 Half-term activities for children at our libraries
Explore Learning workshops
Join the Explore Learning team for free taster sessions that will help your little ones learn new skills.
- Telling the Time Workshop at Wokingham Library on Wednesday 31 May, from 11.30am to 12.30pm. Suitable for children aged five to seven and registration is required
- Superhero Shapes Workshop at Woodley Library on Friday 2 June, from 10.30am to 11.30am. Suitable for children aged four to six and registration is required
Design your own coat of arms
All materials will be provided for this free workshop at Wokingham Library on Wednesday 31 May. The session, which runs from 10am to 11am, is suitable for children aged eight and over and places must be booked in advance.
Half-term Storytime
These free sessions are suitable for toddler and pre-schoolers, with booking required. Storytimes are running on:
- Tuesday 30 May, 4pm to 4.30pm, at Wokingham Library
- Wednesday 31 May, from 10am to 10.30am, at Woodley Library
- Thursday 1 June, from 10.30am to 11am, at Lower Earley Library
- Friday 2 June, from 11am to 11.30am, at Finchampstead Library
Get Arty
Unless stated, these sessions are suitable for children aged four to ten and are being held on:
- Tuesday 30 May, from 10.30am to 11.30am, at Lower Earley Library
- Wednesday 31 May, from 3pm to 3.45pm, at Wargrave Library (suitable for children aged six to 12)
- Thursday 1 June, from 3pm to 4pm, at Winnersh Library
- Friday 2 June, from 10.30am to 11.30am, at Wokingham Library
To find out more and to book for any of these events, visit our library events website.
 Lovebird authors will share why they... love birds
Husband-and-wife authors Roy and Lesley Adkins are giving a talk at Wokingham Library on Thursday 22 June.
These historians and authors will be exploring their latest book When There Were Birds: The forgotten history of our connections.
As well as writing, the couple enjoy archaeology and say they are equally at home unearthing ruins as they are unearthing archives.
This is a free talk, which runs from 2pm to 3pm, but places must be booked. In their talk, they will explore fascinating and often forgotten stories about birds in history, from gunpowder to lighthouses, railways, witches, shipwrecks and even migration to the moon.
To find out more and book, visit our library events website.
 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 Wednesday 21 June, with the talk running from 10.30am to 11.30am. 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.
 Summer writing workshops on sport and teamwork
Bookings are now open for summer workshops, which are being run by Alex Baker, who leads our popular Igniting Writing group for children and young people.
Create your own stories and share ideas with other young writers at Wokingham Library. These are open to anyone aged 11 to 18 and each session costs £5, which should be paid on the day in cash.
- Sports stories, Saturday 22 July, 10.30am to 3pm: Join us to write your own sporting adventure, capturing the highs and lows of victory, defeat and the hard work along the way
- Chain stories, Saturday 29 July, 10.30am to 3pm: Collaborate with other young writers by swapping characters, settings, plotlines and more to piece together a completed chain story
Attendees are required to bring a packed lunch, as there will be a lunch break for both workshops. Places must be booked in advance via the library events website.
 Illustrated art talk and author visit: Adult highlights
Unpacking Art II
Join artist Chris Holley as she gives the second illustrated talk in a series entitled Unpacking Art at Wokingham Library on Friday 16 June.
This talk is called Rocking the Rossettis and is in parallel with Tate Britain's major Rossetti exhibition. The free talk runs from 2pm to 3pm and places must be booked.
Author visit: Tina MacNaughton
Come and meet author Tina MacNaughton at Wokingham Library on Wednesday 5 July. She will be talking about and signing copies of her book Delphy Rose from 12noon to 1pm. No need to book, just drop in.
Reusable period product session
Community Menstrual Project All Yours will be running a drop-in session at Lower Earley Library on Saturday 17 June. This is for anyone who wants to find out more about reusable period products, or has questions. There will be lots of examples and free samples to take home and try. This is a drop-in session and will run from 10am to 12noon. There is no need to book.
Charity coffee morning
A drop-in event at Woodley Library on Saturday 24 June, which is being held from 10am to 2pm. This will be in aid of Dementia UK and organised by Gujarat Samaj Reading, with cakes and Indian snacks available.
Cribbage Club
Our Cribbage Club at Wokingham Library is seeking new members. It meets on the first and third Fridays of each month from 10.30am to 12noon. All abilities are welcome and no booking is needed.
Cosy coffee mornings
We host free monthly coffee mornings at our libraries in Lower Earley, Wokingham and Woodley from 10am to 11.30am.
- Lower Earley Library: Monday 26 June
- Wokingham Library: Thursday 22 June
- Woodley Library: Wednesday 7 and 21 June
These are open to everyone and you are welcome to just drop in.
To find out more and to book for any of these events, visit our library events website.
 Share your views on future of culture and creativity
We are supporting Arts Council England, a national body for arts and culture, in a large piece of research into young people’s views on culture, creativity and cultural education.
It explores what young people need to access and enjoy cultural and creative experiences. We would like as many young people as possible across our borough to have the opportunity to share their views.
A questionnaire is open to young people aged under 25 in England, which takes around ten minutes to complete.
There is also an easy-read version of the longer questionnaire. It is designed for young people with access needs and/or children under 12.
 Help your community by volunteering with us
Igniting Writing
Volunteers aged 18 and over are needed to help with our popular Igniting Writing group on the second or third Saturday of each month. The group encourages young people to develop their creative writing skills and engage with literature and is already run by a dedicated group of volunteers. Volunteers would be required to assist existing club volunteers with session admin, attend author visits and encourage creativity among attendees. All applicants will be given the opportunity to observe a session and meet the existing volunteers.
Summer Reading Challenge
We are looking for volunteers aged 16 to 24 to help out with our Summer Reading Challenge from July to September. Throughout the summer holidays, library staff and volunteers will help children to take part in the challenge, which involves reading at least six books. Volunteers are also needed to help run activities and help children explore the range of books on offer. You would be offered a minimum of four hours across the summer, with sessions running at Lower Earley, Wokingham and Woodley. The closing date for applications is Friday 23 June.
Home library service
Could you help deliver books to someone in need? Our home library service is a lifeline to residents who are unable to get to their nearest library through ill health, disability or caring for someone else. This is a free service and volunteers deliver a range of reading materials, including large print and audiobooks, once every three weeks. You can apply to volunteer by emailing us.
Award winners and book news available on our blog
Don't forget to check out our Wokingham Borough Libraries Blog, which features articles from the world of books.
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