Media release
16 January 2014

Auckland Libraries celebrate Year of the Ram

Auckland Council’s Libraries will be lively community hubs for Lunar New Year this February, with an exciting line-up of events planned to welcome the Year of the Ram.

Local communities will have a chance to celebrate at their neighbourhood libraries – with 88 events planned across the region. Activities on the Lunar New Year calendar include cooking demonstrations, bilingual storytimes, calligraphy classes, fan dancing, children’s crafts, tai-chi and music.

“Lunar New Year is a great time for Auckland Council’s Libraries to continue to connect with their local ethnic communities, some of whom may be celebrating far from home,” says Cr. Cathy Casey, Community Development and Safety Committee chair.

“Billions of people all over the world celebrate Lunar New Year, so we are delighted that all Aucklanders will have a chance to come along, join in and celebrate the diversity of cultures in our city,” she says.

Auckland Council’s Libraries has a large collection of resources that range from Asian-language books and magazines to online services like the Chinese Digital Community, Dragonsource and Press Display.

Year of the Ram event highlights include:

Fan dancing and singing
Tuesday, 10 February, 10.30am – 11.30am
East Coast Bays Library
Fan dances are popular in many East Asian cultures including China, Korea and Japan. Enjoy this traditional form of dancing, accompanied by singing.

Harbin Snow and Ice Festival Talk
Saturday, 14 February, 11am – 11.30am
Albany Village Library
Michael Grawe, tutor at Te Wananga o Aotearoa, and frequent visitor to China, will talk about his recent visit to the famous Harbin Snow and Ice Festival, and show photographs of the amazing snow sculptures and ice lanterns.

Dumplings and calligraphy
Tuesday, 17 February, 10.30am – 11.30am
East Coast Bays Library
Learn how to make Chinese dumplings and the fine art of calligraphy at the same time!

Chinese Wriggle & Rhyme
Thursday, 19 February, 10am – 10.30am & 11.30am – 12pm
Onehunga Library
Bring your baby along for the special Lunar New Year sessions of this fun, free programme in Mandarin. Suitable for babies 0 – 2 years old.

Mandarin Storytime, Music and Chinese Yo-yo
Saturday, 14 February, 10.30am – 12pm
Glenfield Library
The Chinese yo-yo dates back almost to the beginning of Chinese civilisation. Learn great spinning and juggling tricks using this ancient toy that is still relevant to today’s kids.

Musicians and more
Saturday 28 February 11.30 – 12.30
Mt Albert Library
Let the Music Association of Auckland delight you with a range of music especially arranged for Lunar New Year.

Visit www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz to find out about activities in your local area or pop into an Auckland library near you and celebrate the Year of the Ram with us.

ENDS

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