May Bank Holidays 

Our libraries are closed for the two May Bank Holiday Days:

• Monday 6 May - May Day
• Monday 27 May - Spring Bank Holiday.

Why not call into one of our libraries and borrow a book for the holiday or try an emagazine, ebook or eaudiobook?  Find out more here.

May Activities for Families

We know that families are always looking for fun activities to take part in around the holidays, so here's a selection of activities in libraries:

• Saturday 4th May - Saturday Family Craft Sessions (for children 5 years and over, accompanied by an adult) - drop in and try a selection of fun simple crafts - Belper Library - 10 am - 3 pm - ring 01629 533192 for more info
• Thursday 23 May - Family Board Game Night - Heanor Library - 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm - play a selection of board games suitable for families, teens, and adults - ring 01629 533795 for more info
• Tuesday 28th May – Board Game Club for families, teens and adults – Belper Library – 4-7 pm – ring 01629 533192 for more info
• Thursday 30th May - Hair Raising Experiments - Craft Activities with Static Electricity - (for Primary School age children) - Ashbourne Library - 10:30 am - 11:30 am - drop in session - ring 01629 533950 for more info
• Thursday 30th May - Crafts and Games Morning - Glossop Library - 10 am - 12 noon - drop in session for families - ring 01629 531199 for more info
• Friday 31st May - Dinosaur themed craft event and trail - Heanor Library - 11 am - 1 pm - drop in session - children will be able to make a variety of dinosaur themed crafts including building their own junk model dinosaur as well as hunting for dinosaurs around the library with our trail - ring 01629 533795 for more info

Meet and Make Craft Session

at Belper Library

Tuesday 28th May - 2 pm - 3:30 pm

Join in with this fun and exciting craft session from Fleet Arts! Meet friends, explore books, make crafts! For children 5 years and over. Spaces are limited so book early - contact Belper Library on 01629 533192 or Belper.library@derbyshire.gov.uk. Children must be accompanied by an adult. 

Elmer Day

May 25th is Elmer Day

Join us to celebrate Elmer's 35th birthday in our free, drop in sessions:

Ashbourne Library - craft session on May 25th, am. Ring 01629 533950 for further information.

Borrowash Library - collage activity where children work together to complete a large Elmer picture to restore her multi-coloured appearance, from 18th May to 1st June. Ring 01629 533448 for further information.

Dronfield Library - stick a patch on Elmer’s body in the Children's Library - for Elmer's patchwork birthday - during opening hours, from Saturday 25 May to Saturday 1 June. Ring 01629 533450 for further information.

Hayfield Library - arts and craft children’s session to create a mosaic Elmer on Tuesday 14 May and Tuesday 21 May, from 5 pm to 6 pm. Ring 01629 533438 for further information.

Swadlincote Library - 'Elmer Party Day'! - take part in a special hide and seek game amongst other exciting crafts! Saturday 25^th May, 10.30 am – 12.30 pm, family event. Ring 01629 533013 for further information. All children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.

Adult Events in May

A variety of events and health information for adults in libraries.

• Wednesday 8th May - Autism Service drop in, for support & advice - Glossop Library - 11 am - 2 pm. For further information on autism look here. 
• Friday 10th May - BFN Breast Feeding Group - Ashbourne Library - 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
• Saturday 11th May - Ashbourne Library - morning - Time Swap first anniversary meeting. All welcome.
• Wednesday 15th May - Local History Drop In - Chesterfield Library 10 am - 11:30 am. Tel 01629 533400 for more information
• Tuesday 21st May – Open Mic Poetry Night – Belper Library – 6 pm -7 pm – ring 01629 533192 or email belper.library@derbyshire.gov.uk to book a slot or audience space

Crafting a World of Spies

a talk by author T.M.Parris at Ripley Library

Saturday 18th May - 10:30 am - 11:30 am

T.M. Parris discusses stories & places which inspired her spy thriller series. 

This is a free event. For tickets call into Ripley Library or Ring 01629 532982

Local Art Exhibitions

Several libraries have displays of art by local artists. These can be viewed during library opening hours. Please contact the individual library for further information.

Graham Heywood at Hayfield Library - until 9th May - local artist Graham Heywood is exhibiting a collection of acrylic and watercolour paintings.

Brian Nolan at Hayfield Library - 13th May - 4th June - The Brian Nolan Trust will be exhibiting a series of paintings themed around Hayfield Village by Brian Nolan.

Bill Eley at New Mills Library - 18th April - 16th May - all the paintings have a High Peak connection. 

(painting by Graham Heywood)

Derby Book Festival

30th May to 5th June

Tickets are on sale for the Summer Festival for an exciting line-up of writers talking about their latest books across a wide range of genres. 

Click here for full details 

Dementia Action Week

Look here for national information on Dementia Action Week and dementia support.

Chesterfield Library and Hayfield Library are creating displays with books and information on dementia during May.

• From Thursday 2nd to Thursday 30th May Hayfield library will be displaying items and books which can support those living with dementia. This will include reminiscence items, ideas for creating memory boxes and other resources such as twiddle mitts and activity blankets. 
• The Reading Agency are relaunching the 'Reading Well for Dementia booklist' and the new titles will soon be available to borrow or request from libraries. Check here later in May for the full list of titles.
• A Reminiscence Collection is located at Chesterfield Library and items are available for loan free of charge to care homes and groups, and to individual carers or family members who support older people and those living with dementia. Items for loan include Memory boxes, games, puzzles and themed picture books. Items can be delivered to other Derbyshire Libraries or viewed at Chesterfield Library by appointment. 

For further information please contact ask.library@derbyshire.gov.uk.

Work Continues at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery During Temporary Closure

Buxton Museum and Art gallery remains temporarily closed for building structure investigations by Derbyshire County Council’s Property Services. 

Buxton Museum and Art Gallery keep everyone informed as and when they have any updates, via their websites and social media. Click here for a fascinating online exhibition of 9 objects from the Railways of Buxton. Follow the blog, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Derbyshire Record Office

Local and Community History Month

Did you know that May is Local and Community History Month? Organised by The Historical Association, it’s the time each year where communities are encouraged to find out about and participate in their own local heritage. So have you always wondered about the history of your town, or what that strange building is that you walk past every day? Maybe you want to know a bit more about your own family history or of the house that you live in? If so, then this is the perfect time to find out. Every Derbyshire Library has its own local studies collection. The size of the collection will depend on the size of the library, but even if the collection stretches to just a few shelves there will be something of interest.

Our two main Local Studies Libraries are in Chesterfield and Matlock. The one at Chesterfield Library has information on Chesterfield and the north east of the county, while the collection at Derbyshire Record Office in Matlock covers the whole county.  In both you will find a large selection of books, maps, newspapers, magazines, photographs and more, with staff eager to help you. With local history there’s always something new to discover, so come along and see what you can find out!

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Facebook.

(Image shows local studies resources)

Derbyshire Adult Community Education

Could a career in catering be for you?

Catering SWAP

Sector - based work academy programme

Are you passionate about food and enjoy working as part of a team?

Starting 3 June 2024 for 2 consecutive weeks with interviews for Derbyshire County Council jobs

Location:

Week 1 - Clay Cross Adult Community Education Centre

Week 2 - Derbyshire County Council school placement

This course is for people 19+ who are unemployed actively seeking work and are interested in working in the catering sector. You will learn the skills and knowledge to prepare for work in catering. If you are unemployed and actively seeking work, this course is free.

You will learn:

• Skills, knowledge, and experience to work in catering
• Level 2 Certificate Food Safety
• Level 1 Essentials of Health and Safety
• Impartial advice from Derbyshire Careers Service

If you are interested in our Catering Sector Based Work Academy Programme, look here or email ncs.scans@derbyshire.gov.uk

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 May are:

In Ebook & Eaudio:

• Chetna Maroo - Western Lane
• Bruce Perry/Oprah Winfrey - What happened to you?
• Nguyen Phan Que Mai - Dust child

In eBook only:

• Audrey Magee - The colony

In  eAudiobook only: 

• Wendy Mitchell - Somebody I used to know
• Steve Thompson - Unforgettable

New Adult Books

We’ve chosen to highlight three books published recently for you to enjoy. You can reserve them via our online catalogue.

The Guest by B.A. Paris

Iris and Gabriel have just got home from a make-or-break holiday. But a shock awaits them. One of their dearest friends, Laure, is in their house - sleeping in their bed, wearing Iris' clothes, even rearranging the furniture. She has walked out on her husband - and their good friend - Pierre over his confession of an affair. Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive. But as Laure's mood becomes more unpredictable, her presence begins to unravel secrets in all their pasts - until things inevitably reach breaking point.

The Perfect Passion Company by Alexander McCall Smith

The Perfect Passion Dating Company at No. 24 Mouse Lane in Edinburgh's New Town is run by Katie Donald who has an innate instinct for bringing people together. She has developed a skill for finding out what it is that people really want. Along the way, Katie learns profound lessons about her own desires as she works at better understanding others. Although Katie has little in the way of direct experience, with the help of her amiable and handsome office neighbour William Kidd, she soon finds herself making matches for the lonely hearts tired of meeting online - and who want a more personal touch.

I am not afraid of looking into rifles by Rick Stroud

This is not a history of the First World War. It is the story of the women of the resistance in Belgium and Occupied northern France during that conflict. Their work was not glamorous, but it was essential and has often been overlooked; it was also dangerous and the penalties severe: death or life imprisonment. Three of the women he writes about faced the firing squad, including Gabrielle Petit, the Belgian national hero whose response to her imminent execution gives this book its title.

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