Timaru Campus – Ara Library Blog

King’s Birthday celebration 2023

Monday the 5th June is the first official King’s Birthday celebration.

King Charles III, head of state of New Zealand

This is the first King’s Birthday Weekend since the ascension of King Charles III to the throne. It was decided in 2022 to keep the first Monday in June as a day of celebration of the sovereign. Previously this day was Queens Birthday Weekend so it is going to take some time to get used to the new name.

King Charles III’s birthday is actually on 14th November…he was born in 1948 so he is currently 74 years old.

All branches of the Ara Library will be closed for the day and our normal hours of operation will recommence on Tuesday 6th June at 7 am. From all of us here at Ara Library we wish you a peaceful and productive long weekend and we look forward to seeing you when we reopen.

Jonathan Moake

Library Assistant

Opening hours over Labour Weekend

The Library will be closed on Monday 24th October for the Labour Day Holiday.

Labour Day commemorates the eight-hour working day initiated by the labour union movement over a century ago. It is celebrated on the fourth Monday in October.

The ‘eight-hour day’ recognises that each day has eight hours for work, eight for rest and eight for recreation. The origin of New Zealand’s labour movement goes back to 1840.

We will reopen on Tuesday 25th October at 8 am.

From all of us here at the Library we hope you have a restful day.

Library closed on Monday 26th September for the Queen Elizabeth II Remembrance Day

The Library at all Ara Campus will be closed on Monday 26th September as we officially remember the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

This is a one off public holiday announced by the government last week and will be observed right across the country. There will be a national ceremony to remember the Queen in Wellington on that day.

Our normal hours of operation will resume at 7 am on Tuesday 27th September.

Queens Birthday Weekend 2022

All branches of the Library at Ara will be closed on Monday the 6th June 2022 for the Queens birthday weekend. Our usual services will resume on Tuesday 7th June.

Queen Elizabeth II was not born on this day…her actual birth date was the 21st April 1926. Queen’s Birthday holiday is celebrated in New Zealand on the first Monday in June so the date moves year by year.

We hope you have a peaceful day and look forward to seeing back on campus after the long weekend.

Cheers

Ara Library – Photography Competition

Brought to you by Julie Humby

August 19^th is World Photography Day, and Ara Library is running a competition to celebrate the occasion!

Photo by DESIGNECOLOGIST on Unsplash

Themes:

Winter
Around the Campus (any of the Ara campuses)

Prizes:

3 x $60.00 prizes of Riverside Market vouchers or Prezzy Cards
3 x runner up prizes of chocolates

Entries:

Entries can be in the form of landscapes, documentary, abstract etc., using any technique that you, the photographer, wishes. Please remember that the basis of all good photography is the quality of light.

Images need to have been taken by the entrant within the last 2 months. Up to 4 images my be submitted by an entrant in total.

Digital images are to be emailed to us to us by Monday, 16th August (8:00 am). Please email images to library@ara.ac.nz including your name, student/staff number and the department that you are from.

The entries will be printed and put on display from Monday, 16th August at the City Campus Library (they will also be available online through Facebook).

Winners:

John Maillard (Head of Photography Programme at Ara) will select the winners from the categories.

Viewers will be able to vote for their favourite image through the People’s Choice.

Winners will be announced on Thursday, 19^th August, World Photography Day

Samoa Language Week at Timaru Campus

We will be celebrating Samoa Language Week at the Timaru Campus library from Monday 31st May to Saturday 5th June.

Unfortunately, due to the Timaru campus closure, today’s events (Mon 31st May) will not take place.

Please feel free to come along and take part in our celebrations.

Library hours over the Easter Weekend break

The year is inexorably rolling forward and once again we find ourselves at Easter. Easter Weekend is a great time to de-stress and unwind after the first hectic weeks of the year and gives us all a chance to spend time with friends, family and whanau.

The Library will also be closed over the Easter Weekend break and our hours will be:

Friday 2nd April Closed

Saturday 3rd April Closed

Sunday 4th April-Tuesday 6th April Closed

We will reopen for business at 7 am on Wednesday 8th April 2021.

Don’t over indulge in Easter Chocolate this holiday….

From all of us here at Ara Library we wish you a peaceful and restful Easter break.

Library opening hours for Christmas 2020/2021

The Christmas holiday season and the end of the academic year are upon us. As a part of the holiday break over December and January our hours of operation will be changing.

For the period Monday 7th December 2019 -Tuesday the 9th February 2021 the Library will observe the following hours:

Library opening hours for December 2020-February 2021

Please note we will be closed on Monday the 8th February for the Waitangi Day celebration. Our normal hours of operation will resume on Tuesday 9th February 2020.

From all of us at the Library we wish you a safe and happy Summer break and we look forward to seeing you in the new year.

Library hours over the Canterbury Anniversary Weekend (Show Day)

All branches of the library at Ara Institute of Canterbury will be closed on Friday 13th November 2020 for Canterbury Anniversary Day (Show Day). We will reopen at 10am on Saturday 14th November.

Show Day will be different this year due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The annual Agricultural Exhibition held at the show grounds in Hillmorton has been cancelled this year.

The Canterbury Agricultural Show in 2017…

Given that 80 000-100 000 people visit the show over its three days this was the only possible outcome. This will be only the second time in its history that the Show has been cancelled. The other time was during the Second World War when it did not take place from 1939-1944.

While the Canterbury Agricultural Show is cancelled most of us will still have a day off work & study. Show Weekend is usually fine so some sort of outdoor activity would seem to be a good alternate. Picnics, barbeques, camping, beach walks and family get togethers are all good options…

Travers Valley from the Lakehead Track jetty, Nelson Lakes National Park

Personally I will be spending the weekend tramping in Nelson Lakes National Park.

From all of us here at Ara Library I would like to wish you a safe Canterbury Anniversary Day and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Library hours over Labour Day

All Ara library branches will be closed on Monday 26th October for the Labour Day holiday. Our usual hours will resume from Tuesday the 27th October 2020.

Labour Day has been celebrated in New Zealand since 1900 and commemorates the struggle over many decades for an 8 hour working day.

Lithograph showing the first Labour Day celebrations in Wellington in 1900

While some people will still be working many of us will be able to spend time with family and friends. Great Labour Day activities include camping, walks, visits to the beach or your favorite park. It is usually a good day for a early summer barbeque or picnic. You might make a weekend of it and head off to some exotic location around New Zealand….

From all the staff here at Ara Library we hope you have a happy and restful Labour Day however you decide to spend it.