What will you read this summer break?

Posted by Catherine on 19 December, 2019

Summer is well and truly here!

Many of us are taking some time off, some travelling, some having staycations. Wherever you go (or don’t go) you can always take a book with you. These days, the formats are so diverse but all can transport you to another place and time, inspire you to make great changes or maybe no changes at all.

“Downloadable audiobooks are here” by Lucius Beebe

Good stories can be like friends. They can pick you up when you’re feeling down, make you laugh out loud or bring you to tears. I have one or two novels that I’ve read (well, listened to actually… BIG fan of audio books – you should check out QUT Library’s collections of audiobooks) so many times I almost know them off by heart. They are my comfort reading books. The beauty of an audiobook is that you can be listening/reading while doing something else such as lying on a beach, preparing a Christmas feast or going for a walk after consuming said feast.

Are you the sort of person who likes the look, feel and smell of a physical book? New books especially can build that sense of excitement; that you are the first person to look at these particular pages, the first one to feel them, to read the words that the author has spent labouring over, and sometimes it will feel like they are speaking directly to you.

iPad on a desk with pen, keyboard and mouse

“iPad ereader” by Constance Wiebrands

What about ebooks? Ereaders (think Kindle, Kobo, etc) these days are great for offering you the flexibility of enlarging the text, changing the background colour, the font, personalising your reading experience. Our etextbooks don’t have quite the same flexibility or customisation as an ereader, but are still really handy if you want to get ahead of the game for 2020 and use your summer reading time to learn something new in anticipation of what you will learn or teach next year.

However and whatever you like to read, I hope that you enjoy the summer break and the festive season and may 2020 be your best year yet.

P.S. QUT Libraries will be closed from the 25^th of December and reopen on 2^nd January. Check the website for more details.

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Summer is almost here – Let’s go!

Posted by Catherine on 27 November, 2019

You’ve worked hard all year and the time is right to take a break from work, study and perhaps even the summer heat.

Personally, I love the summer – the long hot days and the balmy summer nights but I also love getting out of the City and heading to the beach. My favourite place to escape to is the Sunshine Coast with its gorgeous white sandy beaches and enticing blue waters. Just remember to swim between the flags and ‘slip, slop, slap, seek and slide’!

For those of you not so enamoured with the beach, the Sunshine Coast Hinterland can be absolutely breathtaking and a cooler area than the coast. Mary Cairncross Park has spectacular views across to the Glasshouse Mountains and beyond. They have a museum and environmental education section as well to learn about all the fabulous flora and fauna in this remarkable area.

The Gold Coast has its own natural beauty with its beautiful beaches and luscious hinterland as well as the added attraction of the theme parks for those adventure seekers.

If you’re looking to go a little further afield, why not check out our collection of travel guides at Kelvin Grove Library. There are online versions of some of the guides too so you can access them wherever you are (with an internet connection of course 😊).

What ever you do or wherever you go we wish you a safe and restful holiday break.

Get your game on!

Posted by Catherine on 4 November, 2019

It’s time for International Games Week (IGW). IGW is an initiative “…around the world to reconnect communities through their libraries around the educational, recreational, and social value of all types of games.” https://games.ala.org/international-games-week/

Personally, I love playing games. Not with people’s feelings and emotions, but with a board and some tokens or some cards, or a bat and ball. I like games I play on my mobile device too, but not as much as the ones I play face to face. I love the strategizing where I’m trying to be the best zombie killer, the cooperative games where I’m helping to stop a pandemic from wiping out the world and the storyteller, who’s taking my character through a series of challenges imagined by the castle-master. I enjoy the team games like Pictionary or Charades that test my creativity and quick thinking and the more active ones like table tennis (I know that this is an Olympic sport, but the way my friends and I play, it’s a game) or Marco Polo (for those of you who don’t know what this is, see here for a definition/rules for game play). I’m not always the best player but I’m always willing to have a go.

QUT Library gets involved in the action too. At all the Libraries there are games to help you get your mind off your exam prep, relax a little and enjoy a bit of socialisation, ready for the next study session. The Law Library has chess, KG Library has giant Jenga and table tennis (Ping Pong) and GP Library has table tennis too! If the digital games really are more your thing, you can borrow Xbox or Playstation games to take home or use the Games Lab if you’re at KG Library. See which games are available in Library Search. So get your game on and get those endorphins flowing!

Brisbane Writers Festival

Posted by David on 3 September, 2019

Celebrate the written word at this year’s Brisbane Writers Festival, 5-8 September.

Hosted by the State Library of Queensland, the Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), and various public libraries around Brisbane, the BWF features an impressive program of panel discussions, workshops, performances, and meet-the-writer sessions.

It’s a great opportunity for readers of all persuasions–not to mention students in Creative Writing and related disciplines–to hear local and international writers read and discuss their work. The diverse program comprises novelists, poets, children’s authors, journalists, historians, philosophers, and at least one former Prime Minister.

This year’s line-up includes Brisbane-born Melissa Lucashenko, whose novel Too Much Lip won the 2019 Miles Franklin Award; British author Jasper Fforde, perhaps best known for his highly original novel The Eyre Affair; multiple Walkley Award-winning journalist Kerry O’Brien; and over 150 other writers.

For devotees of Young Adult literature and getting into things for free, the BWF is hosting Love YA, a full day of (free) events at Brisbane Square Library, Saturday 7th September. Meet notable Australian YA authors such as James Moloney, Randa Abdel-Fattah, and Will Kostakis. If you’re not familiar with their books, there’s a good selection in QUT Library’s Curriculum Collection.

The work of many other featured BWF writers can be found in the Library’s General Collection.

Children’s Book Week is coming!

Posted on 15 August, 2019

Reading is my secret power

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) presents annual awards to books of literary merit, for outstanding contribution to Australian children’s literature. The winners are announced Friday 16 August with CBCA Book Week following from 17-23 August.

The QUT Kelvin Grove Library supports this event with a wonderful display of 2019 Shortlist and Notables titles in the Curriculum area on level 4 of R Block. These titles are available for loan. You can access the CBCA website for the announcement of the Winners, CBCA Short list and Notables list. The categories for book of the year are:

Book of the year: Older readers (ages 13-18 years)
Book of the year: Younger readers (ages 7-12 years)
Book of the year: Early childhood (ages 0-6 years)
Picture book of the year
Eve Pownall Award (factual material, ages 0-18 years)
New illustrator (ages 0-18 years)

Enjoy your secret power and we hope to see you in the Library soon!

A Celebration of Books… and Copyright!

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Posted by David on 18 April, 2019

For those who love books (and who doesn’t?), 23 April is World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day, an annual UNESCO event promoting books, reading, publishing, and the protection of intellectual property through copyright.

World Book Day is a great time to rediscover the thrill of reading for pleasure, and QUT Library has plenty to choose from when it comes to recreational reading, including free access to collections of ebooks and audiobooks that can be downloaded to your smartphone or tablet.

When it comes to the slightly less fun but equally important issue of copyright, the Library’s Copyright Guide contains a lot of useful information. See, in particular, the section on copyright as it applies to study and research.

Finally, some World Book Day trivia: UNESCO chose 23 April because it’s a significant date in world literature. William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes (author of Don Quixote), and historian Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died on that date in the year 1616.

Curious encounters with science, the arts + technology – Curiocity Brisbane 15 March – 3 April 2019

Posted by Catherine on 18 March, 2019

“Take a break from reality and immerse yourself in Curiocity Brisbane – a brand-new series of science, art and technology experiences spanning the Brisbane River. For 20 days starting in March, one-of-a-kind installations, pop-ups and interactive spaces crafted by local and international artists, technicians and makers will be on display and free for everyone to explore.” https://curiocitybrisbane.com/

The experiences are on both sides of the river including one on the lawn of Gardens Point Road, just near P Block. Why not start your journey there and make your way around to the other experiences? You can take your time to explore as they’re open 24/7. Are you coming to GP campus to do some study in the Library? Leave a little earlier and take in some experiences on your way in. Who knows, it may just inspire you to create your own experience for next year’s event.

QUT Library can help with inspiration too. Search for art installation or art AND technology or art AND science and use the filters on the left to limit to Creative Works to see online images of past exhibits, art or installations from former QUT students, staff and external artists.

Stay Cool on Australia Day

Posted by David on 24 January, 2019

The Australia Day holiday next Monday is the last public holiday before the academic year officially begins, and it’s going to be–as we say in Oz–a scorcher!

If you find the weather a little too warm for beaches and barbecues, and you’re keen to start preparing for Semester One, you’ll be happy to know that QUT Library (Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove branches) will be open for business from 9am to 5pm. Feel free to come in and use the computer labs, borrow a book, or maybe visit a HiQ service point for assistance with… pretty much anything!

If you are planning to stay at home this Australia Day, the Library’s wide selection of ebooks and online videos will keep you entertained while you relax in air-conditioned or fan-induced comfort. There’s plenty of Australian content to help you get into the spirit of our national day.

The official date of Australia Day is Saturday, January 26th. Head to Southbank that evening for the Australia Day Fireworks. No sunscreen required!

Summer Reading

Posted by Catherine on 3 December, 2018

You’ve finished all the course readings for your studies for the year or you’re winding up those work projects and now, it’s time for you to do some recreational reading and have a little ‘me time’.

QUT Library has fiction and non-fiction books for all ages for your recreational reading needs. Discover a new author or genre that you’ve never read before. This summer could be a great opportunity to venture into your first graphic novel or a new Christmas themed children’s book from our wonderful curriculum collection at Kelvin Grove.

We have ebooks and audiobooks too, so if you’re on a summer break, it’s not too late get some holiday reading fun. Use the ebook databases to browse our collections today (details can be found here).