 Ready, Set, Read!
Have your kids joined the Summer Reading Challenge yet?!
The Summer Reading Challenge has been a huge hit with Staffordshire's kids this year, with over 3500 signing up so far - have the children in your life joined in the fun yet? It's easy and FREE and is great to encourage a lifetime of reading for pleasure!
Join Naveen, Naomi, Noah, Ollie, Alesha, Sophia as they use their skills to weave their way through a summer obstacle course. Our characters have been brought to life by Loretta Schauer and © The Reading Agency 2023.
Developed in collaboration with the Youth Sport Trust, the 2023 Summer Reading Challenge is celebrating play and participation, encouraging children to engage in reading, games and sports in any way that best suits them.
Parents/Carers
The Summer Reading Challenge encourages children to keep reading during the school summer holidays – and to enjoy anything they like to read!
It’s FREE to take part, and last year 75% of children taking part improved their reading skills over the holidays.
Why should my child sign up?
- They will be better prepared to return to school in the autumn.
- The Challenge supports the move into a new year group.
- Becoming more independent in their reading boosts children’s confidence and self-esteem.
- The library provides free access to books and fun family activities all through the summer.
- Library staff are on hand to offer support and book recommendations
 Ready, Set, Read! logo artwork by Lizzie Everard and © The Reading Agency 2023
 Discover Hidden Creatures in Staffordshire Libraries this Summer
The Summer Reading Challenge is back in Libraries, and we have teamed up with Staffordshire based Artist & Illustrator Kate Slater to celebrate the magical world of children’s book illustration.
‘Hidden Creatures’ combines elements of playful learning, creativity, fun and games for children & families to enjoy this summer.
‘Creatures have been quietly hiding among the pages of books all winter, but now, having developed superpowers, they have escaped from books and are hiding in secret places all around the library!
Ready, Set, Go! – Children must race to find all the hidden creatures before they are lost forever!’
Children can also illustrate their own creature and take part in workshops with Kate throughout the summer.
‘Hidden Creatures’ activities are available at main libraries across Staffordshire during the summer holidays, to find out if it’s happening near you & for more information, visit: www.staffslibrariesculture.wordpress.com/creative-explorers
Staffordshire library volunteers have won a national award for their work helping to promote learning, health and wellbeing through reading.
We are delighted and proud that Wendy Sandbrook & Betty Johnson, volunteers at Werrington Community Managed Library, received the Health & Wellbeing Award at the prestigious 2023 Libraries Connected Awards.
The pair are part of a team whose focus has been on meeting the health and wellbeing needs in the local area, which has over twice the national average of elderly and very elderly residents.
They work closely with the local patient group and doctor’s surgery and have established a varied programme of health events and activities delivered by local organisations. The library also uses income raised through the library shop to subsidise room hire costs for local wellbeing providers, bringing a wider range of services to the community.
Wendy said:
"We are very grateful to Staffordshire Library Service for nominating us and were extremely proud to accept the award to share with our fabulous team of volunteers.".
Victoria Wilson, Cabinet Member responsible for libraries at Staffordshire County Council said:
“We’re absolutely delighted that Wendy and Betty have won the award, it’s truly deserved.
“There’s lots of evidence about how books and reading can benefit people’s health and wellbeing and the pair have worked extremely hard to develop their health services which are helping hundreds of people.
“Our libraries service continues to evolve and innovate and staff and volunteers work incredibly hard right across the county delivering a huge range of services. Once again it’s great to see all their work being recognised nationally.”
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 Summer Events for Children
Our Libraries have so much going on for the kids this Summer, all kinds of fun activities, crafts and much more!
Find out what is going on in your area here and join in the fun!
 Prestigious Library Award Shortlist Honour for Staffordshire Librarian.
Michelle Jackson, Library Development Officer in the Moorlands area, has been shortlisted for a Libraries Connected Award which celebrate the achievements of library workers who have had an “exceptional impact on their library service, users or their local communities.”
Michelle was nominated and shortlisted for the Reading Award for her work around use of the Universal Reading Offer to support the needs of the local communities in North Staffordshire. Through the library community Michelle has helped people feel connected with each other, particularly supporting those families participating in the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
Michelle says, “I was very conscious at the beginning of the Ukraine war of trying to ‘Do our bit’ and to offer support for Ukrainian families and their hosts. We wanted to make sure that the families felt welcome in the library and could use our facilities to communicate with people back home. We soon realised how hard it must be to try and set up home somewhere whilst not knowing whether your husband and family were alive or dead. Imagine not knowing the language, finding yourself in a new country, trying to make sense of new rules and fitting into a new home? British host families, quite literally, opened their doors to Ukrainian mothers and children and offered a safe haven, we wanted to follow their example. We also wanted to support the host families and to provide a safe meeting place to share information and advice. We hosted Coffee Mornings in our libraries and invited the local Children’s Centre and Job Centre staff. The Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce were also offering their support for Ukrainians who have an idea for setting up a business at some of the sessions.”
Library staff have also liaised with schools, doctors and social prescribers to provide information and guidance from the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
Like most areas, Newcastle and the Staffordshire Moorlands were struggling because of the shortage of ESOL tutors (English as a Foreign Language), consequently there were no face-to-face English Language courses available. Through the Ukrainian Donation Shop in Newcastle, contacts were made with local English-speaking Ukrainians in the community who could help with translating at events.
Fast forward a year and now we have a couple of volunteers who are offering English Language conversation sessions in our libraries. Our incredible volunteer, Lynne Dale, has supported people to find successful employment. Welcome packs from the Literacy Trust and dual language Ukrainian picture books have been distributed too. Our online offer of the Odilo App means Ukrainian adults and children have access to hundreds of titles in their own language.
Newcastle Library has close links with the excellent newly established, Shevchenko Ukrainian Support Centre which now offers English face-to-face classes and much more. Both Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Libraries kindly donated furniture and equipment.
Find out more about Support for Ukraine in Staffordshire.
 New Borrowbox titles, with no queuing, for you this Summer!
Available from 1st August
Borrow, download & enjoy instant ebooks & eAudios with Borrowbox – your library in one app. New titles with no queues, including:
The Man in the Bunker by Rory Clements
A Taste of Greek Summer by Mandy Baggot
Mumlife by Louise Pentland
Enid Blyton’s Summer Stories
Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child
Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Use the Borrowbox App or visit our eLibrary
Young Teen Fiction Award Winner is crowned
In July, school children from across Staffordshire, picked 'Spark' by author M.G. Leonard as the Young Teen Fiction Award Winner for 2023!
You can borrow or reserve the book from your local library.
Unfortunately, due to industrial action by teaching staff, our annual celebration event at RAF Museum Cosford was cancelled, but we are already looking forward to going back next year!
For more information on the Staffordshire Young Teen Fiction Award, please visit the YTF webpages at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/ytf or contact liz.gardner@staffordshire.gov.uk
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Summer days on Cannock Chase
With the long summer holidays nearly here you will be looking for cost effective but fun things to do for all the family. Look no further than Cannock Chase.
The Future Guardians of Cannock Chase Programme has just been launched and you can find lots of activity sheets to download and complete with the children from making maps and life cycle spinners to going on a heathland hunt. It aims to boost awareness and appreciation amongst children and young people about the Chase, the wonderful national landscape they have on their doorstep and to encourage them to care for their environment. The hope is that today’s youngsters will be the Future Guardians of Cannock Chase tomorrow.
All activity sheets can be downloaded here.
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Have you tried our eLibrary yet?
Read or listen on the go this Summer with our fantastic eLibrary.
We have a range of eBooks and eAudios, great for relaxing on the beach!, as well as eMagazines and eComics, all free to access with your Staffordshire Library membership.
You can download the Borrowbox App for eBooks and eAudios
Libby App for eMagazines and eComics and ULibrary App for another selection of eAudios. Just visit your device's App store.
Visit our eLibrary webpage for more information and discover a huge choice of online content.
Perfect if you are going on holiday and do not want to take too many books or magazines.
Are you ready for an exciting opportunity to start working for yourself?
Being self-employed is one of the most exciting, liberating, challenging and rewarding things you can do. Exciting as it may be to start your own business, it can also feel overwhelming and confusing when it comes to actually getting started. Preparation is key to success.
Staffordshire Libraries and Arts Service have been working in partnership with Business Enterprise Support (BES), utilising Arts Council England funding, to establish Start-up Hubs in libraries across Staffordshire.
Hubs are now available across our network of libraries at more than 15 sites and more will launch in 2023.
This is an information awareness service available to support and inspire anybody who is interested in working for themselves to start their journey. Our libraries offer a dedicated space, allocated for start-up promotional materials, leaflets, business related reading books and information fact sheets.
So, what’s stopping you? Pop into your library, hook up to our free wifi, explore the hub and get started planning your next steps in working for yourself or starting your own business. We can signpost you to relevant information, provide local contacts and help get you online.
Find out more about business in Staffordshire, including support for small businesses, start-up loans, apprenticeships, economic recovery and renewal and much more at the County Council Business webpages.
Do you need some help getting online or updating your IT skills? Why not check out the Staffordshire Community Learning website for a wide range of exciting and stimulating short courses for adults aged 19 and above across Staffordshire.
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