 National Poetry Day
Our libraries love poetry and had a fantastic time celebrating National Poetry Day. Thank you to everyone who attended events at their local libraries and browsed our poetry books! We celebrate poetry year round with our beautiful poetry collections so come in to your nearest library to find a new favourite!
Penrith Library had a wonderful event with Dave Cryer who inspired the children from Plumpton and Kirkoswald Primaries as they created their very own Haikus. Subjects ranged from Seasons, families, hobbies to Lasagne…..
They then welcomed the adults for an evening with Dave Cryer and special guest Katie Hale, author of The Edge of Solitude. There were two performances from Katie and open mic slots from the audience. Thank you to Hedgehog Bookshop for joining us on the night. Barrow library held their first open poetry night which was a huge success and hopefully the start of many more poetry opportunity's for Barrow.
 Half Term Fun at W&F Libraries
We had a fantastic half term across our libraries.
Penrith had fun Winter Droving mask making, Hallowe'en craft drop in, Master Composters creepy crawly games, lantern making and Cumbrian Baaa-ttery recycling. Kendal libraries enjoyed, Manga art classes, Toddler Tales, Lego Club, Chess club, Stories and rhymes, Rucksack of rhymes, Spirit of Autumn Creative writing sessions with Wordsworth Grasmere. Barrow libraries celebrated with Hallowe'en Story Craft, Read, Rhyme & Play sessions, Lego Clubs and Lego drop in Days.
 Celebrating the Summer Reading Challenge 2024!
Westmorland and Furness Libraries are delighted to announce the successful completion of The Summer Reading Challenge 2024. The Summer Reading Challenge is a national initiative run by the Reading Agency to encourage children to keep reading over the summer and avoid the dip in literacy levels which follow after the summer break. One aim of the challenge is to promote reading to children and hopefully instil a lifelong love of reading. The challenge is for children to read 6 books during the course of the summer holidays receiving stickers and incentives along the way and if they complete the challenge they receive a medal, certificate and kit bag. Another aim is to encourage lots of children and families to come into our libraries, find out what they have to offer, enjoy the space and take part in the activities.
Over the whole of Westmorland and Furness we had 1737 children signing up for the challenge from Alston in the north to Barrow in the south involving all staffed libraries.
This year just over 50% of children taking part managed to finish the challenge. However, if children only manage to read one or two books, that is still a plus and will help with literacy levels. Books and reading are also well known to promote a sense of wellbeing and help with mental health for people of all ages.
Over the summer, children and families have borrowed 29,418 junior items from our libraries across Westmorland and Furness, 8047 of them being related to taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge. On top of this another 13.345 audio and e-audio children’s books have been borrowed across Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland libraries.
It has been amazing to see the buzz in our libraries this summer with 155 Summer Reading Challenge related events across our libraries. These have included clay modelling, printing and painting and craft activities, Lego, storytimes and teddy bears picnics. We had a children’s opera, a Greatest Robot Ever family theatre show in 3 libraries, kaleidoscope workshops and a puppet show and workshop all allowing children opportunities to engage with their local library. We had an incredible turn out to these events with 4850 children across Westmorland and Furness and another 2545 adults attending a total of 155 events!
Our volunteers have also been busy and we couldn’t have managed without them. We had 24 Summer Reading Challenge volunteers across Westmorland and Furness who put in 532 volunteering hours between them. Not only does this provide young people with valuable work experience but it helps us to manage the extra workload involved whilst the challenge is going on.
Once again, the Summer Reading Challenge has introduced children and families to books, encouraged them to read more and allowed children to have fun and engage with their local libraries. We are already planning for the Summer Reading Challenge 2025!
Kate Holliday
Library Development Officer.
 Emma Attends The Parlimentary Reception
Our wonderful Library Project Outreach Officer Emma was delighted to be invited to ‘Libraries Change Lives through opportunity’ representing the 'Love Barrow Libraries' team. This special event was hosted at The Terrace Pavilion at The House of Commons in Westminster, courtesy of CILIP and their 10 partners, including Libraries Connected and The Reading Agency.
Emma said,
It was an honour to be invited along to the event and was incredible to see such passion and love for the Library Services across the Country. Attendees exchanged stories of how Libraries had impacted their lives and their communities, and how they are growing into community hubs of action and safe places for learning, growth and connection. The highlights of the event were keynote speeches from several MP’s who highlighted the need for unity and determination when ensuring that Library Services can continue to thrive and adapt to the needs of future generations. There was also a talk by renowned author, John O’Farrell, who spoke eloquently about the transformative power of reading and the vital role libraries play in nurturing a love for literature (with lots of humour and annecdotes thrown in!) It was an honour to be invited along to the event and was incredible to see such passion and understanding for the need for Library Services across the Country. It was wonderful to see so much discussion about how much of an impact Libraries have on the communities they serve, and we can only hope that future governments value the Library Service as much as this room of Librarians did!
 Movember, mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer – we’re taking them all on. Since 2003, Movember has funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world, challenging the status quo, shaking up men’s health research and transforming the way health services reach and support men. Why not check our some of our recommendations this Movember.
Inspire, Life Lessons From the Wilderness by Ben Fogle
The latest adventure from bestselling author Ben Fogle explores what we can learn from nature about living well and living wild. Ben revisits some of his most meaningful encounters with nature, from idyllic childhood summers on Canadian lakes and his time spent castaway on a remote Hebridean island to close calls swimming with crocodiles in Botswana.
Find the BorrowBox eAudio here.
Request to borrow here.
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Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
In Dad is Fat, stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan, who’s best known for his legendary riffs on Hot Pockets, bacon, manatees, and McDonald's, expresses all the joys and horrors of life with five young children. Dad is Fat is sharply observed, explosively funny, and a cry for help from a man who has realized he and his wife are outnumbered in their own home.
Find the BorrowBox eAudio here.
Find the BorrowBox eBook here.
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 National Novel Writing Month
National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge, to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with a first draft. They enter the month as school teachers, mechanics, or stay-at-home parents. They leave novelists.
Why not check out some book which began as NaNoWriMo first drafts!
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Anna is less than thrilled to be shipped off to boarding school in Paris, leaving a fledgling romance behind – until she meets Etienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Etienne has it all...including a girlfriend. But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true.
Find BorrowBox eBook here.
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Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
What would be your act? The circus arrives without warning. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Against the grey sky the towering tents are striped black and white. A sign hanging upon iron gates reads, Opens at Nightfall, Closes at Dawn.
Place a hold on this book here.
Find BorrowBox eBook here.
Find BorrowBox eAudio here.
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 In Conversation with Jeremy Craddock
Every story begins with a contract: the storyteller promises the reader a tale worth telling and the reader agrees to listen. A story without an ending is no story at all. In August 1997, Jeremy Craddock is a young newspaper reporter in the Lake District. When divers discover a suspicious package weighed down in Coniston Water, he is thrust into the heart of the biggest story of his career.
Meet Jeremy Craddock, journalist, author, lecturer in journalism. He began his career as a reporter at the Westmorland Gazette and covered the Lady in the Lake case in the 1990s. Author of The Jigsaw Murders: The True Story of the Ruxton Killings and the Birth of Modern Forensics, which was longlisted for the 2022 Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction.
Penrith Library - Wednesday 6th November, 7.30pm
Barrow Library- Wednesday 29th January, 6pm
Regular Events and Activities
Explore a world of fun and learning! Are you ready for an exciting spring filled with captivating events and activities? Look no further than Westmorland and Furness Libraries! Did you know that alongside our exciting events, we offer a variety of regular groups and activities that cater to different interests and promote lifelong learning. Many of these regular groups are completely free, including Baby Bounce and Rhyme, Lego Club, Craft Club, Storytime, Knit and Natter, Chess Club, and many more.
Explore the wonderful opportunities available to you!
Check out our regular groups and activities. 👇
Special Events
Check out our schedule of special events.
There, you'll find detailed information about each event, including dates, times, locations, and any additional requirements.
Please note that some events may have limited capacity, so we encourage you to book your spot early to secure your place. Don't miss out on the incredible experiences waiting for you and your family!
Download The Library App
Have you downloaded our library app? It's now ready for download! Access your library card digitally, renew items on-the-go, and scan any book, anywhere to check availability at your local library. We've incorporated your feedback to ensure it's packed with features you'll love!Available now on both Apple and Android devices - click the link to get started or search for CWF Libraries on the App Store or Google Play!
Follow Us on Social Media
Stay connected with us on social media! Did you know that Westmorland and Furness libraries can be found on across social media. Pop on over to your chosen platform to keep up to date and informed about all the latest happenings at Westmorland and Furness Libraries!
Join our growing online community and be the first to know about the engaging activities and resources we have in store for you.
Don't miss out - follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram today!
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