Here at the Library discussions around the morning tea table are invariably turning to MasterChef as the season finale draws near. No prizes for guessing that we're all barracking for Orange's own Kate Bracks who last night produced a fabulous dessert.

Privacy prevents us from revealing whether or not Kate is a member of Central West Libraries! … but if you want to follow in her footsteps why not check out the fabulous cookbook collections at all of our branches 🙂

Good luck Kate, we have our fingers (and everything else) crossed for you.

We had a small but enthusiatic roll up to last night's Poetry Reading with Jane Williams and Digital Talk by David Reiter. Jane Williams read from her latest book of poetry City of Possibilities. Her work is mostly free verse poetry influenced by the Japanese style Haibun. She read the opening and closing poems in the book as well as one titled “Stars” about what she has learnt from her daughters, another about her mother evoking memories of Tupperware and school lunches and a clever poem about the local CWA shop located next to a tattoo parlour.

David Reiter is a cross-media artist and publisher with several digital works to his credit. He is also Director of Interactive Press, a Brisbane publisher and has released Your ebook survival guide. He spoke about the opportunities for writers to not ony publish books but to consider visual and audio elements as well. He answered many detailed questions from the audience as well as showcasing his own works including the Nullabor Song Cycle. For more details about IP go to the website (copy this link into your web browser):
http://www.ipoz.biz/IP/IP.htm

Cowra Library is hosting a textile Art exhibition called “Snapshots”. Included in the display are three journals made with textiles. They are exquisite – see photos.
The background to the project is artists were given nine images/photos and created textile responses. The journals were made to illustrate and explain the responses and give the viewer a hands on experience.
Come and see the results on show until Friday 5th August!

Keep knitting everyone! Not long to go before all our knitted squares and wraps need to be in for the ABC Central West Knit In. So far we have handed out 12 bags of squares to be sewn together as wraps. Thank you to those people for getting us started on the wraps (see picture of completed wraps piling up). We still have heaps more to go so if you can spare some time (what about while watching Masterchef or The Block!) to put together wraps for us then call into Orange City Library to pick up a bag to backstitch or follow the instructions included to join the knitted squares into lovely warm rugs. We also have a knitting area set up in the Library if you would like to come in and knit a square before August 4.

And Cowra's annual knit in day is being held on Wednesday 3rd August at the Cowra Library from 11am till 2pm with refreshments provided. Come along to knit and chat with the Cowra Knitters who will be helping put together wraps. Happy knitting!

Book Week is the longest running children's festival in Australia.
The date for Book Week 2011 this year is August 20th – 26th and the theme is One World, Many Stories.
The Children's Book Council of Australia Awards has announced the 2011 Awards shortlist.

Picture Book Shortlist 2011:

Jeannie Baker – Mirror;

Bronwyn Bancroft – Why I Love Australia;

Nicki Greenberg – Hamlet;

Chris McKimmie – Two Peas in a Pod;

Lucia Masciullo, Written by Kim Kane – Family Forest;

Tohby Riddle – My Uncle's Donkey.

For all the nominated books in Younger Reader, Early Childhood and Eve Pownall Award for Information Books go to the Children's Book Council website: http://cbca.org.au/Shortlist_2011.htm