Find out the latest news from Waverley Library No images? Click here Chalkboard quote: - Winston Churchill ![]() LIBRARY SERVICES ![]() GROUND FLOOR TEMPORARILY CLOSED Here at the Library we are really excited to announce that the ground floor carpet is being replaced, so we will be looking spic and span for 2022. This work will be happening from 13 - 24 December, and while the ground floor section of the library will be unavailable a selection of items can be accessed from the foyer. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. LIBRARY HOURS DURING CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR PERIOD: 24th December: 9:30 am - 3 pm Business as usual will continue from here. LIBRARY STAFF STORIES ![]() Family in Australia last year ![]() Typical street/church during Christmas in the Philippines ![]() Filipino “parol” or lantern CHRISTMAS THE FILIPINO WAY I am originally from the Philippines and I grew up celebrating Christmas as early as 1st Sept. That’s right, we Filipinos celebrate Christmas for 4 long months. Once the “Ber” months start, we traditionally put up our Christmas tree at home. You can start to hear Christmas Carols playing over all the radio stations and shopping centres, and most streets are decorated with lights. Apart from Christmas trees and lights, Filipino homes and buildings are adorned with star-shaped lanterns, called “parol” from the Spanish farol meaning "lantern". These lanterns represent the Star of Bethlehem that guided the Three Kings. Parol are as beloved and iconic to Filipinos as Christmas Trees are to Westerners. Being a strong Catholic society due to Spanish influence, Filipinos go to church on Christmas Eve before the big celebration with family. I came from a very close-knit family and during Christmas we gather together on the 24th December (which is already a public holiday) and bring gifts and food to share. My Mum would be very busy preparing large amounts of food for us to share and to give some to friends and neighbours as well. Typical food on the table will be roast chicken or beef, Pansit (Filipino noodles), ham and fancy cheeses, lots of seafood and loads of desserts (rice purple cake, leche flan, fruit and coconut salad). On Christmas Eve after we come back from church, my Dad would always dress as Santa Claus and distribute gifts to everyone followed by our Christmas dinner, “Noche Buena” as we fondly call it. Christmas celebrations would not be complete without karaoke singing which is very typical in every household. Christmas was always the time to celebrate with family, as well as extended family members, and friends. It’s that time of the year when I get to see relatives/cousins/friends that I haven’t seen for ages. Even though Australia is my home now, we still keep the tradition of putting up our Christmas tree in mid-November (not in September which is a bit exaggerated), we still go to church, exchange gifts (my hubby plays Santa), share a Christmas feast and of course do karaoke singing. Florescita, Library Administration Officer ![]() ![]() ![]() It’s that special time of the year where we go down to the library basement, dust off the decorations and clutter our office space. We love to decorate the library and bring some holiday joy to the borrowers. Come in and see our Hanukkah and Christmas displays, and don’t forget to borrow extra books for the holiday break. KIDS PROGRAMS ![]() ![]() ![]() CHRISTMAS TREE CRAFT - UNDER 5S Join the Waverley Library Children’s team online for some Christmas fun this festive season. For those with Under 5s we will be making paper craft Christmas trees inspired by stories from our free online resource Story Box Library. Book online at Eventbrite. CHRISTMAS CRAFT (ONLINE EVENT 6-12 YEARS) For those with primary school aged children we will be upcycling old Christmas Cards into photo ornaments. Book online at Eventbrite. Also don’t forget our Christmas Craft take home packs available from the Children’s Desk during opening hours. Coming Soon: Waverley Library will be launching a Summer Reading Club during the school holidays to keep your children engaged and reading. There are prizes to be won, activities to enjoy at home and it’s completely free. The Summer Reading Club starts Monday the 20th of December and is open to all Primary School aged children. SUMMER BOOK CLUB ![]() THE GRANDEST BOOKSHOP IN THE WORLD BY AMELIA MELLOR Join the indyreads Summer Book Club and read along with thousands of people across the state. Amelia Mellor has created a magical world within a bookstore, set in the late 19th century. Her writing is quite cinematic and will appeal to today’s readers. Fans of movies such as Jumanji will revel in the imaginative exploits and time-trip....and a gorgeous gift for any reader, of any age. This book is suitable for the whole family to read and enjoy. Click here to read. LOCAL STUDIES ![]() LOCAL HISTORY: CHRISTMAS How many surfing Santas does it take to break a world record? 320, according to Guinness World Records, which awarded the prize for the world's biggest surfing lesson at Bondi Beach in December 2015. Organised by RedBalloon, Let's go Surfing, and surf charity OneWave the event was held to raise awareness of mental health. You can read more about the event here. COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS ![]() Craving a crafty Christmas? Waverley Library's eMagazine collection can answer the call. Our magazine collection includes crafting classics like Christmas editions of Better Homes and Gardens, Prima Makes and Mollie Makes. Featuring patterns and plans for festive friends like reindeer, elves and penguins these Christmas maker magazines will bring you holiday cheer by the sleighfull. Available now through Libby by Overdrive. ![]() THE SMURFS CHRISTMAS BY PEYO There's no peace on earth when Christmas comes to the Smurfs Village, at least not while Gargamel is lurking about! In this special collection of frosty fun and frolic, before The Smurfs can stuff their stockings and open their presents, they have to deal with dragons, a kidnapped Santa Claus, and a reindeer chase through the starry night sky! Click here to read. ![]() THE DOWNFALL OF SANTA CLAUS This is obviously bad news for Santa Claus, who has begun to realise his fading position. He has been forced to lay off all his staff due to the lack of submitted wish lists and hence lack of assignments. There is only one gift he has to deliver, namely, the one for Vetle. The clock is ticking; Santa Claus needs to find Vetle before his view is tainted by the grown-ups' opinion over the reality of Santa Claus. Click here to watch. ![]() TWAS THE NIGHTSHIFT BEFORE CHRISTMAS BY ADAM KAY Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat... but 1.4 million NHS staff are heading off to work. In this perfect present for anyone who has ever set foot in a hospital, Adam Kay delves back into his diaries for a hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking peek behind the blue curtain at Christmastime. Click here to read. ![]() A PRINCE FOR CHRISTMAS After running from an arranged marriage, a handsome prince finds himself in small-town USA during Christmas. He soon falls madly in love with a young waitress longing to travel the world, but can their love survive his meddling royal family and her jealous ex-boyfriend? Click here to watch. ![]() THE BRIGHTEST STAR BY FERN MICHAELS Christmas is more than just a celebration for Lauren Montgomery. For generations, it's been her family's livelihood. Their Christmas shop, Razzle Dazzle Décor, has seen seasonal fads come and go, but there's one trend they can't escape. Online superstores are swallowing their sales, and this Christmas season will need to be their best ever if the store is to stay in business. Click here to reserve. ![]() THE CHOCOLATE LOVERS' CHRISTMAS BY CAROLE MATTHEWS Christmas is just around the corner but the women of The Chocolate Lovers' Club have more to worry about than present shopping. Lucy loves running Chocolate Heaven but she hasn't spent time with her boyfriend, Aiden, in weeks. And then her ex-fiance turns up and things become even more complicated. Click here to reserve. ![]() CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD Classical performer Andre Rieu treats his fans to 23 festive tracks with this Christmas release. Rieu celebrates the holiday season with songs including Jingle Bells, Slumber my Darling, and Winter Wonderland. Click here to reserve. CONTACT US |