Library News 12 November 2021

Published on November 12, 2021

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Top 10 books

New Adults Non-Fiction

Help your child make friends: 101 ways to nurture healthy and happy friendships by Poppy O’Neil
Help your child de-stress: 101 ways to ease worries and encourage calm by Vicki Vrint
If then: how one data company invented the future by Jill Lepore
Fathoms: the world in the whale by Rebecca Giggs
The commercial hotel by John Summers
Geronimo and Sitting Bull: leaders of the legendary West by Bill Markley
Nashville: music and manners by Richard Schweid
True colours: my autobiography by Barry Geraghty
The wood age: how one material shaped the whole of human history by Roland Ennos
Japanese farm food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu

Horowhenua Happy Mail

Jennifer Walton – Services to Older Adults Librarian

Do you remember the days when we received hand written letters in the post? The excitement of receiving birthday cards from “Aunty Bev” in the letterbox?  Some of us had pen pals and would check the mailbox each day with anticipation, looking for the next instalment.  These days that same anticipation is reserved for the latest online purchase or the supermarket dropping off the week's groceries, all delivered to the door without any contact with a person.

Much like photographs, letters capture a moment in time. They show us what the writer was thinking of, their emotions, and often what was going on in the world at that time. Handwriting is an extremely personal aspect of someone’s character and can offer a connection to the past. Letters can provide us with a sense of history, of being there and experiencing life with the people who write about the times they live in.

When I was little, our living room would be awash with Christmas cards in December, perched on the fireplace or strung up across the room. They were then kept for years, crammed into a shoebox and later repurposed for crafts and new homemade cards.

Heart felt messages are now plastered on Facebook for all the world to see. The average number of friends a person has on Facebook can be around 300 – even if you’re only actually really friends with, say, 10% of that number that’s still 30 friendships to be maintaining. People receive reminders of birthdays and can respond with a generic message in an instant. Communication between all these people is fast and repetitive and can therefore seem impersonal.

Something as simple as a card can be a huge mood booster for an unsuspecting recipient. With that in mind, Libraries Horowhenua, have a project that everyone can get on-board with. We invite you to spread some Christmas cheer this holiday season by designing and creating cards for seniors living in our local rest homes.  We would love for you to help ensure they feel connected and appreciated this Christmas.

Tips for Card Making:

  • Get creative! Use blank card, pens, felts, paints, scissors, glue, glitter, string
  • Include a kind message, not addressed to anyone in particular and sign with your own name
  • Keep the text large and easy to read
  • Leave the cards undated and if using an envelope, leave it unsealed
  • Pop your card into one of our designated Happy Mail boxes at any of our libraries

Need some inspiration? Check out our examples at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō. We have card kits to pick up if you need some supplies.

“Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most”. - Ruth Carter Stapleton.

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