New Library System

Are you a library user? If you are, you need to know about our new library management system and how it will temporarily affect services.

The Library Management System (LMS) manages the account details and loan history of all library users as well as helping staff to manage the collection of books and other resources across our network of 43 county-run libraries.

The two community-managed libraries at Tideswell and Woodville will also move to the new system.

We're introducing the new LMS in February. It will modernise how our libraries work day-to-day and be more cost-effective and efficient.

Work starts on the implementation of the switchover on Thursday 6 February and all library users will be affected as they will be unable to access some of the services and resources they normally use for up to one week.

For further information look here.

Adult Events in February

Come along to a variety of events and health information for adults in libraries:

• Wednesday 5^th February (until Tuesday 4^th March) – Belper Library – Sue Zmarzty Art Exhibition – Drop in any time during library opening hours to view this exhibition of felt artworks by local artist Sue Zmarzty – 01629 533192
• Thursday 6^th February (until 25^th February) – Hayfield Library – Display of art work for Hayfield Underpass Project – a collection of resources for people to comment on the new tiled mural for the Hayfield Underpass Project – during opening hours – 01629 533438
• Tuesday 11^th February – Heanor Library – Live Life Better Blood Pressure Checks – a chance to pop in and have your blood pressure checked – 10am-12pm – 01629 533795
• Tuesday 11^th February – Bolsover Library – Historical Crime and Punishment in Derbyshire Talk – join us for this talk by Stephen Bembridge, for adults only – 2-3pm – BOOKING ESSENTIAL – 01629 537800
• Wednesday 12^th February –Heanor Library  – Craft Yourself Calm – drop-in adult craft group, where you can bring your own or join in with themed crafts – 1-2pm – 01629 533795
• Friday 14^th February – Heanor Library – Citizen’s Advice – Advice on energy services, signing up to the priority register, and carbon monoxide monitors. For ages 65 and over – 10am-12pm – 01629 533795
• Friday 14^th February – Borrowash Library – Live Life Better Derbyshire Wellbeing Walk-in Session – pop along for free health and wellbeing advice. Get free blood pressure check ups as well as finding out more about free health services – 10am-12.30pm – 01629 533448
• Thursday 20^th February – Ilkeston Library – Local Hosiery Recollections – invitation to local hosiery workers to see a preview of work by Ilkeston Theatre Company – 11am-12pm – 01629 533275
• Tuesday 25^th February – Belper Library – Board Game Club – Come and try our range of classic and modern board games, for all ages – 4-7pm – 01629 533192
• Thursday 27^th February – South Normanton Library – Reader Group – regular meeting on the last Thursday of every month – 11am-12pm – 01629 535000
• Until end of March - New Mills Library - Jigsaw Table - try your hand at doing one of our jigsaws or take one with you to do at home! Ask staff for details - 01629 533195

All events are free drop-ins unless otherwise stated. Please ring the phone number provided for more information.

(art work by Sue Zmarzty)

February Activities for Families

Regular activities for children can be found on our website. You can also look out for the following:

• Monday 10^th February (for four weeks) – Shirebrook Library – Bubble and Babies – free group for families with babies up to 12 months – 10.30-11am - BOOKING ESSENTIAL – 01629 537960
• Saturday 15^th February – Heanor Library – Crafting Saturday – a range of fun craft activities for all ages – 10.30am-12.30pm – 01629 533795
• Monday 17^th February – Belper Library – Meet and Make Half-Term Children’s Craft Session – join in this friendly craft session for children aged 7+ with Fleet Arts! – 2-3.30pm – BOOKING ESSENTIAL – 01629 533192
• Wednesday 19^th February – Ripley Library– Kate Abey ‘We Feel Happy’ – author Katie Abey will be at the library for a free event about feeling happy. Funded by Make/Shift Movers & Shakers Community Fund – 1-2pm (ages 6 and under) and 2.30-3.30pm (aged 7 and over) – BOOKING ESSENTIAL – 01629 532982
• Friday 21^st February – Ilkeston Library– Half-Term Crafty Activity – simple drop-in craft activity led by staff – 10.30am-12pm – 01629 533275

All events are free drop-ins unless otherwise stated. Please ring the phone number provided for more information.

Buxton Library of Things

Buxton's Library of Things is a year old

Buxton Library of Things is celebrating its first birthday. 

Launched on 30 January 2024, the community borrowing service has been embraced by local people – nearly 200 people having already registered to use it. 

The inventory of items that can be borrowed, for a maximum £5 per item, per week, includes a wide range of tools and domestic equipment that people probably only need occasionally. 

• Having a party? The Library of Things has an urn, cups, glasses, cutlery, gazebos, folding chairs and a popcorn maker you could borrow.
• Small visitors coming to stay? Borrow a child’s inflatable bed with integrated sleeping bag and a foldable high chair.
• Garden plans? Borrow a lawn mower, scarifier, aerator, long loppers, hedge trimmer, a rake and more.
• DIY time? Check out the wide range of hand and power tools including drain rods, wall paper stripper, ladder and a faucet installation tool.

There is even a wheeled trolley and a big rucksack that borrowers can use to carry items home in if they don’t want to use a car.

We host the Library of Things at our Buxton Library in Kents Bank Road. It's run by Transition Buxton volunteers.

Our support of this initiative helps in our target of helping the county to reach net zero  carbon emissions by 2050. Using the Library of Things means fewer carbon emissions to manufacture and ship tools, and it cuts electrical waste.

After a small start-up grant from the National Lottery via Transition Together, Buxton Library of Things is now self-funding and continues to grow.   

Users can browse the inventory online any time, join, reserve items, collect and return them, at Buxton Library on Monday evenings 5-7pm, or Saturday mornings 10-12.  

Anybody with a question, donation, or who'd like to join the volunteer team can email library@transitionbuxton.co.uk

Local history talk at Chesterfield Library

Join us for a talk by Godfrey Holmes to celebrate 40 years of the new Chesterfield Library moving to Low Pavement

Thursday 6th February 2025 at 10am and 5:30pm

Intriguing exploration and critique centring around Chesterfield Town Centre's newest and most daring buildings

This is a free event and no booking is necessary. For further information Tel Chesterfield Library 01629 533400

(Photo by Godfrey Holmes)

Derbyshire Record Office

The 1865 Cattle Plague

The Cattle Plague outbreak of 1865-1867 was the Victorian equivalent of the terrible 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak. If an animal caught it, it had a 90% chance of death. With such terrible odds, it is understandable that this had a huge impact on famers right across the country. Our Archive Assistant Danielle Burton has been researching what the impact was in Derbyshire. You can read what she’s found out on our blog: 

Follow us on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Facebook.

(Poster for Day of Humiliation for the Cattle Plague (1866))

eAudiobooks on uLIBRARY 

Belper Spoken Word Open Mic Night

Originally held at Belper Library, Belper’s Spoken Word Open Mic Night has found a new home!

Thursday 20^th February, 7pm

Lower ground floor, 2 Queen Street, Belper, DE56 1NR [Earth Harmony]

The event will offer the same relaxed, friendly atmosphere that encourages first readers and is open to anyone wanting to listen or share their own poetry and spoken word. Belper’s Spoken Word Open Mic Night is free and will now be held on the third Thursday of the month.

Multi Use titles 

Every month we get a new selection of titles on our FREE 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 February are:

In Ebook & Eaudio:

• The Party House - Lin Anderson
• Felix Ever After - Kacen Callender
• Parasol Against the Axe - Helen Oyeyemi

In eBook only:

• Gay Bar: Why We Went Out - Jeremy Atherton Lin

In eAudiobook only:

• The Last Devil to Die - Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club — Book 4)
• The Figurine - Victoria Hislop

New Adult Books

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

So thrilled for you - Holly Bourne

Under a sweltering hot summer day, tensions rise - and by the end of the day, nothing will ever be the same. Someone started a fire at the house - and everyone's a suspect...

Is it Steffi, happily child-free but feeling judged by her friends? Is it Charlotte, desperate to conceive and jealous of those who have? Is it Lauren, who is finding motherhood far, far harder than she imagined? Or is it Nicki, who never wanted a baby shower anyway?

In the aftermath, the police put together the facts - but the truth will shock everyone. Even you.

Immortal - Sue Lynn Tan

A deadly betrayal…

When Liyen ascends the throne of Tianxia she vows to end her kingdom's obligation to the fickle immortals who once protected them.

She must learn their secrets to protect her people, but to do this she will have to forge a tenuous alliance with the one she should fear and mistrust the most: the ruthless God of War.

A serial killer's guide to marriage - Asia Mackay

Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing: they're ex-serial killers.

They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to kill. Not many power couples know how to get away with murder.

Then Hazel fell pregnant and they gave it all up for life in the suburbs; dinner parties instead of body disposal.

But recently Hazel has started to feel that itch again. When she kills someone behind Fox's back and brings the police to their door, she must do anything she can to protect her family.

This could save their marriage - unless it kills them first.

Children's Book Recommendations

One of our favourite things to do is recommend amazing children's books to you! This month we recommend you check out these titles:

Ten-word tiny tales of love - Joseph Coelho and Friends

Joseph Coelho brings us cherished moments between siblings, worlds where nature blooms and heals, and touching tales of beloved pets ... all in just ten words! Each tale has been paired with one of the finest illustrators working today – and, together, the words and pictures will create a space for creativity as young readers imagine how the story might unravel. They might even be inspired to pen a ten-word tiny tale of their own!

Alex Neptune, dragon champion - David Owen

Brineblood the pirate is back on the high seas with a dastardly plan - he's going to steal every drop of sea magic and use it to raise an all-powerful monster from the bottom of the ocean. If Alex, Zoey and Anil can't stop him, the monster could flood the entire world.

The history of everywhere: all the stuff that you never knew happened at the same time - 

Philip Parker

Did you know the woolly mammoths were still around when the Egyptians built their pyramids? Or that Leonardo Da Vinci lived at the same time as Henry VIII and the Aztecs? Welcome to The History of Everywhere, a fascinating guide to all the stuff you never knew happened at the same time!

You can reserve them via our online catalogue.