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To All West Berkshire Libraries Customers
Happy New Year to all our customers and welcome to our January news, including details about the services we are currently able to provide in line with government guidance on managing the risk of COVID-19.
 There are no activities or events taking place in libraries this week but we hope that most of our regular activities will resume next week. Please check with your local library before you visit. We are keeping the current situation under constant review and will provide updates on social media if government restrictions require us to make changes before you receive our next newsletter.
Please be aware that you are now required to wear a face covering whenever you are visiting a library, unless you have an exemption.
May we remind you that Lambourn Library will be closed on Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 January, while work is carried out to replace carpets throughout the building. Please come and visit again after this work is completed – we are sure you will like the result!
We are sorry to inform you that our supplier ProQuest and its partner Ancestry made the difficult decision to end remote access to this resource at the end of 2021, in order to meet agreements with publishers and other business considerations. However, Ancestry is still available from computers and mobile devices within all West Berkshire Libraries, free of charge.
 If your New Year’s resolutions include volunteering, we may have an opportunity for you.
At the moment, we are particularly keen to hear from anyone who can assist with our weekly Rhymetimes or provide IT help to customers at Newbury Library; anyone who is happy to talk to people practising their English at our monthly English Language Café at Hungerford Library; or anyone who can help to deliver books to our housebound customers, usually on a 3-weekly basis. But we have plenty of other roles for volunteers as well.
Please ring Gemma Taylor, Culture & Libraries Volunteer Officer, on 01635 519533 if you would like to find out more about volunteering with us, or email cultureandlibrariesvolunteers@westberks.gov.uk. Alternatively, complete the short form on the West Berkshire Council website and we will get back to you: www.westberks.gov.uk/volunteer.
 We’re pleased to tell you that our monthly French conversation sessions will be restarting at Hungerford Library on Saturday 29 January, in cooperation with the Hungerford Twinning Association. These sessions provide a chance for you to drop in and chat to others informally in French. Refreshments provided.
Our online crafts for children are continuing at weekends throughout the month. Follow @WBerksLibraries on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to get creative with our suggestions for simple, fun things to make.
 If you missed this month’s online storytime you can catch up now on YouTube, where you will also find some of our earlier storytimes and more.
Don’t miss our Fantasy Fiction Week on Instagram, starting Monday 17 January, when we will be highlighting some of our favourite novels in the fantasy genre. We always welcome your comments on our chosen titles. Why not join our friendly online book group, West Berks Reads, to share your thoughts with others too and pick up some suggestions for what to read next?
 … for children taking part in this year’s Winter Mini Challenge to win a limited-edition virtual badge and special Challenge certificate to print off and keep – finish reading your three books by 15 January and visit the website to claim your rewards.
… and time to sign up children aged 9-11 years for our Online Code Club, which starts a new course on Monday 10 January. For more details and to register, please email library@westberks.gov.uk.
 Over the last few years, volunteers at West Berkshire Museum have gradually added details about all of the Museum’s stock to the library catalogue. This project has seen volunteers catalogue and add over 2,000 items, which is a huge achievement.
When you are looking at a museum item in our catalogue you will now see whether it is available to view immediately at West Berkshire Museum or whether it is in storage but can be retrieved by Museum staff if required. (Please be aware that these items are not available for loan.)
We’re delighted to tell you that West Berkshire had the highest level of participation in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge of any region in the South East of England, reaching 16% of all 4-12 year olds across the district. It is wonderful to see so many children enjoying their books. This year’s reading challenge will start on 1 July – look out for details nearer the time
We hope to bring you our next newsletter in early February. Meanwhile please follow @WBerksLibraries on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up with latest news about all that’s happening in our libraries.
You can find details of all West Berkshire Libraries opening hours, including our Mobile Library timetable, on our website: www.westberks.gov.uk/libraries.
Please help us to protect our communities by continuing to wear a face covering when you visit, sanitise your hands and maintain social distancing. Thank you.
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