Introducing Language Line

Hastings, Havelock North and Flaxmere Libraries are now participating in Language Line, along with the Hastings District Council. Language Line is a telephone interpreting service to improve communication between our patrons and library staff available from Monday to Friday 9am - 6pm.. There is no charge to patrons. Read more about Language Line on the Office of Ethnic Affairs website. Click here for a list of languages available.
See also our New Settler's page.

Ruapehu Eruption

Click here to go to GeoNet's Volcano Camera for images of Mt Ruapehu. Photos at half hourly intervals.

GeoNet provides real-time monitoring and data collection for rapid response and research into earthquake, volcano, landslide and tsunami hazards.

Fun and magic at the Libraries

Havelock North Library
Oh my goodness! Half the families in Havelock decided to come to the library on Tuesday morning to see Peter the Wacky Wizard. He wowed, zapped, clapped and had all in fits of laughter with his wacky escapades, including the parents. Many children (and a couple of mothers) had the honour of becoming Wizard Assistants during the show.

His amazing doves and rabbit (yes real!) were so well received he had trouble leaving the library after his show due to the amount of children lining up for a pat. Thanks Peter for a great morning.


Hastings Library
Remy from Ratatouille was the star on Wednesday, with a large group of children enjoying stories of his adventures.

Then it was down on the floor with crayons and scissors, and everyone made paper versions of Remy to take home. Photo: Monique with her Remy.

Rugby World Cup

Bonjour mes amis. Rugby World Cup is all over for another four years.
We have some new rugby books (and a DVD) in our libraries, all published in 2007.

• 101 moments of World Cup rugby by Wynne Gray.
• All Blacks : the authorised portrait edited by Ron Palenski
• Celebrity portraits : Andrew Mehrtens : a tribute to a rugby genius by John Matheson
• Inside the All Blacks (DVD)
• Jerry Collins' road to the World Cup with Tim Castle
• Magpie magic : Hawke's Bay rugby heritage : vol. 1 growing to glory (1875-1946) by Frank Long
• Paddy O'Brien's couch guide to rugby by Paddy O'Brien
• Quinn's quirks : the rugby wit and wisdom of Keith Quinn by ...Keith Quinn!
• The reign of King Henry : how Graham Henry transformed the All Blacks by Gregor Paul
• Rucking & rolling : 60 years of international rugby by Peter Bills
• The ultimate guide to weight training for rugby by Robert G. Price
• Unshaven jaws : sixty All Black test captains, 1903-2007 by Richard Lawrence ; foreword by John Hart
• Watching the Rugby World Cup by Spiro Zavos

2007 has been a busy year for publishing rugby books, and there will be a quite a few more before the year is over...

School Holiday Programmes

Above: Peter the Wacky Wizard, an unflappable dove, and just some of the hundreds of children trying to guess how he did his tricks - Hastings Library

We were thrilled with the response to the recent holiday programmes held in our three libraries. Watch Holiday Programmes for details, times and dates of future events. Of course the next big programme is the Summer Reading Programme! Where did that year go?