Choose your Library card!

If you are not already a library member, what are you waiting for? The hardest part about joining is deciding which card you want!

This year's selection includes a large choice of new cards by talented local and international artists, as well as historical photographs from our own local history print collection.

We take a look at the new designs, and the artists behind them.

Manu Taratahi

During the Matariki celebrations for Maori New Year 2008, students of the Certificate in Traditional & Contemporary Maori Weaving programme at UNITEC came and demonstrated Raranga (weaving) at Waitakere Central Library. Subsequent to this association, a body of work was commissioned by Kaiwhakahaere Maori, Rachelle Forbes. A range of display materials have been woven especially for Waitakere Library and Information Services. These are examples of different styles of traditional weaving, utilising traditional patterns, dying techniques and fibres. These taonga raranga are valuable treasures, and will be housed at Waitakere Central Library.

The commission of these pieces shows our commitment to the promotion of matauranga Maori (Maori knowledge) and also highlights our support of the community through the promotion of local Maori weavers.

These pieces have been photographed by Waitakere Libraries' Oral Historian Michael Hennessey, and a photograph of one of the pieces, Manu Taratahi, has been reproduced as a library card to highlight the collection.

Concentric World

This card, is based on branding created for Waitakere Libraries' Multicultural Collection by staff-member Daniel Mayo-Turner.

The design, titled Concentric World, draws inspiration from the art of several cultures, including Australian Aboriginal 'dot paintings', and Eastern traditions of mehndi and mandala.

The colour scheme was chosen to reflect and celebrate Waitakere's branding as an eco-city, while the concentric nature of the design represents unity and strength through diversity.

Chinese Lanterns

Cherry blossom or sakura are an important motif prevalent in many Asian cultures, and are commonly associated with beauty, but also with the transient nature of life.

In China, cherry blossoms represent feminine beauty and love, while in Japan, sakura can be seen as a symbol for the concept of "mono no aware" or empathy towards things.

This library card was created to acknowledge and celebrate the strength of Waitakere's growing Asian population.

The two lanterns represent the unique dualities that result where cultures meet, strengthening each other; while the apple tree gives the image a New Zealand context, and suggests a blossoming of great beauty and potential.

The image was designed by library staff member Daniel Mayo-Turner, and photographed by West-Auckland immigrant David J. Ley.

Two Teddies

This image was chosen by our Children's and Teens' Services Librarians, or Kidz Team, who fell in love with these two charming teddies.

Our Kidz Team offer weekly storytimes for preschoolers, as well as specialist reading advice, and homework help for school-aged children and teens.

The team works closely with schools throughout Waitakere City, promoting reading, literacy and library use, and run several highly successful annual events, including the Summer Reading Programme, which every year attracts hundreds of eager young readers.

Mr Muggs the Library Cat

Prolific New Zealand author/illustrator Dave Gunson has contributed illustrations to over 100 books and publications, including many children's picture books, and various non-fiction works.

He has kindly allowed us to reproduce an illustration from his book "Mr Muggs the Library Cat", which our Children's Librarians recommend as a great read.

You can request any of Dave's books online via our catalogue or view some of Dave's other art on his website.

Dog, Dragon, Werewolf

Titirangi based artist Sarah MacClure specialises in symbolic, quirky, and often haunting fantasy art, and her portfolio includes work-experience as a conceptual artist for Weta Workshop.

Sarah has produced three library cards specifically for our child and teen readers, although we think plenty of adults will want one too!

Sarah has also produced all of the illustrations that will feature on our soon-to-be-released children's signs and branding.

Scott Pilgrim

Bryan Lee O'Malley is a Canadian born, US based, comic-book artist.

His successful series of graphic novels about 23-year-old protagonist Scott Pilgrim, published by Omni Press, are popular with readers all over the world. A live-action film, based on the books is currently being produced by Universal Pictures.

Bryan's art has been used with permission to promote our Kidz Team's annual Make a Manga competition, where aspiring young artists are encouraged to produce their own comic-book.

Bryan has also kindly allowed us to produce a library card, based on an illustration of his Scott Pilgrim character.

You can request any of the Scott Pilgrim novels via our online catalogue, or find our more about the books via the official Scott Pilgrim website.

Hotel Titirangi

As part of our 2007-2008 range of library cards, we featured a photograph of Lopdell House by photographer Chris Hoult.

This year we are proud to feature a photograph of this local landmark, from our Local History Print Collection, as taken by an unknown photographer in 1935.

"Lopdell House began life in 1930 as Hotel Titirangi. Designed by Shortland Street Architects Bloomfield and Partners the building was originally envisaged by the main shareholder, to be an impressive 4-storied monument, with colonnades and courtyards.

Upon completion a less embellished hotel was opened on 20 November 1930 by Prime Minister Gordon Coates in a glittering stylish occasion, in spite of the fact that the Hotel failed to gain a liquor licence and was soon dubbed 'The Pub with no Beer'.

The Hotel was renamed Frank Lopdell House in 1960 after the Superintendent of Education and became the first centre for Teacher's In-service Training, providing a venue for week-long courses. The Building was vacated in 1982 and purchased a year later by The Waitemata City Council, to become an Arts and Cultural Centre for West Auckland.

Today Lopdell House Gallery is Waitakere City's Regional Art Gallery supported by Waitakere City Council."

Excerpt reproduced with permission from the Lopdell House website.

Scenic Drive

This Library card shows Government relief workers in the process of building Scenic Drive during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Scenic Drive was mainly intended as an access road, to service the dams within the water catchment areas of the Waitakere Ranges.

From 1931, the Forbes Government employed thousands of men on subsistence wages, in an effort to combat widespread unemployment.

Unemployed single men were sent to squalid labour-camps, and deployed around the country to build roads, cut scrub, plant pine forests, or work on drainage projects.

By 1932, widespread civil discontent over poor work conditions and pay-cuts, led to rioting in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin.

During the 1935 general election, the New Zealand Labour Party successfully campaigned against poor working conditions, maintaining that relief workers had become 'cheaper than horses', and that everyone should have the right to a 'fair standard of living'.

By 1938, the first Labour Government had introduced the Social Security Act, which was a major milestone in the formation of the modern social welfare system in New Zealand.

Beach Minstrels

The image on this library card by photographer Percy Trenwith was taken at Piha in 1895, and counts among the oldest, and most intriguing photographs of West Auckland in our print collection.

Little is known about the mysterious figures, who appear to be dancing and playing music on the beach.

The image is part of the J.T. Diamond Collection, housed in the Local History section at Waitakere Central Library, and features in West a collaborative book on the history of the Waitakere region, soon to be published by Random House.

If you have any local photographs that you would like to donate to the library, please contact our Local History staff at Waitakere Central Library.