West Berkshire Libraries newsletter

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To All West Berkshire Libraries customers

Welcome to our February news!

The month of February includes Valentine's Day on Friday 14^th - a day which is traditionally associated with love and romance. We love our libraries, and we hope you do too!

This month, we're inviting you to tell us what you most like about your local library. We would love to hear about how West Berkshire Libraries have helped make a difference in your life.

Share your story with us by following the link below.

Love Your Library - Share Your Story

Half-term fun for children

There are lots of extra activities taking place in West Berkshire libraries this half-term, most of which are free. Activities include:

• Paper Crafts - Saturday 15 to Saturday 22 February at Mortimer Library throughout opening hours
• Space and Astronomy Quiz - Saturday 15 to Saturday 22 February at Newbury Library throughout opening hours
• Dinosaur Week - Tuesday 18 to Saturday 22 February at Hungerford Library, including a dinosaur-themed Rhymetime, craft sessions and a treasure trail (various times - please check with the library)
• Dogs Trust Family Workshop suitable for children aged 7 to 11 years - Tuesday 18 February, 11am-12pm at Pangbourne Library. Advance booking essential.
• BookTrust Storytime for under 5s - Thursday 20 February, 11-11.45am at Newbury Library
• Pottery Painting suitable for children 5 years and above - Thursday 20 February, 2.30-4pm at Theale Library. £3 per person, advance booking essential.
• Storytime with a water safety theme for 2-4-year-olds - Friday 21 February, 10.30-11am at Thatcham Library
• Sign Makers Workshop for 7-11-year-olds - Friday 21 February, 10.30am-12pm at Newbury Library. Advance booking essential.

There is still time for children to achieve their reading goal by finishing their books for our online Winter Mini Challenge, which runs until 20 February. Everyone who completes the challenge can unlock a limited-edition digital badge and a new Winter Mini Challenge certificate. Visit the Challenge website to find out more. 

Winter Mini Challenge website

Book now for our next Author Chat, when we will be talking with Olivia Kiernan, Friday 21 February,1-2pm, at Newbury Library.

Olivia will discuss the ideas behind her Frankie Sheehan series and her latest thriller, The end of us, along with insight into how the book was created. This will be followed by an audience Q&A and the opportunity to buy signed copies of Olivia's books.

Tickets are £5. For further details and to book online please follow the link below.

Author Chat with Olivia Kiernan

Right support at the right time: drop-in sessions at West Berkshire libraries

West Berkshire Council's Early Response Hub is made up of various different agencies, including but not limited to family hubs, voluntary services, housing, education services, early years, services that can support with children's emotional wellbeing, services to support separated parents with co-parenting without conflict, services to support parents/carers with children with additional needs, utility and debt advice, employment and benefit advice.

If you have a difficulty that you would like some support with, to prevent that worry from getting worse, come along to one of our drop-in sessions to talk to the Early Response Hub about what we can offer to children and their families. We will be visiting libraries during the remainder of February and March at the following times:

• 11 February: Mortimer Library, 2-2.30 pm
• 12 February: Theale Library, 11-11.30 am
• 13 February: Burghfield Common Library, 11-11.30 am
• 14 February: Lambourn Library, 11.30 am - 12 pm
• 25 February: Mortimer Library, 2-2.30 pm
• 26 February: Theale Library, 11-11.30 am
• 27 February: Burghfield Common Library, 11-11.30 am
• 28 February: Lambourn Library, 11.30 am - 12 pm
• 3 March: Thatcham Library, 10-10.20 am
• 4 March: Newbury Library, 11-11.20 am
• 5 March: Hungerford Library, 10-11 am
• 6 March: Pangbourne Library, 10-10.30 am

Everyone is welcome to drop in to our Pop-up Library at Compton Village Hall on Thursday 13 and Thursday 27 February, 10am to 12pm. Pop in to say hello and find a selection of books to borrow.

We will be visiting Compton again March, so tell us about the sort of books you like to read and we'll choose a selection for you for next time. If you are not yet a member of West Berkshire Libraries, you can join when you visit.

Would you like some assistance to use your own laptop, tablet or other mobile device? Whether you need to complete an online form, sort out your digital photographs, read an e-magazine or learn how to Zoom with friends and family, we can help. We provide FREE individual help in friendly 30 or 60 minute sessions.

Alternatively, if you would like in-depth assistance or training, we provide individual tuition in weekly 1-hour sessions on Tuesday afternoons at Newbury Library. The cost of these is £35 for a course of 10 sessions.

For more information about our IT help services, please ring 01635 519900 or email rav.gopal@westberks.gov.uk

Healthwatch West Berkshire is a statutory body with a remit is to listen to the public voice for our local health services and feed back into them to change and improve what is offered in our area. An Engagement Officer from Healthwatch will be at Newbury Library on Thursday 13 February, 10am to 12pm, and will be happy to talk to you. Further sessions will be available on 13 March, 10 April, 8 May and each month throughout the year. Drop in to tell us about your experiences of health services in West Berkshire.

Thank you to everyone who responded to West Berkshire Council's 2025-26 Budget Proposals, which included a proposal to discontinue the Mobile Library service. A final decision on this will be confirmed at the Council meeting on 27 February.

Our next newsletter will be out in early March . But don't forget that you can keep up with the daily news about everything that's happening in our libraries by following @WBerksLibraries on Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter).