Top of the web – May 2017

DonnaLeave a comment

Kia ora. The latest information on what webpages and blog posts were popular in May.

Matariki display, New Brighton Library
Matariki display, New Brighton Library, June 2017. Flickr 2017-06-NB-IMG_0531

Website pages

There were 294,186 page views in May. The most popular pages on christchurchcitylibraries.com:

  1. Learning Centres (8th last month)
  2. About PressReader (formerly PressDisplay) (2nd last month)
  3. eResources (3rd last month)
  4. Canterbury earthquakes (for kids) (NEW)
  5. Books browse page (5th last month)
  6. Hornby Library (4th last month)
  7. My account (NEW)
  8. New Zealand disasters (NEW)
  9. Kids browse page (6th last month)
  10. About OverDrive (7th last month)

Also highly placed this month – Samoan Language Week – Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa, Matariki for kids, Lynda, Zinio, and the FAQ Is there a Justice of the Peace (JP) at the library?

May’s popular blog posts

Popular blog posts published in May on the website:

Photos on Flickr

There were 91,316 page views in May on Flickr. It now has a total of 6,429,822 views.

Top on Twitter

We have 4612 followers. Follow us on Twitter.

Photos from last night’s great @Beathhigh Ian Rankin @WORDChCh event. ^DR

The @WORDChCh Autumn Season starts tomorrow with Ian Rankin @Beathhigh Read our Festy coverage here: ^DR

Going to @JamesGleick tonight at @WORDChCh? Fee has timey-wimey thoughts, & some tv, movie, & book picks. ^DR

Facebook favourites

We have 7030 likes. Like us on Facebook.

We have permanent part-time and full-time library assistant jobs available at Fendalton, Halswell, Linwood, and New Brighton Libraries – have a look.
Applications close 21 May. ^Donna

Take a peek at the progress on our 3 upcoming libraries:
The new Central Library
Bishopdale Library and Community Centre
Matuku Takotako: Sumner Centre
^Donna

Kia ora. We have permanent part-time and fixed term part-time jobs for library shelvers at Linwood, Spreydon, Fendalton, and Papanui Libraries. Find out more.
Applications close Tuesday 30 May. ^Donna



If you are interested in how we derive our rankings, we measure page views on our website, organic reach for Facebook posts, and impressions for tweets.

Top of the web – April 2017

DonnaLeave a comment

Kia ora. Here is information on the webpages and blog posts that were popular in April.

Daft disguises photo booth
Daft disguises photo booth at Linwood Library, Eye Spy holiday programme, 21 April 2017. Flickr 2017-04-21-IMG_20170421_100425

Website pages

There were 236,875 page views in April. The most popular pages on christchurchcitylibraries.com:

  1. School holidays! Holiday programmes, events, and activities – April 2017 (NEW)
  2. About PressReader (formerly PressDisplay) (3rd last month)
  3. eResources (NEW)
  4. Hornby Library (4th last month)
  5. Books browse page (6th last month)
  6. Kids browse page (8th last month)
  7. About OverDrive (9th last month)
  8. Learning Centres (2nd last month)
  9. A-Z directory of eResources (NEW)
  10. Request an item for our collection (NEW)

April’s popular blog posts

Popular blog posts published in April on the website:

Anzac Day in Christchurch 2017 Moata
Bishopdale 2017 – The Christchurch Documentary Project Donna
Flip Grater – On food, music, and parenting Kim
NZ Music Month 2017 – Live in the library Dan
One thousand ropes Jan-Hai

Photos on Flickr

There were 51,335 page views in April on Flickr. It now has a total of 6,338,506 views.

Top on Twitter

We have 4569 followers. Follow us on Twitter.

As recommended by @MargaretAtwood on @radionz at the weekend, The Power by Naomi Alderman ^MT

Enjoying Ian Rankin @Beathhigh on SaturdayRNZ. He is here in Christchurch 14 May for @WORDChCh Autumn Season.  ^DR

A rare opportunity to admire Islamic art here in Christchurch – There’s a display on at South Lib until 9 April. ^DR

Facebook favourites

We have 6769 likes. Like us on Facebook.

Did you know we have regular JP (Justice of the Peace) sessions at a number of our libraries? Really handy if you need an affidavit, declaration or signature witnessed. No charge, and no bookings necessary.  ^Moata

Mōrena Ōtautahi. What a gorgeous Christchurch sunrise this Rāmere morning. ^Donna

Bookshelf swoon time.  (If you are a bookshelf fan, I recommend subscribing to Booshelf.  ^Donna



Here is how we derive our rankings – we measure page views on our website, organic reach for Facebook posts, and impressions for tweets.

Top of the web – March 2017

DonnaLeave a comment

Kia ora. Here is information on the webpages and blog posts that were popular in March.

Crown decorating table
Crown decorating table. Knights and Princesses fun day at Central Library Peterborough. Saturday 25 March 2017. Flickr CPB-2017-03-25-IMG_9088

Website pages

There were 298,088 page views in March. The most popular pages on christchurchcitylibraries.com:

  1. Library book sales (NEW)
  2. Learning Centres (3rd last month)
  3. About PressReader (formerly PressDisplay) (4th last month)
  4. Hornby Library (6th last month)
  5. 22 March 2011 Canterbury earthquake for kids (10th last month)
  6. Books browse page (5th last month)
  7. Kids browse page (9th last month)
  8. My account (7th last month)
  9. About OverDrive (NEW)
  10. eResources A-Z directory (NEW)

March’s popular blog posts

Popular blog posts published in March on the website:

Photos on Flickr

There were 97,803 page views in March on Flickr. It now has a total of 6,287,171 views.

Top on Twitter

We have 4526 followers. Follow us on Twitter.

Ian Rankin @Beathhigh & Anne Enright coming to #chch! Oh yeah! #wordchch Autumn Season has just been announced.

Here’s @HeraLindsayBird & @ashleigh_young, they signed loads of books after last night’s packed  @WORDChCh event at @ChchArtGallery. ^DR https://t.co/YjHnGtU2hZ

Get bedazzled by @ashleigh_young & @HeraLindsayBird – a fab @ChchArtGallery & @wordchch event. ^DR

Facebook favourites

We have 6591 likes. Like us on Facebook.

Kia ora Bishopdale! Be part of The Christchurch Documentary Project. Photography students from the School of Fine Arts are taking pictures of the people and places of Bishopdale through to August with the goal of building an archive of documentary images of our city.
If you or your group would like to be photographed for this project, please contact the library on 941 7923 or at library@ccc.govt.nz (attached photo is by Janneth Gil, one of the photographers for Bishopdale 2017 who did brilliant work on Edge of the East. )  https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/blogs/post/bishopdale-2017-the-christchurch-documentary-project/ ^Donna

Simon has written a fascinating history of the Cashmere Sanatorium, where James K Baxter was once a porter. https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/blogs/post/the-hill-of-hope-cashmere-sanatorium/^Donna

School holidays are on from Friday 14 April. Here’s our list of Library and Learning Centre holiday programmes and activities, and more local events, workshops, shows, movies, performances, and things to do in Christchurch! https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/holiday-programmes-events-and-activities/^Donna



Here is how we derive our rankings – we measure page views on our website, organic reach for Facebook posts, and impressions for tweets.

Top of the web – February 2017

DonnaLeave a comment

Kia ora. The latest information on what webpages and blog posts were popular in February.
15 February was a busy day online as we shared information about the Port Hills Fire – 38,759 impressions on Twitter and 40 tweets.

Story time
Library staff at Parklands at Play event, Parklands Reserve, Sunday 19 February 2017. Flickr 2017-2-19-20170219_163456

Website pages

There were 283,051 page views in February. The most popular pages on christchurchcitylibraries.com:

  1. Kids Treaty Zone (NEW)
  2. The Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi (NEW)
  3. Learning Centres (NEW)
  4. About PressReader (formerly PressDisplay) (1st last month)
  5. Books browse page (4th last month)
  6. Hornby Library (3rd last month)
  7. My account (2nd last month)
  8. Waitangi Day (NEW)
  9. Kids browse page (6th last month)
  10. 22 February 2011 Canterbury earthquake for kids (NEW)

February’s popular blog posts

Popular blog posts published in February on the website:

Photos on Flickr

There were 97,454 page views in February on Flickr. It now has a total of 6,189,368 views.

Top on Twitter

We have 4503 followers. Follow us on Twitter.

#chch Civil Defence Emergency Operations Centre reactivated as Port Hills fire shifts closer to properties. ^DR

The view from Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre is, er, hmmm.
All our libraries remain open and have power, FYI. ^MT

State of Emergency declared in Christchurch and Selwyn.  #porthillsfire ^DR

Facebook favourites

We have 6423 likes. Like us on Facebook.

Wow! Our buddies at Waimakariri Libraries have created a buzz on Facebook – with cat hair craft. Onya! ^Donna

Get rid of your abandoned craft and sewing projects and discover new inspiration (at no cost) at The Great Stash Swap this Sunday ^Moata

I got to have a sneaky peek at this new book before it came out. A really interesting and different look at what all those roadworks and holes in the ground around the city are about. Fascinating for kids of all ages and all for the great cause that is Ronald McDonald House South Island ^Moata https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/blogs/post/christchurch-our-underground-story/



If you are interested in how we derive our rankings, we measure page views on our website, organic reach for Facebook posts, and impressions for tweets.

The modern library debate

gregcclLeave a comment

Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye was on Kim Hill’s show recently, talking about his work. He provided an interesting description of what he thinks a modern library is like.

Think about the library as a network hub, a place where the community hall is merged with the library, and social services are also activated there. So you have life-long learning, you can learn motor mechanics, flower arranging, yoga, you can get a book, you can get a class on languages, you can get government services. So it really becomes a hub, and it becomes one of the few places where you see multi generations of people, people of different languages and backgrounds, all coming under a service that is supplied in their community and neighbourhood.

And it helps with this idea that the library is more than just a container for books, which is really a post-war idea to do with educating and edifying communities,  but the library has become in our communities a place where communities overlap and children and adults overlap, a place which can edify and continue life-long learning, which we know is now incredibly important. It’s no longer just getting your education till your eighteen or twenty and then that’s it. There’s so many technological changes, information is changing so much, that life-long learning is part of our way of life in big cities.

Sir David Adjaye, Wikipedia

Aspects of this seem to fit nicely with the vision for our new Central Library.

Listen to the full Radio NZ interview with Sir David Adjaye.

Public Libraries: the changing face of the public library  features:

  • information on how public libraries are changing in the UK,
  • debate about the Idea Store concept (which Sir David was involved in designing).