Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Open it in a web page.

Happy New Year!

Welcome to your new library year. Our newsletter includes details of events, activities and new titles to read and listen to in 2025. January can be a cold and gloomy time after the light of the Christmas festivities but to counter this you will always find a warm welcome at your local library. Staying warm and healthy is the focus of two promotions in January detailed below. Spreading the word about the pleasures and benefits of using libraries for older people will be a focus for us as we launch a membership drive targeted at people aged 60 and over in 2025. Perhaps you can help us with this by encouraging your friends, family and neighbours to join their local library – remember libraries are free to join and free to use.

100,000 people in our county have already got the library habit and we wouldn’t want anyone to miss out!

Enjoy your library in 2025 and thank you for your continuing support.

Gary Porter: Head of Libraries, Archives and Culture

Author talks

Secrets and suspense with author Alison Stockham

Cambourne Library Wednesday 29th January, 2pm

Bestselling author of psychological thrillers, Alison Stockham, introduces her latest novel The Man She Married. Find out about Alison’s writing journey and the inspirations behind her gripping, suspense-filled stories.

Tickets £5 (includes refreshments) available from the desk at Cambourne Library, or contact Cambourne.Referral@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Thriller writer Alison Stockham — Library.Live

A Terrible Kindness with author Jo Browning Wroe

Linton Library Wednesday 12^th February, 2pm

Jo Browning Wroe discusses how she came to write her bestseller A Terrible Kindness—the emotional story of a young volunteer at the 1966 disaster at Aberfan.

Tickets £5 (includes refreshments) available at the library, or contact Cambourne.Referral@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

A Terrible Kindness with author Jo Browning Wroe — Library.Live

Journaling workshop at St. Neots Library

Looking for a new creative hobby for the New Year? Following the success of our recent creative journaling session for teenagers, St Neots Library will run an introductory session for adults on Saturday 11^th January at 2pm. We’ll explore different forms of creative journaling using mixed media, re-purposed ephemera and writing prompts and have a go at starting our own creative journaling practice. No artistic/writing skills or experience required! All materials provided (but feel free to bring your own journal if you have one you’d like to use). Places are free but limited. Please drop into the library or email stneots.referral@cambridgeshire.gov.uk to book your free place.  

Lunar New Year

Wednesday 29 January is Lunar New Year, an event based on the lunar or lunisolar calendar and marked by celebrations across various countries in East and Southeast Asia.

We’ll be entering the Year of the Wood Snake, and we’re delighted to partner with the Cambridge Chinese Academy again for a community-led family crafts session at Cambridge Central Library. This free drop-in event will take place on Saturday 1 February from 11am-1.30pm and all are welcome to come along.

To find out what else is happening in our libraries, please visit Library.Live. And don’t forget you can visit our catalogue to explore our diverse range of stock, including books about East and Southeast Asian history and culture.

Warm Welcome Week 20-26 January

January can be a challenging time of year for everyone.You 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 – come in and chat to our staff, and use our space to study, meet, or just relax.

Find out more about Warm Welcome Week

Yaxley Library temporary closure

Yaxley Library will be closed from Monday 6^th January for approximately 13 weeks to carry out building and improvement works. The planned works include new windows and an accessible toilet alongside an exciting refresh of the library space.

There will be a regular mobile library stop in the Austin Hall car park PE7 3LU on the following dates: Saturdays 18^th January, 15^th February and 15^th March from 10am-3pm.

You'll find information and updates on our website www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/libraries and our Facebook pages. You can also manage your account online.

All items on loan will be extended until the library reopens.

Alternative facilities are available in nearby Sawtry Library Cambridgeshire Online | Sawtry Library

Items can also be borrowed from and returned to any Cambridgeshire Library

We look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2025 which coincides with the 50^th anniversary of the opening of Yaxley Library. We will be marking this special anniversary with celebration events and activities throughout the year.

New books

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

Cambridgeshire Listens 

Our Cambridgeshire Listens collection brings you a wide range of books to borrow in eAudiobook format. Available for multiple use, they're great for reading groups and workplace reads. 

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 fourteen titles available as Listens:

Death of a Macho Man by M.C. Beaton, Hiding from the Light by Barbara Erskine, The Dead of Winter by Stuart MacBride, The Mister by E.L. James, Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie, The English Fuhrer by Rory Clements, The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri, The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty, The Illuminations by Andrew O’Hagan, Second Place by Rachel Cusk, Picture You Dead by Peter James, The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, The Comfort Book by Matt Haig, The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

We have five Junior/teen Listens:

Utterly Dark and the Face of the Deep by Philip Reeve, Five Go To Smuggler’s Top by Enid Blyton, The Hunting Moon by Susan Dennard, Drones, Dams & Destruction by Robert Muchamore, The Boy Who Grew Dragons by Andy Shepherd. 

Spread the Word - Dyslexia friendly books for adults

Many adults would love to read more, but dyslexia can make books a challenge. Please help us spread the word that the library has dyslexia friendly books for adults, printed with fonts that are easier to read.

To reserve them via our online catalogue, go to the Library Services for Visual and Print Impairment | Cambridgeshire Libraries page and follow the link on the right to Dyslexia Friendly Books for Adults. Or drop into Cambridge Central Library to find these books on the shelves.

New children's books in Braille

We subscribe to the ClearVision Project, a postal lending library of children’s books in print and braille. We swap these books throughout the year, so there are new titles available every few months. Our current books are a range of picture books and stories. These are a mix of grade 1 and grade 2 braille and come in different formats:

• Ring binders of A4 sheets of braille together with a standard print copy of the book.

• Spiral bound picture books interleaved with clear pages of braille, so the words and braille can both be read at once.

Search “Clearvision” on our library catalogue to see what is available. You can browse the collection at Cambridge Central Library or reserve them on the catalogue to be picked up at your local library.

You can find out more about the library services we offer for people with a visual or print impairment on Cambridgeshire County Council website or on our library catalogue.

Find out more about the ClearVision Project on their website.

Holocaust Memorial Day 27th January

This year’s Holocaust Memorial Day (27 January) marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp complex, and the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia.

The 2025 theme is “for a better future”. We can learn from the past and challenge prejudice today to create a better future for all. Visit the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust website to find out how to get involved.

For books on this subject search our library catalogue: Home | Cambridgeshire Libraries (spydus.co.uk)

Health Information Week 20-26 January

When it comes to finding trusted health information online, the first port of call is always NHS website for England - NHS, where you can find out about conditions, symptoms and treatments, and how your medicine works. 

It is also important to be able to access to your health records and manage your medical appointments. NHS login allows you to access your NHS account and NHS services online. Go to the NHS website or download the NHS app to set up your NHS login. Visit Setting up an NHS Account - NHS England Digital to find out more.

Steady on your feet

Cold homes can affect mobility and put older people at greater risk of falling. It’s important to be extra careful to avoid falls during winter months.

Do you know what increases the risk of falling? Are you worried for a friend, a family member or an elderly neighbour? Encourage them to use the interactive risk checking tool to help identify their risks. Access the online tool for tips to prevent falls at www.steadyonyourfeet.org/cambridgeshire .

Cambridgeshire libraries offer a free ferrule replacement service for walking aid users to help them stay steady on their feet. Visit Free walking aid rubber stoppers | Cambridgeshire County Council to find out more.

Download now

Stay connected with Cambridgeshire Libraries

 This email was sent using Microsoft Dynamics on behalf of Cambridgeshire County Council.

New Shire Hall, Alconbury, PE28 4YE