Summer Reading Challenge

There's still time for children to start or complete this year's Summer Reading Challenge which runs until Saturday 12th September. 

Children can sign up at their local library, with the challenge being to read six or more library books over the summer. Youngsters will collect up to six stickers and once they have collected them all they will receive a medal and certificate.

Our libraries have free activities and for more information on 'What's On' in libraries look here or contact your local library.  

Find more information on the Reading Agency Summer Reading Challenge here

(Summer Reading Challenge illustration by Harry Woodgate 2026)                                                      

September Activities for Families & Children:

We have lots of events planned for September for families and children in our libraries. To keep up to date with the latest events, including our Summer Reading Challenge activities, be sure to keep an eye on our website's 'What's On' page. You can narrow down to search for Children's events at particular libraries. Our events for families and children this month include:

• Wednesday 2nd September - Shirebrook Library - Picnic at the library - 2-5pm - ring 01629 537960
• Thursday 3rd September - Matlock Library - Read to the Beat - Jellyfish Jiggle! themed crafts - for children 3+ - 10.30am-12.30pm - ring 01629 533837 for more info
• Friday 11th September - Ripley Library - Book Club Day UK: Reading Rebellion - call into Ripley Library anytime between 10:00am and 4:30pm with your book (or pick a book from our shelves) and join in with our all day silent reading club as part of Book Club Day UK - ring 01629 532982 for more info
• Saturday 26th September - Alfreton Library - Lego, crafts & games for all the family - 10am-12.30pm - ring 01629 531481 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.

Some of our events for adults this month include:

• Saturday 5th September - Belper Library - Local Author Showcase - a discussion with Angela Churm, Joanna Greaves and Peter Yates about their most recent work, writing processes and routes to publication, including the opportunity to network with other writers - 11am-12.30pm - spaces are limited - ring 01629 533192 or email belper.library@derbyshire.gov.uk to book a place - books will be available to buy
• Saturday 19th September - Chesterfield Library - 'Napoleonic prisoners of war in Chesterfield' - talk by Danielle Burton - 11.00am-12.00pm - ring 01629 533400 for more info
• Monday 28th September - Newbold Library - Meet the author Mark Eklid, award winning sports writer and now the author of twisty crime thriller novels - 2.30-4pm - please book, ring 01629 537570 - £2 payable on the day

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

Nottingham Book Festival

For those close to the border it's not long until Nottingham Book Festival! Taking place on Saturday 5th September, guests include Elizabeth Chadwick, William Ivory and Derbyshire Libraries' favourite Stephen Booth. Look here for more information, and for tickets look here.

(Author Stephen Booth)

Buxton Museum and Art Gallery 

Behind the Scenes at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery: Moving into their New Temporary Home

The summer has been a busy one for the team as preparations continue for Buxton Museum and Art Gallery's new temporary home on Kents Bank Road.

Staff have been unpacking collections and preparing displays, including a certain furry favourite! Also making a return, following popular demand, is the interactive public microscope from the Wonders of the Peak gallery.

The glass display cases from Buxton Library have now been emptied and moved into the museum space. They will soon be filled with a cornucopia of artefacts, some familiar and some making their debut.

While there is still work to do before reopening, it is exciting to see the temporary museum home beginning to take shape. From collections care and exhibition preparation to event planning and online content, the team is working hard behind the scenes and looking forward to welcoming you back.

If you'd like to see how the new museum space is progressing, they have a Heritage Opens Days event on Wednesday 16 September 12pm to 4pm. For further details look here

Derbyshire Record Office

A beautiful 12^th century seal

The oldest records we have at the Record Office date from the 12^th century and are mainly small parchment deeds which give details about the sale of land and property. They often have a wax seal attached to them to give an official ‘seal of approval’. This particular example is one of the best preserved: it was the seal of William, Earl Ferrers. It dates from 1167 and the deed details the sale of a mill and some land from Ralph of Seale to Ralph of Gresley, William's son.

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(DRO ref D77/1/23/33)

The Booker Prize 2026

The Booker Prize shortlist will be announced on 22^nd September. You can catch up with the longlist through our libraries and see which ones you think will make the final set.

Discover more about the prize and books here.

Reserve your copies from our online catalogue.

The Wainwright Prize

The 2026 shortlists for The Wainwright Prizes are out now!  From powerful conservation writing and breathtaking illustrated books to unforgettable stories for young readers, we’re delighted to reveal the 2026 Wainwright Prize Shortlists. You can discover these extraordinary books across six categories, celebrating the stories helping us better understand, appreciate and protect the natural world in our libraries.

You can find out more on their website here and then reserve your copies from our online catalogue.

Libby - No Wait Titles

The Libby app has a wide selection of No Wait Title e-audiobooks, that you can borrow instantly as well as being perfect for reading groups. Here are just a few that are available - please go to the Libby app to explore more great titles:

• The Door of the Seas - Val McDermid & Jo Sharp
• Heatwave - Mark Dawson
• The Suffragette of Ironbridge - Mollie Walton
• Goshawk Summer - James Aldred
• Wild Horse Summer - Lauren St John
• School Ship Tobermory - Alexander McCall Smith

For help on using our eAudio and eBooks, look here.

Thinking ahead: What will your next learning step be?

Whether you want to boost your wellbeing, gain new qualifications, improve your job prospects or simply enjoy learning something new, now is the perfect time to start thinking about your next steps with us.

Learning isn’t just about classrooms and certificates, it’s about feeling better, building confidence, connecting with others, and opening doors to new opportunities. DACES offers adults in Derbyshire high‑quality, enjoyable learning in safe, friendly centres and online, with courses designed to support every stage of life and learning.

Find out more on Adult Community Education here.

Learning for wellbeing

Many learners choose courses to support their mental health and wellbeing, helping them feel more positive, connected and confident. We offer tailored learning options where you can explore art, creativity, movement, journaling, photography and more all designed to help you feel good and rediscover your strengths.

Learning for qualifications

If you’re thinking ahead to future goals, We provide a wide range of English, maths, digital skills and ESOL courses, from entry level up to Level 3. These qualifications can help you move forward in work, prepare for further study or simply achieve something you’ve always wanted to do. Many courses are free or have reduced fees, depending on your circumstances.

Learning for employment

If you’re looking to improve your job prospects, we offers courses that can help you:

• build confidence
• prepare a CV
• develop interview skills
• gain practical skills for work
• retrain or upskill for new opportunities

New skills and qualifications can make a real difference in a changing job market, and we can help you choose the right path.

Learning for enjoyment

You don’t need a qualification goal to join a course. Many learners simply want to try something new, meet people, or enjoy a hobby. With hundreds of courses across Derbyshire from crafts and languages to wellbeing and digital skills, there’s something for everyone.

Learn locally or online

Courses run in adult education centres and community venues across Derbyshire, as well as online, giving you flexible options to learn in a way that suits your life.

Explore all DACES courses

You can browse the full range of courses here

IN CONVERSATION WITH MATT HAIG

An Exclusive Author Event with BorrowBox 

IN JUST TWO WEEKS: join internationally bestselling author Matt Haig live as he takes you inside his latest story, The Midnight Train, and the ideas that inspired it.

In this exclusive online event, Matt will reflect on his writing life and the themes that run through so much of his work – from hope and mental health to love, connection and the paths our lives can take. The session will include a live Q&A, giving you the chance to ask questions about The Midnight Train, acclaimed novels such as The Midnight Library, The Life Impossible, and his much-loved children's books including The Truth Pixie and A Mouse Called Miika.

Date: Monday September 7th, 2026

Time: 10 AM BST

Sign up here for this free event.

New Adult Books

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

Our Noble Selves - Kate Atkinson

It’s the summer of 1951 and everyone is looking to put the dark days of the war behind them. The government’s solution: The Festival of Britain, a celebration of the country’s creativity, grit and ingenuity.

For foreign correspondent turned war reporter Harry Flynn, it might offer the chance of redemption after a bad war in the Far East and a peace that is proving no easier to negotiate. Having failed to resume his journalistic career, he reluctantly joins an oddball team of misfits, ne’er-do-wells and downright chancers helping to ready the Festival of Britain for launch.

Flynn’s attempts to resume some semblance of a romantic life also founder when one of his dates goes missing and he is deemed to be the last person to have seen her alive. Could he have been in some way responsible for her disappearance?

Little does he realize that the answer to some of his mounting problems may lie in the hands of a precocious, straight-talking thirteen-year-old called Veronica and a rather scruffy terrier who goes by the name of Mrs Betty…

Murder at the Grand Alpine hotel - Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie

High in the Swiss Alps, with glorious mountain views and exclusive access to powdery slopes, the Grand Alpine Hotel draws guests from far and wide.

The notorious actress

The high-flying politician

The inscrutable political wife

The reckless friend

The shrewd doctor

But when a guest enters a gondola alive, only to be found dead at the top of the mountain, it’s clear there’s a killer in their midst.

As tensions rise, and old grudges emerge like cracks in the ice, someone watches from the shadows. An unassuming woman with an extraordinary mind: Miss Marple.

She suspects everyone in the hotel, and she’s right to. For it isn’t just a question of who has a motive, but who’s next…

Cannae: the Longest Day - Ben Kane

Cannae, 216 BC - Under a blisteringly hot sun, Hannibal Barca, perhaps the most skilful general in history, leads his army against the unstoppable might of Rome. His soldiers are outnumbered two to one.

The momentous battle will determine the Roman Republic's fate.

By the day's end, tens of thousands of men will be dead, the ground saturated in blood. Can Hannibal's army defeat the Roman legions, or will the challenge for the great general prove too much?

Autumn - Kate Mosse

'When the leaves turn to copper and there is dew on the grass in the early morning, I still have that same spike of expectation and anticipation'.

In Autumn, Kate Mosse celebrates the season of shifting light and crisp mornings. This magical journey through the turning year captures the ever-changing colours of the autumn landscape, the crunch of leaves underfoot, the drift of migrating birds and the last warmth of the sun.

Starting in her own garden, Kate leads us out to the misty Fishbourne marshes of her childhood, with their vast skies and wading birds, and into ancient yew forests steeped in myth and mystery. We travel across the harvest fields, follow the river bends of the Ouse and the Lavant, and join the crowds at Lewes on Bonfire Night, where the air crackles with flame and torchlight.

Exploring nature, folklore, memory and history, Autumn is a love letter to Sussex and an atmospheric portrait of the season

Reserve your copies from our online catalogue.

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:

Little Minotaur - Gaia Alessi (Author & Illustrator)

This story is not about a monster. Instead, it focuses on the Minotaur as a boy – a little minotaur named Asterion.

Gaia’s vividly paints the minotaur as a gentle child who is happy amongst the birds and out in nature. With his bull head, he struggles to speak but is supported always by the love of his sister, Ariadne, and his mother, Queen Pasiphaë. He can communicate in his own particular way and find the right word when he needs to.

But as Asterion grows bigger and taller, and rumours on Crete begin to swirl around him about what he is and what he can do, he must fight against prejudice and shame to find his place in the world. He will learn that he is not a terrifying beast at all but a misunderstood boy called Asterion, deserving of love. And maybe … he can rewrite his own ending…

Koalas in Capes - the Robot Spiders - Terrie Chilvers and David O'Connell (Illustrator)

Put on your super-suit and prepare for comic-book capers in Pawtonia, where the animals wear clothes, hot chocolate flows and evil is just an ostrich feather away…

Meet Bob and Archie: two hapless, but enthusiastic, koalas who just want some time off to enjoy Pawtonia's music festival. Superheroes need days off too!

Not if Dr Colossus has anything to do with it... The evil ostrich plans to rob all of Pawtonia, hypnotising them with his team of Robot Spiders! Our fluffy duo needs everything it takes to put a stop to Dr Colossus and his dastardly plans.

Can the Koalas in Capes thwart the feathered supervillain?

Science: 500 questions and answers - Dan Green, Jake McDonald (Illustrator) and William Potter (Editor)

Did you know that a full head of human hair is strong enough to support 12 tons? Or that a single bolt of lightning contains enough energy to toast 100,000 pieces of bread?

Explore the weird and wonderful quirks of science with 500 fantastic facts presented in a highly visual style. Packed full of fascinating information and incredible infographics, this book covers topics from the human body to the furthest reaches of outer space.

Reserve your copies from our online catalogue.