Welcome
Welcome to our November edition! This month sees our usual wide variety of talks, workshops and events for all ages. If you're starting or growing your business, be sure to check out Start-Up Day. Farsley and Holt Park are celebrating their special birthdays. It's Baby Week, and we've got lots to offer under fives. There are inspiring creative workshops to join, and we've got free comics to give away on 15 November! Read on and find out more...
If you're not already, make sure you're following us on social media to get the latest news and see what we're up to. You can also check out our What's On in Leeds Libraries page on Leeds Inspired for more details.
 Start-Up Day 19 November
On Tuesday 19 November the Business & IP Centre at Leeds Central Library are hosting our annual Start-Up Day. This is a day to learn, be inspired and meet others who are starting or growing their business. We have a range of talks, workshops and networking opportunities from 9:30am-6pm.
Don’t miss out on our Crafters & Creators market too! There will be a range of festive market-sellers who have accessed support from BIPC Leeds trading throughout Leeds Central Library.
You can register for the full day, or pick and mix events for free on Eventbrite
Professor Susan Watkins: Ageing, Apocalypse and Adaptation
A Leeds Cultural Conversation in partnership with Leeds Beckett University
Thursday 21 November, Central Library 1.00pm
Why is ageing so often viewed in apocalyptic terms for both individual, society and culture?
We can see this in metaphors for ageing like the ‘silver tsunami’ and ‘demographic ticking time bomb’. Why do we associate older people with the past and children with the future? Susan Watkins explores how we might challenge these narratives and replace them with ideas about ageing as adaptation. Making use of cultural studies and humanities, the talk will focus on science fiction and fantasy as rich sources for creative alternatives to apocalyptic visions of ageing futures.
Free, please book here.
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Then and Now: Exploring the Past with BFI Replay
Thursday 7 November, 1.00-2.00pm, Leeds Central Library - Gott Room
Home to some familiar and memorable moments, and others rare and unseen for decades, BFI Replay is an online archive vividly capturing stories from over 60 years of UK film, television and video.
Join us as we explore videos of how we used to live and work, sparking shared discussion and memories from the past. Hosted by BFI staff, this is a wonderful introduction to Replay, which is now available for you to watch within Leeds Libraries.
Free, please book here.
Winter Wellbeing in the Drawing Room at Central Library
We've got lots going on this winter to warm up those chilly hands! Check out our Winter Wellbeing events
Be inspired by winter stories and illustrations from some of the beautiful books in our special collections and learn lino cut with artist Annie Cuniffe, join our "learn to sew" series where you'll work on a project in a small group and learn useful techniques, or make a hand embroidered mini festive wreath with textile artist Hayley Mills-Styles.
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Life Drawing 4 week course with life model
Mondays 5.30-7.30pm, November 4, 11, 18, December 2, January 6, 13, 20, 27
Venture into life drawing in this relaxed, supportive four week course taught by artist and tutor Boris Cruse. You'll explore figure drawing including line, gesture and shade to develop your own artistic interpretation of the model. Easel and materials are provided, or you can bring your own. Suitable for beginners and more experienced artists, aged 18+
Professional artist and Northlight Artistic Director Boris Cruse has many years' experience teaching with arts organisations in Leeds and beyond.
£50 for 4 sessions, book here.
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Find out more about these books on our social media channels @leedslibraries, or why not borrow them here.
In conjunction with Thought Bubble, the Yorkshire Comic Art festival, we have free comics to give away! Join us on Friday 15 November at 10.00 and help us to achieve our aim to get everyone reading more. Just pop along to one of the libraries in the list below and pick up some great comics for free, to take home and read or give to a friend!
- Ardsley and Tingley Library
- Bramley Library and Community Hub
- Central Library
- Chapel Allerton Library
- Compton Road Library and Community Hub
- Crossgates Library and Community Hub
- Farsley Library and Community Hub
- Garforth Library and Community Hub
- Horsforth Library and Community Hub
- Hunslet Library and Community Hub
Please note: comics may not be suitable for all ages.
Baby Week Leeds
Baby Week brings sectors and services together to celebrate all things baby friendly and promote the importance of early childhood. Back for the 9th year, the theme is ‘focusing on the best start’.
Find more information here: Baby Week Leeds Website
Regular story and rhyme sessions are a core part of our offer - find details here. We also have Mini Playboxes - packed with fun activities for children under five! Plus, we have two Story Buses with board books, picture books and toys and our librarian team deliver story & rhyme sessions all over Leeds. Find details of the community stops here.
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Let's Play Sum More!
Fostering confidence in simple maths and numeracy skills through stories, rhyme, and play.
Join our fun 3 week series of 1.5hr sessions exploring the Mini Playboxes in a relaxed and friendly group setting. Enjoy quality time together as a family and use your local library to support your child's development. At the end of each session you'll get a free book and follow on playful activity to take home
Free for parents and carers with children under five.
Find more information here:Let's Play Sum More! - TicketSource
The Stolen Stories of Winterlight by Libellule Theatre
14 December 2024 to 5 January 2025
Can you imagine a world without stories? Words are fading from books all over town and people are forgetting the stories they used to know off by heart. Winterlight Festival is fast approaching when tales are told with family and friends. If all stories disappear and children can’t tell their own stories, their voices may be lost forever. Newly qualified storymaker, Tan, sets off on an adventure of a lifetime to discover the mystery of these stolen stories. With her hapless new apprentice tagging along, will they ever find a way to work together and return the words to the pages in time for Winterlight?
A family-friendly event for children aged 5+ and their grown-ups.
More info and tickets: Ticketsource - The Stolen Stories of Winterlight
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Healthy Holidays is the local name for the Department for Education's Holiday Activity and Food Programme.
These fantastic FREE holiday clubs provide delicious food and amazing activities for school aged children who are eligible for income-related Free School Meals.
Programmes run over the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays for children from reception to year 11. Bookings are now open for the Christmas holidays. Find more info and register here.
Home/Lands Chronicles
Live music performances at the Reginald Centre and Chapel Allerton Library on Monday 25 November
The Home/Lands project is a musical exploration of home and what it means to belong, led by saxophonist and composer Alicia Gardener-Trejo.
Alicia has been working alongside Leeds-based saxophonist Emma Johnson to engage with local residents to collect diverse narratives. Alicia and Emma have then transformed everyone’s contributions from stories into music. Leeds Animation Workshop have created a new animation to accompany the music.
Catch the premiere of this exciting new music at the Reginald Centre and Chapel Allerton Library
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Art Doctors: Creative Sessions for Grown-Ups
Tuesdays 12 November and 10 December
1.00 - 2.00pm
Pudsey Library & Community Hub
The Art Doctors are here to help you explore how to get started on something creative, find inspiration in the everyday, and have a bit of a giggle. We'll be collaging, doodling, writing, folding, making sculptures… there's something here for everyone!
Join us for an hour of social creativity in the Library, using our Art Doctors prompts and activities in a relaxed and friendly environment. It's free and there's no need to book - just come and join us!
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Image from our Leodis photo archive
We're celebrating landmark birthdays for Farsley and Holt Park libraries this month. Holt Park Library officially opened on 30 October 1974 while Farsley Library is celebrating its 60th year!
Celebrations will be held at Farsley Library on 15 November from 10.30-11.30 where there will be cake, memories, music from a local school and the launch of a community art project to commemorate the library's 60 years.
Holt Park Library are celebrating on Friday 29 November from 10.30-12.30 with coffee and cake, plus a chance to explore some archive news clippings and photographs. There'll be a heritage themed Digital Drop-In from 1.00-2.00pm with a librarian to introduce you to Ancestry, which you can use for free in our libraries.
We invite customers to celebrate with us and would love to hear your memories of Farsley and Holt Park libraries over the years. If you have a story, photograph or best wishes to share, please email us: leeds.libraries@leeds.gov.uk
Leeds in the Second World War
Monday 11 Nov, 5.00-6.30pm, Crossgates Library
Join Bob and Jacki Lawrence from East Leeds History and Archaeology Society, for this illustrated talk as part of Remembrance Day.
The Second World War affected the general populations of countries worldwide more than any other war in history. Looking at the effects this terrible war had on the city of Leeds, and how its citizens, its businesses, and the general administration of the city responded to the situation, the talk will spark memories for some and show others the reality of living through such a conflict.
There will also be a selection of items from our collections at Leeds Central Library.
Free, please book here.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Talk
Tuesday 12 November, 1.30–2.30pm, Yeadon Community Hub and Library
Would you like to find out about war graves and the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission? The CWGC aims to commemorate those who have died in service as a result of conflict so that they are remembered forever. Come along to this free talk and hear about their work.
Free, please book here, or in person at Yeadon Library.
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Green Libraries Week
Green Libraries Week took place 7-13 October. Across our libraries we celebrated our love of nature, promoted information and our resources on green topics and inspired people to action.
Over 400 people participated in our green themed activities including under 5s and their families at Morley Library sharing songs about creepy crawlies and crafting snails from our damaged CDs, the craft group from Central Library’s Drawing Room stitching draft excluders from old jeans and Code Club attendees at Chapel Allerton Library programming robotic solutions to clean up our oceans.
But at the heart of our libraries is loaning books and providing information and inspiration. In the past 12 months library users in Leeds have reduced their carbon footprints by over 2,550,000kg by borrowing rather than buying books. That’s about 1,300 flights from Leeds to New York!
Can you support our ambition to increase this carbon saving? Join the library, join your friends, colleagues and neighbours! Sign up and find out more here and if you need some inspiration for a green read take a look at our book list.
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We can now accept cash donations online, should you wish to show your appreciation. All donations go towards enhancing our services and buying items to support our work, for example:
- £5 could buy supplies for a workshop
- £10 could buy a book cushion to support rare books on display
- £25 could buy 100 archival folders
- £50 could buy a set of books for a reader's group
Find out more and donate here.
Compass Festival 2024
Compass Festival is back with a whole month of interactive art across Leeds from 1–30 November!
Discover unexpected experiences in familiar places across the city, from communal feasts to meditative moments; celebratory projections to gentle workshops.
💭 The 2024 festival creates moments for reflection and connection.
🆓 All events are free or Pay What You Can.
Head to the Compass Festival website to discover the full programme!
One event we'd like to highlight is Building of Spines - taking place at Leeds Central Library over 7 days from Saturday 2 to 9 November. Artist Kate Daley will be handmaking a book containing a work of collective fiction based on conversations with people in the library. It's free, just drop in during our opening hours.
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Find out more
Did you know we have two further library newsletters, where you can find out more about family friendly activities, local history and books and reading? Sign up here:
Thank you for reading our latest newsletter. We look forward to welcoming you soon - get in touch or find your local library
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