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*** View latest Coronavirus information for libraries here ***
News, Events and Updates from Staffordshire Library Service
Rediscover Your Library
As we recover from COVID-19 why not reconnect with Your Library and get access to all these resources and services?
Not already a member? Give us a try, it’s FREE and easy to join.
You can:
- Relax with a good book, borrowing as many as you would like
- Always on the go? Download to your tablet, e-reader, mobile phone from a range of eBooks, eAudio, the latest eMagazines, eComics and read online newspapers
- Don’t know what to read next and too little time to choose? Let us choose for you with our Order and Collect service based on favourite genres and authors
- Feel connected just by sitting and reading and having a chat
- Use the PCs and Wi-Fi and brush up on your digital skills – help is at hand if you need it
- Find a quiet spot and sit and study
- Print and photocopy those important documents
- Discover your story and use Ancestry and Find My Past
- Take part in activities and events and make new friends
- Find out about local groups, clubs, societies and volunteering opportunities
And much more…
Just pop in and see us, visit our website or find us on Facebook or Twitter and we’ll open your eyes to a world of possibilities.
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Welcome to the new Codsall Library!
Our fabulous new library in Codsall opened to the public on Monday 11th October and people are loving the new space!
Here are just a few of the lovely comments we have received from visitors:
Do come and visit us at Codsall Library and enjoy this great space!
 Movember
Movember is an annual campaign to promote awareness of issues in mens health and suicide prevention.
'Our fathers, partners, brothers and friends are facing a health crisis, yet it’s rarely talked about. Men are dying too young. We can’t afford to stay silent.'
Mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer – Movember is taking them all on.
It can often be tricky spotting a friend who’s struggling. This page from MovemberUK will provide you with some useful approaches and suggestions for how to start a conversation if you are worried about a friend or family member.
Watch this brilliant 'Spot the Signs' video from Movember
Read incredible real life stories
For more information on how you can get involved visit their website or on Twitter @MovemberUK
Meaningful Mementoes goes live!
Our friends at Archives and Heritage recently launched a fabulous new online exhibition - Meaningful Mementoes. The exhibition has been designed to explore the stories behind the precious things we keep. The website uses a selection of objects and documents from across the Archive and Heritage Service collections together with personal items selected by members of the staff team.
We want to encourage people to share their favourite memento and its story with us. This could be a souvenir from an unforgettable holiday, something that has been handed down through generations in the family, a cherished photograph or a favourite childhood toy.
Meaningful Mementoes illustrates how we can connect to others through treasured belongings. We want to hear the story of what it is that you cherish.
Why not visit the website and explore the collections for yourself? There are 4 themes to choose from; gifts, heirlooms, personal items or souvenirs. We look forward to hearing your story.
Visit Meaningful Mementoes
Happy Halloween
We've got seasonal bookshelves on Borrowbox of eBook & eAudio 'Stories to Make you Shiver' with great authors including Adam Nevill, C.J. Tudor, Sarah Rayne, Dan Simmons, Ashley Bell & some of the classics including Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, M.R. James and E.F Benson.
Just head on over to the app or eLibrary & find a chilling new read... just keep the lights on if you are listening to an eAudio ... you have been warned...
Halloween Jigsaw
We also have a seasonal spooky jigsaw for you to try!
How quickly can you complete the picture!?
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Crafting Communities
We are delighted with the wonderful feedback we have received from participants, staff & volunteers involved in the #CraftingCommunities Project. Residents taking part in our four creative residencies in libraries have been producing some wonderful rich and varied work while forming new friendships and re-establishing craft groups. We have seen new visitors to libraries as well as new social groups formed and through our creative hubs, have reached out to many other groups and individuals in the community. We can’t wait to see the creative collaborations that will be displayed in libraries as the project comes to an end in December.
“The project has made me feel more confident in visiting my local library. I have enjoyed meeting new people at the sessions. I decided to take part because I wanted to feel more connected with others”. Participant at Barton Library
“The project has been time for myself. I feel relaxed and happy after the sessions. As a sufferer of depression this really helps me to relax and get out of the house”. Participant at Blythe Bridge Library
“I feel I have actually accomplished something that I’ve wanted to do, something different! Nice to belong to a group” – Participant at Perton Library
“I have enjoyed feeling relaxed & trying something new with my son”, “It’s been great talking and getting away from everyday problems”, “It has made me really happy because I’ve never done anything like this before” - Family participants at Rugeley Library
We have a packed timetable of activity over on our Facebook page this November - why not check it out?
Applications are now open to stand in Staffordshire’s 2022 UK Youth Parliament elections!
Do you know a young person who wants to influence decision makers and ensure young people have a voice? The UK Youth Parliament could be perfect for them! More information and applications on the Youth Parliament website: http://staffscvys.org.uk/ukyp
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Staffordshire History Festival 2021
A poetic celebration of the culture, history and legacy of the Creative County
From the rural wilderness of Cannock Chase and the Moorlands, to the rich creative and industrial histories of the Potteries and Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire is renowned as a county of overwhelming beauty, history and culture.
In this project, curated by former Staffordshire Poet Laureate Emily Rose Galvin in conjunction with Lichfield Library, we asked poets from across the UK to submit their poems to us, and show us their favourite places, and stories, from across Staffordshire. In essence, to create a poetic collection that showcases and celebrates our unique county and its legacy
After an overwhelming response, please take your time to peruse the submissions, and be taken on a journey from border to border, and from Staffordshire history to present. Visit the special wordpress site here.
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 What will you be reading this Christmas?
We have a whole host of new library books, audios and will soon be launching our Christmas bookshelves on Borrowbox!
There will be something for everyone from classic Christmas stories, cookery ideas and to the history of Christmas, Christmas crime and scares to books for children.
Explore the displays on your next visit to your local library, use our 'Order& Collect' Service or visit the Borrowbox App or eLibrary for a huge range of eBooks and eAudios.
Online Author events this November
If you haven’t yet tuned in to our regular free online Book Chats, November is a great month to start!
On 3rd November at 7.30pm, Sarah Rayne, Staffordshire author of numerous bestselling novels including psychological thrillers, supernatural suspense and fantasy will be joining us to talk about her latest book a Murder Dance, the sixth outing for professional researcher of history and mystery, Phineas Fox.
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November 17th at 7.30pm sees us welcome Australian author of bestselling historical sagas Fled and The Wreck, Meg Keneally and on 24th November, again at 7.30pm, international bestseller Jeffrey Deaver will be joining us on the eve of the publication of his explosive new Lincoln Rhyme thriller The Midnight Lock. We can’t wait!
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If non-fiction is more up your street, then we have great pleasure in welcoming Henry Eliot, editor of the Penguin Modern Classics Book to Book Chat on 29th November at 7.30pm. We’ll be chatting poetry to politics, reportage to fantasy, chocolate-making and chicken farms, as we tour the life and works of some of the greatest authors of the modern age, some remarkable literary oddities and some unjustly forgotten literary gems.
To take part in any of our online Book Chats just ask to join our free Book Chat group at https://facebook.com/groups/StaffsLibrariesBookChat where links to all the events will be posted.
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Escape into Staffordshire’s History
We love to introduce new elements to Staffordshire History Festival each year and for 2021 we created a local history themed online Escape Room for adults to test their Staffordshire knowledge.
The Room features content from the counties library teams and community partners including Tamworth Castle, the Samuel Johnson Museum and the National Brewery Museum.
By solving timed online tasks and tricky puzzles, players will unlock fascinating facts about Staffordshire history and gather clues to enable them to open the locked door and escape the archive before time runs out and they vanish into the past forever!
Give it a try here ... Good Luck!
Do It to FEEL GOOD!
Ross and Sarah are volunteer co-ordinators at Great Wyrley Community Library on behalf of Catherine Care.
“We feel a sense of pride knowing that the service we provide is well received by the members of community and also, we get involved in events around the community. We feel brilliant volunteering at the library. “
Acts of giving and #kindness can really help to improve your self-esteem and #emotionalhealth by creating positive feelings and a sense of reward.
Sign up for more #feelgood tips at: https://bit.ly/DoItToFeelGood
Or, if you are interested in library volunteering, Call: 0300 111 8000 or email: volunteerinyourlibrary@staffordshire.gov.uk
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It's quiz time and this month it is all about songs that contain references to cars!
Test your knowledge here
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Newspapers are just a click away with NewsBank
Get the newspapers you love direct to your phone, laptop or device!
NewsBank is our electronic newspaper resource that you can read on your laptop, tablet or other device at home, available with your library card.
The is a wide range of searchable local, regional and national newspapers, including 4 ‘image editions’ of The Telegraph, Guardian/Observer, Times and Daily Mail.
If you haven’t tried NewsBank yet, it is time you did! Just follow this link and start reading.
Please note: When logging into NewsBank from the first login screen please select ‘No Username and Password. Click here for additional login options’ and enter name of Library authority (Staffordshire) and your Library Card number.
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Borrowbox - borrow without the queue!
We have added more fabulous Borrowbox campaign titles to our eLibrary, available to borrow for a short time without queuing!
There’s our usual selection of eBooks and eAudio for you to choose from including ‘The Paris Secret’ by Karen Swan, ‘The Humans’ by Matt Haig, ‘The Catch’ by T.M. Logan, ‘The Camel Club’ by David Baldacci and a fascinating and important eAudio on the climate change crisis – ‘The Future We Choose Surviving the Climate Crisis’
Please visit Borrowbox, either via the App on your smart phone or tablet, or at our eLibrary
The Night Sky this November.
With the nights drawing in and cold frosty night's the winter is a great time to do a bit of stargazing.
You can download our Guide to the November Night Sky, prepared by Doug from the Perton Library Astronomy Group.
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Baby Play Learn courses available in Stafford and Biddulph
Funded by the Adult and Community Learning Service, Baby Play Learn is a free six week course for parents and carers of 0-15 month children to find out practical ways to support their child’s speech, language, physical and social and emotional development at home.
The course consists of 1 hour per week online content which learners can view at a time to suit them and a 1 hour session of activities with their child at either Biddulph Library (Fridays 10.30am - 11.30am) or Stafford Library (Mondays 10.30am - 11.30am). Learners must be able to do both the online and face time face parts of the course.
The course starts week commencing 8th November.
If you would like to enrol, please email liz.gardner@staffordshire.gov.uk
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Get help over the phone with your IT problems
Are you or someone you know struggling with IT; unable to get an e-mail address set up, want to try online shopping, Zooming with relatives, eBooks or is social media a scary prospect?
Maybe our new telephone support service can help.
Complete an online form here www.staffordshire.gov.uk/TelephoneITSupport 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, 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.
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Donate I.T. to help local people get connected
Staffordshire County Council is working with the Community Foundation for Staffordshire to provide recycled I.T. equipment to local people.
There are still people in our communities who don’t have the I.T. equipment they need to learn, apply for jobs, access health services, and reduce loneliness.
To help we’ve set up 16 drop off points within libraries, where people can donate I.T. equipment they’re no longer using.
What do we need?
- laptop (with charger)
- tablet
- keyboard
- mouse
Find out more - ask about the scheme at your local library or visit the web page www.staffordshire.gov.uk/DonateIT.
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Access to Research
Discover a world of published academic research at your local library.
Access to Research gives free, walk-in access to over 30 million academic articles covering such topics as Art and Architecture, Business, Environmental Science, History, Journalism, Languages, Politics, Film, Philosophy and Religion, Mathematics and Physics.
Students and independent researchers can now access many of the world’s best academic papers from leading publishers who have made their journal content available for free.
Start now by viewing which articles and journals are available from home here.
To view the full text of articles you will need to visit a Staffordshire Library – Find Access to Research on our Free Online Resources webpage and start reading.
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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.
This edition's featured biography, is poet, writer, Feminist and Pacifist activist Vera Brittain.
Find more biographies via our Online Resources page.
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This Remembrance season why not read about or listen to the experiences of those who lived through war & conflict? We have plenty to choose from in your local library or visit our eLibrary.
 About Staffordshire Library Service
From books to local history resources, Your Library has a host of fabulous services and exciting events for you.
Why not try out our eBooks service, join a reading group or If you're looking for something in particular, you can also search the online catalogue or view a list of frequently asked questions.
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