Race Relations Day 2008

Each year, 21 March is observed around the world as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The theme this year is "We all sit under the same stars". Because Race Relations Day falls on Good Friday, the official day of celebration will be Tuesday, 18 March.

What's on offer?

There will be activities and displays on at Wellington libraries for the whole week (17 to 20 March). A full schedule of events is available on our kids' Events page - we'll be making earth people, putting on performances and activities and much more!

Questionable culinary creations

In this month's cooking recent picks, explore the cheese ripening caves of Tallegio, the underground cellars of Gorgonzola and the alpine delights of Gruyere; read James Lileks's acerbic, off-the-wall commentary on a remarkable assortment of questionable culinary creations from the golden age of American cookery and ads heralding the latest in kitchen technology (a bacon-egger?); and discover Italian regional cooking, Sardinian-style.

Best of 2007 - DVDs

Continuing our theme of 'best of 2007', on our Movies page you'll find our picks for best DVD releases of 2007.

Best of 2007 - CDs

Yes, it's that time. The time to separate the wheat from the chaff, the good from the bad. Over on our Popular Music page you'll find our picks for the best CDs of the past year.

Sublime Frequencies

A new addition to the library catalogue is 24 CDs from Seattle publisher Sublime Frequencies. These are largely field recordings and radio collages from Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and particularly South East Asia, and capture a slice of culture and history that can never be replicated. Highly recommended for an entertaining and eclectic look at the hidden corners of world music. The CDs are scattered throughout the world collection but can be found by doing a series search on Sublime Frequencies.

Shrunken heads and okapis' tongues

Did you know that the okapi has such a long tongue that it can reach up to lick and clean its own eyes? Animal facts, genetics, elephants, Sir Edmund Hillary and all kinds of stuff to make: just some of the books highlighted in March's Kids Non-Fiction picks.