Library news

Here we are in the middle of the year – again.  Winter school holidays are approaching and so is our Winter Warmers Reading Programme.  This year is focusing on the Olympics, so the reading route hops all over the world in search of Olympic sporting countries.  Read books and claim prizes along the way, how can you resist?  (sorry folks, school age children only!) 

The holidays also means no Book Babies or Te Reo Babies for those two weeks.  However the library will still be open and available for the children on holiday as well as everyone else – 9.30 to 5 weekdays and 10-12 Saturdays.  For those children under 8 years of age, please remember to bring an adult carer as we are not legally able to let you stay in the library unaccompanied. 

For those who are not school age and would like some new books, the new financial year is now upon us and the books are flooding in.  As I keep on knocking over glasses of water sometimes it is literally true too.  I am waiting with anticipation for the new Farrow and Ball decorating book, the Juan Li design books, The lubetkin legacy and of course the books on Alaska.  These will come along with all those books that have been personally requested by customers and we will process them as soon as we can and get them to you. 
We have had a really busy couple of months issuing books and DVDs and have had lots of new borrowers join our small but perfectly formed library.  Some of them even like shoes.

Unfortunately sometimes we have a bit of human error under all the pressure of extra busyness (is that a word?)  and we beg forgiveness if you have received an overdue letter for an item you had already returned – it does happen occasionally but it is easily fixed as the book is usually sitting on the shelf, much to our embarrassment.  

I have also had a few comments about the wording of our overdue letters and once again I apologise if these upset you.  As you know overdues are not my favourite part of the job but I have commissioned our resident poet, John Ansell, to assist me in making life more enjoyable when it comes to overdue letters.  John has designed an alternative overdue letter (following).  Please let us know what you think and whether we should adopt the new poetic masterpiece instead of our traditional letter.  Answers on a postcard, in person, on Facebook, by email or telephone – let’s have a Referendum!    They seem to be popular this year. 
 
Shirley
An overdue reminder.
If by chance you book has run overdue this timely poem would surely be more friendly than the standard, rather cold, notice. What do you think?
Please let Shirley know.

OWED TO THE OVERDUE

Dear [Name]
This gentle rhyminder’s to notify you
That an item or items are now overdue
(As such notifications are typically terse
We decided your library should write it in verse):
[DETAILS OF OVERDUE ITEM/S]

Your infraction is hardly a cardinal sin,
But, as Newton implied, what goes out must come in.
So unless you renew and defer ‘user pays’
What goes out must come in within twenty-one days.
After one day of grace we’ve got orders to charge,
But we hope you agree that our fee is not large.
Not a dollar-a-day as the big libraries seek,
But a half that amount for the whole of the week.

But do note: every week you delay, it’ll double
So bring ’em back now and avoid further trouble!

Yours helpfully

Wairarapa Library Service*

*with a little help from Martinborough’s John Ansell, author of I Think The Clouds Are Cotton Wool – Rhymes Committed by John Ansell.