Web has plenty on offer for the browsing book lover

If it's been a while since you visited the local library, try visiting it virtually. Many libraries have extensive online book action you can connect to from home.

Sam Minchin, fiction and literature librarian at Auckland City Libraries, says that the site is constantly developing. Apart from obvious catalogue services such as renewing and ordering books online, there are now book lists by category so if your interest is, say, the arts, it's easy to look up the latest arrivals.

The databases list is extensive, covering everything from Auckland area clubs and organisations to cemetery records, a list of scholarships and grants available to New Zealanders and images from Auckland City Libraries photograph collection.

Members-only resources include a "What do I Read Next?" database that may inspire your next good read and the Literary Resource Centre, where you can search international literary book reviews. Newstext is a one-stop source for Zealand newspaper articles, ProQuest offers searchable international magazine articles and 200 eBooks are available via a pilot project with netLibrary.

Other Auckland area Library sites are: Waitakere Libraries; Rodney Libraries; North Shore and Manukau.

Book Club is where kiwi book clubbers can go for clubs news, and book lovers go for reading inspiration and news, especially about recent contemporary fiction. Features include NZ and international books news, reviews and recommendations, information about book clubs around the country, ideas for book discussions, author interviews and an e-mail newsletter.

Auckland book lover and - clubber Liz Fraser started the site as an AUT web-design course project, and it took off.

"I didn't think there was much around that helped readers - particularly book club members - find out what was the latest and of particular interest to them."

"And every time members of book clubs got together there were very intense discussions about what the other book clubs were reading and what they have loved and hated.

"I thought there was a good opportunity to try and get book clubs communicating and sharing information about what they are reading."

The site's 20 per cent growth a month, and more than 10,000 unique visitors monthly, has recently attracted the sponsorship of Whitcoulls.

The Children's Literature Foundation are the people who put on the Storylines children's book festival.

Their site is where to go for the latest news on the New Zealand children lit scene, while Story-go-Round is a top spot for kiwi children's book reading lists and information.

The New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN) site and New Zealand Writers' Website are aimed at writers, but keen readers will find plenty of interest.

And if there's a book that you simply must have and can't find, NZ Bookfind is for you. They say that they will find any book in the world.

Auckland City Libraries

netLibrary

Waitakere Libraries

Rodney Libraries

North Shore Libraries

Manukau Libraries

Book Club

Children's Literature Foundation

Story-go-round

The New Zealand Society of Authors

New Zealand Writers' Website