I recently travelled to Sydney to farewell an old friend and returning back to work got thinking about the unique relationship between New Zealand and Australia. Even here at the Masterton Library the link that has developed between our two nations tucked away here at the bottom of the world is quite evident. Many members of staff have family members who live over the ditch, several have lived in Australia for an extended time, and we even have an Australian working on our permanent staff. Like it or not, there is no getting away from the fact that Australia and Australians play a significant part in many of our lives.
Probably more than any country other than our own, Australia is also the origin of much of the material we hold in the library. As a public library’s collection reflects the needs and interests of the general public, it is only logical that the closeness of the relationship between NZ and Oz is reflected in the library’s book collection. Here at Masterton Library books by Australians and about Australia form a significant part of our catalogue including books for children, teens and adults, and both Fiction and Non-Fiction titles.
Amongst the Australian fiction titles we hold are works by prize winning authors such as Peter Carey, Tim Winton, and Kate Grenville. We also have books by authors such as Colleen McCullough and Bryce Courtenay who have achieved huge international success. An increasingly popular aspect of Australian fiction are works set in the outback. Authors such as Fleur McDonald, Fiona Palmer and Bronwyn Parry have placed their stories in this uniquely Australian setting and the strong-willed, rugged characters often match this harsh, dramatic environment.
Outback life is also a very popular topic in Non-Fiction. Stars Over Shiralee by Sheryl McCorry documents the real life dramas of a woman managing a huge cattle ranch in Western Australia. Outback Heart by Joanne van Os tells of the author’s life in the Northern Territory with Rod Ansell, the man known by many as the original ‘Crocodile Dundee’. Possibly best known is the series of auto-biographies by Sara Henderson beginning with From Strength to Strength which documents her family’s struggle to manage a massive ranch in the Northern Territory after the death of her husband.
We have non-fiction books covering many aspects of Australian life including history titles such as the landmark The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes, and perhaps a bit lighter in tone, Bill Bryson’s Down Under. With Australia being such a popular destination for New Zealand tourists we also have travel guides to the Australian states and all the major cities. One book that may be of particular interest to Masterton residents is Images of Armidale, a pictorial history of the N.S.W. town that is Masterton’s sister city.
Australia authors and illustrators are also responsible for some of our most popular books for children and young adults. Picture books such as Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox, Let’s Get a Pup by Bob Graham and Little White Dogs Can’t Jump by Bruce Whatley are enjoyed by many young readers. Jeannie Baker is highly regarded for the elaborate collages in her books, while the sophisticated picture books of Shaun Tan have received worldwide recognition. Many children have been amused by the fun-packed stories of Morris Gleitzman, Paul Jennings and Andy Griffiths. For older readers, John Marsden’s Tomorrow, When the War Began series, recently released on the big screen, remains perennially popular.
For many New Zealanders, Australians are the people they love to hate, no sporting victory is sweeter than one over the Aussies, and no outrage greater than when they claim a NZ achievement as their own (such as Phar Lap, Pavlova, or Split Enz). We are the butt of each other’s jokes and enjoy a very healthy rivalry. There is no denying however that very strong links do exist between the two countries that cover family, social, cultural, and historical aspects, including the strong ANZAC tradition. They say that in every Australians life there’s a Kiwi somewhere and the reverse is probably equally true. Masterton Library reflects this relationship, both in its staffing and its collection, and while I don’t necessarily think we should all be whistling Waltzing Matilda as we go about our daily lives, there is no denying that Australians have made a major contribution to the material we get to enjoy and benefit from through the library.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Talking About Talking Books
Late last year I had to drive to Auckland on my own so I took a selection of talking books with me to listen to on the way. These proved to be a great distraction, so much so that I became keen to get back in the car after a break so I could get on with the story. Talking books, or audio books as they are also known, are a growing part of our collection here at Masterton Library and are a great way of experiencing a book when you aren’t actually able to read it.
Talking books are books that have been recorded in an audio format, usually read aloud by a voice actor but sometimes by the book’s author. Many of our older talking books are still in the format of audio cassettes but more and more are being produced on compact disc. This includes compressed MP3 discs which can allow for a whole book to be captured on one disc. We also have downloaded a number of talking books on to a dedicated computer so they can be loaded directly on to a MP3 player.
Talking books started to emerge in the 1930s when they were used primarily as a way to provide people with sight impairments with access to the world of literature. In the 1980s the economic potential of audio books began to be realised and book retailers started stocking them on their shelves. Although the higher costs of producing a talking book and the reduced economies of scale mean they are typically more expensive than traditional books, they are becoming an increasingly popular option.
Today paper and audio editions of some of the biggest books and authors are published simultaneously. Some people have used both audio and paper versions of a book at the same time as a way of learning a new language, and even by people who have had a cochlear implant and are relearning how to hear. Talking books are occasionally abridged versions of the original story but if this is the case it should be indicated on the cover.
There is an expanding range of material available on talking books at the library including titles aimed at children, teens, and adults. There are fiction titles from a variety of genres such as fantasy, thrillers, romance and family sagas, and from authors ranging from Agatha Christie to Patricia Cornwell, Jules Verne to Penny Vincenzi. There are also a large number of non-fiction items available including travel accounts and biographies of people ranging from Carol Burnett to Laura Bush.
Talking books are obviously still of immense value to those with impaired sight and Masterton residents with sight impairments can borrow from our talking book collection at no charge. They are also becoming popular with other groups of people, commuters for example who listen to them on the train or in the car. Others like to listen to them in the home while they go about their daily activities. For general borrowers of talking books there is a charge of $3 per item and they are issued for three weeks.
On an unrelated note, last week saw the retirement of a long standing member of library staff, Paul Cooper. Paul has been working at the library for 14 years and has become something of an institution at the returns desk every afternoon. Many members of the public have come to rely on Paul for his book recommendations, particularly those with an interest in crime fiction, and we are all going to miss his contribution to the library. All the best for the future Paul, enjoy your well-earned retirement and we hope you will still be a frequent visitor to the library, particularly if you have some book recommendations to share with us.
Jon Adams
Community Outreach Librarian
Masterton District Library
Talking books are books that have been recorded in an audio format, usually read aloud by a voice actor but sometimes by the book’s author. Many of our older talking books are still in the format of audio cassettes but more and more are being produced on compact disc. This includes compressed MP3 discs which can allow for a whole book to be captured on one disc. We also have downloaded a number of talking books on to a dedicated computer so they can be loaded directly on to a MP3 player.
Talking books started to emerge in the 1930s when they were used primarily as a way to provide people with sight impairments with access to the world of literature. In the 1980s the economic potential of audio books began to be realised and book retailers started stocking them on their shelves. Although the higher costs of producing a talking book and the reduced economies of scale mean they are typically more expensive than traditional books, they are becoming an increasingly popular option.
Today paper and audio editions of some of the biggest books and authors are published simultaneously. Some people have used both audio and paper versions of a book at the same time as a way of learning a new language, and even by people who have had a cochlear implant and are relearning how to hear. Talking books are occasionally abridged versions of the original story but if this is the case it should be indicated on the cover.
There is an expanding range of material available on talking books at the library including titles aimed at children, teens, and adults. There are fiction titles from a variety of genres such as fantasy, thrillers, romance and family sagas, and from authors ranging from Agatha Christie to Patricia Cornwell, Jules Verne to Penny Vincenzi. There are also a large number of non-fiction items available including travel accounts and biographies of people ranging from Carol Burnett to Laura Bush.
Talking books are obviously still of immense value to those with impaired sight and Masterton residents with sight impairments can borrow from our talking book collection at no charge. They are also becoming popular with other groups of people, commuters for example who listen to them on the train or in the car. Others like to listen to them in the home while they go about their daily activities. For general borrowers of talking books there is a charge of $3 per item and they are issued for three weeks.
On an unrelated note, last week saw the retirement of a long standing member of library staff, Paul Cooper. Paul has been working at the library for 14 years and has become something of an institution at the returns desk every afternoon. Many members of the public have come to rely on Paul for his book recommendations, particularly those with an interest in crime fiction, and we are all going to miss his contribution to the library. All the best for the future Paul, enjoy your well-earned retirement and we hope you will still be a frequent visitor to the library, particularly if you have some book recommendations to share with us.
Jon Adams
Community Outreach Librarian
Masterton District Library
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