We are following Government guidance on the phased easing of lockdown restrictions and are conscious that the guidance may change depending on how the public observe social distancing.

We are looking forward to reopening and seeing you all again when it is safe to do so.

We will provide updates on our website, through social media and traditional media when we can.

In the meantime our online service is still available. If you are not a member of #Staffordshire Libraries now is the time to join!

We offer access to lots of FREE online resources, newspapers & an eLibrary with a wealth of eBooks, eAudio, eMagazines and eComics, FREE access to Ancestry & much more. Visit the eLibrary at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/eLibrary

If you’re not already a member follow this link to join. It's easy and it's free.

Please do keep in touch by following us on Facebook and/or Twitter @StaffsLibraries where we are posting information, advice and sharing what else is going on in the world of libraries!

If you know of anyone, family, friends, neighbours, colleagues who might benefit from access to our free services please share this eNewsletter with them and spread the word about how Your Library can help.

With the disruption caused by Covid-19 on schools and public libraries the 2020 Summer Reading Challenge is being delivered online.

The all-new digital Summer Reading Challenge launched earlier than usual to keep children reading over the summer and to support families with children already at home.

• Launched on 5 June children sign up at www.sillysquad.org.uk and create a profile.
• They set their own challenge to read any amount of books.
• Children can read anything that makes them happy. comics, joke books, poetry, fiction or non-fiction; in digital or print format; from e-book lending through the public library service or books they already have at home.
• Each time they finish a book they add it to their profile and write a review.
• There are downloadable activities, games and puzzles and new content added each week.
• Once children have completed the Challenge they receive a downloadable certificate.
• The Summer Reading Challenge helps to keep children reading over the summer and encourages them to become independent readers.
• Reading for pleasure supports mental wellbeing, boosting children’s confidence and self-esteem which is so important now more than ever.    

Staffordshire Libraries is working within Government guidelines to safely re-open libraries and there will be updates on this as soon as possible.  In the meantime there is a wide range of children’s e-books, e-audio books & eComics that can be downloaded from the eLibrary at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/eLibrary

If children are not already library members it is really easy to join online here

Staffordshire Library members can still access Ancestry Library Edition at home, thanks to Proquest and Ancestry UK, until the end of July!

To access the site you need to log in to your Library account here https://www.yourlibcat.staffordshire.gov.uk/web/arena/user-pages

You then need to make sure you are in the ‘Account’ section and scroll to the bottom of the page and follow the link where it says ‘Access Ancestry Online’.

We hope you will enjoy this temporary access to the site.

You will need your Library card number and PIN.

Inspired by the BBC The Novels That Shaped Our World, we would love to hear which is your favourite from the list of 100; which novel most shaped your world? Visit BBC Arts to see the list

Let us know using the form: www.staffordshire.gov.uk/NovelsThatShapedOurWorld

You can also tweet us @StaffsLibraries using #MyBookLife and send us a review if you would like to share one!

You have until 5pm on 30 June to tell us the novel from the list that changed your World. On 1 July we will announce the Staffordshire people’s choice results on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Staffordshire Libraries support Refugee Week

Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees. Founded in 1998 and held every year around World Refugee Day on the 20 June, Refugee Week is also a growing global movement.

Through a programme of arts, cultural and educational events alongside media and creative campaigns, Refugee Week brings about positive encounters between communities, helping them to connect and learn from each other, and promoting a culture of welcome.

This year’s Refugee Week theme is ‘Imagine’ Find out more here: https://refugeeweek.org.uk/theme-of-refugee-week-2020-imagine/

There are 6 Simple Acts you can try to get involved in Refugee Week. Find out more here: https://refugeeweek.org.uk/simple-acts/

There are resources for children and schools available here: https://refugeeweek.org.uk/get-involved/at-your-school/

Visit the Refugee Week website https://refugeeweek.org.uk/ or follow on Twitter @RefugeeWeek for lots of great content, including videos, poems, stories and much more.

Make History with Paperchains

When the history of the 2020 Lockdown is written it shouldn’t be just-the-usual voices that document it.

#Paperchains has been created to bring attention to those with experience of prison, armed services, or homelessness, and their families.

These are the voices we feel are often less heard.

Paperchains will be a book and 2021 exhibition of responses to the lockdown be it a journal entry, short story, a poem, a drawing, sketch or painting.

Send entries (one per person) to

Paperchains, PO Box 7482

Stourbridge DY8 9HH

Visit the Paperchains website at paperchains.org

Health Information Week 6th - 11th July

Health Information Week is a national, multi-sector campaign promoting high-quality information for patients and the public. High quality health information can have a huge impact on people’s ability to stay healthy and manage illnesses effectively, giving them a better quality of life.

We all need information that we can trust, particularly in this time of coronavirus.

We also need to look after our well-being, whether our mental health or our physical health.

In response to these needs, the Health Information Week 2020 project team has decided to refocus the themes of the week to:

• Finding information you can trust
• Wellbeing

Look out during #HIW2020 we will be sharing lots of information, links and other resources via our our Facebook and Twitter pages. You can find out more at 

@Healthinfoweek  on Twitter or at their website: https://healthinfoweek.wixsite.com/healthinfoweek

High quality health information can have a huge impact on your ability to stay healthy and manage illnesses effectively, giving you a better quality of life.

Below is some information to help you make sure you can trust the health information you are reading or viewing.

What to ask:

There are a few simple questions you can ask yourself when looking at health information:

1. Where did the information come from? Who produced it? Was it the NHS or a trusted charity or health organisation? Is the information relevant to the UK?
2. How current is the information? When was it published or last updated? Health information changes over time – make sure it is up to date.
3. Is it easy to use and understand?
4. Is it based on multiple evidence reviews or case studies? Look for clear references.
5. Why has it been produced? Is it to inform or is there an agenda? Is the website profit driven?

It is also a good idea to cross-check information. This means looking to see if it is repeated by more than one reliable source.​

Trusted sources

One of the easiest ways to get reliable health information is to use trusted sources. There is lots of information available, particularly online, but it can be hard to verify information which has been shared on a social media site.

Below are some sources of trusted health information:

• nhs.uk ( https://www.nhs.uk/ )
• Established charities or health organisations
• patient.info ( https://patient.info/ )
• Materials provided by your GP or another healthcare professional
• NHS Apps Library ( https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/ )
• Your local library
• Members of the Patient Information Forum (PIF) ( https://pifonline.org.uk/ )

You can also look for quality standards on the information. These include:

• The PIF TICK (Trusted Information Creator) Kitemark ( https://pifonline.org.uk/pif-tick/ )
• Health on the Net (HON) ( https://www.hon.ch/en/ )

Have you tried the eLibrary yet?

Staffordshire Libraries members get FREE access to a vast range of eBooks from Borrowbox,  eMagazines & eComics from RBDigital and eAudio books from Borrowbox, RBDigital and ULibrary.

You can download these onto your tablet, smart phone or many other devices.

Please visit Borrowbox, RBDigital or ULibrray either via their Apps on your smart phone or tablet, or at our eLibrary at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/eLibrary

Facebook Groups for you!

We have recently launched a Facebook Writing Group - 'Staffordshire Scribblers'

Every Friday we will post a prompt (an image and a headline) which we hope will inspire some sort of creative writing. You can be inspired by the words or the image we provide - or both!

Follow the link to join:

facebook.com/groups/StaffordshireScribblers

We also have 'Staffordshire #CreateSpace'

A new creative and social group. Artists Ben and Phil, from Juneau Projects, will be providing regular themes and activities that you can do at home, including drawing, painting, mixed media and more.

Share what you make and chat with others in an informal way!

Find us at: facebook.com/groups/StaffordshireCreateSpace

Love books, missing your reading group, why not chat online with like-minded people in our Facebook Book Chat Group?! Find us here: facebook.com/groups/StaffsLibrariesBookChat

Have you visited the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography yet?

It's FREE to access from home with your Library card number. 

ODNB contains over 60,000 biographies, 72 million words, 11,000 portraits of significant, influential or notorious figures who shaped British history.

Each day we share a famous person from British history on our Facebook and Twitter page, look out for them, follow the link and learn more!

Start searching by following the ODNB link on our Online Resources page.

This week all of our posts are famous refugees; here is founder of psychoanalysis and refugee Sigmund Freud.