 Christmas and New Year opening times confirmed
Our libraries in Wokingham, Lower Earley, Woodley and Twyford will close early at 3pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve and will be closed on bank holidays.
Finchampstead, Spencers Wood and Winnersh will be closed from Monday 23 December and re-open on Thursday 2 January, while the Arborfield and Wargrave libraries will be closed from Saturday 21 December and re-open on Monday 6 January.
During the rest of the festive period, libraries will be open during normal branch hours. Ebooks, newspapers, magazines and music streaming will be available via the council’s website. Further details on opening times and other library services can be found on our website.
 Earn rewards with return of Winter Mini Challenge
The Winter Mini Challenge is back, giving children the chance to earn rewards for achieving reading goals.
Organised by The Reading Agency, the challenge runs until Thursday 20 February and it is free to take part.
Once your child has finished a book, get them to add it to their online profile. Reaching their reading goal will allow them unlock a limited-edition virtual badge and a special Winter Mini Challenge certificate to print off and keep.
By taking part in the challenge, children can get access to book recommendations, activities, games and much more.
 Activities and events running for children
Winter Wonderland Creative Sessions
Let out your creative side with writing and crafts on Monday 23 December. The one-hour sessions are running at Woodley Library at 10.30am and Lower Earley Library at 2.30pm. These are suitable for children aged six to ten and it is free to attend, but places must be registered in advance.
Get Arty
Join us at Wokingham Library on Monday 23 December for a festive edition of Get Arty. The session is suitable for children aged four to ten and will run from 10.30am to 11.30am. It costs £2 to take part and booking is required.
Dinton Storytime
Storytelling and rhyming for babies and toddlers is available at Dinton Activity Centre in Wokingham. Sessions are held at The Coffee Deck on the fourth Tuesday of the month from 11am to 11.30am, with the next one being on 28 January. It is free to attend and no booking is needed.
 Breathing new life into old library building
We are pleased to say that the old home of Wokingham Library is set to get a new lease of life.
The site closed in September 2022 when the library moved to its new home at the Carnival Hub in Wellington Road.
Plans for the building in Denmark Street to become a Post-16 SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) hub have been approved.
It will provide spaces for 40 young people to continue their education and training within the borough, delivering better outcomes for young people and saving us more than £1 million per year.
The plan is to convert the first floor of the old library into a multi-purpose educational facility, including four classrooms for students to learn core skills and a range of specialist areas for vocational training, such as a teaching kitchen or hair salon.
 Health advice handed out at Rhymetime sessions
Parents got first-hand advice from members of our Public Health Team at some of our recent Rhymetime sessions.
Along with our partners from local groups and charities, they shared information on the support available to families. They also gave out free toothbrushes and toothpaste at Wokingham Library.
We had support from early years professionals, health visitors, the Breastfeeding Network, HomeStart, Places Leisure, Royal Berkshire Maternity and Neonatal Voices.
 Help someone in need by donating old laptop
Are you hoping to receive a new laptop at Christmas? Did you know you can recycle your old ones at a library?
All laptops are completely wiped, cleaned, refurbished and tested then reset to be like new before being offered to families in need, Ukrainian refugees, charities and local non-profit organisations.
This is a joint project with Wokingham Lions, First Days Children's Charity and SHARE Wokingham, using our libraries as collection points.
We accept any working laptops running Windows 7 or later, as well as Chromebooks. Please remember to include the power supply.
 Help wanted for Hong Kong translation sessions
If you are fluent in Cantonese and English, you may be able to help us.
We are currently recruiting volunteers to run Hong Kong translation drop-in sessions.
Volunteers are provided with a guidance pack for local services and are asked to support attendees by signposting local services and translating information.
Drop-in sessions run for an hour each month. The weekday and time vary at each library. For more information please send us an email.
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