Children's book packs and more libraries open again

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So much more than just books...

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Bracknell Forest libraries

Binfield and Great Hollands Libraries are open

open door

 

We have just entered our second phase of re-opening, adding two more libraries from Monday 20 July!

In addition to Bracknell and Crowthorne Libraries, which opened their doors on 6th July, Binfield and Great Hollands Libraries are open again with limited hours and services. 

Opening Hours

Bracknell Library

Open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Wednesday closed

Binfield Library

Open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm

Crowthorne Library

Open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm

Great Hollands

Open Wednesday and Friday from 10am to 4pm. Saturday from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

Please keep checking our webpage for updates on opening times going forwards.


Keep your children reading this summer

toddler reading

Book packs for under 5s ready to collect

We have just launched a new service, the Lucky Dip for children under 5 years old, perfect if you are short of time or want a surprise.

Lucky dip bags are a selection of 5 books, that are suitable either for toddlers (picture book bags) or for babies (board book bags). 

You don't need to pre-book a pack, just just pop down to Bracknell, Crowthorne, Binfield or Great Hollands libraries and ask to take part in the lucky dip!

In order to limit the handling of stock, we are temporarily unable to process requests for children’s picture book and board books, so please help us by not placing reservations on these books at the moment. Instead we are introducing lucky dip bags for children to enjoy.


Summer Reading Challenge is well underway

Silly Squad

Silly Squad book pack

To help children to complete their Summer Reading Challenge this year, Bracknell Central library offers a new and free service, the Silly Squad packs.

We hand-pick 6 diverse, entertaining and age-appropriate books for children aged 4 to 11 years old (the recommended age for the challenge), we issue them to the child’s library card and bag them, ready for collection. Please email Bracknell Library to reserve your pack. 

e-books and e-audio books

You can also choose to listen to e-audio books, read e-comic books or e-books. Start exploring our digital selection both on BorrowBox (for e-books and e-audio books) and RBdigital (e-audio books and e-comics).

Remember to sign up for the Digital Summer Reading Challenge at this link.

*Coming Soon* Silly Squad Activity Packs. More details to follow shortly.


Browsing in the library

Image of Bracknell library

Safe browsing of shelves 

We have now opened more shelves for browsing at Bracknell Central Library. All fiction, classic, romance, crime & thrillers, plus young adults sessions can be browsed. Soon the non-fiction area will be re-opening again. Children and science fiction areas are still closed, but you can keep using our free services: the Lucky Dip bags for under 5s, the Silly Squad packs for 4-11 years old and Select and Collect for adult books.

Crowthorne, Binfield and Great Hollands Libraries are offering safe browsing on all their shelves, with a strict limit on the number of people browsing.

In all libraries, please respect social distancing and follow directions from staff, we are limiting the number of people in each area to allow safe browsing.

If you touch a book you decide not to borrow please place it in the honesty box for quarantine.


How to reserve books or a PC session

library shelves

 

Select and Collect

This is our new and free service to reserve up to 10 books and have them bagged and ready for collection in the library.

To reserve items:

  • go to our online library catalogue
  • search for the item by author or title or just keywords (anything you know or remember that can be part of the book description, e.g. the topic if it is a non-fiction book)
  • click on 'Reserve this item'
  • log in with your library membership card number and enter your PIN
  • select the library where you want to pick up your item - Bracknell, Binfield, Crowthorne and Great Hollands are available at the moment
  • confirm your request.

Don't worry about the charge the system will show you, it will be waived by staff. 

If your collection site is Bracknell Library, please wait for the staff to call you and arrange an appointment for collection. 

If you don't remember your PIN, please contact Bracknell Library via email or phone 01344 423149.

PC booking

A small number of public PCs are available, together with printing and scanning services, at Bracknell, Binfield, Crowthorne and Great Hollands Libraries, on a booking basis only. You will need to book a public computer session (up to 30 minute session per day) in advance.

For bookings, please phone:

  • Bracknell Library –  01344 423149
  • Binfield Library – 01344 306663
  • Crowthorne Library – 01344 776431
  • Great Hollands – 01344 424095

Scanning and printing are available. To pay for your printing, please be ready with the exact change (for safety reasons) or use a credit/debit card at the self service machine.

Printing costs 20 pence per A4 sheet for black and white copies and 50 pence per A4 sheet for colour copies. No double sided printing.


Return or renew items borrowed before lockdown

shelves of books

Fines for late returned items will be re-starting from Monday 27 July

Books can be returned to our open libraries during their opening hours or returned using the letter boxes at Ascot Heath, Binfield (side door, in the car park), Birch Hill, Bracknell, Crowthorne or Great Hollands Libraries.

To renew your library books, telephone during opening hours, email Bracknell Library or renew online by going to the online library catalogue and logging into your library account with your library card number and PIN.

We shall be offering a one week grace period for customers to either return their items or renew them without incurring any charges.


What to read next?

Some of our brand new e-books and e-audio books

Look for the "new releases" and "new to the library" e-books and e-audio books on our BorrowBox and RBdigital apps (or website). If you need any assistance for installing the apps, transferring books from your PCs to other devices or have any query about online reading materials, just drop Bracknell Library an email. 

New e-books

new e-books

 

New e-audio books

new e-audio books

Enjoy free e-magazines and e-newspapers using PressReader

RBdigital e-magazine service ends 31 July 2020 

We're sorry that library members will no longer be able to access e-magazines using the RBdigital app or RBdigital website from August 2020, but most of the magazines and a much larger range of magazines and newspapers are available using PressReader. Enjoy hundreds of newspapers and magazines from the UK and from around the world.

If you've not yet tried PressReader, download the PressReader app to your phone or tablet or go to www.pressreader.com on a computer. Login with your library card number, then search through the categories or countries to find a newspaper or magazine that you want to read. Using the app you can download and read titles offline and check the box for next issues to automatically download. Check our PressReader user guide for more information.

Please note that e-audio books and e-comics will continue to be available from RBdigital. 

E-magazines available from PressReader

Keep up-to-date

For more  up to date information please follow Bracknell Forest Libraries on:

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