Abracadabera! There are amazing things happening at Cowra Library with its Magicians Workshops taking place. There is still room for 13 - 15 year olds at 10.30am - 12 noon tomorrow Friday 9 October and 12 - 15 year olds at 1pm - 2.30pm. These are Warriors Apprentice workshops combining skills from the worlds of magic, circus and Japanese martial arts. Cost is $5 per person and please call the Library on 6340 2180 to book your place. The workshops are being presented by Manik Jones from the School of Transmogrification. Check out more details in the Cowra Guardian article: http://www.cowraguardian.com.au/news/local/news/general/spellbinding-workshop-for-the-holidays/1642840.aspx

Prepare to be amazed as we link Dracula and Dorian Gray to Jane Austen. True. Our Classics Book Club readers are enjoying catching up with Thomas Hardy novels and some gothic horror by revisiting Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. Did you know that Bram Stoker attended dinner parties hosted by Oscar Wilde's mother Lady Jane Francesca Elgee Wilde at the family's chicly bohemian salon. And guess which star from the BBC adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice is to star is a film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray? Yes that's the Austen connection – would you believe Colin Firth? as Lord Henry alongside Ben Barnes as Dorian Gray(pictured). Sounds all good so far.

And the next Classics Book Club meetings are:

Blayney Library on Tuesday 22 September from 11am - 12 noon to talk about Under the Greenwood Tree and Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.

Orange Daytime Group on Thursday 24 September 12.30pm - 1.30pm to discuss Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Orange Evening Group on Thursday 24 September 5.30pm - 7pm to discuss Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Cowra Library on Tuesday 29 September from 12.30pm - 1.30pm to talk about Bram Stoker and Dracula.

PS. If you want to see a combined storyline with Frankenstein and Dracula then check out the film Van Helsing – stars Richard Roxburgh, Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsdale – great for the special effects and Brides of Dracula.

Yes it's the Wrap with Love ABC KNIT IN Cowra Library on Wednesday 29th July 2009. Morning and afternoon tea will be provided by the Friends of the Cowra Library. The KNIT IN is a fantastic community event supporting the organisation Wrap With Love, which creates colourful warm wraps for communities in need around the world. We need you to knit squares (25cm x 25cm or 10 by 10 inch) 8 pusing 8-ply yarn and size 8 (4mm) needles (approximately 50-55 stitches). If you have spare 8 ply yarn, are handy with a pair of knitting needles, a crochet hook or you have always wanted to learn how to knit, please join in our efforts to create a record amount of squares and wraps in 2009. Check out the Wrap With Love website http://www.artsandcraftsnsw.com.au/Wrap.htm. For more information please contact Marion or Carol at Cowra Library on 6340 2180. You can also drop off your knitted squares and wraps to any Central West Libraries branch.

Poets Josh Simpson, of Bathurst, and Alan Fragar, of Cowra edged out Frank Daniel, of Canowindra, to win a place in the Australian Poetry Slam State Final coming up in Sydney on 13 November. Frank Daniel, Alan Fragar, Kim Core, Matthew Ryan, Seamus Leyland, Dimas Bakini and Josh Simpson, of Bathurst, performed well and entertained the large crowd at the exciting theatre sports style event held at Cowra for the first time. Matthew spoke about being True Blue, Frank Daniels told the story of Martha Mary Regan, Dimas talked about life after leaving Sudan with some great rhymes involving kangaroos, Seamus told a funny story about UFOs - The Truth is Out There, and Kim Core implored us to tell real stories in her rhyme. Josh won the crowd over with his thought provoking poem Let us picture a world and Alan also won with his take on poetry slams incorporating an amusing topical limerick. The scores were close with five judges, chosen randomly from the audience, scoring each performance. The Australian Poetry Slam 09 is an initiative of the State Library of NSW, and is supported by state, territory and public libraries and festivals across the country. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding & advisory body. Pictured above is Frank Daniel, 3rd place, host Miles Merrill, and Poetry Slam winners Josh Simpson and Alan Fragar. Pictured below is the performers goofing around with host Miles Merrill.

Calling all poets, hip-hop artists, storytellers and other outspoken wordsmiths to speak, scream, howl, whisper or sing your original poem at the Australian Poetry Slam Regional NSW heat -- an electric live event where the audience is the judge! The heat will be held at Cowra Library Darling Street, Cowra on Friday 3 July 5.30pm. Performers sign up from 5pm. All contestants are given a mic, a live audience and just two minutes to impress the judges (selected at random from the audience) with their spoken word, poetry, hip hop, monologues and stories. Talented spoken word artist Miles Merrill will be the MC. This event is supported by the State Library of NSW and Central West Libraries. So come along and have your say.

Now in its ninth successful year National Simultaneous Story time took place on Wednesday morning at the Cowra Library(and across Australia) with a crowd of 80 enthusiastic pre-schoolers who had made the long trip from two of the local child care centres. As they patiently awaited the guest reader for the day - newly appointed Library Ambassador, Bruce Miller, they were entertained by silly sheep stories like Steve Smallmann's The lamb who came to Dinner and Mem Fox's Where is the green Sheep? Obviously favourites, the crowd wriggled and chattered until finally Bruce emerged at 11am to read Pete the Sheep by Jackie French and illustrated by Bruce Whatley. Libraries across Australia reverberated with baas and giggles as the story unfolded of Shaun the shearer who doesn't have a sheep dog but he does have Pete- one amazing sheep that does things a little differently....

Many thanks must go to the teachers who bravely read to such a big gathering and to Bruce (pictured) for wearing his farmer's hat and putting on some amazing facial expressions.

The books read out loud on the day and a collection of Jackie French's best reads are all available for loan at the Library. So if you are in need of good laughs for all ages come on in and borrow a great read or two.

All together now - say Baa. Join in with thousands of people at more than 850 locations around Australia at 11am on Wednesday 27 May for a simultaneous read of Pete the Sheep written by Jackie French. It is a wonderful story of Shaun the shearer and his sheep Pete. Come along to Cowra, Manildra, Molong and Orange branches for the reading and craft time. Read more about it in the Central Western Daily: http://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/news/local/news/general/flocking-to-read-pete-the-sheep/1522828.aspx

Meet Don Tate, author of The War Within – regarded as one of the most extraordinary memoirs ever published in Australia. You will also see colour film of his infantry experiences in Vietnam during 1969 now valued at $100,000.

Don was permanently disabled when his platoon was ambushed by a Viet Cong company entrenched in bunkers in July 1969. He subsequently spent more than two years in military and repatriation hospitals. Don recounts his remarkable life story in The War Within.

He has appeared on: RPA, A Current Affair, Today, Susie and the 7.30 Report. Meet Don at: Orange City Library, Byng Street, Orange on Wednesday 3 June 12 noon – 1.30pm, please RSVP by calling 6393 8132 or

Cowra Visitor Information Centre Olympic Park, Mid Western Highway, Cowra on Wednesday 3 June 5.30pm – 7pm, please RSVP by calling 6342 4333.

Some authors have captured the imaginations of generatons. Find out more about the lives and works of these authors as we read some classic literature. What made them so popular? What do we really think about them? What do the classics reveal about human nature? So far the Classics Book Club groups have read Jane Austen and works by the Brontes. Next the Classics Book Club will read a different author and novel each month. Come along to the introductory meetings to find out all about it and help decide what to read first!

Introductory meetings for new and continuing members will be held at:

Blayney Library on Tuesday 19 May from 11am - 12 noon.

Please note the Orange and Cowra groups take a break in May and return in June.

Orange City Library on Thursday 18 June 12.30pm - 1.30pm or 5.30pm (for early birds) 6pm - 7pm.

Cowra Library on Tuesday 23 June from 12.30pm - 1.30pm.

Everyone is welcome to come along.

Councillor Bruce Miller, of Cowra Shire Council, is Cowra's Library Ambassador and one of the first two recruits to the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) National Library Ambassador campaign, which is similar in concept to UNESCO's goodwill ambassadors. By seeking out high profile champions for the role of libraries in the community, ALIA aims to influence public opinion about this vital service and keep libraries at the forefront of discussions about community, resources, education, services and funding. Councillor Miller has served on the Cowra Shire Council for nearly 20 years, 14 of them as mayor, is also the president of the Shires Association of New South Wales. He is a keen advocate of libraries stating "they are places that are full of exciting ideas." His first library event will be on Wednesday 27 May, at 11am, when he will read Pete The Sheep, by Jackie French and Bruce Whately, as part of ALIA's National Simultaneous Storytime. Read more about Library Ambassador Bruce Miller in the Cowra Guardian http://cowra.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/new-library-ambassador-puts-cowra-ahead-in-national-campaign/1511687.aspx