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Sign up Saturdays

Sign Up for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge from Saturday 5^th July

The 2025 Summer Reading Challenge, Story Garden, is happening in all Cambridgeshire Libraries this summer and it’s free to join! Children can sign up at their local library from Saturday 5th July and the Challenge starts on Saturday 19th July.

To complete the Challenge, children simply need to read, listen to or have read to them six library books and collect the six special Story Garden stickers over the summer holidays!

For more details visit our Libraries SRC webpage: Summer Reading Challenge | Cambridgeshire County Council which includes our marvellous Story Garden video.

Summer What's On

Our What’s On brochure is at a library near you right now! Pop in and pick up a copy for yourself, your friends and family - it lists all of our events from July to September. Plan your summer with Cambridgeshire Libraries, there’s something for almost everyone.

You’ll find all of the events listed on Library Live | What's On

Unearthing Curious Cures

Milton Road Library - Saturday 12^th July, 3:00-4:00pm

Join us for a fascinating panel discussion being filmed live at Milton Road Library, celebrating two exhibitions. Unearthed: the Power of Gardening is at Cambridge Central Library during July and August; and Curious Cures is at Cambridge University Library until December.

Unearthing Curious Cures brings together two university medieval medicine experts, James Freeman and Hannah Bower, with two gardening historians, Advolly Richmond and Emma Wayland. In conversation, they’ll dig up stories of illness, resilience, experimentation and the quest for health as they explore medieval recipes and garden remedies.

For more information and to book your free ticket please visit Unearthing Curious Cures | Eventbrite

Local Government Survey

Your councils are changing – have your say

The Government is considering a new system of local government for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. This could mean replacing current district, county, and city councils with single-tier councils. 

Local councils are working together to explore options, and they want to hear from you. An engagement survey has launched so people can share their thoughts on what priorities they think new unitary authorities should have and what is important to them when it comes to local government.

Library refurbishments

You can keep up to date on which of our libraries are undergoing refurbishment at the moment by visiting our web page. This will also tell you about alternative provision at nearby libraries.

Reading Well for Families

We are excited to introduce Reading Well for Families, a new book collection supporting families from pregnancy through early parenting!

This collection includes practice guides, personal stories and poetry, on topics such as wellbeing, anxiety, and everyday challenges. There are also titles for dads, solo parents, autistic and LGBTQ+ parents, and those navigating racism or expecting multiples.

To browse the collection and make reservations, please visit our online catalogue Health and Well-being page.

Author talks

An evening with author Lucy Vine

St Ives Library

Thursday July 10th, 7:00-9:00pm

Her novels are described as “a girls’ night out” wrapped up in a book! Have a laugh in the library with former journalist Lucy, best-selling author of romcom novels, including Hot Mess, What Fresh Hell, Bad Choices, Date with Destiny, and her latest: Book Boyfriend.

Tickets £3.50.

To book email stives.referral@cambridgeshire.gov.uk, phone 0345 045 5225 or pop into St Ives Library. Refreshments and books will be available to purchase on the evening.

An evening with author Lucy Vine — Library.Live

Christina Koning: The Blind Detective series

Great Shelford Library - Wednesday July 23rd, 2:00-3:30pm

At this Engage event, Christina will talk about the challenges of writing her thrilling inter-war period crime series, The Blind Detective.

Donations for refreshments welcome. Copies of Christina’s books will be available for £8.99, cash only.

To book, visit the library or email Cambourne.referral@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Engage: Christina Koning — Library.Live

South Asian Heritage Month

18th July to 17th August is South Asian Heritage Month a celebration of South Asian cultures, histories, and communities in the UK. The theme for South Asian Heritage Month 2025 is “Roots to Routes”, an invitation to “reflect on your journey, whether from ancestral origins to the paths you’ve taken, or something much more recent, and how these experiences shape your identity today”.

Don’t forget that you can stop by your local library or visit our catalogue online to browse and borrow our many fiction and non-fiction books about South Asian history and culture. 

You’ll find many of the books from this list SAHM Booklist - South Asian Heritage Trust there too.

New books

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

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 and Listens:

Tales From the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell, Last Place You Look by Louisa Scarr, Munich Wolf by Rory Clements,  All Fours by Miranda July

We have nine titles available as Listens:

The Moonlight Market by Joanne Harris, First Wife’s Shadow by Adele Parks, Case Histories by Kate Atkinson,The Country Village Allotment by Cathy Lake, The Ghost Ship by Kate Mosse, Date With Poison by Julia Chapman, The Solitary Summer by Elizabeth Von Arnim, Brother Do You Love Me by Manni Coe and Reuben Coe, Knife by Salman Rushdie

We have six Junior/teen Listens:

Return to the Hundred Acre Wood by David Benedictus, Summer Adventure Stories by Enid Blyton, The Summer Dolphin by Holly Webb, The Boy With the Biggest Head in the World by Lincoln Peirce, Seed by Caryl Lewis, Deenie by Judy Blume

Festival of Archaeology

It’s the Festival of Archaeology from 19th July to 3rd August. The theme this year is Archaeology and Wellbeing. You can learn more about it on the Council for British Archaeology’s site or find local archaeology societies if you want to get involved yourself.

If you want to check out archaeology at home, the Archaeological Data Service can help with sites, reports and lots more information. Or you can see maps online with the National Library of Scotland.

Disability Pride Month

Disability Pride Month UK is a month-long celebration in July dedicated to honouring the achievements, culture, and contributions of disabled individuals in the United Kingdom. It aims to raise awareness, promote inclusivity, and foster a sense of unity within the disabled community and beyond.

Join our local studies librarian, Mary Burgess, to learn about history of disability in Cambridgeshire. From community groups to activism to famous disabled people from Cambridgeshire, disabled people have always been around. 

This event will take place online via Microsoft Teams. Book your free ticket on Eventbrite: Online Talk: History of Disability in Cambs Tickets, Wed, Jul 16, 2025 at 7:00 PM | Eventbrite.

Mooncup Offer

Get a Mooncup for £5 – limited offer this summer!

Menstrual cups (Mooncups) are the reusable alternative to traditional period products. Good quality Mooncups are safe to use and can last up to 10 years. 

To encourage reducing single-use plastic in our waste, RECAP is supporting a discount offer this summer for women in Cambridgeshire to purchase a Mooncup for just £5. This includes delivery costs. To find more information and order yours before the offer ends, visit Mooncups | Cambridgeshire County Council.

Download now

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