West Berkshire Libraries newsletter

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To All West Berkshire Libraries customers

Welcome to our December news!

Many of our regular activities have a festive feel this month. Look out for Christmas-themed Rhymetimes, Storytimes and crafts. Additionally, you will find plenty of special, seasonal events taking place in libraries throughout December. Some of the highlights include:

• Big Christmas Communal Doddle - drop-in activity for all ages throughout the month at Theale Library
• Christmas Treasure Hunt - drop-in activity for all ages until 24 December at Pangbourne Library
• Christmas Crafts - special drop-in activity for all ages on Fridays 6,13 and 20 December, 2.30-5pm at Hungerford Library
• Christmas Crafts - special drop-in activity for all ages on Fridays 6,13 and 20 December, 2-3.30pm at Lambourn Library 
• Embroidery Workshop for adults, organised by the Friends of Thatcham Library - Friday 6 December, 3-5pm at Thatcham Library - advance booking essential
• Christmas Crafts - special drop-in activity for all ages on Saturday 7 December, 10.30-11.30am at Pangbourne Library
• Festive LEGO Club - special session for children over 5 years on Saturday 7 December, 2-3pm at Newbury Library
• Christmas Crafts - special drop-in activity for children over 5 years, Saturday 7 December, 2-3.30pm at Newbury Library
• Reindeer Picture Hunt - drop-in activity for all the family, starts 9 December at Theale Library
• Christmas Wreath Making - for adults, Wednesday 11 December, 10am-12pm at Newbury Library - advance booking essential.
• Family Christmas Quiz - Thursday 12 December, 4-5pm at Theale Library
• Carols, crafts, treasure hunt and refreshments - drop-in event for all the family, Saturday 14 December, 10am-12pm at Thatcham Library
• Christmas Crafts - make your own Christmas cards, Saturday 14 December, 10.30am to 12pm at Mortimer Library
• Morris Dancing with the Garston Gallopers - drop-in event of seasonal fun, Saturday 14 December, 11-11.30am at Hungerford Library
• Christmas Stories - special Storytime for under 5s, Wednesday 18 December, 11.15-11.45am at Newbury Library
• Needle Felt Crafts - activity for all skill levels, Thursday 19 December, 2.30-4.30pm at Theale Library - advance booking essential.
• Christmas Crafts - make your own Christmas bauble, Saturday 21 December, 10.30am to 12pm at Mortimer Library
• Family Christmas Fun - a morning of puzzles for all ages, Saturday 21 December, 10.30am to 12pm at Lambourn Library

For full details about any of these events or to find out what else is on offer near you, please 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.

Please note that Educafe at Newbury Library is now taking a seasonal break and will return on Wednesday 8 January 2025.

Events in West Berkshire Libraries

Online fun!

Our YouTube channel includes several videos by leading animator Tim Allen which provide a step-by-step guide to making your own stop motion animated films.

We also have plenty of easy, seasonal crafts on our social media every weekend. Get creative and find ideas for simple Christmas decorations that children and adults can enjoy making.

The Marvellous Makers from our Summer Reading Challenge are back this month with an online Winter Mini Challenge for children. 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 2025 to join the fun! There are puzzles, games, author videos, suggestions for what to read next and lots of fun 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 also borrow books for the challenge from their school library or download library e-books and e-audiobooks for free. All reading counts! Visit the challenge website to find out more. 

Winter Mini Challenge website

If you or someone you know is unable to get to a library, perhaps because of age, disability or for some other reason, West Berkshire Libraries may be able to come to you. Friendly volunteers from our At Home service deliver books to local residents who cannot visit us, on a three-weekly basis. Watch a short video on our YouTube channel to find out what this service means to one of our library members.

For further information about the At Home service please ring 01635 519827 or email library@westberks.gov.uk.

West Berkshire Libraries At Home service

If you live in the Compton area, make a date to drop in to our pop-up library at Compton Village Hall on Thursday 12 December, 10am to 12pm. Pop in to say hello and find a selection of books for you to borrow. We will be visiting Compton again in the New Year, so tell us now about the sort of books you like to read and we'll choose a selection for you for next time. New library members especially welcome.

Many GP surgeries are now accessible via the NHS app. This allows you to request repeat prescriptions without having to contact your surgery, to view your GP health records, manage appointments, receive messages from your local surgery and browse a wide range of NHS health information, including details of symptoms, treatments and side effects of medicines. Visit the NHS website for more information.

If you would like assistance in downloading or using the NHS app, we can help. Just book a free appointment with our Digital Services Officer. Please ask in your local library or email rav.gopal@westberks.gov.uk.

Have you already planned your reading for the holiday period? If you can't finish your book before it is due for return or get to a library in time, it may be possible to extend the loan period.

You can renew library loans up to four times if nobody else is waiting to borrow the items you have. You can do this online by logging in to your library account or via the West Berkshire Libraries app or our children's app, Planet Library. Please note that if we have obtained something for you from outside West Berkshire we may not be able to renew it.

Have your say on the council's budget

West Berkshire Council has launched a public consultation to give residents the opportunity to have their say on how to balance its 2025-26 budget. Find information about the budget consultation here. You will see that this includes a proposal to discontinue the Mobile Library service and replace it with a more effective library service option for residents in rural areas e.g. delivery by the 'At Home' service and e-library provision. Residents are invited to complete an online survey to give their views.

West Berkshire Council budget 2025-26

Coding for 9-11 year olds

Bookings are open now for our next 12 week course which introduces children to coding with Scratch. This free course starts on 6 January 2025. Each week we will email you a new project to try at home, with full instructions and a step-by-step video guide. For more information or to sign up, please email library@westberks.gov.uk. 

Book now for January

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.

Author Chat with Simon Mason

Holiday opening hours

All library buildings will be closed on the Bank Holidays as usual and all West Berkshire libraries, apart from Newbury Library and Thatcham Library, will be closed from 24 December until Wednesday 1 January, including Saturday 28 December. Normal opening hours will resume in all our libraries on Thursday 2 January.

On 24 December, Thatcham Library will close at midday; Pangbourne Library and Newbury Library will close at 1pm; all other West Berkshire libraries will be closed all day.

Newbury Library will be closed on the Bank Holidays, and also on Friday 27 December. Normal opening hours will apply for 28, 30 and 31 December.

Thatcham Library will open on Monday 30 December from 9.30am to 5pm (closed 1-2pm), and on Tuesday 31 December 9.30am-1pm.

Please ring your local library or check our website for current details before you visit.

Our e-resources and the West Berkshire Libraries apps will of course continue to be available for you to use every day of the year.

West Berkshire Libraries e-resources

Our next newsletter will be out in early January. 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).