the origin of the name 'Warnbro' and what it might mean? We'd love to hear your comments.

Hint: has something to do with this guy:

...and here he is again, checking out St George's Terrace:

Come do your taxes @YourLibrary

2010-07-01T12:39:00.003+08:00

e-tax 2010 is now available on all public computers at Warnbro Community Library. Come on in and give it a try. Please ask staff to book you on an extended session so you'll have plenty of time to complete your tax return. If you find you are running out of time, you can ask the staff to extend your time. Please do this before your time runs out, for if the computer logs you out, you will lose any unsaved changes.

Library staff do not offer support for e-tax. for information about e-tax, please see the Australian Taxation Office.

If you wish to print off your tax return or any related pages, printing is available at 10¢ a page.

How To Use e-tax

If you wish to use eTax at the local library, you will need:

Your Tax File Number (TFN). You cannot create your eTax file without your Tax File Number. For technical reasons it is not possible for a return to be lodged online without a TFN.
All necessary documentation and records for the 2009-10 income year (1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010), including:
- Tax File Number
- records of income and expenses
- a notice of assessment if you wish to lodge online.
- additional information as required (e-tax will ask you for this when necessary)
A bit of time. If you think you will take longer than an hour, please notify staff at the time of booking and they will grant you additional time.

Warnbro Community Library strongly recommends you provide a thumb drive or other compatible storage device on which to save your tax file. Please do not keep your tax file on the local computer as this is a public area and the security of your tax file cannot be guaranteed.

When you first create your initial tax file, it will be saved to "My Documents". For your protection, please delete your tax file when you leave the computer.

If you wish to save this file, please save to a thumb drive or email it to yourself.

To Save Your Tax File to a Thumb Drive
Once you have created your tax file (and before you enter any personal information), please save it to your thumb drive by going File -> Save As. Browse to your thumb drive and then click "Save".

Any tax files left in "My Documents" will be regularly purged.

To Email your Tax File to Yourself
If you do not have a thumb drive or other storage medium, you can email your tax file to yourself. (Don't have an email account you can access via the web? Get a free web email account. We recommend Google-based Gmail.)

Log in to your web-based email.
Create a new message.
In the To: line, type in your own email address.
Click on the Attachments button (it looks like a paper clip).
Browse to "My Documents" and select your Tax File (if you saved your tax file as "Frank", your tax file will look like "frank.tax". Select this and click "Attach". Your Tax File will attach to the email message.
Click "Send" and your tax file will be sent to yourself.

Legalities
It is your responsibility to lodge a tax return that is complete and correct.

Warnbro Community Library is not responsible for any information you may choose to put in your tax return, neither are they liable for the security of your tax return file used or stored on the public library computers or for the information you transmit over the library's internet connection. If you choose to use e-tax on a library public computer, you assume full responsibility for any and all information you create.

Warnbro Community Library cannot guarantee complete and full access to the library computers nor the internet at all times. Use at your own risk.

Holiday Activities

2010-06-29T12:38:00.006+08:00

Fight the winter blahs this school holiday and come have fun with us @YourLibrary!

Safety Bay Library
Please phone 9527 3338 for bookings

Storytime Fun
Ages: 0-6
Come have fun with a story, some songs and a craft activity.
Tuesday 6 July 10:30 - 11:30am
Tuesday 13 July 10:30 - 11:30am

MYO Jigsaw
Ages: 8+
A chance to be creative and create your own jigsaw design to take home.
Tuesday 6 July 1:30 - 2:30pm

Learn to Make Origami
Ages: 8+
Come and make your own origami animals to take home.
Wednesday 14 July 1:30 - 2:30pm

Rockingham RCC Library
Please phone 9553 7060 for bookings

Design and Paint Your Own T-Shirt
Ages: 8+
Using special fabric paint.
Tuesday 6 July 1:30 - 3:00pm

Meet the Author - Writer's Workshop
Age: 12-17 (Phone 9528 0420 to book.)
Stephen Dedman is an Australian author of Science Fiction and Fantasy. He also sells used dinosaur parts! Come and find out more and hone your writing skills.
This activity facilitated through the City of Rockingham.
Tuesday 13 July 10:00am - 3:00pm

Spineless Wonders
Ages: 6+
Come and get up close and personal with giant cockroaches, spiders, scorpions and other mini-beasts!

Storytime @ 10:00am
Ages: toddlers - 7 years
Stories, songs, crafts and fun!
Wednesday 7 July
Thursday 8 July
Wednesday 4 July
Thursday 15 July

Warnbro Community Library
Please phone 9593 4608 for bookings

Fabulous Flight Storytime
Ages: 2-7 years
Come and ahve fun with stories, songs and a craft activity. Please book.
Friday 9 July, 10:30am

Balloon Twisting
Ages 8-13
Come learn the fine art of balloon twisting.
Two sessions available (choose one):
1:00-2:00pm
-or-
2:00-3:00pm

Magical Circus Storytime
Ages: 2-7 years
Come and ahve fun with stories, songs and a craft activity. Please book.
Friday 16 July, 10:30am

Balloon Crafts
Join us for a craft session making use of balloons! Make a funny balloon person or your very own set of juggling balls! Bookings essential.
Thursday 15 July 1:00 - 3:00pm

Tax Time!

2010-06-14T12:57:00.003+08:00

Did you know that you can do your income tax return at the local library?

Every year on 1 July the Australian Taxation Office releases a free program called eTax that you can download and install on your computer. This will allow you to file your tax return electronically.

Warnbro Community Library will download and install eTax onto their public computer at the beginning of the new tax year. It will be available for public use after 1 July.

What do you need in order to do your income tax return on eTax at the local library?

You will need to bring your financial documents and other tax records, including, but not limited to:
- Tax File Number (TFN)
- Payment summaries (formerly known as 'group certificates')
- Bank statements
- Receipts
- etc.
A thumb drive or other storage device
A few hours

If you are booking a computer specifically for doing your taxes, please notify the friendly staff at the circulation desk. They will alter your booking time to allow you to finish your tax filing work.

Can't get it done in one go? If you bring a thumb drive or other storage device, you may be able to save your tax file document. Then you can come back later and finish your work. Please do not save your tax file document on the public computer. While the tax file documents are passworded and encrypted for your protection, we cannot guarantee your privacy if you leave a document on a public computer. (Alternatively, you can email your tax file document to yourself, but again, please erase your original tax file document from the public computer.)

Please remember that the Library staff are not tax experts and will not be able to help you with your taxes beyond providing you access to a computer with eTax installed on it. eTax has an extensive help file with very good hand-holding throughout the lodgement process. If you have any further tax questions, please see the Australian Taxation Office web site or consult with an accountant.

Warnbro Community Library Commences Toddler Time

2010-06-08T15:04:00.003+08:00

Have you ever taken your child to Storytime at your local library, only to return home frustrated because your child was just not able to sit still for more than one story? Well, you are certainly not alone! At Warnbro Community Library, we have commenced a new program called Toddler Time, for children aged 12 months-36months, and the main aim of the program is to have fun while we learn! Each Toddler Time consists of songs and rhymes, one story and a simple craft, and lasts for around 40 minutes. If you would like to try bringing your active toddler, you would be most welcome to attend on the following dates;

Thursday June 24th @ 10.30am
Thursday July 15th @ 10.30am
Thursday August 5th @10.30am
Thursday August 26th @ 10.30am
Thursday September 16th @10.30am
Thursday October 7th @ 10.30am
Thursday October 28th @10.30am
Thursday November 18th @10.30am
Thursday December 9th @ 10.30am

A Toe in the Ocean ~ a festival of creative writing

2010-06-03T09:41:00.004+08:00

A Toe in the Ocean brings to Rockingham a new style of creative writing festival.

This festival not only gathers together local and published writers of non-fiction and fiction, fantasy and romance, plays and screen plays, but also gives participants the opportunity to write in the style of their chosen presenters.

When: Saturday 17 July, 2010 8:30am – 5:00pm
Where: Warnbro Community High School, Swallowtail Parade, Warnbro
Cost: Full-day memberhip $85; student/pensioner concession $65 – includes keynote speaker, choice of three workshops plus light lunch, morning and afternoon tea. Single workshop sessions (after June 30 if space available - $25)

Further information and registration forms are available from:

Teena Raffa-Mulligan | 0438 916 001 | traffa-m@bigpond.net.au
Kate Stanford | 0400 210 937 | kathryns09@yahoo.com.au

Program

8:30 Registration
9:00 Welcome
9:15 Official opening – Rockingham Councillor Deb Hamblin
9:30 Keynote speaker – Novelist Janet Woods
10:30 Morning tea/book signing by keynote speaker

11:00 Workshop (choose one)

Diaries & Journaling – Marie Kovacs
Fantastic First Chapters – Fiona Palmer
Illustration – Veronica Rooke

12:30 Lunch/signings by workshop presenters

1:30 Workshop (choose one)

Writing for the Internet – Heidi Kneale
Writing the Fantastic – Science fiction and fantasy – Lyn and Lee Battersby
Writing for Film and TV – Sarah Rossetti

3:00 Afternoon tea

3:15 Workshop – choose one

Writing for the Stage or Page – the differences, the similarities – Marlish Glorie
Researching the Novel – Katy Kell
Freelance Journalism – Teena Raffa-Mulligan

4.45pm Thank you/drinks

Broadband for Seniors Kiosk

2010-05-24T10:02:00.002+08:00

The Staff of Safety Bay Library
Cordially Invite You
To the Launch of the

Broadband for Seniors Kiosk

Federal Government funded online training for Seniors
Tuesday 25th May 2010
3.00—4.00pm
@ Safety Bay Library – Meeting Room

Light refreshment provided
RSVP essential by 21 May
sbycontact@rockingham.wa.gov.au
or Ph 9527 3338

Library and Information Week

2010-05-21T13:23:00.005+08:00

Welcome to Library and Information Week!

To celebrate, we have lots of fun activities happening at Warnbro Library. Call us on 9593 4608 to make a booking. Some activities will fill up fast!

National Simultaneous Storytime

How many kids can you fit into a Storytime? As many as you want, as long as you spread them across the nation. Join us for not one, but two National Simultaneous Storytimes this week at Warnbro Library. Tuesday 25 May @ 10:30am - and - Friday 28 May @ 10:30

Free Computer Classes

Not as tech-savvy as you wish you were? Or know someone who would like to know more? Sign up for our classes, taught by our very own IT Officer. Fun, friendly, and don't worry; you won't break the computer.

Basic Internet Training: Come learn how to surf the World Wide Web. Sharpen your Google skills. Monday 24 May, 9:30-11:30am Bookings required.

Introduction to Webmail: Come sign up for a free web email address and learn how to utilise the most popular aspect of the internet. If you already have a webmail account and want to make the most of it, come along. Wednesday 26 May, 9:30-11:30am Bookings required.

Interested in more events at Safety Bay or Rockingham libraries? See the contact info to the right.

Computer Software Compatibility

2010-05-17T11:28:00.004+08:00

The library has computer software available for loan, frex, educational programs (like the How to Drive software) or kids software (like "Wiggle Bay").

While the library makes software available, it cannot guarantee that it will run on your computer.

It all comes down to your operating system.

Most people's computers run Windows. Some people run Mac. (If you're the rare percent of the population running a variety of Linux, you're probably computer savvy enough to figure out what's going on anyway. Go install a virtual window then run whatever you like.)

If you choose to check out software from the library, please be aware of your operating system so that you can choose compatible software. Some software will run on certain operating systems and not others.

How do you know if a particular piece of software will run on your computer? Look at the back of the CD-ROM case or on the enclosed booklet. It will advise the miminum system required (also graphics card, RAM, monitor resolution, etc).

What system do you have?

Windows

Windows 3.11 This is the original Windows software everyone remembers. While its graphic user interface was user friendlier than the old DOS system, it still had its hiccups. If you're still running a 486DX computer with Windows 3.11, you're either a retrocomputer afficionado or you're in serious need of an upgrade.

Windows 95/98 Windows 98 SE was a brilliant operating system. Nearly all the software in the library is rated at least Win 95 and should run happily on a computer with Windows 95 or 98. Still, unless you've had the same computer for ten years, you're probably running something more advanced.

Windows 2000/XP If your computer is a few years old, this is probably what you're running. XP is a user friendly, stable operating system. Best news, XP will cheerfully run programs written for Windows 98. A few programs might be picky, but on the whole, you should have luck with Win98 software on XP.

Windows Vista, Windows 7 The latest generation of Windows software. While it is super-user friendly and has all sorts of bells and whistles, underneath it is a different beast from XP and 98. Alas, it doesn't handle programs written for 98 and may throw a hissy fit with an XP program. Unless the CD says it will run on Vista, you may be out of luck.

Mac OS

Much of the software on the library shelves is cross-platform, meaning it will run on Windows and on Mac OS. It will list Mac OS under the system requirements on the CD and what version.

Mac system 7 (or 7.1, 7.2, 7.6) (aka "Big Bang") If you've got an old Mac Classic or PowerPC, you're probably running Mac OS 7. Stable, friendly, fun and oh-so-compatible, this OS set the benchmark that Windows couldn't match for a long time.

Mac OS 8 (aka "Tempo") and Mac OS 9 (aka "Sonata") The last of the "Classic" Mac operating systems. Should happily run earlier software.

Mac OS X Next generation of Mac OS software. Versions up to 10.4 ("Tiger") included a "Classic Environment" option to run software from version 9.

Mac OS X 10.5 onwards (aka "Leopard" [10.5] and "Snow Leopard" [10.6]) The latest offering of Mac OS software. Alas, not backwards compatible. Software written for Mac 7 through 9 won't run on this OS. You may have better luck with programs written for OS X.

Fun for Kids at the Library

2010-05-03T09:19:00.004+08:00

There's lots to do and see for kids at your local library.

All three libraries have an impressive Children's Area full of books, videos, games and toys to stimulate young minds and instill a lifelong love of reading.

Every child, no matter how young, can have their own library card--even little babies. And don't think that just because they can't read, the very young don't need library cards. They do. Parents are encouraged to read to their children from the very day they are born.

Many studies have shown that reading to children at a young age improves their language skills, future literacy skills, improves social development and strengthens families.

We think those are good things, so that's why we give children, toddlers and infants (even preemies) their own library card.

Want to see what we've got for younguns? Check out Kids Online our webopac catalogue especially for kids. They can search by pictures or subject, or word/title/author searches. Also features a list of our new preschool books and kids books. Access at the library or from home.

In addition to our great collection of books, audio books, DVDs, videos, CD-ROMs and more, we also have great activities for kids.

Storytime rocks! With a few stories, songs and an art activity, there's plenty to stimulate and entertain children from ages 0-5.

Rockingham Regional Library - Wednesday and Thursday 10am
(Ph:9553 7068) – Bookings required

Safety Bay Library - Tuesday 10:30am
(Ph:9527 3338) - No booking required

Warnbro Community Library - Tuesday and Friday 10:30am
School term only--see our Holiday program for fun stuff during the school holidays.
(Ph. 9593 4608) - No booking required for School Term storytime

Rhymetime is designed for babies and toddlers up to the age of 2 years old. Come sing some classic nursery rhymes and learn some new songs.
Safety Bay Library - Wednesday 9:30am
Warnbro Community Library - Thursday 9:15am

Bookstars is the reading club for upper primary school students. Discover new books, make crafts, see visiting authors and more.

Warnbro Community Library - Three times each term (see calendar)
Thursday, 3:45-4:45pm
(Ph. 9593 4608) - Call for more information and booking.

The library also hosts School Holiday Activities and Visiting Authors.

Want a bit of computer fun? Warnbro Library features a Kids' Computer designed especially for the younger set. Children can play on appropriate and educational web sites. This computer is whitelisted so that they can't accidentally wander into anything that may be deemed questionable. Most of the activities on this computer are sourced from the excellent website PBSkids.org .

So come along to your local library and bring the kids!

RILS would also like to welcome Susannah Mathieson as Safety Bay Library's new YPS Librarian! Come by Safety Bay Library and say hello.

Library Acquisitions - or - How We Choose Our Books

2010-04-28T10:05:00.007+08:00

One of the jobs of a librarian is to maintain the library collection. A librarian likes to get the sorts of books that the readers want to read, for a successful collection is one that's not on the shelves, but out circulating through the local folk.

While a librarian would love to acquire every book ever published, it's just not possible. Shelf-space, budget constraints and lack of interest will constrain what belongs in a collection.

So, how does a librarian decide what should be in the collection?

A librarian is aware of readers' interests. Her job is to know what the public want to read. She'll keep track of stats: what kinds of books go out, what books/authors have holds, what do patrons request, what are the reading tastes of the patronage.

Each library is different. Warnbro Library tends to cater to the school-age set while Rockingham library is better-suited to uni students. Some libraries around the world may have a lot of science fiction readers. Others may be devoted to non-fiction and research. A library isn't a library isn't a library. They adapt to the needs of their patrons.

A librarian knows her collection. She knows what's in there and is also aware of any possible gaps. She covers those gaps to satisfy the patrons' information needs.

Warnbro's non-fiction needs tend towards supporting primary and secondary students. Australian history books, literature books, and other pertinent school subjects are well-covered. Certain subjects, such as computer books (000-006), are constantly updated as technology evolves. Some subjects, such as beekeeping, are low-demand. So there aren't many books under 638.1.

But if patrons regularly requested beekeeping books, the librarian would consider adding to the collection to meet need.

A librarian is aware of what is being published. She cruises Amazon. She visits her local bookstore. She checks out the State Library's lists. She talks with booksellers. She listens to recommendations. She looks at awards lists (such as Children's Book Week and Western Australian Young Readers' Book Awards). If it's making some sort of buzz in the publication world, she might know about it.

Some other factors that may influence a librarian:

Keeping up with popular authors. James Patterson, Catherine Cookson, Nora Roberts, Stephenie Meyer, Garth Nix and JK Rowling are popular at Warnbro Library.
Completing a series. You can almost guarantee the library will acquire Sue Grafton's Z is for Zero, when it comes out, seeing we've got the rest of the alphabet.
Taste. Book shops and book sellers will approach librarians with boxes of books. They ask their opinions. A librarian will look at the cover, the back blurbs and may even squiz through the first chapter. She considers whether or not all this would appeal to the patrons. She'll enlist the help of library staff and ask their opinions. IS it hooky? Will our patrons want to read it?

Part of a librarian's job is to cull the collection. What signals the death knell of a book? Non-circulation. If nobody's taking out a certain book, there is no reason for it to be on the shelf. Books have to earn their shelf space by not spending much time there. (A bit of irony, I know.) Books that don't circulate are called "dusties".

Every so often a librarian will run stats. Any book that hasn't gone out within a certain amount of time will get pulled and deleted from the collection. If patrons don't want it, why have it?

Timeliness and accuracy are also reasons for pulling books. You're not going to find may books on how to write your own batch files in DOS 5.0. Likewise, we don't have the Encyclopedia Brittannica from 1985.

So now you know why and how the library acquires the books it does.

Books on Hold

2010-04-14T10:38:00.003+08:00

You want to read the next Catherine Cookson novel on your list. But when you get to the library, it is not on the shelves.

What to do?

Put it on hold.

Our friendly library staff is happy to put books on hold for you at your request. Or if you are so inclined (and have no overdue or billed books), you can do it yourself from any internet computer at the library or at home.

When you put a book on hold--if it is checked out to another patron--you don't have to wait for the potluck chance of its return and hope someone else doesn't snatch it off the returns cart.

When you put a hold on a book that is out, the moment it is checked in, it is flagged for you. We send you a letter advising that it's in and we put it on the holdshelf. Come on in and pick it up.

Please be advised that books remain on the hold shelf for only two weeks (aka 12 business days). If you haven't claimed it by then, your hold will be removed and the book reshelved.

The letter is not the only way to check to see if a hold has come in. Log in with your library card to http://wwwopac.murdoch.edu.au and view your borrower record.

There is a button called "Requests". All requests you have made should show up here, showing the name of the item and the status of the request (on shelf, in transit, due back, waiting to be picked up).

Putting books on hold is also how you can request a book from another local library, such as Warnbro, Safety Bay or Rockingham.

If you wish to request a book from another library outside of the Rockingham area (like Geraldton, Augusta, Bunbury, etc), please come in and fill out a Request Card. Please include as much information as you can (Author, title, etc) so that we may be better able to fulfill your request.

Book Review: Baker Cat

2010-04-13T10:45:00.002+08:00

Book Review
Baker Cat
by
Posy Simmonds

"There once was a cat who belonged to a mean old baker and his lazy wife. The cat must have had a name, but nobody really knew what it was..."

So begins the tale of the baker cat, made to do all the work (peeling, slicing, mixing dough, chasing mice, setting traps, baking bread...) and then to earn his breakfast, he must catch mice at night. No mice, no breakfast. "You know the deal: the bigger the catch, the bigger the meal."

Poor cat. What is he to do?

This excellently-illustrated story is a delightful tale of how the cat solves all his problems to his satisfaction. Simple enough for the littlies to understand, yet clever enough to please the parents as well.

Give it a read.

And yes, we do get to learn his name.

ANZAC Day Holiday

2010-04-08T10:33:00.003+08:00

Warnbro Community Library will be
CLOSED
on Sunday 25 April (ANZAC Day)
-and-
on Monday 26 April (ANZAC Day Public Holiday)
in honour of ANZAC Day.

Meanwhile, here are some handy links concerning ANZAC Day.

ANZAC Day on Wikipedia.

Australian Navy's ANZAC Album.

Transperth's ANZAC Day dawn services.

CelebrateWA's ANZAC Day Gunfire Breakfasts.

WA Today's ANZAC Day Guide.

Happy Easter!

2010-03-30T12:51:00.002+08:00

Warnbro Community Library will be closed Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. We reopen on Easter Tuesday at 10:00am - Holiday Hours.

Warnbro Library wishes you all a Happy Easter and Happy Passover.

Warnbro Library Holiday Activities

2010-03-25T10:57:00.003+08:00

Come spend some time during the holidays at Warnbro Library. Our theme is Dinosaurs! Please book at circ desk or by phone.

Fantastic Fimo!
Wednesday 7 April
10:30-11:30am
Ages 8-12

Create your own mini dinosaur. Design your own colourful fridge magnet.

Dangerous Dinosaurs Storytime
Friday 9 April
10:30-11:30am
Ages 2-7

Dinosaurs are coming to Storytime! come and join us for some stories, songs and a craft.

Dinosaurs and Dragons--Create with Clay
Wednesday 14 April
10:30am-12noon

Get creative with clay and make a fantastic dinosaur or dragon using air-dry clay.

Dinosaur Egg-stravaganza!
Friday 16 April
10:30-11:30am
Ages 2-7

Imagine finding an egg... and you don't know what's inside!

Rockingham Library Holiday Activities

2010-03-25T10:49:00.004+08:00

Join us at Rockingham RCC Library for some exciting holiday activities. Please book either in person or by phone.

Rockingham Regional Campus Community Library
Dixon Road, Rockingham WA 6168
T: 9553 7060 or 9553 7068

Badges, Magnets and Stickers
Friday 9 April
10am- 12noon
Age 8+

Come along and make your own groovy badges, magnets and stickers. Make up your own designs! Make your own trendy slogans.

Storytime

Storytime will be held Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 10am. Suitable for tollders-age 7 years.

Scrapbooking
Tuesday 13 April
10am-12noon
Age 8+

Bring some photos and make some memories!

Balloon Animals
Thursday 15 April
2:00-4:00pm
Age 8+

Learn how to make almost any animal out of balloons. Come and get twisting!

Safety Bay Library Holiday Activities

2010-03-25T10:37:00.003+08:00

Come on down to Safety Bay Library during the holidays and join in some activity fun. Please book by phone or in person.

Safety Bay Library
197 Safety Bay Road, Safety Bay WA 6169
T: 9527 3338

U Can Hatch Us

U Can Hatch Us will be on display in the library for the second week of school holidays. Drop by and montior the progress of chicks from egg. Scratching, feeding, drinking and growing feathers.

Storytime Fun
Tuesday 6 April
10:30-11:30am
Ages 2-7 years

Come and have fun with a story, some rhymes and a craft activity.

Cartooning
Thursday 8 April
1:00-2:30pm
Ages 8+

Come and meet Susie. She will teach you how to draw you rown cartoon characters.

Chirpy Chicken Stories
Tuesday 13 April
10:30-11:30am
Ages 2-7 years

Join us for an exciting storytime session, looking at chooks in books and animals on the farm!

Shadow Puppetry
Thursday 15 April
10:30-11:30am
Age 8+

Come and try the ancient art of shadow puppetry. Design & make you rown, then let's see them work on the stage.

Harry Potter and the Hacksaw Librarian

2010-03-24T09:42:00.006+08:00

Here is one of our library assistants recovering a well-used Harry Potter novel.

When our books fall apart, we repair them, if possible. (No, he's not trying to edit the length out of this hefty tome, but is using the hacksaw to score the spine of the pages so the glue will adhere better when he reattaches the cover.)

Books come in various qualities of binding. Some are more durable than others.

Mass market paperbacks: These are the 'pocket-sized' paperbacks you may see at the grocery store. They are printed on low-quality pulp paper and may cost around ten bucks. These are designed to be read a few times and generally kept on a shelf. Are notorious for falling apart if read often or left bouncing around the bottom of a bag. Heaven forbid you should drop them in the tub.

Trade paperbacks: Generally larger, often the size of a hardcover, trade paperbacks are printed on better-quality paper and have an easier-to-read layout. They may be the same price as a hardcover, or slightly cheaper.

Hardcover editions: the most expensive of the three, but also the most durable. Libraries prefer hardcover editions of books if they are available. A few publishers will even do specially-bound "library editions", designed to withstand the wear and tear that comes with frequent library use.

Sometimes books are printed in mass market and trade paperback but not hardcover due to cost issues, print runs and distribution.

The primary difference between mass markets and trades isn't necessarily quality or size, but how they are treated if unsold.

Unsold books (trades and hardcovers) are generally returned to the publisher for redistribution. But mass market paperbacks are stripped of their covers and pulped, as returning them usually costs more than to print new ones.

Given their druthers, libraries will purchase hardcovers. If these aren't available, they will purchase trade paperbacks. Library will only purchase mass market paperbacks if there is no other choice, as they simply are not durable enough for library use.

Damaged Books

2010-03-24T09:23:00.003+08:00

Our library resources are meant to be used. Along with gentle use comes some wear and tear.

If you check out a library resource and discover some damage, please report it to us quickly. We do our best to ensure that our collection is kept in a usable condition, but sometimes we cannot catch all problems.

If we detect damage to our items during check-out, we will either not loan out the item (to prevent further damage) or we will make a note on the item so you are not mistakenly charged for damaging the item.

It is in your best interests to report discovered wear and tear as soon as possible.

Our clever library staff is trained in the repair of damage that occurs with regular use. Loose pages, loose labels, slightly-scratched DVDs... we can fix these in-house.

Also, we ask that you treat checked-out items with the same loving care that we do to ensure the lasting quality of our collection. This enables more people to enjoy our library resources.

Please guard against page tearing and staining, water damage, pen damage and more, and return items to the library in the best possible condition.

Lost Items

2010-03-03T09:47:00.004+08:00

Lost your reading glasses?

Perhaps you left them at the library.

Every day we discover little lost items that our patrons have left behind. Sometimes we are able to discover the owner and are able to return those items to them.

But for those items we can't, they end up in our lost property box. At Warnbro Community Library items are held in our lost property box for three months. After that time, we discard them.

Top three lost items:

1. Books. Sometimes people end up returning their own private books with their library books. Sometimes we can identify the owners. But if we can't, they go into the lost property box.

2. Glasses. People leave their reading glasses here all the time. If you can't find your glasses, maybe we have them.

3. Bookmarks. Sad but true, lovely little bookmarks are left in books all the time. These are easier to identify and return, but sometimes bookmarks fall out of books. If you are missing a favourite bookmark, please stop by.

We also have a collection of driver's licenses and forgotten library cards.

Some of the more unusual items we have found: a hearing aid, a dog collar (sans dog), a swimsuit, china plates.

So if you are missing something, perhaps you should come have a look at the Library.

On Beyond Twilight

2010-02-17T09:35:00.003+08:00

It happens all the time. You find an author you enjoy, you devour their stories, but sooner or later, you will have read everything of theirs you could get your hands on. Authors only write so fast and most crank out little more than one book a year.

But you're starving! You can't wait a year for another book to come out. Whaddya do?

Nothing to it but find another author who can scratch the itch, assuage the hunger, feed your ravening book-beast.

Scores of our library patrons have been gulping down Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series as quickly as they can get their hands on them.

But once that's gone, then what?

Warnbro Library to the rescue! One of our library staff has put together a list of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance authors and titles to feed that need for vampires (or werewolves, or other things that go "bump" in the night).

If you're a card-carrying member of Twilight Moms, give these other authors a try:

Keri Arthur (Riley Jenson Guardian)
Jenna Black (Guardians of the Night)
Jennifer Rardin (Jaz Parks)
Sherilyn Kenyon (Dark Hunter)
Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress)
Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse)
J R Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood)
Lilith Saintcrow (Jill Kismet)

For the younger set, you may enjoy:

Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely)
P C Cast (House of Night)
Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments)
Richelle Mead (mmmm... Vampire Academy!)

And there's more! Ask at the circulation desk to see the full list of suggested authors so you can go on beyond Twilight.

BUT...

But what if you're not into the sparkly vampires and that sort of fiction?

Don't worry, fans of James Patterson and Georgette Heyer (and everyone else).

Also on reference at the circulation desk are two volumes of reference books.

The first, "Who Else Writes Like...?" offers suggestions of authors similar to your favourites.

Like Patterson? Try Jeffery Deaver, Tami Hoag, Meg O'Brien and James Siegel

For Georgette Heyer fans, we suggest Marion Chesney, Amanda Quick, Elizabeth Hawksley and Jane Austen.

The second, "Now Read On... A guide to conteporary Popular Fiction" groups authors and their books according to genre.

Each entry features a short bio of the author, a list of their novels followed by suggested other authors.

Happy ~~eating~~ reading!

CD Review: Rocky Blues, Vol 1

2010-02-11T09:25:00.005+08:00

Normally, when one thinks of the Blues, one envisions a slow, razzy song (usually featuring a harmonica) sung by some bloke named Blind Frankie Jones, about how sad his life is. ("An' dat's why I got da' bluuuues...")

But do not be fooled.

Blues is the music of soul, of heart, and not just the broken ones.

Enter Rocky Blues, vol 1, out from Bluetongue Records. This excellent album of blues music can only be described as soul-piercingly upbeat. It's got rhythm, baby, and you can't help but stop whatever you're doing in your hum-drum life to listen.

Featuring a whole lotta locals, this is a good way to introduce the local blues scene from Perth and Rockingham to those who might not be acquainted with this excellent genre of music. (And hey, the CD cover was designed not less than a hundred meters from where I'm sitting now.)

Give it a listen. You won't be sorry.

Am looking forward to volume 2 and 3. Nice to see the Blues scene is alive and kicking in my back yard.

Back to School!

2010-02-03T10:10:00.003+08:00

With the start of the new school year, Warnbro Community Library's hours have changed back to the School Term Hours.

Monday - Thursday: 8am – 7pm
Friday: 8am – 5pm
Sunday: 2pm – 5pm

Also, regular Tuesday and Friday Story Times have resumed.

The future of books

2010-01-21T08:02:00.002+08:00

In recent years there has been a lot of speculation in regard to the future of the traditional book. We have been told that the traditional book would fall by the wayside, to be replaced by a book in electronic format that would be read on a device such as an Amazon Kindle or a Sony Reader.
The following is an example of this speculation:
"E-books will change reading and writing" by Ben Margot (article on the Internet)
"Ten years ago, few imagined that by decade's end, people would be reading novels on cell phones. A lot has changed in the book world."
Ben Margot quotes various writers who all believe that traditional books will still be around for a long time, and that some of the changes that may occur in writing will be more evolutionary than revolutionary.
However, many other writers and media experts have forecast that the death of the traditional book lies in the not very distant future.
What do you think?

Book Review: Dooby Dooby Moo

2010-01-12T09:49:00.004+08:00

Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin present:
Dooby Dooby Moo

You've gotta read this one!

Duck and his friends are at it again. This time they're pooling their considerable resources to win a local talent show, because first prize is a _TRAMPOLINE!
(slightly used.)

The cows want to sing. The sheep want to sing. The pigs want to dance... _(Dance?)

And Duck? Duck just wants to win that trampoline. But first he has three small problems:
Farmer Brown

Farmer Brown

Farmer Brown

This book is hilarious both in its storytelling and illustrations. The story is simple enough for the youngest reader to understand, and there's a bit of humour thrown in there for the parents. The art is gently comic with a few funny tweaks here and there. (Hint: can you find the mice?)

Highly recommend this book.

Book Review: The Science of Chocolate

2010-01-07T10:52:00.002+08:00

The Science of Chocolate (2nd Edition) by Stephen T Beckett

Yes, chocoholics, there is a book that is all about chocolate, from the history of the cocoa bean to how your favourite Cadbury Dairy Milk is wrapped.

But don't be fooled. This is not a lovey-dovey little "We ♥ Chocolate" illo-book.

This is hard science. And we love it. If you ever wanted to know the nitty-gritty of chocolate production, from nib to numminess, it's all here.

Don't let the science scare you. While the biochemistry content is heavy, you won't need to freak out at words like disaccharides and Maillard Reaction^[1]. If you don't have much of a scientific background, don't worry. These facts are explained in the book in layman's terms as well as the full-blown geekery.

If anything, it's the scientific content that makes this book a winner.

Why is chocolate solid at room temperature but melts so well in your mouth? Why is some chocolate smoother than other? Why does Cadbury taste different from Nestle? What is it about chocolate that makes it healthy (or not) for you? And just how do they get the bubbles into an Aero bar? (hint: negative pressure and nitrous oxide!)

The book starts off with a quick-n-dirty history of chocolate from South America to Europe (including a section, "Chocolate is Good for You". But we knew that).

Then it explains the ingredients of modern-day chocolate: cocoa nibs (beans), sugar and milk and how they are processed.

Chocolate is a rather complex beast. After reading this book, I'm surprised that chocolate production is as successful as it is, and that chocolate is as cheap as it comes.

I was fascinated to learn about the conching process--a heated stirring that changes the viscosity and improves the flavour of chocolate--and how the various cocoa butter crystalline forms (there are about five forms, and each one has a different melting point--a useful thing to know if you're making chocolate bars for sale in the tropics).

I even learned how Cream Eggs were made. Ingenious!

The penultimate chapter gives a nutrition and health break-down of chocolate from the nutritional value of the fats/carbs/proteins to how chocolate can affect allergies.

If you've ever indulged in a passionate affair with chocolate and have wanted to know more, this book is invaluable. It even features a few scientific experiments in the back that you can carry out.

Find this book in the non-fiction section, call number: 664.5 BEC

^[1]So you know, a disaccharide is a "double-sugar" like sucrose (aka table sugar) because it's made up of the two simple sugars fructose and glucose. And the Maillard Reaction is simply a fancy scientific term for stuff going brown when you toast it.

Holiday Fun @ Your Library

2009-12-29T10:27:00.004+08:00

Summer School Holiday Program 2010

Welcome to the new year! Come have fun with us during the school holidays. Regular Storytime will resume in February.

Warnbro Community Library
Please Book, as some activities have limits: 9593 4608

Summer Outings Storytime
Friday 15 January
10:30-11:30am
Ages: 2-7
Come and celebrate Summer holidays, enjoyour stories, songs and print your own fantastic beach bag. Please wear old clothes.

Beaut Beach Bags
Tues 19 Jan
1:00-3:00pm
Ages: 8-12 (Limit of 40 children - booking essential!)
Create your own designs and print a bright beach bag. Calico bag supplied. Please wear old clothes.

Create a Spectacular Bermuda Hexagon Kite!
Thurs 21 Jan
1:00-3:00pm
Ages: All
Cost: $3.50 per kite - pre-payment essential.
Join Michael Alvarez as he dazzles us with flying his giant kites. Families are welcome to attend the workshop and demonstrations are free. A cost of $3.50 will be charged for each kite made.

Cool Kites Storytime
Fri 22 Jan
10:30-11:30am
Ages: 2-7
Come and celebrate Summer fun, enjoy our stories, songs and create a cool paper kite.

Summer Fun Storytime
Fri 29 Jan
10:30-11:30am
Ages: 2-7
Dress up for the beach, listen to sunny stories and create a wonderful summer collage.

Safety Bay Library
Please book: 9527 3338

Storytime Fun
Tues 19 Jan
10:30-11:30am
Ages: 2-7
Come have fun with a story, some rhymes and a craft activity.

Scitech: The Science of Dr Seuss
Thurs 21 Jan
10:30-11:30am
Ages: 6-10
Bookings essential!
Let's listen to a classic Dr Seuss story and follow it with a hands-on science activity related to the book.

Fairy Queen Caroline
Mon 25 Jan
10:30-11:30am
Ages: 2-7
Come join us as Fairy Queen Caroline weaves her own special magic. We will listen to some stories and join in as she sings and dances.

Fimo Jewellery Making
Tur 28 Jan
10:30-11:30am
Ages: 6-12
Bookings essential!
Ever wanted to make your own jewellery? Ever wanted to use Fimo modelling clay? Let's combine the two and make some fantastic original pieces!

Premier's Summer Reading Challenge

Register online at http://det.wa.edu.au/readingchallenge. Visit the libraries and find some great books to read! The challenge is for ever child to read for 15 hours or be read to for 15 hours. For every 5 hours of reading, come to the library and collect a sticker and a small prize!

WritingWA... Special Event!

During the Premier's Summer Reading Challenge Tracie Gibbs, our guest illustrator, will give a presentation at Warnbro Community Library. This is a fantastic opportunity for 8-12 year olds!

Where: Warnbro Community Library
When: Wed 13 January
Time: 2:00-3:00pm
Ages: 8-12
bookings essential: 9593 4608

Your Favourite Library!

2009-12-14T10:04:00.003+08:00

We asked, and you told us.

Safety Bay Library is the top favourite, pipping Warnbro Community Library by one vote. (Sorry, Rockingham. Better luck next time.)

Thanks to all who voted.

Want some more polly goodness? Check out our new sidebar poll, "What are your favourite library resources?" Multiple clickies allowed.

PC Reservation

2009-12-11T14:23:00.003+08:00

Warnbro Community Library now uses PC Reservation to book our public computers (just like Safety Bay!) It's a smoother and more equitable booking system. You'll like it.

If you're familiar with Safety Bay's booking method, Warnbro is now the same.

If you're not familiar...

Simply bring your library card to the circulation desk. A nice librarian will reserve a PC for you.
Take your library card to the computer and enter your barcode number on the screen.
A little timer bar will let you know how long you have left in your session.
When you are finished using the computer, click the "DONE" button on the timer bar.

Christmas Storytime at Warnbro Library

2009-12-08T12:43:00.003+08:00

Today, for the last Tuesday Storytime, we made Santa giftbags and sang lots of Christmas Songs. Friday the 11th of December is our last Storytime for the year, and our Christmas Party. We hope you can join us at 10.30am, and don't forget to bring a plate of goodies to share. You never know who you will see there...HO HO HO!