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Bank Holiday Closures

Library Polling Stations

Milton Road and Arbury Court Libraries will both be used as polling stations for the upcoming local elections on Thursday 1st May and will consequently not be open to the public as libraries on that day. This means there will be no Storytime at either library - our apologies for the inconvenience.

The Cambridge Mobile Library will be used as a polling station at Fulbourn. Its regular route has been rearranged to make sure readers still have a service.

You can manage your account online: Libraries | Cambridgeshire County Council

Rock Road Library Temporary Closure

Rock Road Library will be temporarily closed for maintenance and refurbishment work from Monday 5th May. There will be no Open+ service during this time.

All library loans will be extended throughout the closure period and alternative collection points will be offered when making reservations. Library services will remain available at the nearby Cherry Hinton, Cambridge Central and Barnwell Road libraries. Locations and opening times can be found here: Your library | Cambridgeshire County Council

To find out more, please visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/temporary-library-works.

Our Digital Library is always open: Read and listen online | Cambridgeshire County Council

Digital Spaces VR tour

Everyspace at Central Library

Please be aware that from Friday 23rd May 2025 the third floor of Cambridge Central Library will be temporarily closed. We will be carrying out flooring and decoration work as part of the EverySpace project and anticipate that the floor will be closed for approximately two weeks.

Our public toilets, meeting rooms and study spaces, Cambridgeshire Collection and Business & IP Centre (BIPC) will reopen once works are complete. For more information, please visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/temporary-library-works

Mental Health Awareness Week

Mental Health Awareness Week takes place from 12th to 18th May. This year it’s to celebrate the power and importance of community.

Being part of a safe, positive community is vital for our mental health and wellbeing. Come to your local library where you will find friendly library staff, helpful information, inspiring books, and many activities to get involved in.

For more information, visit Libraries and wellbeing | Cambridgeshire County Council

Local and Community History Month

May is Local and Community History Month and is a great time to find out more about the history of your local area.

Barnwell Road Library is hosting a local history drop in session on Tuesday 13^th May. You can find out more details on Eventbrite.

Huntingdon Library has two talks planned, both at 1-3:30pm on two consecutive Saturdays. You can book or find out more in the library.

Saturday 17^th May - The Whitney Collection: Photographs of a Bygone Huntingdonshire

Saturday 24^th May - Post Office Terrace Photography Studio

Author talks

Author talk: Fiona Schneider

Friday 16^th May, 2:00-3:00pm - Wisbech Library

Join us to meet Fiona Schneider, author of the historical romance The Paris Affair – a heart-wrenching story of love, bravery and impossible choices.

Tickets are £3, please book in the library. Refreshments will be available.

Author Talk: Fiona Schneider — Library.Live

An evening with psychological thriller writer Alison Stockham

Wednesday 4^th June, 7:00-8:00pm - Milton Road Library

Bestselling author of psychological thrillers, Alison Stockham, introduces her latest novel The Man She Married and talks entertainingly about her journey to becoming a writer.

Free event, but donations gratefully received. Please book in advance on Eventbrite: An evening with psychological thriller author Alison Stockham — Library.Live

Introducing “Mrs Spy”: Author MJ Robotham in conversation with Emma Flint

Saturday 7^th June, 2:00-3:30pm - Huntingdon Library

Maggie Flynn isn’t your typical 1960s mum. She’s a spy, a covert operative for MI5, stalking London’s streets in myriad disguises...

Mandy Robotham, in conversation with fellow author Emma Flint, introduces her latest novel Mrs Spy. Mandy is also known for The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux.

Tickets are £5. Please book in advance at the library.

Introducing “Mrs Spy”: author MJ Robotham in conversation with Emma Flint — Library.Live

New books

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

Cambridgeshire Reads and Listens 

Our Cambridgeshire Reads and Listens collection brings you a wide range of books to borrow in eBook and 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 link to look at this month's offerings. 

We have five titles available as Reads:

Lies by T.M. Logan, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, A Bitter Remedy by Alis Hawkins, Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagan, The Love Letter by Lucinda Riley

We have twelve titles available as Listens:

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, Runaway Widow by Dilly Court, Circe by Madeline Miller, Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter, The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins, Traitor by Chris Ryan, Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley, The Devil Stone by Caro Ramsay, You Will Never Be Found by Tove Alsterdal, The Accident on the A35 by Graeme Macrae Burnet, Seeing Voices by Oliver Sacks, The Love Letter by Lucinda Riley

We have four Junior/teen Listens:

Summer Term at St Clare’s by Enid Blyton, The Kipper Collection by Mick Inkpen, The World’s Worst Children 1,2 & 3 by David Walliams, Clash of the Super Kids by Lenny Henry

Deaf Awareness Week

Deaf awareness week is 5th -11th May. The theme this year is “Beyond Silence”, and you can learn more about how to support deaf people at the Deafness Resource Centre. Did you know that Cambridgeshire mobile libraries give out NHS hearing aid batteries? You can find your nearest stop on our website. 

Various libraries also offer hearing aid maintenance sessions in partnership with Cambridgeshire Deaf Association. You can see where your nearest session is on their website.

Dementia Action Week

Dementia Action Week is 19th – 25th May; it calls attention to the importance of an early diagnosis, so people affected by dementia can get the vital help they need. 

If you are worried about yourself, or someone close to you, make an appointment with your GP and describe to them the symptoms that have affected you and your daily life. 

Use the symptoms checklist in Dementia Action Week | Alzheimer's Society to find out what to look out for. Learn the tips for talking to your doctor and get the most out of your GP appointment.

Cambridgeshire Libraries Dementia Resources

Our libraries have resources for people affected by dementia. To see the full range of the resources - such as dementia-friendly jigsaw puzzle and game sets, visit Memory boxes and dementia resources | Cambridgeshire County Council.

You can also browse online our book collections - including Pictures to Share, Reading Well for Dementia and Carers Booklist - and place reservations: Cambridgeshire Libraries dementia resources | Cambridgeshire Libraries.

Dying Matters Awareness Week

5^th -11th May is Dying Matters Awareness Week. To mark the occasion, we’re hosting a drop-in with Arthur Rank Hospice Charity at Cambridge Central Library (1^st floor). Join us on Wednesday 7^th May from 11am-1pm to find out about the services and the care that Arthur Rank Hospice Charity provide at the hospice and in the community. Free and all welcome. No need to book; just come along!

And don’t forget that you can visit our catalogue to explore our collections of books about grief and bereavement and death and dying: Health and Well-being | Cambridgeshire Libraries

Health Check Kiosks 

Sisu Health kiosks have been installed in March and Huntingdon libraries giving you the chance to check on your health with quick, professional, self-service assessments. No appointments needed - just drop by and take advantage of this free opportunity to prioritise your wellbeing!

The health check takes around five minutes and measures blood pressure, heart rate, body fat, body mass index (BMI), weight and height. It can be used at any time of day and provides immediate feedback with user-specific advice on ways to make changes and local services to support health improvement.

For more information on the machines, visit The SiSu Health Station or watch a short video explainer.

Unearthed Exhibition

Unearthed - a free exhibition from the British Library

Unearthed: The Power of Gardening is a free display at St Ives Library this month. Exploring the transformative, enriching and sometimes radical power of gardening, it is inspired by a major exhibition at the British Library (2nd May – 10th August 2025). Cambridgeshire Libraries is one of 30 library services celebrating gardening through the UK-wide Living Knowledge Network: the display will be touring our larger libraries – watch this space!

Victory in Europe Day

How did your community celebrate VE Day? We may have photos, like this one taken in Huntingdon, in our Local Studies collections. And here is a website VE Day and VJ Day 80 with information and ideas to help you mark the 80^th anniversary this month.

Spread the Word: Ancestry

Did you know that Cambridgeshire Libraries give you access to Ancestry, a database where you can search millions of historical documents and genealogy resources, including the 1921 census? Help us spread the word that Ancestry is available at our 33 libraries and is free to access with your library card.

Library.Live

Looking for library events and activities near you? Visit Library.Live for all our latest listings.

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