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Public PCs in Libraries and Access points are being replaced throughout March, April and May. The dates for individual sites will be published locally as they are confirmed. There will be minimal disruption to service while this work is carried out.
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Are you looking for adventure?
This month’s novels from the 100 Novels that shaped our world list all have the theme, Adventure. If you have a favourite from this month’s novels then please tweet about it using #MyBookLife and @cambslib so the BBC and the library can retweet it.
Or listen out for Gary Porter, Interim Libraries & Communities Manager, talking on the Charlie Thompson’s Breakfast Show (Saturday 21st March at 8.10am) about his favourite, Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep.
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Stories in the Pub was a free evening event held in in Ye Olde Griffin Hotel, March on Tuesday 28th January as part of our 100 Novels that shaped our world programme.
Toppings Bookseller, David Learner, read extracts from Bridget Jones’s Diary, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Hound of the Baskervilles. The very enthusiastic audience then discussed those books, and shared their own favourites.
We hope to hold a similar event in the future, possibly in March library so look out for details later in the year.
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We have 4 titles each month which will be available to 500 or 1,000 customers at the same time. Perfect for reading groups, ideal to get a countywide discussion started.
#CambridgeshireListenIn
And here are our March titles from Borrowbox - preview and borrow here:
Calling all Home Educating Families – join us for the Big Read & Write Livestreaming event
You are invited to a free livestreaming of an event with author Sita Bramachari at Ely Library & The Luxe Cinema, Wisbech on Wednesday 25th March 1-2pm.
Event is aimed at children 9yrs+, but younger children are welcome to attend.
Sita will be talking to an invited audience of YR5 children in Cambridge about her books, especially Where the River Runs Gold, however, children attending the livestreaming will have the opportunity to send in questions for her in advance.
To book your free place please contact: Ely - Louise Aldridge via ely.referral@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or Wisbech - katherine@20twentyproductions.co.uk
If you want to receive the information pack, which includes details on how to enter the Writing Competition, please let us know
Sponsored by The Library Presents.
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Friday 6th March, 12.45 - 14:00
Business and IP Centre, Cambridge Central Library
It’s Free!
How to find the information you need to start and grow your business.
You’ve had an idea to start a business. Now what?
Turning these ideas into a successful business means you need the knowledge to make this a reality. You might want to know about market conditions, legal issues or how customers are likely to respond to your product or service when it is launched. Or maybe you're just not sure where to start. We can help. Increase your chances of business success. We'll show you how to develop a strategy for identifying the information that will help you make your business idea a reality. We will show you what information is available in the Business & IP Centre and also what information is available online. We will also tell you how primary research, such as talking to customers, can be built into your strategy.
Bookings https://tinyurl.com/rf9wdsz
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Exhibition coming soon 23rd April – 23rd August 2020
Unfinished Business: The fight for women’s rights - the next pop-up panel exhibition will explore how feminist activism in the UK today has its roots in the complex history of women’s rights.
From bodily autonomy and the right to education, to self-expression and protest, this new touring exhibition from the British Library’s Living Knowledge Network, explores how feminist activism in the UK has its roots in the complex history of women’s rights. Join the live debate and add your voice to the many fighting for a fairer world for everyone.
This free exhibition celebrates those who have struggled to overcome the barriers to living a fully-realised life.
Unfinished Business tour venues are Cambridge Central 23rd April – 14th May. Ely, Huntingdon, March, St Ives, St Neots tour dates to be confirmed via Library eNewsletter.
The Central Library location will also feature a complimentary ‘Women’s Suffrage’ display from the Cambridgeshire Collection, and in addition a free talk by Local Studies Assistant Mary Burgess– ‘Cambridge Women’s Suffrage: the vote and beyond’, Central Library, Cambridge Wednesday 6th May - 5:30pm to 6:30pm.
Photo ref - RA.Suff.K1 13884
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Cambridgeshire Skills, formally known as Adult Learning and Skills, offer a broad range of adult learning courses, in venues across
Cambridgeshire. Since August 2019, we have recruited almost 1500 learners.
If you’re looking to enhance your employability or learn something new, why not contact us to discuss the fantastic opportunities available to you? Just some of the courses we offer are: English, Maths, IT, ESOL, Employability courses, Customer Service and Retail, Horticulture, Confidence Building and many more.
Did you know, most of our learning is FREE?!* (*eligibility criteria for a free place applies. Please contact us for further information)
Please call 01353 613013 to speak to our dedicated and friendly team for more information or to book a place on a course. You can also email cambsals@cambridgeshire.gov.uk, find us on Facebook or Twitter (@cambsskills) or visit our website www.cambsals.co.uk What will you learn today?
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Enjoy the pleasures of reading and SHARE A STORY on World Book Day… and every day!
During the week of 5th March you can pop into your local council run library to pick up a World Book Day voucher for children under 4. (School aged children will be given a voucher at school). We will also be giving away vouchers at our Storytimes and Rhymetimes, till stocks run out.
You can use your voucher in local bookshops to buy one of the special £1 WBD books or to save £1 on any other children’s book. You can see all the WBD titles here:
https://www.worldbookday.com/books/
Happy Story Sharing!
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 Read about our new books here:
https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/asset-library/new-books-for-march-2020.pdf
The new Reading Well for Children Collection was launched at Wisbech Library on Monday 10th February. We were pleased to welcome representatives from the Early Help Team, Blue Smile Charity, Rosmini Centre, Schools’ Family Workers, Children in Care Team, Talking Together and Wisbech Reads.
Gary Porter, Libraries & Communities Manager, said “I was really delighted to attend the Reading Well for Children launch today. It’s such a valuable scheme. I think all library services should help people and/or enrich their quality of life, and this most certainly does that.”
The Reading Well for Children collection has sparked a lot of interest from both practitioners and the public, with 320 books being borrowed in the week following the launch.
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Cambridge Central Library
18 May – 19 June 2020
An exhibition displaying photographs and text draws on research on the children born in World War II to black GIs and white British women, developed by Professor Lucy Bland, Anglia Ruskin University. As documented in Lucy’s recent book Britain’s ‘Brown babies’: the stories of children born to black GIs and white women in the second world war (Manchester University Press, 2019)
Please see the library website for opening hours www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/library
An accompanying exhibition from the Cambridgeshire Collection features photos of US airmen from that period .
Britain’s ‘Brown Babies’
Wednesday 20th May, Starts 6.00pm -7.00pm
Cambridge Central Library, 3rd Floor, Conference room
Talk by Lucy Bland (Professor of Social and Cultural History, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge) on children born to black GIs and white British women in the 2nd world war, complementing the exhibition on display in the library from 18 May – 19 June.
Free ( donations are welcomed), no need to book.
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 Show you love where you live this year by getting involved with this year’s Great British Spring Clean (20 March - 13 April).
Last year, half a million #LittleHeroes collected more than 900,000 bags of rubbish as part of the country’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy. This year they aim to get 600,000 #LitterHeroes out there. Let’s help them reach that goal in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
Take action by hosting your own community clean-up, joining someone else’s or by pledging to pick up litter while you are out and about.
To find out more about what you can do in your area, visit www.recap.co.uk/news/great-british-spring-clean-2020 where you will find links to your local council who can supply you with the things you need.
To find out more about the Great British Spring Clean visit www.keepbritaintidy.org
Friday 6th March at St Ives Library
The Muslim Woman: Feminist Perspectives on Islam
Live screening from the British Library.
Feminist engagement with Islamic sacred texts is rich and diverse. But how do feminist scholars make space for multiple visions of gender equality in Islam? And how does their work filter into communities and mainstream religious spaces? Renowned academics Amina Wadud, Ziba Mir-Hosseini and Suhraiya Jivraj come together to discuss for International Women’s Day. Chaired by Latifa Akay of the Inclusive Mosque Initiative.
Book your FREE place at St Ives Library, call 0345 045 5225 or email StIves.Referral@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Please note the screening will start promptly at 7pm.
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22nd April -27th May
Wednesdays at 5:45pm
Free
Join us at Cambridge Central Library for a free, interactive, six-week course on American Literature. Open to all!
This course will explore how and why we read literature through the lens of six short stories from the American literary canon. The stories will be pre-circulated before each class, but there will be no other coursework to be completed outside of class time. No prior knowledge is necessary, and all are welcome!
Please book your place at the library, by calling 0345 045 5225, or by e-mailing Libraries.ReferralCentre-@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
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Friday 27th March, at March Library
Doors open at 6.30pm, quiz starts at 7pm
Cash prizes for the winning team - Teams of 3-6 people
£3.50 per person - Bring your own drinks and snacks
Plus a Prize raffle.
Please book your places with library staff.
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Celebrate National Science week with us at Arbury Court Library and Cambridge Central Library with some gloriously messy experiments!
Arbury Court Library: Thursday 12th March, 10:30am- 11:15am
Cambridge Central Library: Saturday 14th March, 3-4pm
Suitable for ages 5+ Parents and guardians please stay with your children at all times This event can be booked at our libraries, by calling 0345 045 5225, or by e-mailing Libraries.ReferralCentre-@cambridgeshire.gov.uk with the number of attendees and a designated contact.
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Huntingdon Library, Saturday 7 March, 10.30-12.00
Create an engineering masterpiece using recycled materials at our junk modelling session. Build anything from cars, to rockets and see if you can make them move!
Suitable for children aged 4+ No need to book just drop in.
50p suggested donation.
For more information ask a member of staff or call us on 0345 045 5225
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Friday 20th March, 10am – 1pm, at St. Neots Library
Come along to our baby clothes swap. Donate your unwanted baby clothes (0-3) and get one of our bags to fill up with clothes your baby needs. If you don’t have any clothes to donate, you can buy one of our bags to fill for only £1.
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Drop into Cambridge Central Library on Saturday 14th March between 3pm and 4pm for some fun drawing activities or just to read and chat about your favourite comics or manga.
For ages 12+
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Join in the fun and meet new friends while making LEGO models of your choice.
Saturday 7th March, 10am -11am, Whittlesey Library
Saturday 21st March, 2pm -3pm, Wisbech Library
Saturday 21st March, 2pm - 3.30pm at St. Neots Library
Wednesday 25th March, 3.15pm - 4.15pm, Bar Hill Library
(Booking essential for LEGO at Bar Hill)
NEW Lego Club - Saturday 21st March 10.00-11.30pm, Warboys Library
Warboys Library now has its own monthly Lego Club! Come and have fun and make friends while building something amazing! Suitable for ages 5 years and up.
Children must be accompanied by an adult at all these events. 50p charge may apply at some venues. Please ask staff for details.
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Join us for a board game bonanza at Cambridge Central Library on Saturday 28th March between 2pm - 6pm. Bring your friends or make new ones! We have a variety of exciting games for you to choose from or you can bring your own!
£2 per ticket. This drop-in event runs from 2-6pm
Please note: children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
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Family Games Afternoon – Thursdays 2 – 4.30pm
Come to Buckden Library for a fun afternoon of board games. We have a range of games for children aged 2 – 6. 50 p per child. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Join us at Sawston Library for a special "daffodils in a vase" craft session.
Saturday 21st March, 10.30am - 12pm
Suitable for ages 3+ and above. 50 pence per child. Limited numbers. Tickets available from Sawston Library.
Parents and carers must stay with their children.
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Saturday 7th March 10.30am - 11.30am at March Library
Saturday 21st March 10.30am - 11.30am at Chatteris Library
Come along and listen to some Dr. Seuss stories and make a fun craft to take home
50p per child
All ages welcome - children must be accompanied by an adult.
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Cambridge Central Library, 3rd floor
Friday 20th March, 3pm - 4.15pm
Eva Clarke, BEM, who was born in Mauthausen concentration camp in 1945, is coming to Cambridge Central Library to talk about her survival.
This is a free event. Booking is essential as there are limited spaces available. Please book now to avoid disappointment. Call 0345 045 5225 or Email Libraries.ReferralCentre-@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
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Wildlife on Willingham’s doorstep!
Wednesday 4th March, Willingham Library, 2pm -3.30pm
The RSPB’s Chris Hudson gives a talk on The Ouse Fen project.
£1 donation.
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Mary Kingsley - Victorian Adventurer
Wednesday 4th March, 2pm - 3.30pm at Cambourne Library
Free drop in talk by Geoff Hales from The Travelling Theatre. £1 donation for refreshments will be appreciated.
Life in the Fens
Thursday 5th March, 2 - 3.30pm at Ramsey Library
An afternoon of history and nostalgia as librarian Rosie Veitch delves into the East Anglian Film Archive. Part of the Ramsey Heritage Winter Talks series.
Free event but please book a place at library or call 0345 045 5225.
More free Ramsey Heritage Winter Talks take place at Ramsey Library during March:
5th March 7.00pm - Ramsey Walled Kitchen Garden
11th March 7.00pm – Ramsey Tunnels
24th March 7.00pm – Ramsey, Then and Now
Please see http://www.discoverramsey.co.uk/calendar/ for more information and booking details.
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Simple Steps Towards a Decluttered and Organised Life
Friday 6th March 10.30-12.00 at St Ives Library
Come and meet Professional Organiser Nina Grand. Nina will be talking about the industry as a whole and discussing the wide range of benefits it offers. She will also be providing some handy tips on how to live a clutter-free life.
Free event (donations welcome)
Please book a place at the library or call 0345 045 5225
Fenland Farming
Monday 9th March 2-3.30pm, Warboys Library
Enjoy an afternoon of history and nostalgia as librarian Rosie Veitch delves into the East Anglian Film Archive again.
Free event (donations welcome). Please book a place at the library or call 0345 045 5225
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The Dry Land Smiles
Tuesday 10th March 2pm -3.30pm at Ely Library
Local author Diane Calton Smith takes us on a journey through the C17th as we witness the changes brought to the fens through drainage. We see the effect of all this on the lives of local people and how a landscape was altered forever.
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Tuesday 10th March, 2pm - 3.30pm at St Ives Library
A Life in the Year of a Town Mayor
Former St Ives Mayor Tim Drye will be talking about his experiences in office and how the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) was formed.
Free event (donations welcome)
Please book a place at the library or call 0345 045 5225
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Seeing Science with Alison Giles
Wednesday 11th March, 10am - 11.30am at Burwell Library
Explore objects from the handling collection of the Wimpole Museum of the History of Science and find out more about how scientific instruments have been used to see the world differently.
Convicts!
Wednesday 11th March, 2pm - 3.30pm at Histon Library
Caroline Norton gives an illustrated talk describing how a chance family history discovery in Tasmania appeared to have a “local” connection here in Cambs
£1 donation.
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Bee Keeping
Monday 16th March, 10.30am - 12pm at Wisbech Library
A talk about Bee Keeping with guest speaker Elisabete A. Silva. Free session, donations welcome. Refreshments are available.
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A History of Crime and Punishment in Peterborough
Wednesday 18th March, Yaxley Library, 2pm – 3.30pm
An entertaining and occasionally gruesome look at the history of crime and punishment in the city – from the history of the city gaols to the development of the police force.
Want to know where people used to be hanged? How bodysnatching became a premium occupation? Learn how we were the last place in England to ‘read the Riot Act’ and hear about the best jail-breaker.
Free (donations welcomed). Booking advised, please ask library staff or call 0345 045 5225 for a ticket.
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Wednesday 18th March, 2pm - 3.30pm, Buckden Library
10 Top Tips for Wills and Powers of Attorney
… and why your family will thank you if you have both. An informative but relaxed talk with solicitors Jenny Barker and Tim Addinell from Woodfines Solicitors in Cambridge
Everything you wanted to know but were too afraid to ask! Including an informal Q and A session to round off our afternoon.
Almost Full Circle.
Wednesday 25th March, 2pm, Great Shelford Library
Talk by author Margaret Moore.
Free, please book in advance at Great Shelford Library. £1 donation for refreshments appreciated.
A Polish Heart in a Feldgrau Uniform
Friday 27th March, 2pm - 3.30pm, at St Neots Library
… complicated journeys from the Wehrmacht to the Polish Army in exile. By May 1945 almost every third man who wore a battledress with ‘Poland’ on his shoulder titles at some point in the past wore a feldgrau uniform. Magda Kowalska-Cheffey will talk about, often complicated, journeys those soldiers had to undertake to find a place for themselves in the Polish Army.
Free tickets available from the library.
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Grand Organisers De-cluttering hints and tips
Monday 30th March, 2pm - 3.30pm at March Library
Join Nina Grand, professional organiser, as she tells us about her business and gives you some hints and tips on de-cluttering at home and work.
Entry is free and refreshments are provided.
Donations welcome towards costs. Everyone welcome.
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Writing Judge Walden
Thursday 2nd April, Huntingdon Library, 1.30pm – 3pm
Meet author PETER MURPHY. Peter will talk about his career in the legal profession and how it inspired the creation of his highly acclaimed Judge Walden novels.
Free (donations welcomed). Booking advised, please ask library staff or call 0345 045 5225 for a ticket.
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Art Workshops with David Brown: A Single Flower in Acrylics
Friday 6th March 10.30am – 1.00pm at St Ives Library
Learn how to paint a striking still life image of a single flower in acrylic paints.
We still have a couple of places left on this workshop with local artist David Brown, suitable for beginners and improvers.
£12 per workshop with all art materials supplied and refreshments included.
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Fun with Felt Workshop: Springtime Candle Mats
Saturday 21st March 11.00 – 3.30, St Ives Library
Welcome spring by making a beautiful springtime candle mat using felt and easy embroidery stitches. Suitable for all levels of sewing ability. All materials, patterns and friendly advice provided.
£25 per person (tea/coffee included, please bring your own lunch)
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Easter Card Paper-cutting Workshop
Saturday 28th March 11.00 – 3.30, St Ives Library
Welcome to the magical world of paper-cutting. Discover the history behind paper-cutting and learn the basics of this wonderful craft with Lois Cordelia. This workshop is ideal for beginners and those who have dabbled in paper-cutting and would like some guidance. All materials and tools are provided.
To book tickets email Stives.referral@cambridgeshire.gov.uk, visit St Ives Library or phone 0345 045 5225
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Friends of March Library Coffee Morning
Saturday 28th March, 10.30am - 12pm
At March Library
Come along for a warming drink and a biscuit.
Join in with the prize raffle and maybe bring a jigsaw to swap or just borrow one of ours.
Everyone welcome
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Tuesday 17th March 10am – 12noon at St Neots Library
Join us for our monthly coffee morning. Enjoy a slice of cake, some conversation and a cup of coffee or tea too. £1 per person.
Tuesday 17th March 2pm - 3pm St Ives Library
Thursday 26th March, 10am - 11am Yaxley Library
Come along, enjoy a cup of tea, relax and listen to our volunteers reading a range of literature for adults. Free event (donations welcome).
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Step inside the Story with author Alison Bruce
Starts Wednesday 4th March, 1-2.30pm at Soham Library
Whether you are a book lover, or somebody who would like to experience the joy of reading, but doesn’t know where to start.
This is the reading group for you!
relaxed atmosphere
led by a published author
meet people with shared experiences
learn how a writer thinks
enhance the love of literacy in your household
all with no homework!
6 Sessions
Please call 01353 727188 to book a space or email childandfamilycentres.east@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
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Every Tuesday from 10am - 12pm at Whittlesey Library. Everyone welcome. Get help getting on line and using emails etc. Our friendly volunteers will do their best to help you with any issues you have concerning how to use a computer or laptop.
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Thursday 19th March, 2pm - 3:30pm at Rock Road Library
This is a monthly drop-in cafe at Rock Road Library held on the 3rd Thursday of the month, from 2 to 3.30pm.
Join us in the library’s community room – and the library’s garden if the weather is kind.
Free and all welcome. Stay as long as you like. It is run by volunteers, with support from Friends of Rock Road Library. It will be VERY informal – teas, instant coffee and water or fruit squash. Biscuits, cake and some fruit.
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