Happy Christmas from Staffordshire Libraries
 There is always a warm welcome at Staffordshire Libraries
Did you know Staffordshire Libraries provide safe, warm, and welcoming spaces with access to lots of great services, such as FREE books and electronic resources. With a Staffordshire library card, you can download eBooks, eAudio books, eMagazines, eComics, and eNewspapers on the go!
At Staffordshire Libraries you have access to Wi-Fi and desktop computers and can use a range of subscriptions such as Ancestry, Driving Theory Test Pro and Go Citizen and much more, FREE across our 43 libraries.
Staffordshire library staff and volunteers can signpost you to information and services in your local area - getting you the help and support you may need. Many of our libraries can help with online applications for Bus Passes and Blue Badges, and our Business Start-Up Hubs can provide anyone looking to start a business with information to get them on the right path.
Looking for something to do? We have a huge range of activities and events from Baby Bounce and Rhyme time for little ones, Coffee and Chat sessions, Local History activities, Craft sessions plus lots more. So, what are you waiting for! Why not Discover Your Staffordshire Library Today! And Join Up. Join In. Discover. Explore. Create.
Libraries have lot of regular events and activities and special events run all year - find out what's on near you here
Find out more about Your Staffordshire Library Service here: How to join your library - Staffordshire County Council
Or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube – search Staffordshire Libraries and follow us for updates.
 Staffordshire libraries are still cornerstones of their communities
New figures published in November show how vital Staffordshire libraries are to their communities.
As well as more than 1.5 million physical book loans in 2022/23, Staffordshire County Council’s 43 libraries have offered business start-up advice and job clubs; recycled thousands of items of school uniform and old laptops; and created reading groups for young and old.
And both book borrowing and visits are recovering well after the pandemic, while online initiatives developed during Covid are still thriving.
Victoria Wilson, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for Communities and Culture, said: “For many years our libraries have been far more than a place to borrow books.
“They have become community hubs, responsive to helping people find the help, support and friendship they need.
“There are so many success stories and we intend to build on this excellent foundation.”
Not only are Staffordshire’s libraries being used to support the local economy and moves to net zero carbon emissions, they’re a base for initiatives to support child development and good health and wellbeing in adults.
Successes include:
- 520 people accessing online support for businesses;
- 338 job club meetings;
- Families saved by an estimated £60,000 by recycling school uniform schemes;
- 1,096 Blue Badge applications made for residents;
- 12,983 young children gifted ‘bookstart’ packs;
- 254 items given via the Donate IT programme
- 58 ‘teacher’s tickets’ issued to promote classroom reading.
Other positives include winning grants to support the economically inactive, to promote grass roots activities to promote net zero carbon emissions, and to improve physical and mental health.
Recently published research by economists at the University of Eastern England revealed that a branch library typically provides £1 million in value annually by encouraging people on to High Streets.
Victoria Wilson added: “Libraries are a community anchor and a provide a ‘front door’ to many other services.
“As well as helping people with opportunities to learn new skills and find out information, they support town and village centres by encouraging footfall.”
At the same time, the council is maintaining its digital and social media presence, which expanded through lockdown, so it can offer the best of both worlds for customers.
The service has launched a new library app and has a thriving Facebook reading group connecting readers from across the county and beyond.
 Looking for a good read this Christmas!?
Our Library shelves are bursting with seasonal books this December and we’ve added even more eBooks & eAudios to Borrowbox.
We’ve got crime, romance, classics history & traditions, cooking & plenty for the kids too!
Please visit Borrowbox via the App on your smart phone or tablet, or our eLibrary or pop into your local library and choose from a huge selection of seasonal titles!
 Grief Awareness Week 2nd - 8th December
Co-ordinated by The Good Grief Trust, Grief Awareness Week is an annual public campaign to raise awareness of the awareness of grief and get the public talking. This year The Good Grief Trust would like communities to come together to raise awareness of the support available to bereaved people.
Libraries provide a safe and trusted space in local communities to start to guide supportive conversations about death, dying and loss and crucially signpost to the most appropriate bereavement support.
Your local library can signpost you to support groups, social activity, courses and opportunities to enhance skills or learning, information and book collections that can help you.
To find out more visit The Good Grief Trust Website or pop into your local library.
Explore the Reading Agency's Grief and Bereavement Book Guide, available to borrow or request from your library.
What does community mean to you?
We want to know ...
Staffordshire County Council are asking you to spend 15 minutes taking our survey about your local area.
The answers you give will help them understand what’s important to people in Staffordshire and make sure they’re doing their bit to support you and what you care about
And you could win a family day pass to Trentham Gardens for sharing your thoughts
Take the survey and tell us what matters to you: https://letstalk.staffordshire.gov.uk/communities-survey
You can also pick up a hard copy of this form in your local library if you prefer to fill one in that way.
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 Enjoy these great seasonal eAudios on Borrowbox for a limited time only with no Queue!
Midwife on the Orient Express by Fiona MacArthur
Stories for Every Season by Enid Blyton
The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas by James Patterson
Something from Tiffany's by Melissa Hill
These titles are all available from 1st December until 29th January
Just download the Borrowbox App from your app store for your device or visit our eLibrary
Get inspired with our life-changing festive gift ideas
If you’re struggling to think of that perfect meaningful prezzie for a relative, friend or neighbour, then worry no more.
As we head into the main festive gift buying season, we have once again recruited some very special help to showcase a range of low-cost life-changing ideas that also make great Christmas Gifts, in our ‘'Twelve Days of Christmas’ gift calendar.
Our ‘Assistive Tech Christmas Elf’ has been out and about this month with Julia Jessel, our Cabinet Member for Health and Care, stocking up on a sleigh load of the latest and greatest clever ideas that can help make daily living tasks around the home just that little bit easier and improve the ‘Elf and Wellbeing’ of a friend, colleague or loved one.
Get inspired and see what meaningful gift ideas they have come up with this year. www.staffordshire.gov.uk/gifts
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 The Winter Mini Challenge for Children is back!
It’s back! Spark a love of reading even in the most reluctant reader with the free online Winter Mini Challenge. Unlock rewards for reading and find fun activities on the Reading Agency's dedicated children’s website.
The Winter Mini Challenge is an online, bitesize version of The Reading Agency’s annual Summer Reading Challenge. This summer, they teamed up with the Youth Sport Trust and public libraries to bring you Ready, Set, Read! – a Summer Reading Challenge that empowered hundreds of thousands of young people to read and play, keeping minds and bodies active over the summer break.
Following the success of Ready, Set, Read!, The Reading Agency are delighted to extend the theme into the Winter Mini Challenge. With the holidays approaching, now is the time to encourage families to discover the joy of reading or to build on good reading habits!
Our Libraries are filled with seasonal and other books for children to borrow over the Christmas holidays and we have lots of great eBooks and eAudios available on the Borrowbox App or via our eLibrary.
Tackle the holiday reading ‘dip’ and join in online from the 1st December 2023.
 Werrington Hub-Club Launches
Werrington Community Managed Library volunteers have launched a Hub-Club for businesses, schools, churches, pubs and individuals who live and work in and around Werrington. The purpose of the Hub-Club is to connect the community to what is happening locally.
If you would like to know more about this initiative, please e-mail david@dsaimaging.co.uk
 Find out about self-employment at your local library this December
Residents across Staffordshire can call into their local library this June to access advice and guidance to start their own business.
The Staffordshire Start-up Hubs, supported by BES, are an initiative that provides advice, support and guidance to those interested in becoming self-employed and starting their own business.
Each library has its own Hub where visitors can access self-employment resources including books, templates and information. Additional drop-in sessions will be held at specific libraries on selected dates in June. No appointment is necessary and self-employment coaches will be on hand to provide one-to-one advice and guidance to anyone that would like to talk about their ideas and ambitions to become self-employed.
All sessions will take place between 10:30am and 12:30pm
- Stafford Monday 4th
- Leek Monday 4th
- Cannock Tuesday 5th
- Newcastle Tuesday 5th
- Lichfield Wednesday 6th
- Stone Wednesday 6th
- Burton Monday 11th
- Codsall Tuesday 12th
- Biddulph Tuesday 12th
Please contact your library for more information.
Find out about Library Startup Hubs
Young Teen Fiction Award Staffordshire
Vote Now for Young Teen Fiction Awards 2024!
Each year Staffordshire Libraries runs an award scheme to celebrate the most popular teen fiction books published over the last year. The scheme is aimed at young people age 11-14 who live in or go to school in Staffordshire.
This year, we have selected a TOP 20 of the most borrowed books by young people in our libraries and now we need your help to find a winner!
Simply view the list on our website, borrow titles from our libraries, read as many as you like and then vote for your favourite by 15th March 2024. Your nominated favourites will form a shortlist of 6 titles which will again be open for votes from 21 March 2024.
The winner will be announced on 2 July at a special Celebration Day at RAF Museum, Midlands, in Cosford, where we will invite young people to attend through their school library.
View Titles
Vote for your favourite
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Christmas Quiz Time
Why not try our festive quiz this month?
Look out for weekly quizzes every Saturday evening on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
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 Christmas is a time for family ... history research!
Discover your family story this Christmas with Ancestry and FindMyPast!
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Ancestry is the leading genealogy resource on the internet and is packed full of records, as well as hints and tips to help you trace your family history, whether you are from Staffordshire or beyond.
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Findmypast is one of the leading family history resources on the internet. The Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service has partnered with Findmypast to make some of the most popular Staffordshire sources available online. Currently available are the Staffordshire Parish Registers (Church of England), 1538-1900, containing around 4 million records. Further resources are 'in the pipeline' and will be made available soon, so watch this space.
Both are available to use for FREE for Library members on a public access PC at your local Staffordshire Library.
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New to Ancestry? We have created a guide that you can download here
 Holiday Activities and Food
The Christmas Holidays are later this year, school children won’t return until 8th January. Why not book activities with your local holiday clubs from 2nd January until 5th January?
This will give your child the chance to make new friends, do fun activities, and enjoy a healthy meal.
There’s dodgeball, cooking, paintballing, bowling, boxercise, horse-riding, dance, football, bushcraft, pantomime, and lots more including get Santa!
If your child is eligible for a free place, school will issue a letter with a HAF code
Booking opens at 4pm on 7th December – a button will appear
Book through the website bit.ly/3f1O7Hd
Quote your HAF code to get a free funded place.
Get online without the hassle this Festive Season.
Are you going to be shopping online, using Zoom, Skype or WhatsApp to keep in touch with friends or family or are you getting a new device and need some help?
We have partnered with Digital Unite, who have an extensive collection of learning guides about using modern technology from digital photography to social networking.
Give them a try, it's absolutely free to view and download their guides here
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