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135% rise in children's library membership!

Over 1,300 children joined their library in order to take part in the Summer Reading Challenge. This is 135% more than joined last year, and 80% higher than before the pandemic.

You don’t have to wait for next summer to sign up your child. Membership is free, children can borrow up to 12 items and they don’t pay late return charges. To find out more about what we have to offer visit: Children and young people in libraries | Cambridgeshire County Council

Author talks

Meet Your Local Authors

Cambridge Central Library Saturday 2nd November, 11am-1pm

For details about who is taking part visit Meet Your Local Authors at Cambridge Central Library — Library.Live

This event might inspire you to join in with NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and start writing your own book!F

Tracy Chevalier livestream event and pop-up book club

St Neots Library Wednesday 6^th November, 5-7pm

We'll be livestreaming a conversation with Tracy Chevalier from Leeds Festival as she introduces her latest book The Glassmaker.

The livestream comes to us through the British Library’s Living Knowledge Network and will broadcast from 6pm. From 5pm we're running a pop-up Book Club to discuss one of Tracy's backlisted titles New Boy, a retelling of Othello.

You can come to one or both parts of the event. Book your free place in the library or email StNeots.Referral@cambridgeshire.gov.uk 

Tracy Chevalier Livestream & Pop-up Book Club at St Neots Library-Library.Live  

Liz Hodgkinson in Conversation with Waterstones St Neots

St Neots Library Wednesday 13^th November, 6:30-8pm

Tickets £5/£3 available from Waterstones St Neots or call 01480 220998

Liz Hodgkinson in Conversation with Waterstones St. Neots | Events at Waterstones Bookshops

An Evening with Robin Ince

Milton Road Library Wednesday 20^th November 7-9pm

Join comedian Robin Ince, author of Bibliomaniac and co-host of the BBC radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage, for a very special evening of laughter, wit, curiosity and love for libraries.

Free and all welcome, numbers are limited, booking is essential. Book your place on Eventbrite or ask at your local library. An Evening with Robin Ince Tickets, Wed, Nov 20, 2024 at 7:00 PM | Eventbrite 

On Wednesday 20 November Robin Ince will also be spending the day on our Huntingdonshire Mobile Library (Round H17) - come say hello!

Special offer for library members

Cambridge Literary Festival’s Winter Festival 2024 is taking place 23-24 November, with a diverse and exciting line-up of speakers. The Festival is offering Cambridgeshire Library members a special 20% discount on two events:

Ali Smith: Gliff Cambridge Union, Sunday 24^th November, 4-5pm

Jonathan Freedland: A Story about a Story  Old Divinity School, Sunday 24^th November, 4-5pm

To receive the discount, order full price tickets through the CLF’s online box office. At check-out, write Librarymember24 in the coupon code box and click on Apply coupon.

Bring Back Nature at Ely Library

Ely Library Saturday 16^th November, 10am-3pm

Find out about local nature recovery projects and how you can make a difference. This is a free event, all welcome, no need to book.

There will be four talks:

10am  Witchford Climate Action Group

11am  Wicken Fen: peatland restoration

12pm  Oxwillow: restoring farmland habitat

12:30pm  Natural Cambridgeshire: doubling nature

Plus stalls including Wildlife Trust BCN, RSPB, Renew: Ely Cathedral Environment Group and East Cambs Climate Action Network.

The event is organised in partnership with East Cambridgeshire District Council and East Cambs CAN

Spread the Word - Warm Welcome

You already know that you’ll always find a warm welcome at your library, whatever the time of year. But people who don’t regularly use the library may not realise what a friendly service we are. Please let friends and neighbours know that they are welcome to spend time in the library – to browse the shelves, sit and read, use our free WiFi and computers, or meet with friends. During the cold winter months, many of our libraries also offer free hot drinks! Check local opening times here: Your library | Cambridgeshire County Council

Libraries are safe, warm spaces where you’ll find friendly faces – spread the word!

Don't miss out on pension credit this winter

If you or a loved one are over State Pension age and on a low income, then you may be eligible for Pension Credit which is extra money to help with your living costs.

In Cambridgeshire, up to one in three people who are eligible for Pension Credit are not claiming it. The average household could get around £186 per month.

Claiming Pension Credit can also unlock other benefits, including the Winter Fuel Payment, help with NHS dental treatment, glasses and hospital transport costs.

For more information about eligibility for Pension Credit and how to apply, go to Pension Credit | Cambridgeshire County Council

The council’s Be Winter Wise campaign is offering lots of advice on support available with the rising Cost of Living. Keep an eye on our social media channels to find out what help you may be eligible for.

New books

Click on the button below for our full selection of new books for November

Cambridgeshire listens and reads

Our Cambridgeshire Listens and Cambridgeshire Reads collections bring you a wide range of books to borrow in eBook or eAudiobook format. Available for multiple use, they're great for reading groups and workplace reads. You can even listen and read at the same time!

Each month the selection of adult, young adult and children's titles are refreshed - they're available to borrow over a 60-day period. Try the links to look at this month's offerings. 

We have five titles available as Reads and Listens:

The Dance Teacher of Paris by Suzanne Fortin, Christmas with the Ops Room Girls by Vicki Beeby, The Manningtree Witches by A.K Blakemore, Simply Lies by David Baldacci, O Brother by John Niven.

We have eleven titles available as Listens:

The Killings at Badger’s Drift by Caroline Graham, The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell, The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman, Wolf Pack by Will Dean, The Affair by Lee Child, Peace on the Western Front by Mattia Signori, The Library of Heartbeats by Laura Imai Messina, Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, Time’s Echo by Jeremy Eichler, Finding Hildasay by Christian Lewis

We have four Junior/teen Listens:

The Wizard’s Umbrella Story Collection by Enid Blyton, The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City by Rob Biddulph

All join in World Rhymetime week 18-24 November

Celebrate the joy of sharing action rhymes with your little ones by joining your local library rhymetime. Sharing rhymes can help support the development of memory, kickstart the practice of listening and speaking, and help little ones learn lots of new words too. To find a library rhymetime near you visit:  Rhymetimes for Babies and Toddlers — Library.Live

To hear rhymes in a range of different languages please visit Talking Together in Cambridgeshire’s Rhyme Time for All webpage: Rhyme Time for All (cambslearntogether.co.uk).

Happy singing!

Creepy and Gothic theatre this November

The Library Presents two amazing theatrical productions based on Charles Dickens’ famous work in libraries this month. Discover Dickens’ most Gothic character Miss Havisham in the flesh, as she tells her backstory, a "stunning and captivating performance". Or be swept up in two creepy tales with a comic twist at Ghost of a Smile. ‘The Queer Chair’ is about a ghostly chair at a haunted inn and in ‘The Ghosts of the Mail’ discover what happens to a tipsy reveler at an Edinburgh carriage-works.

Book tickets for:

Havisham Wisbech Library 8 November and Papworth Library 9 November.

Ghost of a Smile Ely Library 27 November and St Neots Library 28 November and March Library 29 November"

BIPC Start Up Day 2024

Tuesday, November 19 at BIPC Cambridge, Cambridge Central Library,  11.00 am to 16.00

The Cambridgeshire Business & IP Centre exists to support small business owners, entrepreneurs and inventors across Cambridgeshire... People just like you.   

We are hosting FIVE separate sessions during the day. As the sessions are a mix of in-person and live webinars, you'll need to book a ticket for EACH session you want to attend. You can attend them all or just one. Simply book into the session you want. 

For more information and to book your slots: BIPC Start-Up Day 2024 Tickets, Tue, Nov 19, 2024 at 11:00 AM | Eventbrite

Women in Business – new era is also taking place that day. For more information and to book a slot Women in Business Tribe - New Era Tickets, Tue 19 Nov 2024 at 11:00 | Eventbrite

Talk Money Week 4-8 November

Do One Thing during the week to better understand your finances -  look at a pension; talk to a child about pocket money; or explore the Council’s support with the cost-of-living webpage to help shape money conversations.

Libraries have:

Books, eBooks, and audiobooks which you can borrow for free to learn more about budgeting and financial sustainability. Visit our catalogue online or browse at your local library.

Access to printers, photocopiers and free Wi-Fi and computers, to help you access information online.

Friendly library staff on hand to signpost you to further guidance and support.

Movember 2024

The annual campaign for men’s health is here again. The month-long Movember is to raise awareness of mental health, prostate cancer and testicular cancer, as these are among the main causes of premature death.

Men’s health doesn’t just affect men.  It has impacts on families, workplaces and communities.  It’s time to call for actions and drive change.

To find out what signs to look out for, when to take action, where to find support, how to support others and join the campaign, visit uk.Movember.com

Reusable period cups

As part of their efforts to reduce waste, Huntingdonshire District Council are offering free reusable period cups to anyone living in Huntingdonshire. You can claim yours by visiting their website or picking one up at Huntingdon Library or St Neots Library. Please share this offer to any residents who might be interested! https://www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/bins-waste/reduce-your-waste/

NHS app and account

Are you using the NHS App? If not, do you know there are two ways you can set up and log in your NHS account?

Via the NHS App and via a web browser on a computer, tablet or a smart phone 

Once you have set up an NHS Account, you can log in to do the following:

order repeat prescriptions

book and manage appointments

get health information and advice

view your health record securely

view your NHS number

To create or to log in your NHS account, visit About NHS login - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

You can follow step by step the NHS account on the NHS website walk through videos - NHS England Digital and access your account via a web browser.

Or, if you plan to download and use the NHS App, follow NHS App walk through videos - NHS England Digital. And find how easy it is to navigate the NHS App and use the various functions and features it provides

National Self Care Week

National Self-Care Week focuses on embedding support for self-care across communities, families and generations. Simple practices like walking, reading, or meditation can recharge your mind and body, helping you stay resilient and energized.

Check out our Reading Well for Mental Health or Reading Well for Teens collections or simply give yourself a break by reading an Uplifting book. Pick a book to help you create healthy meals or begin a new exercise routine. You can use our Health information directory to find trusted information on many health conditions.  Want to find inspiration and connect with others? Join our library events and activities

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