Australian Cookbooks Travelling Display

Long before Masterchef, food and recipes played an important part in family life. What do you think were popular recipes appearing on the dinner tables in our past?

Sutherland Library will be hosting a display of colourful reproductions from the State Library of NSW's fascinating collection of original cookbooks.
This display reveals a culinary story about food trends from the 1860s to the present day.

Cookbooks provide an interesting social record of the times and document the impact of food on war, celebrations, the Great Depression, migration and new technology.

Australian Cookbooks is a free display that can be seen at Sutherland Library during hours of opening from 10 September to 4th October 2010.

Parenting Support Information Session - Fussy Eaters

Have you ever wondered why your child is a fussy eater? Should you be worried about what and how much your child eats?

Briony Howland, a nutritionist from Birth in Balance will be speaking at Engadine Library about many aspects of fussy eating and what parents can do to encourage good eating patterns in their children.

Where: Engadine Library
When: Tuesday 14th September 2010
Time: 10.30-11.30
Contact: 9548 6003
Cost: Free

Get Reading this Spring!

Spring is almost here and it's time to get outdoors with a good book and celebrate Get Reading!: Australia's largest annual celebration of books and reading. Now in it's ninth year Get Reading! is a nationwide campaign to encourage more Australians to discover or rediscover a love of books.

In 2010, Get Reading! will run from 25th August to 30th September. Sutherland Shire Libraries are celebrating this event by providing free 50 Books You can't Put Down guides. These guides provide a wide range of reading suggestions for young and old from many different genres. Sutherland Shire Libraries also have copies of all books listed in the guide to help you get started.

Have a look at the Get Reading! site for more information on the campaign and upcoming events. You can also read the first chapters of most of the 50 books here.

Otherwise, come into any Sutherland Shire Library this September, pick up your free guide and Get Lost! Get Fresh! Get Real! Get Hooked! Get Comfy! Get Reading! 

Linking Generations - Primary School Art Competition

Is Sutherland Shire home to the next Great Australian Artist?

Cronulla Library will be holding a great exhibition of artworks completed by Shire children in Years K-2. The works depict an older person who is special
to them. Plenty of colour, expressions of love with no airbrushing required.

See these artworks at Cronulla Library from Saturday 11th to Monday 20th September

No Problem Seminar - How to Focus on Solutions

How would you like to improve your ability to think and see different solutions?

Shake off your 'old' negative thinking habits?

Enjoy life without letting problems get the best of you?

Feel empowered and be able to deal with any problem?

Use the Internet to find the best information quickly?


Sutherland Library will be hosting a free 90 minute seminar given by the author Elizabeth Hanley on solving problems based on the book No Problem! 4 simple tools to solve any problem.

When: Saturday 11th September 2010
Time: 2.00 - 3.00pm
Cost: Free
Where: Sutherland Library
30-36 Belmont Street, Sutherland
Phone: 9710 0351

Do You Love To Read? Looking to join a Local Book Group?

Would you like to share your love of reading with others in a relaxed social environment?

A new Book Club in Sutherland Shire would like to welcome new members to join and participate in some stimulating and interesting discussions.

For all the details, check out Bookish Ardour

Children's Book Week 2010 - Winners Announced!

The Children's Book Council of Australia have announced the 2010 winners of Book of the Year. There are five categories with a winner and two honour books listed in each:

Book of the Year : Older Readers
Jarvis 24 by David Metzenthen
Honour Books : Older Readers
The Winds of Heaven by Judith Clarke
A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard




Book of the Year : Younger Readers
Honour Books : Younger Readers
Running with the Horses by Alison Lester
Pearl verses the World by Sally Murphy; Illustrations by Heather Potter




Book of the Year : Early Childhood
Bear and Chook by the Sea by Lisa Shanahan; Illustrations by Emma Quay
Honour Books : Early Childhood
Kip by Christina Booth
Clancy and Millie and the Very Fine House by Libby Gleeson; Illustrations by Freya Blackwood


Picture Book of the Year
The Hero of Little Street by Gregory Rogers
Honour Books : Picture Book of the Year
Isabella's Garden by Rebecca Cool; Text by Glenda Millard
Fox and Fine Feathers by Narelle Oliver



Eve Pownall Information Book of the Year
Honour Books : Eve Pownall Information Book of the Year
Polar Eyes : A Journey to Antarctica by Tanya Patrick; Illustrations by Nicholas Hutcheson
Maralinga : The Anangu Story by Yalata and Oak Communities with Christobel Mattingley

To celebrate Book Week (23rd - 27th August), Libraries throughout Sutherland Shire have created beautiful displays around the theme 'Across the Story Bridge'. They will host a number of School visits where they'll present the winners and nominees with some fun games (and maybe an appearance from Bear and Chook).

Cross the story bridge into the Library this Book Week and see if you can spot your favourite characters in the fantstic displays. Here's a sneak peak of what each Library has to offer:










 To see more photos, check out Sutherland Shire Libraries photostream on Flickr.

Download audiobooks and ebooks with Overdrive

Do you like listening to audiobooks?

Are you interested in reading digital books?

Then try out Sutherland Shire Libraries Overdrive service. You can use this service to browse, check out and download a wide range of audiobooks and ebooks. Your downloads can then be transferred to a device such as your PC, CD, ipod, mp3 player or Windows media player subject to digital rights restrictions.

This means you could listen to your downloads in the car, on the train and when you're out and about. If the book you wanted in the Library is checked out, you might be able to download it and view it from your PC.

To access this service all you need is the Internet and a valid Sutherland Shire Libraries card.

Free Online Computer Training @ Sutherland Shire Libraries

Are you tearing your hair out while trying to use the latest Microsoft Excel Program?
Why not try our Online Computer Training Database?

This database provides interactive training in a range of computer programs including:
  • Introductory Computer Training;
  • Microsoft Office 2007: Excel, Word, Powerpoint and Outlook;
  • Microsoft Vista 2007;
  • Windows 7; and
  • Social Networking
Each course is made up of small, interactive modules and includes a number of activities. Users set up their own individual account so you can log onto the database at any time and work through it at your own pace. You can also test your new found expertise with Windows 2007 testing.

So take advantage of this great opportunity to learn new skills and logon today. You must have a valid Sutherland Shire Libraries Card to access this service.

Calm your kids - Information session for parents!

Engadine Library will be hosting this 1 hour, free, information session on Tuesday the 17th August 10.30am - 11.30. All are welcome.

The session will cover such topics as:
  • The importance for parents to demonstrate the behaviours they would like their children to display.
  • Encouraging and facilitating the use of relaxation strategies.
  • Incorporating relaxing activities in the home and family life.
  • Examples of simple breathing exercises and mindfulness activities.
  • A brief introduction to the Calm Your Kids classes.
The presenter, Melissa Maxwell is a certified Relaxed Kids Teacher and is a manager of a psychology practice in Sans Souci.

For more information about this session phone 9548 6003