You can follow us on Facebook for a range of activities and events including Story Time, Baby Bounce & Rhyme and Craft Time. You can also join one of our Adult Book Chat, Creative Writing or Wellness groups. Simply visit Facebook/Staffordshire Libraries to take part.

Follow us on Twitter for lots of updates, information and engaging posts from us and other partners in the world of books, libraries, museums, art and lots more.

Our online library is open 24 hours a day for FREE eBooks, eAudio, eMagazines, eComics and eNewspapers.

For more information about our services visit www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Libraries

Place a Reservation

Use our Order and Collect Service

Access our eLibrary

Access a range of FREE online resources

Welcome to Libby!

We are now live with Libby App where you can find a fantastic selection of eMagazines, eComics and eAudio books! Libby replaced our previous RB Digital Service.

All you need to get started in Libby is your device, your library card number and your PIN. When you first login please search for 'Staffordshire' and then enter your library card number and PIN when prompted. The Libby app, available from the Apple App store and Google Play, is easy to use and will guide you through the setup process and get you connected to our library in just a few minutes.

You can also access Libby via your browser at the eLibrary

If you have questions, you can find in-app support, or visit the Help site within the app or webpage for assistance.

Find out more and read our FAQs at our eAudio and eMagazines/eComics pages of the eLibrary 

Please note, Libby is not available for Kindle, however Kindle Fire users can use the OverDrive app and login in the same way.

Look for eComics in the eBook section of Libby.

This week is #AutismAwarenessWeek

But, what is Autism?

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. One in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK.

We have books available to request or in our Borrowbox eLibrary on the subject of Autism

Find out more at the National Autistic Society Website

Book Chat online author talks continue to go from strength to strength.

Check out what’s coming up in April and May!

On 7^th April at 7.30pm Katie Hale will be talking about her acclaimed debut novel My Name is Monster, a post-apocalyptic tale narrated by two female characters, both called Monster. Inspired by Robinson Crusoe and Frankenstein, this novel is about power, what happens when rules no longer apply and the strength and danger of a mother’s love.

May is an exciting month with two very different Book Chats on offer!

First up on 5^th May at 7.30pm is a mixed genre panel featuring Bonnie MacBird, Suzie Tullet and Tracy Baines.

Bonnie is an American screenwriter and actress and the original writer of the science fiction film, Tron. A fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle since the age of 10 she is the author of multiple Sherlock Holmes novels, with her latest The Three Locks, published on 1^st April.

Alongside Bonnie, we will be chatting to Suzie Tullett, author of humorous contemporary fiction and romantic comedy whose books include Six Steps To Happiness and The French Escape, and Tracy Baines, author of the bestselling gritty heart-warming saga series The Variety Girls.

Borrowbox titles available with no queues!

Don’t forget these great Borrowbox campaign titles are still available to borrow for a limited time without waiting or queuing! There’s Sophie Kinsella, T.M. Logan, Meg Keneally, Jeffrey Archer and Ginny Bell.

There are a selection of eBooks and eAudio books - make sure you borrow before they are gone!

Look out for more campaign titles with no queuing from the middle of April!

Please visit Borrowbox, either via the App on your smart phone or tablet, or at our eLibrary and start reading!

It's Quiz Time again!

We post weekly quizzes and jigsaws on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Why not try our latest quiz, all about flags of the World, here?

For those of you who tried last month's anagram quiz, here are the answers:

1. Stephen King

2. Charles Dickens

3. Jackie Collins

4. William Shakespeare

5. James Patterson

6. Danielle Steel

7. Agatha Christie

8. Dan Brown

9. Helen Fielding

10. Patricia Cornwell

The Night Sky this April

We have recently had some clear, bright skies with amazing views of the Moon, planets and International Space Station fly overs.

What has April got in store for us?

Check out the April Night Sky Guide prepared by Perton Library's volunteer, and member of Wolverhampton Astronomical Society, Doug.

Staffordshire Libraries and RAF Museum take flight to encourage young people to read!

Staffordshire Libraries have teamed up again with RAF Museum, Cosford to promote young teen reading and to encourage young people to make a discovery through history!

For the past few years we have worked closely with our friends in the Learning Team at RAF Museum, Cosford to deliver our Young Teen Fiction Award. The Museum acts as an amazing venue for our annual celebration, but last year and this year, due to Covid-19 restrictions, we are unable to hold our event.

Our #YTF2021 has gone online this year, but we’re still working with the RAF Museum on a number of exciting projects to encourage young teen reading and engagement with RAF Museum learning opportunities.

Check out the information below about fantastic downloadable resources that are available FREE from the RAF Museum website.

Take flight and reach new heights with RAF Museum’s fun and creative online resources! These resources are free to download for schools and families to utilise at school or home and support further learning.

Visit this link for access to all of the great resources, including videos, worksheets and transcripts, all designed to be engaging and thought provoking for young people.

Find out about #YTF2021 here or search the hashtag on  Facebook and Twitter.

Let’s Beat Loneliness Together! 

We know that loneliness can affect everyone differently and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. But we want you to know that you’re not alone and there are small steps that you can take to help you feel better and get the support you need.

Staffordshire County Council has put together some practical tips to help you to start to tackle your own feelings of loneliness, and information on services in Staffordshire that offer support to tackle loneliness and isolation.  

For more information visit the Doing Our Bit website.

Have you tried our IT Telephone support service yet?

Are you struggling with IT in lockdown, unable to get your e-mail setup, want to try online shopping or has social media got you all confused? Do you want to know more about how to get started with eBooks or eMagazines or find out about online courses to brush up your skills?

Maybe our new telephone support service can help.

Complete an online form here or contact our Call Centre on 0300 111 8000 or your local library to register for a call back.

A friendly member of our Library team or a Community Learning tutor will give you a call and talk through your problem and help you work through it.

If we can’t find an immediate solution we’ll make sure we direct you to someone who can, to a suitable course or other kinds of help.

It’s a totally free service so give us a try, we’re happy to help.

Reading Friends

Staffordshire Library & Arts Service relaunched our Telephone Reading Friends programme again in November.

In libraries we appreciate what a difficult year it has been for many people but we’ve also seen the value attached to working with our communities to help people feel connected.  Telephone Reading Friends is available to support customers who are interested in books and reading but, for whatever reason, are finding it difficult to visit their local library at this moment in time.

Customers are matched with a member of library staff or a volunteer and telephone book chats take place once a week for a 4 week period.

The chats are entirely flexible in their content but will have books and reading at their core.

If you are interested in this service please visit the webpage or email: reading.friends@staffordshire.gov.uk

Please pass on the word about this offer for anyone you think might benefit!

Staffordshire Day 2021 to feature first county-wide film competition

Organisers of the sixth annual Staffordshire Day have launched a county-wide film competition as part of this year’s celebrations.

Film-makers from Staffordshire and beyond are being encouraged, by Enjoy Staffordshire, Staffordshire County Council and the county’s other local authorities, to enter the Staffordshire Day Film Competition.

Any movie which promotes the county can be submitted, as long as it was made within the last five years, and is not longer than 30 minutes.

New projects can be submitted too, but makers must adhere to all Covid safety guidelines on mask-wearing, social distancing and remaining within their local area to film.

There are six categories: Drama/Comedy, Documentary, Animation/Experimental, Business in the Community, Mini-Movie, and Young Film-Maker.

All entries will be judged by festival director Philip Kempson, the Staffordshire Film Archive’s Ray Johnson MBE, and film-maker Darren Teale MBE, with the winners announced at an online ceremony on Staffordshire Day, Saturday 1st May.

The overall winner will win a cheque for £500 from the competition sponsors, Staffordshire Film Archive.

The competition is open to professional and amateur film-makers, and the deadline for submissions is Saturday 3rd April 2021. Full details, including terms and conditions, are available at https://filmfreeway.com/STAFFORDSHIREDAYFILMFESTIVAL

It is part of a huge online Staffordshire Day programme, which will also include an artisan market, and a packed line-up of demonstrations, workshops, talks, and arts & crafts activities on the Enjoy Staffordshire Facebook page.

Further information can be found at www.enjoystaffordshire.com/staffsday

Starman – The Odyssey of Yuri A. Gagarin      

April 12th, 1961 marks the day that humankind entered the cosmos. Yuri A. Gagarin became the first human in space sent into orbit aboard Vostok 1. The story is told in a manner that only Odyssey Presentations can with images, music, video, props and dramatic delivery of a master storyteller. Relive the moment humankind came of age and left the cradle of Earth.

Andrew is a regular and extremely popular speaker at Staffordshire Libraries and this talk is sure to be fascinating and entertainingly told in Andrew’s inimitable style.

Monday 12 April 2021 7pm  (Just £4 per household)

Please visit Eventbrite to organise your ticket

The War of the Worlds

A Zoom presentation performed by Andrew Lound for World Book Night

In 1898 H.G. Wells wrote a “Romance of Science” that became a watershed in literature. The story of an invasion from Mars shocked and thrilled Victorians. Wells did not realize that he had laid down the blue print for a century of alien invasion stories with his own story being reproduced in plays, radio plays, movies and even records. Andrew dramatic tells the history of the famous book and subsequent incarnations with video, slides and audio. Be prepared for an entertaining  invasion evening!

Thursday 22 April 2021 7pm (Just £4 per household)

Please visit Eventbrite to organise your ticket

Find out more about World Book Night and watch our Facebook and Twitter on Friday 23rd April for #WorldBookNight posts.

Look Out

Cycle Safely | Drive Carefully

Spring is well and truly on its way, and as the days get longer and the weather improves, we’ll start to see more cyclists on the road. ‘Look Out’ is a new campaign from Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership that aims to educate both cyclists and drivers to look out for each other, to help reduce the number of collisions involving cyclists within Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

All road users are being encouraged to look out for one another and consider their own and other’s safety when making a journey.

Look Out - Cycle Safely

Whether you use your bike to commute to and from work or for leisure it’s important that you look out for other roads users. Take a look at some hints and tips to help you improve your road safety and keep you and others safe.  

Look Out - Drive Carefully

Most collisions with cyclists happen during busy periods, often at road junctions and on roundabouts. It’s important to look out for cyclists on your journey. For more hints and tips to help keep you and other road users safe visit the Staffordshire Safer Roads website.

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!

As 23rd March is World Book Night, and we're celebrating former World Book Night book 'War of the Worlds' we're focusing on the author, H.G. Wells - you can find out more about him at ODNB. Borrow the book or find it in eBook and eAudio in our Borrowbox eLibrary.

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