The latest Special Collections exhibition, “Aliens, Androids & Unicorns. The Hal Salive Science Fiction and Fantasy Collection” opened last Thursday in the de Beer Gallery, Central Library, Dunedin. It runs to 29 May 2015, so if you are visiting Dunedin during this time, please drop in. The de Beer Gallery is open 8.30 to 5.00 Monday to Friday; 1st floor Central University Library.

All those favourite works by Van Vogt, Delany, Jack Williamson, Ursula Le Guin, Jack Chalker and many others, are on display. Another feature is the amazing run of Astounding Stories, many pre-1949. Please pass this on to those other interested parties who relish science fiction and fantasy.

Harold Terrence Salive (1939-2012) was an academic, inventor, and keen collector.  In March 2013 his widow Rachel arranged to donate the collection to Otago, where it now complements the Fastier collection featured in a previous exhibition.  We are delighted to be able to showcase another aspect of the weird and wonderful world of science fiction.

1815 Parramatta Sunday School banner held by the National Library of Australia

Join us for a fascinating talk on the reasons for and challenges of printing on silk (and other materials).  Toitū is generously hosting this talk and we hope to have examples from their collections on display.  Dr. McMullin is the world expert on this topic, as well as a very clear presenter.  Come hear about one of the more public uses of the printing press, and its very attractive artifacts.

The talk will take place at Toitū, from 5:30 pm on Thursday 26 March.  The museum is open until 8 on Thursday, so you may wish to come early or stay late to enjoy its current exhibitions.

For the Dunedin TV 39 story about Kay Craddock’s visit, see http://www.dunedintv.co.nz/content/world-book-day-draws-limited-local-fanfare.  We are delighted to have kicked off a formal connection with Melbourne as a City of Literature and look forward to building links with other UNESCO cities around the world.  And a huge thanks again to Kay for a fantastic talk.

The Centre for the Book is pleased to announce a lecture by Prof. Barbara Ryan, visiting from the National University of Singapore.  She will speak on “New Zealand Literature ca. 1910, the Manawatu Times, and a US Quipster: A Reception Research ‘How to'” in the Central Library Cen 3 (east end of first floor) on Tuesday, 17 March at 5:15 pm.  Drinks and nibbles will also be provided.

As part of the English Department Staff Seminar series, Shef will be discussing ways that various editions of Aesop’s Fables sought to manage the meanings of the stories through different textual arrangements and apparatus.  The title of the talk is “Contested Meaning and Controlled Reading in Augustan Editions of Aesop’s Fables.” All are welcome, in Burns 4 at 4pm on the auspicious Friday, 13 March.