Library Re-Openings
Since Thursday 5 November in line with government restrictions, most of our libraries returned to a 'Book and Borrow' service. Details of how to access this service can be found on our Library Updates page.
All books and other items currently on loan will be automatically renewed until 11 January 2021 and will not incur any overdue charges.
This is all subject to change due to the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government guidance that we need to follow, so please keep an eye on the Library Updates page, as well as our social media channels, for any updates.
Our Mobile Library Service and our Home Library Service will continue to operate but with some restrictions still in place.
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Christmas Opening Hours
We'll be closing at 1pm on Christmas Eve, and then opening again with normal hours from Tuesday 29th December.
We then close at 5pm on New Year's Eve, and open with normal hours on Saturday 2nd January 2021.
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Online Christmas Events
We've been hard at work preparing a whole host of online happenings to celebrate the Christmas period, with exciting things occurring for both adults and children.
Adults can expect to get entertained by our very own hugely talented librarian choir and their masterful rendition of a special library-version of a well-known classic Christmas song, as well as a festive coffee morning for you to enjoy, an advent calendar of daily recommended reads, and some of our favourite Christmas recipes.
Children can look forward to Christmas-themed Storytimes and Rhymetimes, crafts, quizzes, and we might even have convinced Santa Claus himself to make an appearance...
On top of all that, we've got a special reading of The Night Before Christmas for the whole family to enjoy on Christmas Eve, from your favourite library service especially to you!
Keep an eye on Facebook and Twitter throughout December to join in with all the fun.
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Get Involved!
We hope you have been enjoying all of our online activities and events on our social media channels, but we really want you to help shape our content further. We are currently recruiting for people to be involved with our digital coffee mornings and our online reader group, which we hope to launch in 2021. Fancy chatting about your favourite reads with us, please see our website for more information.
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Calling All Writers!
Derbyshire Libraries has been successful in their bid to be a part of the exciting BBC Novels That Shaped Our World project. Workshops and events are in the planning stages at the moment, but we really wanted to share this news with you. We have chosen the poignant theme of ‘isolation’ as we have all experienced this over the past few months. In the new year we will be running a short story competition for all our residents on this theme. We will have prizes for the top 3 and we will publish a short story compilation as an eBook on our BorrowBox platform. So get your thinking caps on and we will send more information in the new year!
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The Christmas 'Book-Off'
Lots of you have been joining in every day so far with the FIRST GREAT DERBYSHIRE LIBRARIES CHRISTMAS BOOK-OFF, and it's only going to get more exciting as we head towards the finish line and the book that you'll all vote as your favourite Christmas book of all-time! Don't forget to check Facebook every day for the next match and make sure that you cast you vote to pick the day's winner!
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Necklace of Stars
Arts Derbyshire are looking to offer places to those in need on their embroidery and creative writing project, 'Necklace of Stars', for the week starting 4th January 2021.
It is an opportunity for people to have one to one phone calls with either our Creative Writer, Phil Davenport or our Embroidery Artist, Lois Blackburn. All materials will be posted out to participants and then they will receive weekly phone calls for approximately one month whilst they work on their embroidered star or creative writing. Once they are happy with what they have created, the work gets returned to our artists and then all of the embroidery will be stitched together to form a quilt and the creative writing will be showcased alongside it as the work is exhibited and toured around Derbyshire in 2022.
This project is delivered by Arts Derbyshire in partnership with Derbyshire Home Library Service and Derbyshire County Council Public Health and funded by Arts Council England.
Our criteria at present is:
- Lives in Derbyshire
- Aged 65 and over
- Is housebound or currently shielding due to Covid-19
If anyone would like more information or would like to refer someone for January, please contact Sally Roberts from Arts Derbyshire at sallyartsderbyshire@gmail.com
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Baby Babble
We'd like to remind anyone with babies aged 4-9 months that we are posting weekly videos supporting our Baby Babble course on Facebook at 10am on Thursdays until 10th December. All videos from previous weeks will remain up on the Videos tab of our Facebook page, and it's a great chance to learn some tips on communicating with your little one, while singing rhymes with them and practicing signs!
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eLending Platforms
If you or anyone that you know receives a tablet or eReader for Christmas, don't forget that one of the most exciting things you can use it for is our eLending service! As a reminder, we have the following eLending platforms available for all Derbyshire Libraries members to use free of charge:
We will be moving all of our RBdigital content to the Overdrive Libby app in early 2021, so please check our website in the new year for guides and instructions on how to download and use the new app.
You can find more information about our eLending service as a whole here, and for any help please contact the Library Information Service on 01629 533444, or ask.library@derbyshire.gov.uk
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Writing Events
For those of you that successfully completed National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November, or even for those who've had a novel finished for many years but haven't known what to do next, Alex Davis' 'What Next for your Novel' online class could be the perfect next step! Taking place on Wednesday 2nd December from 7-9pm via Google Meet, tickets cost £14 and can be purchased here.
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Multi-Use Titles
Every month we get a new selection of titles on our BorrowBox app of both eBooks and eAudiobooks that can be taken out by multiple users at one time. These stay multi-use for 60 days, so if you have a book club and you're looking for your next title then one of these could be your next choice!
You can find these titles on the main BorrowBox page, identified as a collection with 'No Waiting!' or 'Available Now!'. Titles available from December include:
- Love You Dead by Peter James
- The Bad Daughter by Joy Fielding
- The Long Call by Ann Cleeves
- Enid Blyton's Christmas Stories (eAudiobook only)
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Attwood (eAudiobook only)
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Feedback
In the week beginning December 14th we'll be asking for feedback on our digital children’s activities. If you have seen any of our Story Times, Rhyme Times, Baby Babble, Craft activities, quizzes, Book Share and reviews then we would love to hear what you thought of them. You can feedback any comments to ask.libraries@derbyshire.gov.uk .
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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 A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig. The absolute perfect choice for the festive season, this is the incredible storyof how a boy called Nikolas became Father Christmas, and the magical adventure that he went on to get there. Expect plenty of snow, elves, and magic!
Our second pick is Hetty Feather's Christmas by Jacqueline Wilson. A book of fun, friendship, and festive cheer, as Hetty Feather is whisked away from the Foundling Hospital by a dear friend, just when it looks like she's going to have to miss out on all the Christmas celebrations.
Over on RBdigital, we have a lovely collection for younger children with Spot's Magical Christmas and Other Stories by Eric Hill. Seven festive stories about Spot and his friends, which is a great choice to snuggle up with on a cold winter's evening and listen to with your little ones.
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!
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Library Love
We have been receiving so many kind comments over the past few weeks about how important and useful our customers 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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Keep in touch with Derbyshire Libraries via social media
Follow us on our Derbyshire Libraries Facebook & Twitter pages.
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