Leala Faleseuga is the digital inclusion co-ordinator at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō Levin Library.
OPINION
As a librarian, one of my favourite places is in the returns room, the behind-the-scenes hub where it all happens.
The returns room at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō is tucked away behind one of our service desks and while it offers a quiet repose from the hustle and bustle of being on our public-facing desks, it’s just as busy.
I think of it as the command centre for book movements and manoeuvres, making sure everything gets where it should be and remains running smoothly, a bit like a bus depot.
In the returns room, items get sorted into their genres and categories, ready for our recently returned shelves. Maybe something is destined for one of our branches, or to be delivered as part of our Homelink service, it’s in the returns room that these movements are co-ordinated. Reserves, lost books, books for mending, inter-loans and books from other libraries, all pass through the returns room on their way to their next destination.
One of my favourite things about the returns room is that it’s a treasure trove for me to find my next great read. The returns room has a constant flow of books coming back from their adventures in the hands of readers.
The returns room is like a snapshot of what our community has been enjoying - books that have been read, loved (or not), and then sent back into circulation. Some come back with reviews on our comment slips, others with little notes tucked between chapters, and a few even with bookmarks forgotten by the reader (pick any lost bookmarks up from our front desk). It’s like getting a glimpse into what’s popular or what people are curious about at any given time. There’s no better place to find a read that’ll push your reading habits outside their norms.
For me, it’s almost impossible to do a shift in the returns room without leaving with an interesting title or two. Maybe it’s authors I’d forgotten about, or a book that’s never caught my eye before, a hidden gem I never knew existed, a genre I’ve never even tried, or books that flew under the radar when they first arrived, but now call my name.
The returns room is great because it reflects the diversity of our community’s reading habits. There’s always something new. The selection is an ever-changing snapshot from day to day.
While the returns room is a hive of possible next-best reads for librarians, for our public and patrons, your equivalent of the “returns room” is the recently returned shelves, the first stop for items after the returns room, and before they get shelved. Dotted around the library, these are wonderful places to scour and peruse, so be sure to check them out next time you’re in the library.
Literary loves and hidden gems await, and possibly your next best read is waiting.
Top 10 books:
What’s new in Cooking
Have you eaten?: deliciously simple Asian cooking for every mood by Verna Gao
How to eat 30 plants a week by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Don’t buy fruit & veg without me! By Thanh Truong
Budget air-fryer cookbook : money-saving meals for all occasions by Jenny Tshiesche
As cooked on TikTok : fan favorites and recipe exclusives from more than 40 TikTok creators! by Emily Stephenson
German baking : cakes, tarts, traybakes and breads from the Black Forest and beyond by Jurgen Krauss
Magnolia Table, volume 3 : a collection of recipes for gathering by Joanna Gaines
My Indian kitchen : delicious recipes for New Zealand cooks by Ashia Ismail-Singer
Cooking at home : or, how I learned to stop worrying about recipes (and love my microwave) by David Chang
Good vibes : eat well with feel-good flavours by Alby Hailes
Exhibitions
Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō Gallery Presents: From Struggle to Strength – Portraits and Stories of Refugee Students – September 4 to October 30, 2024.
From Struggle to Strength highlights the journeys of six former-refugee college students from Colombia now living in Levin. Curated by Mariana Waculicz with the Ministry of Education, this exhibition features powerful photography and personal stories of resilience and growth. Discover how education has shaped their paths and gain insight into the challenges faced by refugee students. Special thanks to The Big Picture for their support in printing this exhibition. Learn more about the curator at eyelandphotography.com.
Te Awahou Nuiewe Stroom Māpuna Kabinet Gallery: Te Kuranui a Matariki Matariki exhibition – October 1 to October 31, 2024.
Te Taitoa Māori o Te Awahou Trust invites you to Te Kuranui a Matariki at Māpuna Kabinet Gallery. This exhibition features stunning carved artworks from stone, pounamu, whalebone, and native woods, celebrating Matariki and her six children. Curated by Master Carver Heemi Te Peeti, it showcases the talents of his students. Join us on Thursdays for a live workshop as artists carve new taonga. Free entry until the end of October 2024.
What’s On
Heritage room:
Volunteers staff the Heritage rooms at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō Tuesday to Friday at the following times:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 10.00am -12.30pm
Thursday, 12.30pm – 3.00pm
Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom Heritage Room has the Research librarian available all day every Friday.
Friday, October 11:
Spring School Holiday Programme: Whanau Film, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10.30am – 12pm,
Whanau Film, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 10.30am – 12pm
Robot Battle, Shannon Library, 1.30pm – 3.30pm
Friday Live Concert, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 12pm – 1pm
Jim Redmond Crib Club, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm
SeniorNet, Get help with your tablets, phones and laptops
Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 10am – 12pm
Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 2pm – 3pm
Code Club, Shannon Library, 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Monday, October 14:
Storytime, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 10.30am
Meet Street, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 11am Volunteer Central, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 12pm
H.U.G Horowhenua Ukulele Group, Main Space, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 11am – 12pm
Simply Meditation, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 12pm – 1pm, koha
Digital Learning: Staying Safe Online, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm
Tuesday, October 15:
Storytime, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 10.30am – 11am
Digital Drop-in Session, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 11am
Justice of the Peace, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 11.30am – 1.30pm
500 Card Group, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm, $2
Lego Hour, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Wednesday, October 16:
Volunteer Central, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 12pm
Crochet & Coffee Club, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10.30am
Better Digital Futures: Foundation Skills, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm
Code Club, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 4pm – 5pm
Pop Up Eats Horowhenua, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō Carpark, 5pm – 8pm
Quiz Night, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 7pm – 9pm, $5
Thursday, October 17:
Digital Drop-in Session, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 11am
Sewing Workshop, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 12pm
500 Card Group, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm, $2
Loopy Tunes Preschool Musical Show, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1.30pm – 2.10pm
