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To All West Berkshire Libraries Customers
Welcome to our August news!
 Once again, our annual Summer Reading Challenge for 4-11 year olds is off to a flying start! By the end of the first weekend of the school holidays nearly 2,000 children had already signed up to take part in West Berkshire. But there is still plenty of time to join the fun.
Participants are challenged to borrow and read up to six library books - on their own library account - before 15 September and collect free incentives for their achievements as they read, with medals and certificates for everyone who completes the Challenge. Please ask in your local library for details.
Visit the Summer Reading Challenge website to enjoy lots of free activities, games, videos, competitions and chat about authors and books; and if you are unable to visit a library in person this year, you can still take part in the Challenge online.
 Remember that we have a Mini Challenge for under 4s as well. Young children need to visit a library several times before 15 September to complete this.
The Mini Challenge is a fantastic way to introduce young children to the joys of looking at books and provides an opportunity for family members to share books together. This year you can opt to borrow one of our ‘Read and Learn’ packs as part of the Challenge. Each of these includes three books relating to getting ready for school, along with some fun items and tips for parents and carers on preparing your child for school. Please ask in the library for details.
 Have you tried our new app for children? Download Planet Library from your usual app store, log in as a West Berkshire Libraries member and start using it to search the library catalogue, reserve books and renew your loans. The children’s app also includes lots of games and allows users to collect digital rewards. There are virtual Planet Library characters hidden in library buildings too, which your app will enable you to find.
This month you will find dozens of free activities for children of all ages in our libraries, from Rhymetimes and Storytimes for our youngest members through to board games sessions suitable for young adults. We have plenty of crafts and LEGO sessions for you to enjoy, with all materials provided, and you can simply turn up to take part in most of our activities. However, numbers are limited for the following workshops and so you will need to book in advance:
 We have two workshops at Newbury Library on Tuesday 20 August for children 8 years and over. Separate sessions at 2-3pm and at 3.30-4.30pm.
 This workshop will be run by the Dogs Trust. It will include dog-themed activities, games, role play and crafts, but no real dogs will attend. To book please email Karen.Hutt@dogstrust.org.uk
We have two workshops for children 6-12 years at Newbury Library on Friday 30 August. Separate sessions 2.15-3pm and 3.15-4pm.
 We are also taking bookings now for the autumn term of our Online Code Club for children 9-11 years, which starts again on 16 September. Each week we email you full instructions and a step-by-step video guide for a fun project to try at home or on a library computer. To sign up your child please email library@westberks.gov.uk
Here are some new, drop-in events which have been added since our last newsletter. Please contact the appropriate host library for full details.
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TUESDAY 6 August, 10.30am-12pm: sing-along session and crafts for children over 4 with Kennet Accordion Orchestra at Hungerford Library
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TUESDAYS, 6 and 20 August, 2-4pm: board games sessions at Pangbourne Library, games provided
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TUESDAYS, 13, 20 and 27 August, 11-11.20am: Rhymetimes for young children at Newbury Library
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WEDNESDAYS 7, 14, 21 and 28 August, 2.30-3.40pm: crafts at Burghfield Common Library, different themes each week
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FRIDAYS, 5 and 23 August, 11-11.30am: special Storytimes at Theale Library
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SATURDAY 17 August, 10.30am-12pm: storytelling and junk modelling with Junk Jodie at Burghfield Common Library
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SATURDAY 31 August, 10.30am-12pm: meet Ruby, a Pets As Therapy dog, at Mortimer Library
For more details about any of these events and to find out what else is happening near you, check with your local library or visit https://booking.westberks.gov.uk/library_events.html. Facebook users can also see what’s coming up by going to our Facebook Events listing.
Please note that the story-writing workshop at Newbury Library on 7 August is already full booked.
 The Ageing Creatively Community Café for over 55s hosted by Theale Library in association with Corn Exchange, Newbury, continues to run throughout the summer. This month’s activities include:
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5 August: painting with a sea/coastal theme run by artist Kylie Wright; puzzles, games and mindfulness colouring activities
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12 August: assistance with setting up online library resources on your own device from Rav Gopal, West Berkshire Libraries Digital Services Officer; exercise session with Callum Yates from Everyone Active
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19 August: acrylic painting with artist Simon Jardine; talk by visitors from Reading Men’s Shed about what they do and how to set up something similar in Theale
- 26 August: library closed for the Bank Holiday
 Don’t forget that in addition to books we have plenty of other items available for loan, such as BBC Micro:bits offering fun with coding, Wellbeing Bags with a mix of books, activities and ideas to help you maintain your health and wellbeing, Reminiscence Collection boxes with nearly 40 themes to choose from, and a range of jigsaws in many of our libraries. Members of West Berkshire Libraries can borrow all of these for free.
 Updated Mobile Library timetables are in operation now. Find full details of all West Berkshire Mobile Library stops, dates and times from August 2024 to March 2025 on our website: https://www.westberks.gov.uk/mobile-library
The Mobile Library makes six-weekly visits across the district with a wide selection of fiction, non-fiction, large print and children’s books from which library members can borrow up to 15 books at a time.
Please remember that if you find it difficult to visit your local library or the Mobile Library, possibly because of age, disability or other special circumstance, the West Berkshire Libraries At Home service may be able to deliver books to you. To find out more about this service: telephone 01635 519827 or email library@westberks.gov.uk
 If you are going away this summer, why not take the library with you? We have a wide range of e-books, e-magazines and e-audiobooks for you to read or listen to for free from your smartphone or tablet. Find out more on our website: https://www.westberks.gov.uk/elibrary-loans
And if you are staying in West Berkshire, we look forward to seeing you again soon!
Keep up with the latest news about everything that’s happening in our libraries by following @WBerksLibraries on Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter).
Our next newsletter will be out in early September.
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