Have you signed up for our eLibrary yet? Lots of people have – it’s become really popular. But maybe you’ve been having problems with downloading, or with your smartphone or tablet? If so, don’t worry!

Starting on Tuesday 14 April you will just need to send an email to library.digital@westsussex.gov.uk with your name, telephone number and a brief description of the help you need. We will get in touch with you as soon as we can. We may not be able to answer every query you have, but we will certainly try!

We also have a dedicated web page for digital support, full of useful information to help you through the minefield of social media and keeping in touch online.

Ever since library buildings closed we have been working hard to make our online services better, easier to use and more widely known. Why not bookmark our Current Offer pages and you'll be able to see the changes as we make them!

Already we've added lots of new titles to the eLibrary and we're looking at ways to run some of our library activities online, starting with Rhyme Time and Storytime.

Did you manage to join us via Facebook or Twitter for our very first Storytime Online last week?

If you missed it, or would like to watch again, you will find Hooray for Hoppy! by Tim Hopgood on our Rhyme Time and Storytime page, along with a growing collection of rhymes sung by our own library staff for you to join in with from home.

We will be premiering our second reading today, Wednesday 8 April at 2.30pm. Follow updates on social media to see which story is coming up next!

We are pleased to now be able to offer library members free temporary home access to Ancestry. All you need is your library card number and PIN to start using this service and tracking down your long-lost relatives!

If you have any queries on Family History, or any other topic, why not Ask a Librarian? We'd love to hear from you!

Are you a fan of our eMagazines? Did you know you can read or download as many as you like for free, including past editions?

You can get inspiration for all tastes and diets from our numerous cookery eMagazines. Recipes include family cooking, vegetarian, vegan, baking and many more. We also have cookery eBooks.

How about trying something completely different in the kitchen this week? Have a browse now!

West Sussex Record Office has had to close its doors for the first time in over 70 years, but their work continues and they are asking for your help in creating a new community archive.  

Would you like to keep a diary of your experience of the pandemic and how it is affecting you, your family and friends and your local community? They would also like your help in collecting other material that you might come across.

You can find out more about taking part by reading their blog post or by contacting them at record.office@westsussex.gov.uk.

Your local library may be closed temporarily, but we’re all still here for you.

As well as these newsletters, we’re sharing useful resources and updates throughout the week on our social media pages: 

Twitter: @WSCCLibraries and Facebook: WestSussexLibraries

Have you got any questions or suggestions? You can contact us by email. We'd love to hear from you!