West Berkshire Libraries newsletter
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To All West Berkshire Libraries customers
Welcome to our June news!
Volunteers' Week 2025
Monday 2nd to Sunday 8th June is Volunteers' Week, a UK-wide celebration of the invaluable contributions of volunteers across the country, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the volunteers who work at West Berkshire Libraries for all that they do. We appreciate and value the time you give to help library users, our staff and the wider community.
If you haven't tried it yet but are thinking about volunteering, drop in to Newbury Library on Friday 6 June between 10am and 12pm for an informal chat with Rosemary Flower, West Berkshire's Culture and Libraries Volunteer Officer, who will be happy to tell you about the opportunities available in our libraries. Alternatively, you can contact Rosemary by email at Cultureandlibrariesvolunteers@westberks.gov.uk or telephone 01635 503905.
Our libraries are for everyone!
Did you know that you can adjust the settings on your BorrowBox app so that you can read our e-books in a way that suits you? For instance, you can alter the background colour of the screen so that you are reading your book on sepia coloured paper rather than bright white, which some people find makes reading easier, or you can change to white text on a black background, perhaps for nighttime reading. You can also change the alignment of text, the size of page margins and line spacing, the type font and its size and the brightness of your screen.
Our e-audiobooks can be adjusted too. Everyone listens slightly differently, so BorrowBox has a playback-speed option which allows you to enjoy your books at your own pace.
If you prefer to listen to audiobooks on CD, you'll find a large selection to choose from in our libraries, including non-fiction titles and books for children and teens; and don't forget that we have printed books in large print type as well.
Whatever your preferences, we aim to provide books that will suit your needs.
Support in the early years for families
Parenting in the early years can be a rollercoaster. Whether you're an expectant parent, a new mum or dad, or caring for little ones, your local library is here to help.
From 10 June 2025, libraries across England and Wales will be offering a brand new Reading Well for Families booklist. These free, expert-recommended reads cover topics like mental health, wellbeing and coping with loss.
You will find practical advice, personal stories, illustrated books and poetry, all chosen to support you through this time. Many titles are also available as e-books or audiobooks. Take a look at our catalogue after 10 June.
We have Reading Well booklists for dementia, mental health, teens and children too. Find a full list of all our Reading Well titles on our catalogue.
Quiet hours at Newbury Library
Newbury Library has recently introduced a Quiet Hour every weekday morning between 9am and 10am. These Quiet Hours help customers with sensory needs, and their families, to enjoy the library. Noise is kept to a minimum during this time, with no planned events or public announcements taking place during this hour and lower levels of lighting throughout the building.
If you feel that you would benefit from this, please come and visit the library before 10am if possible. We will look forward to seeing you.
Meet some of your favourite authors
If you are reading this early on Thursday 5 June, there is just time to join us at Newbury Library for an Author Chat with S.J. Bennett, author of the international mystery series which features the late Queen Elizabeth as a secret crime solver. Tickets are £5 and you can pay at the door.
Look out for author Robin Ince in conversation at Waterstones in Newbury on Thursday 3 July, 7pm. For more details about this and to book, visit www.waterstones.com/events.
Bookings are also open now for further Author Chats at Newbury Library in August, September and October:
- Thursday 7 August, 6.30-8pm - Ben Aaronovitch
- Thursday 4 September, 7-8.30pm - Jasper Fforde
- Thursday 17 October, 1-2pm - Nicola Cornick
We are pleased to bring you news about another author event, hosted by our e-library supplier, BorrowBox: join bestselling author T.M. Logan for a live, online discussion about his latest novel, The daughter, on Wednesday 18 June, 10am.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Logan worked as a national newspaper journalist. Now, his nine thrilling explorations of trust, secrets, family ties and deadly betrayal have sold two million copies across 22 countries, with several recently adapted for television.
Sing along with us or come and listen
We are delighted to tell you that Frances Oldbury from Berkshire Music Trust will be back in West Berkshire libraries this month with music sessions for adults and for children. These events, delivered in partnership with West Berkshire Council and kindly supported by Greenham Trust, offer a fantastic opportunity for everyone to enjoy live music in the relaxed settings of our libraries. Come along and sing or just sit and listen - no musical experience is needed.
- Children's Music Sessions at Newbury Library, Mondays 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 June, 10-10.45am
- Adult Music Sessions at Newbury Library, Mondays 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 June, 11am-12pm
- Adult Music Sessions at Hungerford Library, Tuesdays 3,10,17 and 24 June, 4-5pm
- Adult Music Sessions at Theale Library, Thursdays 5, 12, 19 and 26 June, 3-4pm
More library events in June!
In addition to our regular weekly and monthly events, we have some extra activities for you this month:
- Every Saturday in June, 10.15am to 12.15pm: Theale Library will be running a LEGO Club for children over 5 years. This is a free, drop-in event, but parents/carers need to stay with children under 8. LEGO will be provided.
- Every second Saturday of the month, 11am to 1pm: Pangbourne Library will be running a Board Games Club, starting 14 June. This is a free, drop-in event for adults and children. A selection of board games will be provided, but feel free to bring along your own.
- Tuesday 24 June, 11am-12.30pm: Mindful Stitching at Hungerford Library.
Celebrations for Refugee Week 2025
Newbury Library and Educafe will be holding a special celebration of culture, identity and connection on Wednesday 18 June as part of Refugee Week. Library visitors are invited to come along in national dress or traditional attire and share the beauty of your heritage with the community. Whether it's vibrant fabrics, embroidered designs, or symbolic accessories, your national dress represents your roots and tells a story of resilience and identity. Visitors will also be invited to write a word or a sentence describing their experience of living in West Berkshire and visiting Educafe on a postcard for the library's 'postcard wall'.
Free NHS health checks
If you are aged 40 to 74 and don't have a pre-existing health condition, you will be eligible for a free health check. NHS health checks include tests of your blood pressure and cholesterol levels and can tell you whether you are at a higher risk of health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and stroke.
If you haven't already been invited to a health check by your GP, you can book one with NHS staff at Newbury Library. Health checks take place here during library opening hours. To book, please email WestBerkshire.CWOS@nhs.net or ring 0118 449 2985.
Pop in to one of our pop-up libraries
- Leckhampstead Village Hall: every first Wednesday of each month, 10am to 12pm
- Compton Village Hall: every second Thursday of each month, 10.15am to 11.45am
- Upper Basildon, St Stephens Church: every second Monday of each month, 10am to 12pm
Come along to find a selection of books for you to borrow. New library members are especially welcome.
Fancy a career in computing?
Our library management system supplier, Civica, is offering an exciting opportunity for an intern to work with the company during the summer (28 July to 22 August). The Summer Intern will receive training and the chance to perform tasks related to software support, product management, development, and sales and marketing. Applicants must be over 17, have a genuine interest in computing, be able to commit to a minimum of 6 hours a day, Monday to Friday for 4 weeks, and be able to travel to central London in time to start work at 10am. Travel expenses and lunch costs will be covered.
Find more information by clicking the button below. The closing date for applications is Friday 27 June.
Summer Reading Challenge 2025
Once again, this summer West Berkshire Libraries will be challenging children of primary school age to read up to six library books between 1 July and 15 September.As usual, children will be able tocollect FREE incentives for their achievements as they read, with medals and certificates for everyone who completes the Challenge. There will be a challenge for younger children and adults too.
Developed by national charity The Reading Agency, the Summer Reading Challenge aims to encourage children to keep reading during their summer break. The theme of this year's Challenge is 'Story Garden', which is all about nature and storytelling. Look out for more information about the Summer Reading Challenge in next month's newsletter - and get ready by joining your library now!
A note for all BorrowBox users
Our supplier is making some changes behind the scenes in order to keep this service running smoothly. Please be aware that you will need to sign in to your account when you next use BorrowBox after this work has been completed. This will only need to be done once. The work will take place on Wednesday 11 June.
If your library account requires updating or you have forgotten your PIN, please contact your local library or login to your account on our catalogue.
Our next newsletter will be out in early July. Meanwhile don't forget that you can keep up with the daily news about everything that's happening in our libraries by following @WBerksLibraries on Facebook and Instagram.
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