Australian Reading Hour

Posted by Catherine on 14 September, 2018

Australian Reading Hour

What is Australian Reading Hour? Australian Reading Hour is an initiative supported by the Australian Government, Better Reading and the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund to encourage all Australians across the country to pick up a book and read for one hour on your own or with your children. It is being driven by libraries all across Australia to promote the benefits of reading.

What are the benefits of reading? Well, it helps to increase literacy and numeracy skills and has a positive and significant effect on your work. Reading reduces stress by 68%, relieving stress more quickly than listening to music, going for a walk or having a cup of tea, and we all know that tea fixes everything 😉. The more leisure books people read, the more literate they become and the more prosperous and equitable the society they live in becomes. Reading a gripping novel causes positive biological changes in the brain that can last for days. Who knew that indulging in your fave author or book genre could have a positive effect on society and yourself? When tested for empathy, readers of narrative fiction achieved significantly higher than other groups. With a bit more empathy, our world would be a more harmonious place to live.

Children who know adults who read for pleasure take it for granted that reading is valuable and reading is closely linked to increasing our understanding of our own identities. It was found by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research that reading to children six to seven days a week puts them almost a year ahead of those who are not being read to. So reading to children and encouraging them to read is setting them up for success in life. Isn’t that what every parent wants?

Sounds good. When is it? It’s on Thursday September 20 2018, and the hour and reading material are your choice. Find more information and to register your interest on their website, go to https://www.readinghour.org.au/.

I don’t have a book to read for leisure at the moment. Do QUT Libraries have anything? Yes! QUT Libraries have more than just your textbooks. There are great fiction novels in print and online, for adults and children. Check Quick Find today.

But I prefer non-fiction. That’s okay. QUT Libraries have that covered too. We have autobiographies, biographies, commentaries, self-help books plus a whole lot more. The choice is yours! 😊

Don’t forget, when searching in Quick Find, you can limit your results to books and ebooks only.

Paperbark: First Nation Narratives with Dr Anita Heiss

Posted by Sandra on 30 July, 2018

QUT Murri-Ailan Way is proud to present Paperbark: First Nation Narratives with Dr Anita Heiss.

Dr Heiss is a member of the Wiradjuri nation of central New South Wales and is one of Australia’s most prolific and well-known authors of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander literature.

A poet, satirist and social commentator, Dr Heiss will be speaking about her work and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pioneers in literature who have inspired her next Wednesday 8 August at QUT Kelvin Grove Library next week (SOLD OUT see below for waiting list email).

If you didn’t manage to get a ticket, we have a number of Dr Heiss’s books available to borrow from the QUT Library including:

Avoiding Mr Right (2008) Offered the professional opportunity of a lifetime, Peta leaves her coastal life and doting boyfriend James in Sydney for a 12 month stint in the ‘fashion capital of Australia’.

Am I black enough for you? (2012) Anita Heiss gives a first-hand account of her experiences as a woman with an Aboriginal mother and Austrian father, and explains the development of her activist consciousness. Read her story and ask: what does it take for someone to be black enough for you?

I’m not racist but– : a collection of social observations. (2017) This collection of social observations, thoughts and conversations will challenge the reader to consider issues of imposed and real Aboriginal identity, the process of reconciliation and issues around saying ‘sorry’, notions of ‘truth’ and integrity, biculturalism and invisible whiteness, entrenched racism and political correctness.

Please email: k.csatlos@qut.edu.au to go on to the waiting list for this event

Take a virtual tour of QUT Library

Posted by Natalie on 18 July, 2018

O Week is a great time to explore QUT Library!

Library tours will run throughout orientation week.

Drop in to HiQ to join the next available tour. HiQ is located at Gardens Point Library (Level 3, V Block) and Kelvin Grove Library (Level 2, R Block).

You can also take a virtual tour of the Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove Libraries.

These short 360 videos will introduce you to the services and resources located within QUT Libraries.

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Relax & catch your breath between exams

Posted by Sandra on 14 June, 2018

You know when the words stop making sense on the page and you’re re-reading the same sentence again and again – it’s unlikely you’re taking anything in… your brain’s fried, it’s time to take a break….

QUT has some great distractions from the real world – so here are some ways to have a quick refresh, so you can get back to the books.

Have a game of table tennis – there’s a table in the courtyard on level 2 (entry level) at the KG Library
Take a walk around the Brisbane Botanical Gardens, just a hop skip and jump from the GP library
Head halfway across the Goodwill Bridge, have a coffee, and sit and watch as cyclists wreak havoc on pedestrians
Head up to the garden level of P Block (level 6,The Cube) at GP and stretch out on a bench for a power nap
Take a walk around the QUT Art Museum, a new exhibition begins on Saturday 16 June – Abstraction: Celebrating Australian Women Abstract Artists.
Get to the Games Lab at KG library and play a retro classic
Have a walk around the bookshops at either campus and pick up something great to enjoy over the break.
Go for an indoor swim – one-off rates are available at campus fitness centres.
If you’ve got a great spot and can’t bear to leave the library we have some great video streaming options (EduTV & Kanopy)