West Berkshire Libraries newsletter
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To All West Berkshire Libraries customers
Welcome to our January news!
Happy New Year to all!
If your New Year's resolutions include volunteering, we may have an opportunity for you.
We really appreciate the contribution made by the volunteers who give their time and energy to support customers and staff across our libraries. There is a wide range of interesting and valuable volunteer roles across Culture and Libraries and our friendly team is always looking for new members.
To find information about our library volunteering opportunities and how to apply visit: https://www.westberks.gov.uk/volunteer.
Join us at Newbury Library as we interview Simon Mason, author of the DI Wilkins series. Simon has received numerous accolades, including being shortlisted for Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger Award and being selected for the Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month.
Tickets are £5. For further details and to book online, please follow the link below.
There is still plenty of time for children to enjoy our online Winter Mini Challenge. We are encouraging every child and their responsible adult to visit a West Berkshire library to pick up their books and start reading!
Sign up, set your own reading goal and finish your books by 20 February to join the fun! There are puzzles, games, author videos, suggestions for what to read next and lots of activities to keep youngsters busy over the coming weeks and it's all free. Children can unlock a limited-edition digital badge and a new Winter Mini Challenge certificate once they meet their reading goal.
Children can borrow books for the Challenge from their school library as well as a West Berkshire library or download library e-books and e-audiobooks for free. All reading counts! Visit the Challenge website to find out more.
If you are aiming to improve your health and wellbeing this year, we can help.
Our wellbeing bags are packed full of activities and ideas for you, including colouring sheets, card games and suggestions for learning a new skill. Library members can borrow a bag for three weeks, free of charge.
We've recently renewed the contents of our bags and are sure you will find something of interest inside! Reserve a bag online and collect it from your local library.
West Berkshire Libraries wellbeing bags
You will find more suggestions to help you manage your health and wellbeing in our Reading Well books. These have all been recommended by health professionals and cover a variety of topics, including mental and physical health conditions. We have special collections for children, young people and adults. Remember that library members can borrow them for free.
Pick up a Reading Well book list in your local library or check our catalogue and reserve the title you want online.
If you live in the Compton area, don't forget to drop in to our Pop-up Library at Compton Village Hall on Thursday 9 and 23 January between 10am and midday. Pop in to say hello and find a selection of books to borrow.
We will be visiting Compton again in February, so tell us about the sort of books you like to read and we'll choose a selection for you for next time. New library members are especially welcome!
Did you know that we have some fantastic e-resources for homework and studying, which are available for library members to use free of charge?
For instance, the online encyclopaedia Britannica has three age-related editions. Take a look at our YouTube videos to find out more about the Junior edition for 5-11-year-olds and the Student edition for 11-16 years.
Secondary school students can also enjoy an engaging, interactive way of learning with Brillder, which aims to add some fun to studying in more than a dozen subjects, including English, Maths, Science and History.
Visit our website to find the full list of e-resources available from West Berkshire Libraries.
Free e-resources for library members
Book now for February
Bookings for our Author Chat with Olivia Kiernan on 21 February are now open.
We are looking forward to welcoming Olivia, author of The End of Us, at Newbury Library. Olivia will discuss the ideas behind her Frankie Sheehan series and her latest thriller, along with insight into how the book was created. This will be followed by an audience Q&A and the opportunity to buy signed copied of the books.
Tickets are £5. For further details and to book online, please follow the link below.
Author Chat with Olivia Kiernan
Have you heard about 'Instant Access' titles on BorrowBox? Instant Access e-books and e-audiobooks can be read and listened to by multiple users at the same time and are ready for you to borrow straight away, with no waiting time!
We've got plenty of titles available, including the bestselling books Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa and Enchantment by Katherine May. There are titles for children and families to enjoy together too, such as Winnie the Pooh at the Palace by Jeanne Willis.
Just download the BorrowBox app on your device or access it via our website to start borrowing.
There's so much happening!
Most of our regular activities in libraries resume this week after the holiday break. These include our Rhymetimes for babies and young children with their parents or carers, which take place weekly in every library across the district, as well as activities for all ages, such as craft sessions, art clubs, book groups and opportunities to knit and natter, practise your language skills, try some gentle exercise and lots more.
A repeat of our popular Online Code Club starts on 6 January. This 12-week course for 9-11-year-olds is available free of charge. Each week we email participants with a fun project to try at home, with full instructions provided. For more information or to sign up your child, please email library@ westberks.gov.uk as soon as you can and we'll make sure you don't miss the first session.
Educafe returns to Newbury Library on Wednesday 8 January. Come and join us between 11am and 2pm to meet and make friends and learn new things.
To find out what else is happening near you, check with your local library or visit our Events website. Facebook users can also see what's coming up by following @WBerksLibraries and going to our Events listing.
Events in West Berkshire Libraries
We look forward to seeing you again soon!
Our next newsletter will be out in early February. 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).
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