Summer Reading Challenge

There's still time for children to join or complete the Summer Reading Challenge!

The Challenge is free to join and runs until 6^th September 2025.

Pop down to your local library, borrow and read six books, and on completion get a special certificate and medal.

So far, 2784 children have joined in our Summer Reading Challenge, with approximately 9902 books being borrowed across our libraries.

For more information visit Summer Reading Challenge, check Facebook or contact your local library for details. 

(Story Garden illustrations by Dapo Adeolo, illustrations & logo The Reading Agency 2025)

September Activities for Families:

We have lots of events planned for September for families in our libraries. To keep up to date with the latest events as we add them be sure to keep an eye on our website 'What's On' page. You can narrow down to search for Children's events at particular libraries.

• Every Tuesday - Ashbourne Library - Rhyme Time - 10:15-10:45 - ring 01629 533950 for more info
• Every Thursday - Holmewood Library - Songs and Rhymes - 10.30am-11am - ring 01629 533355
• Every Friday - Somercotes Library - Baby Chat - An opportunity for parents to meet and chat while babies play with sensory toys - 10am-12pm - ring 01629 533970 for more info
• Thursday 4th September - Ashbourne Library - Make an animal mask - 10am-12pm - ring 01629 533950 for more info
• Saturday 6th September - Belper Library - Family Craft Drop-In Session - try a fun, simple craft, suitable for families with children aged four and over - 10am-1pm - 01629 533192
• Saturday 6th September - Heanor Library - Frogs and Flowers Craft event - Children must be accompanied by an adult - make a Flower Paper Chain and a Friendly Jumping Frog - 10.30am-12.30pm - ring 01629 533795 for more info
• Saturday 6th September - Pinxton Library - Saturday Board Games - 10am-12pm - ring 01629 535815 for more info
• Saturday 6th September - Swadlincote Library - Family Lego Challenge - can you and your family complete the building challenge? - 10am-12pm - ring 01629 533013 for more info
• Tuesday 9th September - Heanor Library - Make/Shift Lullanotes Music Class for infants 0-4 years and their caregivers, running every Tuesday for 7 weeks - Experience live music with Cello, Guitar, Singing and more! -10am-10.45am - ring 01629 533795 for more info
• Saturday 13th September - Pinxton Library - Saturday Lego Creators - Duplo, Mega Blocks and Lego - 10am-12pm - ring 01629 535815 for more info
• Saturday 13th September - Somercotes Library - Lego Builders! - come and create something amazing! Age 6+ - 10am-12.20pm - ring 01629 533970 for more info
• Tuesday 16th September - Ashbourne Library - Summer Reading Challenge Medal Ceremony - 5-5:30pm - Booking Required, ring 01629 533950 for more info
• Thursday 18th September (and following Thursdays) - Heanor Library - Libraries connected SEND FUSION Music and Movers! - fun sessions combining music, rhythm and movement. These sessions are perfect for neurodivergent children aged 4-10, (no diagnosis needed) - children must be accompanied by an adult - 4pm-4:45pm - booking required - ring 01629 533795 for more info
• Thursday 18th September - Holmewood Library - Back to Hogwarts - Join us for magic, potions, wand making - 3pm-5pm - ring 01629 533355
• Thursday 18th September - Pinxton Library - After School Crafts - being a Superhero - 3pm-4.30pm - ring 01629 535815 for more info 
• Saturday 20th September - Pinxton Library - Saturday Puzzling Puzzles - 10am-12pm - ring 01629 535815 for more info 
• Saturday 20^th September - Swadlincote Library - Saturday storytime - fun stories for children - 11-11.30am - ring 01629 533013 for more info
• Monday 22nd September - Sandiacre Library - “The Willow Tree” book launch and talk by Sarah K Brown - Author visit for teenagers - 3.30-5pm - ring 01629 533359
• Saturday 27th September - Pinxton Library - Saturday Mix up Crafts - a collection of crafts to have a go at - 10am-12pm - ring 01629 535815 for more info 

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

Adult Events in September

To keep up to date with the latest events as we add them be sure to keep an eye on our website 'What's On' page.

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

• Throughout September- Hayfield Library - Art Exhibition - 
  Karen Haywood - during opening hours - ring 01629 533438 for more info
• Throughout September - New Mills Library - Art Exhibition - Brian Nolan artwork display - a selection of paintings featuring local scenes - 01629 533195
• Every Tuesday - Pinxton Library - weekly creative/mindfulness colouring - relax and colour your troubles away - 3.15-4pm - ring 01629 535815 for more info
• Every Wednesday - Heanor Library - Craft Yourself Calm - bring your own craft or join in with a themed-craft at our adult craft group - 1-2pm - ring 01629 533795 for more info
• Every Thursday - Pinxton Library - weekly coffee and conversation - relax and chat with coffee/biscuits - 11am-12.30pm - ring 01629 535815 for more info
• Every Thursday - Somercotes Library - Mindful Colouring - A mindfulness activity, calming and sociable, materials provided - 3.45-4.45pm - ring 01629 533970 for more info
• Tuesday 2nd September - Ashbourne Library - Tam O’ Shanter The Smuggler: The True Story, A Talk by Frances Wilkins, illustrated by the film Contraband Cargo, to launch her latest book - 3-4pm - ring 01629 533950 for more info
• Monday 8th September - Somercotes Library - Adult Craft Group - Beginner friendly craft suitable for all abilities - 3-4pm - ring 01629 533970 for more info
• Tuesday 9th September - Ashbourne Library - Library Book Group - discussing Toast by Nigel Slater - 4.30-5.30pm - ring 01629 533950 for more info
• Thursday 11th September - Chesterfield Library - A walk around Chesterfield's Hidden Town Centre - join us for a special local history talk by author Peter Gray - 10 am - 01629 533400 for more info
• Friday 12th September - Long Eaton Library - Open meeting 'Friends of Long Eaton Library' - Long Eaton Library is planning to create a friends of the library group of local individuals who would like to support their local library. Find out more about the aims of the group and how you may be able to help at our inaugural open meeting - 2.30-3.30pm - ring 01629 531470 for more info
• Tuesday 23rd September - Belper Library - Board Game Club - our board game club is fun and welcoming to all ages. We have a range of classic and modern board games for you to try, and support from our volunteer to get you started! - 4-6pm - 01629 533192
• Friday 26th September - Somercotes Library - Reader Group - discuss a book you have all read over a cuppa! - 2.15-3.30pm - ring 01629 533970 for more info
• Tuesday 30th September - Ashbourne Library - Meet the Author: Cathy Grindrod - Derbyshire’s First Poet Laureate talks about her life and experiences - 2:30-4pm - booking required, book in advance online here or £3.00 payable on the day - ring 01629 533950 for more info

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

Buxton Museum and Art Gallery

Pop Up Museum at the Library, Heritage Open Days Festival

Tuesday 16 September, 12 to 4pm

Visit the museum team at their temporary home at Buxton Library, handle some real museum artefacts and ask any questions, and say hello to the famous Buxton bear! No booking required, just drop in. Part of the Heritage Open Days Festival.

Derbyshire Record Office

Celebrating 200 years of railways

On the 27th of September 1825 the Stockton and Darlington Railway opened, the world’s first public railway to use steam locomotives rather than horse-drawn ones. Here at Derbyshire Record Office, we are marking this anniversary at least twice a week until the end of the year with posts on our various social media channels, celebrating Derbyshire’s rich railway heritage. This includes highlighting the wide range of sources we hold, such as our guide to researching railways: Researching Railways | Derbyshire Record Office.

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

(Ashover Light Railway opening ceremony, 1925)

Derbyshire Adult Community Education: A Fresh Chapter in Lifelong Learning

Great news! Thanks to new funding from the East Midlands Combined County Authority, we’re expanding our work. We’ll be helping more Derbyshire residents who’ve been held back by past experiences to reconnect with learning, build skills, and open doors to better opportunities.

What’s New?

We’re here to make sure everyone feels welcome and supported to take their next steps. Whether you need help to boost your confidence, gain new qualifications, or try something new, we’re here to help.

Courses That Fit Your Life

We continue to offer a wide range of courses, including:

• English, maths, and digital skills
• Health and wellbeing
• Qualifications for work
• Community learning in areas like sustainability, parenting, and confidence-building

New courses are added regularly, and many are free or discounted depending on your circumstances. You can learn face-to-face or online, whatever suits you best.

If you would like to know what is available, please look here. 

Let’s Work Together

If you’re part of a local group or organisation, get in touch! We can tell you about our courses or work with you to shape something that suits your community.

Positive changes and still here to help

Derbyshire Adult Community Education is changing, but we’re still here for you and ready to help. We’d love to meet you.

📧 Email: adult.education@derbyshire.gov.uk 📞 Telephone: 01629 531241

📱 Stay Connected

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates, inspiration, and learner stories.

Check the 🌐 website

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 September are:

In eBook & eAudio

• The Heart in Winter - Kevin Barry
• Guilty by Definition - Susie Dent
• The Fertile Earth - Ruthvika Rao

In e-Audiobook only

• Break Every Rule - Brian Freeman
• The Night of Baba Yaga - Akira Otani

In eBook only

• Fearless Fairy Tales - Konnie Huq, James Kay

New Adult Books

Here are three new exciting novels and a non-fiction title for you to discover in September! 

The Killer Question - Janice Hallett

The answer is murder. The question is whodunnit?

A quiet country pub stands empty, its windows boarded up. And its kindly landlords, Mal and Sue Eastwood, are missing.

What could have happened? A lot of strange events occurred in the days before the Eastwoods disappeared. A murdered man pulled from the nearby river. An eccentric couple on a houseboat who claimed to be led by a spirit guide. And a mysterious new team who suddenly appeared and began winning every round at the weekly pub quiz - much to the anger of the locals. They must have been cheating, but no one could figure out how...

Can you crack the case of the missing landlords? Someone's not been playing fair, so get the drinks in and see if you can get a perfect score.

The Naked Light - Bridget Collins

Watching over the village of Haltington is an ancient carving in the ground, known to locals simply as the Face. It was first etched into the chalk when lives were ruled by superstition and stories; by fear of the unknown, of the shadows.

For centuries, the inhabitants of Bone Cottage have tended to it. But now that the Great War has decimated the population of even this most isolated of places, the Face stands neglected and overgrown.

When enigmatic outsider Kit moves into the cottage, the villagers are suspicious of her androgynous appearance and bohemian ways. In defiance of their disapproval, the vicar’s unmarried sister-in-law Florence finds herself inexplicably drawn to Kit, and the friendship that grows between them becomes a light in the dark for her.

But the Face calls things to it, and now Florence and Kit are in its path…

The House of Wolf - Tony Robinson

Rome

Father Asser is waiting to die. His idealism has landed him in a papal prison on trumped-up charges of heresy, until salvation arrives in an unexpected form. Cardinal Balotelli also dreams of a better world, free from the ravages of the Norlanders. He has a vital job for Asser, one that could shape the future of Europe.

Wessex

King Aethelwolf's power is fading, but none of his feckless children are fit to rule. His eldest sons would rather fight each other than the blood-thirsty Norland invaders. His daughter, Swift, is clever and cunning, but often blinded by her ambition. Finally there's Alfred, his once-promising younger son, whom nobody has seen in years.

Then Wolf meets a young priest with a proposition from Rome that could change everything.

Craftland: a Journey Through Britain's Lost Arts and Vanishing Trades - James Fox

Britain has always been a craft land. For generations what we made with our hands defined our identities, built our communities and shaped our regions. Craftland chronicles the vanishing skills and traditions that once governed every aspect of life on these shores.

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:

Old Macdonald on the Move - Philip Ardagh and Maria Karipidou (Illustrator)

Old MacDonald's farm is falling apart! The piggies’ sty is sinking in the mud and it’s raining on the cows...What will Old MacDonald do? Surely he won't move the animals to a nearby fancy hotel?

The cows would order grass in the restaurant, the pigs would splash in the pool and the sheep would have a pillow-fight. It could all just be … TOO MUCH FUN!

The Game I Will Never Forget - Onjali Q Rauf

Just after his tenth birthday, the last thing Zak expects to hear is that his mum is having a baby and he has to give up his room for an ageing old grandmother who is coming to live with them!

With the help of his friends and a series of cheeky pranks, Zak is convinced it'll be no time before he can reclaim his rightful territory! But Zak soon discovers that his Nani is no ordinary old grandma but a former chess prodigy, able to outwit and outdo him - and his friends - at every turn.

Just as both players begin to forge a mutual respect and a friendship that might finally overcome all obstacles, Zak begins to notice things. Like how Nani sometimes forgets where she is... Or who Zak is... In a desperate bid to ensure his Nani never forgets again, Zak enters her into the chess competition of a lifetime.

But will Zak's Nani remember long enough to play?

How to Draw Awesome Characters

Artists of all skill levels – get ready for an exciting artistic journey as you learn how to draw the world’s most powerful Super Heroes and Villains!

This 144-page how to draw book includes drawing projects for Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hulk, Thor, Ant-Man, Black Panther, Captain Marvel and many more. Just grab a pencil and a piece of paper, then flip through the pages of beloved Marvel characters to find the one you want to draw.

Travel Derbyshire Activity Packs

Travel Derbyshire is transforming bus travel into fun and exciting journeys over the summer!

We know family days out can be pretty hectic, especially during the summer holidays. But getting around by bus shouldn’t be. To help you make the most of your travel time with the little ones, Travel Derbyshire has created a fun-filled activity pack including a great competition for you to take part in (closing 30th September 2025), T&Cs apply. Enjoy it together on your journey and prepare for your adventure filled day ahead!

On board the bus, we invite you to become immersed in Derbyshire mysteries as you embark on your journey. Engage in fun activities and take a fresh look at the world around you to experience all that Derbyshire has to offer.

If/when you have completed the activity pack we'd love to hear your thoughts. Please complete the short survey found on the pack for your chance to win a £50 supermarket voucher! Or scan the QR code above. Scan to access our Feedback survey and share your views once you have completed the pack.

The Activity Packs are available at all libraries.

Libby

Have you tried an eaudio book from Libby? Authors available on our Libby eaudio service include Val McDermid, Sarah J Maas, Tim Sullivan, Michael Robotham and Laurie Gilmore.

Eaudiobooks added recently and available now include:

• The things we leave unfinished - Rebecca Yarros
• The Soho Murder - Mike Hollow
• The Players - Minette Walters
• Wedding bells at Villa Limoncello - Daisy James

For help on using our eaudio and ebooks, look here.