Book Week 2011!

Cronulla Library Book Week DisplaySutherland Library Book Week Display

Our creative staff have been busy! Check out our Flickr photos to see the beautiful Book Week displays at our libraries. The theme for Book Week this year is 'One World, Many Stories.'

Many local students have visited our libraries or we have been to their schools. By the end of our celebrations around 8000 local kids will have joined us.

The major focus of Book Week is the announcement of the winners of the Children's Book of the Year Awards - Find out which books won...

Fathers day 2011

Its Fathers Day this Sunday (4th September), what's something special you can do for dad? Forget buying socks, ties and soap on a rope this year, if you want to get into the good books with dad(or grandad or uncle...) just bring him to the library for the Fathers Day Storytime, on Saturday, 3rd September at 10.30am. We all know the best dads love (or at least like) to relax and read. While you're at the library, dad might like to find some books to borrow. Here's some suggestions he might like, no matter what type of dad he is!



Happy Fathers Day, 2011.















Pizza & Pages with Sue Whiting

Pizza & Pages this term will be welcoming author Sue Whiting who will be joining us to talk about her writing. Sue will be visiting us on Wednesday 14th September, 7.00-8.00pm at Sutherland Library. If you are in High School and love pizza, join us! Check out our events page for details on how to book.

2011 Book Week Winners announced







The Children's Book Council of Australia have announced the winners and honour books for Book Week. Sutherland Shire Libraries will be celebrating for the next two weeks by presenting interactive presentations to schools around the Shire.





Older Readers Book of the Year:
The Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett; published by Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)


Younger Readers Book Of the Year:

The Red Wind by Isobelle Carmody; published by Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)


Early Childhood Book of the Year:

Maudie and Bear by Jan Ormerod, illustrated by Freya Blackwood; published by Little Hare Books


Picture Book of the Year:

Joint winners:

Mirror by Jeannie Baker; published by Walker Books

Hamlet by Nicki Greenberg; published by Allen & Unwin


Eve Pownall Book of the Year

The Return of the Word Spy by Ursula Dubosarsky, illustrated by Tohby Riddle; published by Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)















































































Wrap With Love at Cronulla Library




Cronulla Library's 2011 'Wrap with Love Knit In' brought together young and old for four hours on a chilly Friday morning. All ladies, many already members of our Cronulla Crafters Knitting and Crochet group, generously donated their time and skill to knit for this worthy cause. Branch staff also took the opportunity to ask the group for reading recommendations and were surprised by the eclectic results. Choices ranged from popular, contemporary and classical fiction to the biographies of a world leader and a refugee.

Colleen McCullough 'The Thorn Birds'
Maeve Binchy 'Quentins' & 'Light a Penny Candle'
Rosamunde Pilcher 'Winter Solstice'
Barbara Kingsolver ' Poisonwood Bible'
Jane Austen 'Sense and Sensibility'
Sidney Sheldon ' The Other side of Midnight' & 'Nothing Lasts Forever '
Danielle Steel
any titles by this Author
J.R.R.Tolkein 'The Hobbit'
Harper Lee 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

Barack Obama 'Dreams From My Father: a story of race and inheritance.'
Colin McPedran ' White Butterflies'

Emma Quay at Book & Bickies

Emma Quay, author and illustrator was our special guest at Books & Bickies this term. Emma talked to the young crowd about how she works through the process of illustrating picture books. Emma has also written some of her own picture books and she delighted the kids by reading 3 of them to the crowd. The kids were the first to hear her new book, Rudie Nudie, which will be released in November this year. It was a wonderful afternoon and Emma delighted the kids with her beautiful drawings.

Larissa Behrendt Author Talk

Indigenous rights advocate, author and 2010 NSW Australian of the Year Larissa Behrendt came to Cronulla Library during NAIDOC Week to talk about her award winning novels ‘Home’ and ‘Legacy’.

Larissa gave a personal and compelling talk on her childhood and some of the life experiences she has used as inspiration for her writing.

If you missed out on seeing Larissa at Cronulla you can watch the talk online below or through our Author Talks page, along with other authors the libraries have hosted.

Larissa Behrendt from Sutherland Shire Libraries on Vimeo.

"Never booked out"

Do you love to read and discuss books? Are you looking for a book group to join? You are invited to come along and join Cronulla library’s new open book group, “Never booked out”. The group will meet the first Monday of each month at 2.00pm, starting on 5th September, 2011. No bookings required, just come along and share your thoughts and insights about the selected book. Library staff will select books for each months discussion, and suggestions of what you would like to read are always welcome. This month we are reading "Cloudstreet" by Tim Winton. If you would like to read “Cloudstreet”, the library holds multiple copies of this book. Can’t get to the book group? Join in the discussion on our facebook page, or via twitter. A list discussion questions are available here. You are also invited to join our email list to receive information pertaining to the “Never booked out” book group.

Family History Week 2011

This week is National Family History Week. Running from July 29th-August 8th, it is a week dedicated to celebrating family and local history, with numerous events taking place around Australia.


The Sutherland Shire has many dedicated and avid genealogists and family history buffs, including representatives from the Botany Bay Family History Society who meet at the Sutherland Library each Thursday morning to assist others with their family history research.


Shire libraries also hold a range of records and archives that may assist those interested in digging into their family's past. These can be found either at the Sutherland Library or online through a number of databases including ancestry.com and findmypast.com.


If you are keen to get started on you family history, why not come into the Sutherland Library and have a chat to our Local Studies Librarian who will be happy to point you in the right direction!

*In photo - Brinsley Family ca 1903

Anita Heiss Author Talk Captured on Video

If you missed out on seeing Sydney Author Anita Heiss talk at Cronulla Library in April - not to worry! We filmed the talk so that everyone can enjoy Anita's funny and informative presentation on her novels and her journey whilst writing them.
The video is below, view other Author Talks that we've filmed and be on the lookout for upcoming events via the What's On page.


Anita Heiss from Sutherland Shire Libraries on Vimeo.

Let them eat cake

The theme for History week, 2012 is E.A.T history. That is, Edible, Appetising and Tasty history. This sounds like a good reason to explore the history of food and sample some at the same time!




To celebrate this year's History Week, the Library is offering a great opportunity to indulge your sweet tooth by joining us for dessert, at a fun and informative event “Let them eat cake”. Come along to Cronulla library on Tuesday, 6th September, at 6.30pm, and sample some of Australia’s iconic and delicious historical desserts. Try some damper, (create your own culinary sensation by topping it with any or all the condiments provided), mini pavlovas, Anzac cookies and of course, lamingtons. Which one is your favourite?

As a further tribute to these iconic desserts, we have local author and poet, Margaret Ruckert, attending to give a talk about historical Australian desserts. She has written a book, “You deserve dessert: Fact, fiction and fable” featuring some tongue in cheek poems and mini stories inspired by this theme. Take a trip down memory lane and hear about luscious lemon cheesecake (hiding under a designer pseudonym), a seductive orange and poppy seed cake, an ode to chocolate mud cake and one to lemon meringue pie, lamingtons ( a.k.a a dry land ecology) and much more, as you eat! You will have the opportunity to purchase a copy of this delightful and witty book at the event.

Bookings are essential. You can book online , or by phone or in person at any of the library branches. Attendance is $5.00 per person. (Please note, this booking will not be finalised until payment has been received by the library, within one week of booking. Sorry, there are no refunds).