 The room where the library is now used to be a dining hall during wartime - Image: Wargrave Local History Society
Help us to celebrate a century of Wargrave Library
There are lots of different ways to get involved with the 100th anniversary of Wargrave Library.
On Wednesday 1 May, our team will be hosting a celebration coffee morning at the library from 10am to 12 noon to mark this milestone.
This will then be followed by two different crafting sessions, with one for adults from 2pm to 3.30pm and one run by our children's librarian from 4pm to 4.30pm.
The children's session is suitable for those aged four to ten and places must be booked via our library events website.
Part of Woodclyffe Hostel in Church Street, the library used to be in a room at the back of the building on the first floor, but moved to its present location - at the front of the building on the ground floor - in 1980.
Local news covered the first supply of books being received at the library in April 1924. At the time, it had only 100 books. When the library celebrated its 90th birthday in 2014, residents were asked to select their 100 favourite books, which were then put on display in the village library.
 Wishing all the best to Heather in her retirement
A long-serving and much-loved member of the Wokingham Borough Libraries team is retiring after many years of helping residents to fall in love with reading.
Heather Dyson is leaving at the end of May after 42 years in the library service. She will be a familiar face to many, having worked at lots of different libraries across Wokingham Borough and Berkshire.
She joined the team in 1982 when it was part of Berkshire County Council, 16 years before Wokingham Borough Council was formed as a unitary authority.
Heather said: “I’ve been privileged to have held so many enjoyable jobs over the years and they have all been related to my main passion in life, which is books and reading. I’ve met some wonderful people in the community and worked with many great colleagues too. It’s been a blast.”
She leaves us as the libraries stock and outreach manager, which involved helping to run and organise events for the benefit of the community, but she has held a number of roles in her long career. She has particularly enjoyed working with and supporting the local charity CLASP, a self advocacy group for adults with learning difficulties, as well as helping to run and organise book groups.
We would like to say congratulations and a huge thank you to Heather on all she has achieved and wish her all the best in her retirement.
 Left Lucy Jones, top middle portraiture talk with Chris Holley, top right heritage walk and bottom author Jonathan Cox.
Art talk, heritage walk and more for adults this month
Unpacking Art: Portraiture
Join artist Chris Holley for a free illustrated talk at Wokingham Library, where she will be discussing extremes in portraiture on Thursday 16 May from 2pm to 3pm. Places must be booked.
Talk with the author Jonathan Cox
One of the most successful writers of crime fiction, Jonathan Cox is giving a talk on Friday 17 May about his eight-book collection: The Nostrils Series. Having retired from the Metropolitan Police in 2013, he has enjoyed best-selling success for his work.
Join us at Wokingham Library from 10.30am to 11.30am to hear more about the series as Jonathan shares insights from his creative process, as well as fascinating stories from his life in the police service.
This event is free to attend, but places must be booked.
Heritage Walk
Find out some fascinating information about the history of Wokingham during this event, which is run by The Wokingham Society The walk starts at the bottom entrance to the old Wokingham Library on Langborough Road at 10.30am on Wednesday 22 May. The event is expected to finish at 12 noon and places must be booked.
Losing Eden: Why Our Minds Need the Wild
Award-winning author and journalist Lucy Jones is coming to Wokingham Library to talk about the relationship between the human psyche and the more-than-human world. Part of The Great Big Green Week, this event is being held on Tuesday 11 June from 10.30am to 11.30am and is free to attend, but places must be booked.
Important notices
Changes to fees and charges
Please be advised that we are making some changes to our fees and charges for library services. These will be implemented on Wednesday 1 May.
Lower Earley Library temporary closure
The library will be closed on Thursday 2 May, as the site will be used as a polling station. We apologise for any inconvenience. Customers are welcome to visit our other branches, or call Wokingham Library on (0118) 978 1368 for help.
Spencers Wood Library - community volunteering
We are looking to recruit volunteers to help run this library. Volunteers would be required to open and close the site, undertake daily checks, shelve books and tidy. You will work in teams and are expected to provide friendly customer services. Please note all applicants must be aged 21 and older to apply. Send us an email to find out more.
 Books gifted as part of World Book Night celebrations
Members of CLASP Wokingham visited Wokingham Library on the morning of Tuesday 23 April as part of our World Book Night celebrations.
We gave everyone who came to the session free copies of The Jealousy Man by Jo Nesbo, which were awarded to us by The Reading Agency and in Quick Reads format.
Quick Reads are a series of short books by bestselling authors and celebrities. With no more than 128 pages, they are designed to encourage adults who do not read often, or find reading difficult, to discover the joy of books.
We had a fabulous morning with CLASP and those who visited played games, enjoyed colouring, word searches and free refreshments. They also looked around the library for books to borrow and enjoy.
CLASP is a self-advocacy group for people with learning disabilities in Wokingham Borough and World Book Night brings people from all backgrounds together to inspire others to read more.
 Combine science and reading to learn about nature
Join us as we discover more about science using the Reading Sparks books, information and experiments.
Reading Sparks brings together science, technology, engineering and maths themes with creative arts and reading.
These free workshops on the subject of 'Invisible Nature' are suitable for children aged four to eight and all run from 4pm to 4.30pm at:
- Finchampstead Library on Friday 3 May
- Woodley Library on Friday 10 May
- Twyford Library on Friday 17 May
- Lower Earley Library on Friday 24 May
To find out more and to book, visit our library events website.
 Recommended reads to help guide you on dementia
Reading Well for dementia recommends helpful reading for people living with dementia. There are also books on the list for family members, friends and carers.
The books provide reliable information, advice and support, as well as personal stories. The list also includes a wide range of formats, including e-books and audiobooks. Alongside the books are a selection of digital resources to support people affected by dementia.
The new Reading Well for dementia booklist launches on Monday 13 May, to coincide with the start of Dementia Action Week (13 to 19 May), a national campaign that inspires people to take action on dementia.
Leaflets containing the booklist will be available in our libraries during this week and the books can also be borrowed or reserved by members.
 Get help (and how to help others) with tech queries
AbilityNet sessions
Volunteers from the charity AbilityNet will be at Lower Earley Library on Friday 24 May 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.
If you are unable to attend the May session, these are held on the fourth Friday of the month at the same time.
These sessions are aimed at people who are aged 55 and over and those with a disability. Just drop in, there is no need to book.
Digital skills drop-in sessions
Get help with your phone, laptop/tablet, accessories, apps and more from our team of friendly volunteers. Please note, you will need to be a library member to access the wi-fi. Upcoming sessions are being held at:
- Woodley Library - Monday 6 May, 10am to 11.30am and Thursday 9 May, from 1pm to 2.30pm
- Lower Earley Library - Tuesday 14 May from 1pm to 2.30pm
Help with NHS app
Are you stuck with the NHS app? Come and speak to experts who can help you get the most out of it.
Join us at Wokingham Library on Monday 20 May, from 3.30pm to 4.30pm. They can help you with things like ordering repeat prescriptions, booking appointments, using NHS 111 and much more.
Digital skills volunteering
Lower Earley and Finchampstead libraries are looking for digital skills volunteers to support residents with basic digital queries. We are currently looking for volunteers to support sessions on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 1pm to 2.30pm at Lower Earley and on the second Friday of each month from 10am to 11.30am at Finchampstead.
All volunteers are supported by both the libraries and digital skills teams. Please note all applicants must be aged 21 and older to apply. Send us an email to find out more.
 Helping to promote deaf awareness at our libraries
Deaf Awareness Week (6 to 12 May) aims to raise awareness about the challenges faced by the deaf community and educate others on how they can provide support and understanding.
People are encouraged to learn more about deaf awareness, British Sign Language and effective ways to communicate with individuals who are deaf or have hearing loss.
During this week, there will be a display at Wokingham Library provided by a local interest group for the University of the Third Age, to help raise awareness of issues facing the deaf. Information materials from voluntary organisations working in this area will be displayed and can also be taken away for further reading.
News from the world of books and award winners
Check out our Wokingham Borough Libraries blog to read our articles on the latest from the world of books. This includes recommended reading and features on award nominations and winners:
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