Library Re-Openings

Most of our libraries have now re-opened and there is no need to book an appointment in most of them, but you may need to wait because there are restrictions on the amount of borrowers allowed in at one time. Also, when visiting a library you will be asked to wear a face covering, as you would in a shop, unless you are in one of the exempt groups.

Due to the layout of Whaley Bridge library, you will still need to book an appointment before visiting so we can limit numbers of people and ensure social distancing.

These re-openings are subject to change due to the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government guidance that we need to follow.

Browsing has been reintroduced in all of our libraries. We may still need to carry out individual site visits on some libraries, so it is always best to check in advance for the latest information about the library you intend to use.

Our Mobile Library Service and our Home Library Service have also reopened but with some restrictions still in place.

Wingerworth Library will remain closed while plans are worked on so it can be used within current guidelines to ensure customer and staff safety.

For more information visit our Libraries Reopening page, or contact the Library Information Service on 01629 533444 or ask.library@derbyshire.gov.uk. 

Changes to our RBdigital App

We will be moving our digital eAudiobooks and eMagazines service from RBdigital to the Libby app later in the year. You will continue to be able to browse, borrow, and enjoy all the same great eAudiobooks and eMagazines you loved in the RBdigital app, which will become available in Libby from OverDrive. Watch this space!

In just a few taps, you will be able to start reading or listening instantly on your phone or tablet. The digital library is available 24/7 without leaving home and is free from our library. Choose from bestsellers, fiction, nonfiction, books for kids, and more.

National Poetry Day

Thursday 1st October is National Poetry Day. This year, we'll be sharing bits of poetry throughout the day to celebrate. We've been busy writing 'Haiflus', which are a special project of Haikus written about how life has changed since March. Keep an eye out on Facebook and Twitter throughout the day.

We're also launching a poetry competition on National Poetry Day for children which celebrates words unique to Derbyshire. We are looking for acrostic poems using local words which celebrate the words and their meaning (such as wicken (rowen tree) or mowdyworp (mole), and many more).

Examples of poems received will be posted online on Facebook and Twitter throughout October, with the deadline for entries on October 23rd 2020. The winning entries will then be posted during the week beginning November 2nd.

A list of some suggested words can be obtained from ask.library@derbyshire.gov.uk or people may have their own examples they want to use. Entries should be sent through to ask.library@derbyshire.gov.uk along with the name and age of the child/children and a contact number or email for the school. The prizes will be books.

For more information contact ask.library@derbyshire.gov.uk

Virtual Fun Palace

Saturday 3rd October will be the Derbyshire Libraries Virtual Fun Palace. It's an opportunity for individuals to share skills and have fun together, and several community groups and organisations have joined us and will be sharing some helpful material.

Be sure to visit Facebook throughout the day to find videos from Refills on the Road, Bolsover Civic Society, library staff and library customers!

National Libraries Week

It's National Libraries Week from 5th-10th October, and we'll be celebrating everything we love about libraries with some special activities for you!

Highlights include:

• Monday 5th - 'Reminiscence Reverie - Libraries Through the Ages'
• Tuesday 6th - Coffe and Cake Club Recipe
• Wednesday 7th - Digital Coffee Morning
• Thursday 8th - Learn Something New 'Name the Object' Quiz
• Saturday 10th - Learn Something New 'Paper Flowers' Instructional Video

Plus plenty more! Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages throughout the week to join in.

Get Online Week

Get Online Week takes place from 19-25 October  and we will be providing some key information about how to get online and find the right websites for you! Keep an eye on our Facebook page for videos and posts about how to use the Learn My Way and Make It Click websites. If you or someone you know needs support getting online, there will be simple, helpful videos to guide you to find out more.

Baby Babble

Over the past few years the Children’s team at Derbyshire libraries have run our very popular “Baby Babble “groups, but unfortunately, as with a lot of our activities, these sessions have been a victim of the Covid 19 restrictions. So we thought we would still like to bring you a taster of what we do, why we do it, and how you can join in.

Baby Babble is for babies 4-9 months and aims to let you have some lovely one to one time with your baby, as well as offering tips and activities to help develop your baby’s language and communication. We sing rhymes, listen to stories with puppets and props, play with bubbles and treasure baskets and hopefully learn something along the way. The sessions were developed by Speech and language therapists in the North of the County and fit perfectly with our library mission to promote stories and rhymes as an important part of our children’s development.

We do not want to lose these sessions completely as so many of you have said how you enjoy them and have benefitted from them. Therefore from the week beginning 2nd November we will put out a series of taster sessions via our social media. These will be short videos that you can join in with and some slides offering tips and resources that you can use at home.

We look forward to you joining us for these sessions and we are hoping to bring you live, interactive sessions in the spring.

Half-Term Crafts

Need something to entertain the kids each day during half-term? We'll be bringing you a special week-long project in the build up to Halloween that anyone who enjoys crafting with the kids should enjoy! Be sure to save any used kitchen rolls for that week...

eMagazines

Just a reminder that we have so many popular magazines, available digitally and FREE, on our PressReader app. So whatever you like to read from gaming to sport, there is something for everyone. If you watched our digital coffee morning last week, you can find back editions of our magazines, so you too can join in and bake something sensational!

Ticket to Hope

Ticket to Hope is an exciting new community poetry project for Derbyshire. Two former Derbyshire Poet Laureate's Helen Mort and Matt Black will be supporting the project which will be launched by Helen Mort on National Poetry Day.

LoveLit is working with award-winning poet Helen Mort to offer a relaxed night of poetry, conversation, and celebration Poems of Hope: a celebration for National Poetry Day at 7.00 pm on Thursday 1st October. Helen will also launch a new Derbyshire community poetry project Ticket to Hope which people who live, work or study in Derbyshire will be invited to get involved with. The event will be on Zoom and tickets are priced at £6, booking is essential. To find out more click here. 

There will also be two workshops to support the Ticket to Hope project. One for adults with Helen Mort on 10th October, and one for families with Matt Black on 17th October. Tickets cost £3.50 per adult or per family respectively.

This Month We Recommend You Read...

We're got more of the excellent children's books available on our eBook and eAudiobook collections to share with you this month, which are great choices for you and your family.

On Borrowbox we've chosen Wed Wabbit by Lissa Evans. This is the hilarious and touching story of Fidge, eleven years old, who finds herself in a strange land full of Wimbley Woos and under the control of the evil Wed Wabbit. Along with two strange companions (and her annoying cousin), she needs to find her way out to save her little sister's life before it's too late. Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in 2018, this is one story to savour again and again.

Our second pick is The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair by Lara Williamson. When Becket and his brother are whisked away by his dad in the middle of the night, he just wants his family to be whole again, particularly as they've left everything behind, including his almost-mum, Pearl. With his brother, Billy, and a snail named Brian, he's determined to make his way home again, even if the journey isn't easy (because which journeys ever are?). A touching story about family that stays with you for a long time afterwards.

Over on RBdigital, we have Railhead by Philip Reeve, which is the story of Zen Starling and his extraordinary journey on the great network of sentient trains that span the universe. Just what has the mysterious stranger, Raven, got him into, and just how will he survive when he accepts the mission to infiltrate the Emperor's train? A brilliantly exciting sci-fi adventure that adults will love as much as kids.

Need a further suggestion? We're always delighted to suggest a story! Contact us on Facebook, Twitter, or ask.library@derbyshire.gov.uk and we'll do our best to find you something fantastic!

BBC 100 Novels That Shaped Our World

From January to October, the BBC is showcasing their choice of the '100 Novels That Shaped Our World', and for October (their last selection) they've picked the theme of 'Rule Breakers'.

The 10 titles this month are:

• A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
• Bartleby, the Scrivener – Herman Melville
• Habibi – Craig Thompson
• How to be Both – Ali Smith
• Nights at the Circus – Angela Carter
• Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell
• Orlando – Virginia Woolf
• Psmith, Journalist – P. G. Wodehouse
• The Moor’s Last Sigh – Salman Rushdie
• Zami: A New Spelling of My Name – Audre Lorde

Think they've missed an important title from this list? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter!

Library Love

We have been receiving so many kind comments over the past few weeks about how important and useful our customers (new and slightly older) have been finding our online library offer. If you would like to contribute and share your stories and comments, please email us at: ask.library@derbyshire.gov.uk 

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