 Meet the popular authors visiting us this half-term
Familiar faces from the Wokingham Children's Book Festival are coming to our libraries this February half-term.
Children's illustrator and author Rikin Parekh will be leading a character drawing session at Wokingham Library on Wednesday 14 February, from 10.30am to 11.30am.
Join Rikin as he shows you how he draws the characters from his books and have a go yourself. This session is suitable for children aged five to eight and tickets can be bought online for £3 each.
Steve Antony, an international bestseller, is on a tour of libraries across the UK to celebrate 10 years of being an author and illustrator, as well as the release of his 23rd picture book Rainbowsaurus.
Steve will be busy on Friday 16 February, as he is giving three interactive readings of his book in the same day across the borough, with each one featuring a draw-along. Sessions include:
- Woodley Library, 10.30am to 11am
- Winnersh Library, 1pm to 2pm
- Wokingham Library, 3pm to 4pm
These sessions are suitable for children aged three to seven and are free to attend. Places must be reserved and children must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information about this event and to book, visit our library events website.
 Have a pawesome time learning about cats and dogs
Dogs Trust
We are kicking off half-term with a visit from Dogs Trust at Lower Earley Library on Monday 12 February.
From 1pm to 2pm, there will be a special Get Arty session for children aged four to ten, which costs £2 per child.
This will be followed by a workshop from Dogs Trust from 2.30pm to 3.30pm. The charity is on a mission to empower children with the knowledge and skills to interact safely with dogs.
Guide Dogs
Come and meet guide dogs and their owners at Wokingham Library on Tuesday 13 February.
Join us and find out more about the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association from 10am to 12noon. This is a free event suitable for all ages.
Cats Protection and crafts
We will welcome Cats Protection to Woodley Library on Wednesday 14 February for a fun and interactive talk. Find out how to keep a cat healthy and happy and find out how the charity helps cats across the UK from 2pm to 3pm.
The talk will be followed by an animal craft session. The event is free but donations are welcome.
Get Arty
Join us for animal crafts this half-term and enjoy fun art sessions suitable for children aged four to ten. It costs £2 per child and these are running at:
- Finchampstead Library, Thursday 15 February, 2pm to 3pm
- Wokingham Library, Friday 16 February 10.30am to 11.30am
For more information and to book for any of these events, visit our library events website.
 Highlights for adults: Author talks and book group
Love Remains
Best-selling author Tracy Stone will be giving a talk about grief at Wokingham Library on Thursday 8 February.
She will be referring to her book Love Remains: A Guide Through Grief at the session, which runs from 10.30am to 11.30am.
Tracy is a clinical hypnotherapist and a business and life coach with many decades of experience.
Her book will be available to purchase after the session. It is free to attend but places must be booked.
The Foxtrot's Easy
Andrea Russell spent many hours recording the childhood memories of her husband Graeme Moodie. The Foxtrot's Easy is a coming-of-age novel about Graeme, who is the son of Scotland’s royal eye surgeon, a polio survivor and former pupil of Maiden Erlegh School for Boys in the 1930s under the leadership of Captain T. S. Waterlow Fox.
Join Andrea at Lower Earley Library on Friday 23 February for a talk about her book from 10.30am to 11.30am. The event will be particularly interesting to those who want to know more about the history of Maiden Erlegh School. The book was published with the support of the Earley Local History Group and can be borrowed or reserved from the library.
For more information and to book for these author talks, visit our library events website.
Book Chat
Come along and find out what's new in the world of books, swap recommendations and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. The next meeting is at Wokingham Library on Tuesday 27 February from 10.30am to 11.30am and there is no need to book.
 Giving families a helping hand with free book packs
BookTrust want every child to have the good start in life that reading brings. Their programmes reach the families of every child across the country with books, resources, support and guidance.
Bookstart Baby is a universal book gifting programme in England and Wales provided by BookTrust.
Every child up to the age of 12 months is eligible for a free pack of books and resources, which are designed to support and encourage families to read with their child as early as possible. Bookstart Baby is gifted by libraries, health professionals and children's centres in Wokingham Borough.
During February and March, we will be holding gifting sessions for those people who have not yet received their Bookstart Baby pack to come and collect one. Sessions are being held at:
- Finchampstead Library, Friday 2 February, 11.30am to 12.30pm
- Arborfield Library, Monday 5 February, 11.30am to 12.30pm
- Wokingham Library, Thursday 8 February, 11.30am to 12.30pm
- Twyford Library, Tuesday 20 February, 11.30am to 12.30pm
- Woodley Library, Wednesday 28 February, 11am to 12noon
- Spencers Wood Library, Thursday 7 March, 11.30am to 12.30pm
- Lower Earley Library, Tuesday 12 March, 11am to 12pm
We will also have information on other services available to families with children under the age of five that are available in the borough.
 Tackle grammatical obstacles on knight's journey
Join Explore Learning at Wokingham Library on Thursday 15 February for a free workshop.
All knights go through many quests and this journey to the king’s throne is no different. Travel back to Medieval times and joust your way through many grammar tournaments.
This session runs from 10am to 11am and is suitable for children aged five to seven.
For more information and to book for any of these events, visit our library events website.
 Free advice to help you get the most from your tech
Volunteers from the charity AbilityNet will be at Lower Earley Library on Friday 23 February from 10am to 11.30am.
They will be helping anyone who has queries about technology, how to get the most out of your devices and advice about getting online.
Cosy Coffee Mornings
Drop-in coffee mornings are also taking place from 10am to 11.30am at Woodley Library on Thursday 8 February and at Wokingham Library on Thursday 22 February.
One will also be running at the same time (10am to 11.30am) as our visit from AbilityNet at Lower Earley Library.
 Latest volunteering vacancies at our libraries
Rhymetime volunteer
Our team at Spencers Wood Library wants to find a new Rhymetime volunteer. Sessions are held on the first Thursday of the month from 10.30am to 11am and you would be required to lead the group in rhyme and song. You don't need to have the voice of an angel, just some enthusiasm.
Storytime volunteer and Storytime helper
Our teams at both Wokingham and Woodley libraries are looking for volunteers to run a Storytime once a month and helpers to support volunteers running these sessions. Volunteers will be required to select books on site prior to session with support from staff and lead attendees in story. You do not have to volunteer alone. If you have a friend you would like to run a session with, you are able to apply together. All volunteers are given support and the opportunity to observe Storytime sessions to gain confidence.
Community library volunteer
We are currently recruiting volunteers for Spencer’s Wood Library and our pop-up library in Arborfield. This role requires volunteers to open and close the site, undertake daily health and safety checks, shelve books and tidy. Volunteers work in teams and are expected to provide friendly customer service. You must be 21 or older to apply for this role.
For more information and to apply for any of the above roles, send us an email.
Visit pop-up library inside village community centre
Did you know there is a small pop-up library located inside Arborfield Green Community Centre?
This library is staffed by a friendly group of volunteers from your local community and is open from 9.30am to 12.30pm on a Monday and Saturday.
You can borrow books from this site and we have a range of activities running, including Rhymetime for children under five years of age.
Rhymetime is free and held on the fourth Monday of the month, running from 10.30am to 11am.
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