 It's all frills and skills for Victorian dressmaking talk
Popular costume historian Meridith Towne returns to Wokingham Library with her show 'The Victorian Dressmaker: Rags and Riches'.
Learn more about gorgeous gowns, fantastic frills, dramatic decoration and luscious lace at this talk, which runs from 2pm to 3.30pm on Friday 24 March.
Celebrate the sumptuous styles of the era, while sparing a thought for the women who made them. See what the seamstress wears to make a lady’s fabulous new frock, with original examples on display for you to study and admire.
Please book your place by contacting the library directly on (0118) 9781 368. Payment of £8 for this event must be made in advance to the venue, no later than one week after booking.
 On the buses (and coaches) with author Paul Lacey
Author Paul Lacey is giving an illustrated talk about local independent bus and coach operators at Wokingham Library.
He wrote and published a book entitled Early Independents of the Bracknell, Crowthorne & Wokingham Area in 2019.
Paul is visiting the library on Friday 10 March, with the talk running from 2pm to 3pm. It will cover the history of operators from the 1920s to the 1960s.
This will be a fully illustrated talk, with the book available to purchase for a special offer on the day. The event is free to attend, but places must be booked in advance via the library events website.
 Get free period and hygiene packs at all our libraries
Our staff are working with The Cowshed to provide free period and hygiene packs in all the libraries across Wokingham Borough.
Through a partnership with The Hygiene Bank in Reading, they have seen the impact that hygiene poverty can have on an individual's wellbeing and self-esteem. The Cowshed is a crisis charity that provides clothing and other items for individuals and families in Berkshire experiencing hardship.
If you are in need of toiletries or sanitary products, they will be free to collect from any of our libraries. Please just ask at the desk for one of their beautiful, hand-decorated bags.
 Spring crafting activity and free baby packs
Join us for a Spring crafting activity at Woodley Library on Saturday 11 March. The session, which is suitable for children aged five to ten, will run from 11am to 12noon and costs £1 on the day. Please note, there is one child per booking and if you are looking to book more than one child, you will need to book more than once. Places must be reserved online in advance.
Visit Lower Earley Library on Thursday 9 March to pick up a free Bookstart baby pack. Bookstart Baby is a universal book gifting programme in England and Wales provided by BookTrust. Every child up to 12 months is eligible for a free pack of books and resources, designed to support and encourage families to read with their child as early as possible
 Deliver books, lead storytimes and help creative teens
Home library service
We are looking for volunteers to support our home library service in Lower Earley and Spencer’s Wood. We aim to deliver reading materials to readers who unable to get to our libraries across the borough. This service is completely free of charge to customers. Volunteers can choose the number of readers they wish to visit and deliver reading materials to readers once every three weeks.
Storytime helper
Our team at Woodley Library would like to find a helper for storytime sessions. These are held on the third Wednesday of the month from 10am to 10.30am. The helper is there to assist with setting up and check in visitors.
Igniting Writing volunteer
The creative writing group, which meets at Wokingham Library, is looking for volunteers aged 21 and over. An early session for children in school years 6 to 8 runs from 9.45am to 11.15am, while a later meeting for those in years 9 to 13 follows from 11.45am to 1.15pm. Volunteers would be needed on the second Saturday of each month. You would help existing club volunteers with admin, support sessions and attend author visits. We are also happy to consider volunteers who can only attend one of the sessions.
If you are interested in finding even more opportunities in the borough, a volunteer recruitment event is being held at Lower Earley Library on Tuesday 14 March from 10am to 12noon. If you can't make this one, there is another event running at the School Green Centre in Shinfield on Monday 24 April at the same time.
 Dementia group, coffee mornings and Men's Oasis
The Daffodils Carers and Dementia Friendship Group
This lively group for people living with dementia, their carers and friends now meets at Wokingham Library for activities, friendship and support on alternate Wednesdays between 1.30pm and 3.30pm. The next meeting dates are Wednesday 8 and 22 March. If you are interested in attending, email Val Gent in advance.
Cosy coffee mornings
These are held at our libraries in Wokingham, Woodley and Lower Earley from 10am to 11.30am.
Upcoming dates:
- Wokingham Library - Thursday 23 March
- Woodley Library - Wednesday 15 March
- Lower Earley Library - Monday 27 March
These coffee mornings are open to all. Tea, coffee and of course biscuits are served and we have volunteers on site if you would like to sit and chat.
Men's Oasis
Are you a retired professional who misses the mental challenge and social interaction of a work environment? Men’s Oasis offers a friendly, intellectually stimulating meeting place where like-minded individuals can meet for group-driven activities. This includes guest speakers, discussions and workshops. The group will be meeting on the fourth Friday of each month from 10am to 12noon at Wokingham Library. The first meeting is on Friday 24 March. For more information email Andy MacNaughton.
Award winners and much more on our library blog
Visit our blog to read about awards and news from the world of books:
Did you know that if you are a library member, you can access free music via our website with Freegal? Freegal offers 18 million songs from more than 93,000 music labels. It features not only today’s hits, but also a range of all-time favourites.
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