The Big Library Survey Launched
We need your view. Take part in our quick survey to help shape the future of your library services.
We are delighted to announce the launch of the community-wide survey aimed at gathering valuable feedback on our library services. Everyone is welcome, current library users and non-users, adults and children, to share their views on what matters most to you, ensuring that our libraries continue to meet the diverse needs of our community.
This engagement is a key part of our commitment to developing a high-quality, modern library service that is accessible and beneficial to everyone. The insights collected through the survey will play a crucial role in shaping and informing our upcoming Library Strategy and Delivery Plan.
Councillor Virginia Taylor, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Sustainable Communities and Localities, said:
“Our libraries are at the heart of our community, offering not just books, but a wide range of services that support learning, creativity, and social connections. We want to hear directly from our residents about what they value most and what improvements they would like to see. This feedback will guide us in creating a library service that truly reflects the needs and aspirations of our community."
Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the surveys below.
Paper copies will also be made available at all local libraries. The deadline for responses is Friday 31 January 2025 at 5pm.
 Predicting the Future
A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna
The first book in a scifi retelling of the Mahabrahata. When Esmae wins a contest of skill, she sets off events that trigger an inevitable and unwinnable war that pits her against the family she would give anything to return to. Inspired by the Mahabharata and other ancient Indian stories, A Spark of White Fire is a lush, sweeping space opera about family, curses, and the endless battle between jealousy and love.
Find BorrowBox eBook here.
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And Then She Vanished by Nick Jones
He only looked away for a second.
Still haunted by the disappearance of his little sister, Amy, over twenty years ago, Joseph Bridgeman’s life has fallen apart. When a friend talks him into seeing hypnotherapist Alexia Finch to help with his insomnia, Joseph accidentally discovers he can time travel. His first trip only takes him back a few minutes, but his new-found ability gives him something he hasn’t felt for the longest time: hope.
Find BorrowBox eBook here.
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Hold Up the Sky by Cixin Liu
In Hold Up the Sky, Cixin Liu takes us across time and space, from a rural mountain community where elementary students must use physics to prevent an alien invasion; to coal mines in northern China where new technology will either save lives or unleash a fire that will burn for centuries; to a time very much like our own, when superstring computers predict our every move; to 10,000 years in the future, when humanity is finally able to begin anew; to the very collapse of the universe itself.
Find BorrowBox eBook here.
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Alpha Omega by Nicholas Bowling
Something is rotten in the state of the NutriStart Skills Academy. With the discovery of a human skull on the playing fields, children displaying symptoms of an unfamiliar, grisly virus and a catastrophic malfunction in the site's security system, the NSA is about to experience a week that no amount of rebranding can conceal. As the school descends into chaos, teacher Tom Rosen goes looking for answers but when the real, the unreal and the surreal are indistinguishable, the truth can be difficult to recognise.
Find BorrowBox eBook here.
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 Pawsitively Pawsome Books
The Cats We Meet Along the Way by Nadia Mikail
Seventeen-year-old Aisha hasn't seen her sister June for two years. And now that a calamity is about to end the world in nine months' time, she and her mother decide that it's time to track her down and mend the hurts of the past. Along with Aisha's boyfriend, Walter and his parents (and Fleabag the stray cat), the group take a roadtrip through Malaysia in a wildly decorated campervan - to put the past to rest, to come to terms with the present, and to hope for the future.
Find BorrowBox eBook here.
Request to borrow here.
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London's No 1 Dog-Walking Agency by Kate MacDougall
Kate MacDougall always knew her heart wasn't really in her job at Sotheby's. London's No. 1 Dog-Walking Agency is the story of her next 9 years and the dogs (and people) she meets along the way. There's Winston, the Labrador, who isn't allowed to get muddy, even after his owners split up and then enlist Kate in their custody battle. There's the chic trio of Islington couples whose immaculately arranged dog walking schedule is thrown off when one of them gets off with the dog walker Kate has employed. There's Kate's long-suffering, dog-agnostic boyfriend Finlay, and her mother, who is always on the alert for wedding bells.
Amongst all this, there's Kate herself: trying to work out what she wants from life, and when and how to get there.
Find BorrowBox eAudio here.
Request to borrow here.
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Janey the Vet by Janey Lowes
In 2014 and in her mid-twenties, Janey Lowes had been a vet for just two years when she left her home in County Durham and went travelling. Visiting Sri Lanka, she was horrified to see the state of so many of the island’s dogs, in particular the three million strays. Over 5,000 miles from home, Janey decided there and then that she was going to move to the island indefinitely and do everything within her power to help them. She raised £10,000 to get started, setting up a charity called WECare Worldwide, and began work.
Find BorrowBox eBudio here.
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 Katie Hale in Conversation
Join us at Barrow and Kendal libraries as we welcome Katie Hale to talk about her new book, The Edge of Solitude: a Voyage to Antarctica.
Exhilarating, terrifying and thought-provoking at once, The Edge of Solitude is a novel about climate emergency and human fallibility, of the clash of ambition and principle - and of the choices we make when we know that time is running out.
The events will feature a reading, in-conversation and a Q&A.
Book tickets here -
Kendal Library - Saturday 8th February, 2pm
Barrow Library - 13th February, 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. 👇
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!
👉 Follow us on Facebook
👉 Follow us on Twitter
👉 Follow us on Instagram
👉 Follow us on tiktok
👉 Download the library app
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