Library Detective - Christchurch City Libraries podcasts

Christchurch City Libraries has joined the world of podcasting with a documentary-style series of six podcasts about the behind-the-scenes world of our treasured local libraries.

The podcasts look at popular library services such as StoryTimes, follow books and other items on their journey around the city and uncover the digital and physical treasures that everyone can enjoy through the library.

The podcasts provide a fresh insight into how libraries work in the twenty-first century, library online services editor Andy James says.

"If your relationship with the library is limited to borrowing the odd book, or maybe it's even less active than that, the podcasts could change your library experience completely.

"In six varied episodes, Joanna and the team discover there's a whole lot more to libraries today. The podcasts themselves are a great example of that - they're just part of our extensive digital library, open online 24/7, helping you to find information you can trust. "

More than books

Produced by New Zealand Radio Award winner Joanna Cobley and library staff, the podcasts will reveal there’s much more to libraries than meets the eye for customers.

"I was absolutely delighted when someone from the digital library team suggested that I should 'get lost … in the library'," she says.

"Libraries and books have always been central to my life but I always wondered what happened behind the scenes. The Library Detective project has provided me with fond memories from chatting with the mobile bus librarians over a freshly brewed cuppa during their morning tea break, to feeling mortified when a fast moving nine-month-old baby planted its mouth onto my microphone while recording Kirsten taking Babytimes at Spreydon Library!"

"Yes, libraries are more than books - they're about meeting people, learning something new, and being surprised," she says.

Podcasts available fortnightly on Monday

The podcasts will be available on christchurchcitylibraries.com each Monday, including an RSS feed which customers can subscribe to so they don't miss an episode. For customers who prefer traditional broadcasting, the podcasts will also be aired on Plains FM96.9 fortnightly on Saturdays at 4.30pm, with a repeat the following Wednesday at 12.30pm.

Audio Files

Episode 6: Connecting People with Ideas and Stories

17 min 30 sec 24.6Mb .mp3

Meet Paul the Digital Innovation Librarian talking about the digital library and how libraries are finding new ways to connect people with ideas and stories, Lisa and Donna talking about user-created content and social networking and Bill Nagelkerke talks about augmented reality.

Episode 5: Behind the scenes

25 min 54 sec 23.7Mb .mp3

The Library Detective meets Megan and Philip, two of the libraries' selectors, who buy books and DVDs and other resources for people to borrow. We also hitch a ride with Guy on the courier service - shipping books around the library network.

Episode 4: How can we help?

22 min 38 sec 23.7Mb .mp3

The Library Detective meets Sam Gurney, ready to answer your call, or answer your question live online. Former Children and Young Adult Librarian Bill Nagelkerke takes us on a brief tour of the Margaret Mahy Collection. Finally, we visit the learning centre at South Christchurch Library, where we join a group of school children coaching senior citizens in computer skills.

Episode 3: Moving in the Community

16 min 15 sec, 14.8 Mb .mp3

The Library Detective looks at ways that libraries move within the community with mobile librarian Gerald Perrott, and Ethnic Services Information Librarian, Jill Richardson. The Library Detective goes for a ride in the big orange mobile library bus and finds out how the maps collection is used by customers from all over the world who have recently settled in Christchurch.

Episode 2: What makes a good story?

20min 24 sec, 16.72Mb mp3 file

The library detective talks to authors Bill Nagelkerke and Ben Brown and illustator Helen Taylor about the art and craft of writing and illustrating a children's picture book.

Episode 1: Storytimes - a regular library event for parents and children

18min 16sec, 17.1Mb .mp3 file

The first episode focuses on StoryTimes - a regular library event for parents and children. Spreydon librarian Kirsten Smith and former children’s librarian and author Bill Nagelkerke speak about the importance of starting a love of reading and storytelling as soon as possible.