Wishing all our Library Volunteers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

This month I've been out and about in libraries supporting volunteer Christmas events and its been a real pleasure to have met so many of you and had the opportunity to hear your stories and experiences while volunteering with us. 

The countdown to Christmas and festivities has begun and I wish you all the best for a very Happy Christmas and hope to see you in 2024.

Please check the Library website for a reminder of our Christmas opening hours

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Set in a 1960's chemistry lab Elizabeth Zott is trying to make it in a mans world. Her trials and tribulations are sad, shocking and funny in equal measure. I loved the characters especially the dog, six-thirty and her transformation into a cooking show host, very heart warming and brilliant!

Hilary Garforth 

Community Library Support Volunteer Willowhale.

For further recommendations visit our Top Reads 2023

A cryptic clue as to what's inside!

As part of our continued Cost-of-Living response, West Sussex Libraries will again be providing Essential Toiletries Kits for residents. They will be available from every library and the kits will contain shampoo, body wash, roll on deodorant and toothpaste, which will all be in a brown paper bag. Adults and children’s toothbrushes will also be available for people to add to the kits themselves, depending on their needs. Once customers have collected their kit, they can then tick a sheet to record which group best represents their household.

If you are a HLD volunteer and think that the customers you visit would benefit from a Kit, please let your local library know.

We are also looking for volunteers to help put the kits together in libraries when the toiletries arrive, so if that is something that would interest you please do get in touch with the library you volunteer at.

Work to make our libraries more environmentally friendly will begin at seven libraries from early January. The libraries affected will be Broadfield, Crawley, Durrington, Haywards Heath, Horsham, Southwick and Storrington with Southwick expected to be the first to close.

A range of decarbonisation measures will be installed across the sites including air source heat pumps, new windows, improved insulation, and solar panels. The aim is to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and enable the buildings to operate using renewable energy sources.

Due to the nature of the works, which are scheduled to take place between January and March, there is likely to be an impact on the day-to-day running of the libraries which may also have an impact on volunteer hours spent in libraries.

Further information can be found on our Decarbonisation Web Page

Would you like to join a small group of volunteers from different libraries and roles to help inform and shape our volunteering programme? This is an opportunity to tell us what you think about all things volunteering. What do you enjoy about your role, what could we improve, what would you like to see included in your newsletter, do we offer enough support and training?

I would welcome your comments and ideas and so if you would like to be involved please contact me vicki.davey@westsussex.gov.uk