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Women's History Month

March is Women’s History Month, and 8 March is International Women’s Day.

To mark the occasion, you can join us at Cambridge Central Library on Saturday 14 March (2-4:30pm) for a women’s history edit-a-thon!

With the help from a trainer from Wikimedia UK, we’ll be editing Wikipedia entries about women with a historical connection to Cambridgeshire. We’ll have a list of suggested articles to work on, but if you have something that you’d like to edit please do bring that too! This workshop is suitable for beginners and those with experience alike.

Book your free place on Eventbrite: Women's History Month Edit-a-thon

Don’t forget that you can also browse the library catalogue and keep an eye out for displays at your local library to find a wide range of books celebrating women’s contributions to history and the struggle for gender equality.

Waterbeach Library Closure

Waterbeach Community Library is now closed due to the imminent demolition of the building.

Library volunteers hope to restart the service in a temporary location in the village as soon as possible.

If you currently have Waterbeach Library books out on loan, please return them to another Cambridgeshire library. Overdue charges will not be payable on these loans (but please note that they will still apply to books from other libraries reserved through Waterbeach). Existing hold requests placed through Waterbeach will be delivered to Histon Library.

For more information, please visit the Waterbeach Library Facebook Page

#DigitalSpaces VR tour

Look out for our exciting VR tour where you can experience the world of Monoliths, Wallace & Gromit, Phase Space, The Lark Ascending, Berlin Blitz 1943, David Attenborough's Hold the World and Laika.

The project is supported by Arts Council England, The British Film Institute and The Space. Ask at the library, email them, or visit Eventbrite (for Cambridge Central Library only) to book your free VR session - we have two locations left!

Cambridge Central Library: Wednesday 11 March, 4:30-6:30pm, Friday 13 March, 4:30-6pm, and Saturday 14 March, 11am-1pm.

Book your tickets here | Eventbrite

Cambourne Library: Monday 23 March, 10am-12pm and 2-4pm, and Tuesday 24 March, 9:30am-12pm.

Email Cambourne.Library@cambridgeshire.gov.uk to book your slot.

Bar Hill and Cambourne Library Reopening

February saw the reopening of both Bar Hill and Cambourne Libraries. Bar Hill reopened on 17 February following the installation of an air-source heat pump, solar panels, and an internal re-decoration. This was followed on 21 February by Cambourne

We have invested developer funding sourced through S106 to offer an enhanced library space for Cambourne and we have £15,000 worth of new stock! Our Cambourne library space has increased by a third and we've also added a meeting room that can be hired by the community. We have a new feature Children’s library, too, that includes a sensory den and a more flexible space to accommodate increasingly popular children’s events.

The library remains fully flexible and will continue to offer events, such as theatre and music, through 'The Library Presents' Programming.

The library will be extending its hours from April with Open Plus, allowing for greater access in the mornings and afternoons to match the opening hours of the GP centre. This is due to launch from April after our official opening event (keep an eye on social media for details). Customers are encouraged to register for the Open Plus service in March, so they are ready to make the most out of it when it launches.

We are delighted to welcome our customers back with over 700 visitors in the first 3 days of reopening Cambourne.

Author Talks

Atlantic Furies with author Midge Gillies

Willingham Library - Wednesday 25 March, 7:30-9pm

Those magnificent women and their flying machines! Uncover the forgotten stories of pioneer women aviators who raced to be the first to fly the Atlantic.

The event includes Q&As plus time to buy books and have them signed.

Tickets £3 from the library or contact BarHill.Library@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Doors open at 7pm for refreshments kindly provided by the Friends of Willingham Library.

Atlantic Furies, with author Midge Gillies — Library.Live

Exploring climate truths through Climate Fiction

Cambridge Central Library - Sunday 29 March, 2-3:30pm

How can stories help us face the climate crisis and imagine what comes next? Join authors Emily Buchanan (Send Flowers) and Guinevere Glasfurd (The Year Without Summer) in a conversation considering how storytelling might help us navigate difficult truths while still imagining better futures.

In partnership with Cambridge Zero, as part of the Cambridge Festival.

Please book free tickets in advance on Eventbrite 

Climate truths through Climate Fiction – Eventbrite

British Science Week

6-15 March is British Science Week, a celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths.

Why not go to your local library or visit our website to browse our many books and ebooks on STEM subjects? And did you also know that your Cambridgeshire Libraries card gives you free access to Pressreader, where you can read a range of science and technology magazines such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Science Focus, TechLife, Wired and much more, all free of charge?

Last but not least, during British Science Week we’ll he running a series of Digital Spaces Virtual Reality sessions at Cambridge Central Library. For details and to book your free place, visit our Eventbrite.

New books

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

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 link to look at this month's offerings. 

We have ten Fiction titles available as Listens:
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner, The Love Intervention by Caroline Khoury, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley,The Lamplighter's Bookshop by Sophie Austin, Death of a Spy by M.C. Beaton, The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan, Our Sweet Violet by Rosie Goodwin, On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle and The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune     

And we have four Non-Fiction titles available as Listens:

Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams, Eight Shakespeare Comedies by William Shakespeare, The Art of Physics by Zahaan Bharmal and Thou Savage Woman by Blessin Adams

We have three Junior/Teen titles available as Listens:

Five Star Stories by Liz Pichon, The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King by Harry Trevaldwyn and The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

World Book Day

Get ready for World Book Day (WBD) – Thursday 5 March!

Celebrate this key date in the National Year of Reading calendar by bringing your children along to their local library or by checking out our children’s eBook offer on our Cambridgeshire Libraries page.

Many libraries will be hosting visits from their local schools, nurseries or childminders during the week to show them what libraries have to offer for both them and their families.

Shakespeare Week

Enjoy some of the best of the Bard at your local library this Shakespeare Week (23-29 March) and throughout the year.

National Theatre Collection 3 includes recordings of Anthony and Cleopatra, As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing and Othello, filmed as stage productions. Watch these plays and more on a library computer or your own device while using library Wi-Fi – it's all completely free. Find a choice of 20 plays on Drama Online - National Theatre Collection 3.

You can also join us at Cambridge Central Library on Saturday 28 March (2:30-5:30pm) for a screening of Simon Goodwin’s joyful, funny and accessible production of Much Ado About Nothing, set on the Italian Riviera, starring Katherine Parkinson and John Heffernan.

Free and all welcome; book your free ticket on Eventbrite now!

Business & IP Centre Cambridgeshire

Empowering Women in Business – this International Women’s Day

Whether you’re just starting out or already building momentum in your business journey, this is your moment to invest in yourself.

Join the Business & IP Centre for an inspiring session on March 6, featuring two expert speakers who will guide you through:

• Creating websites that work for everyone, including people with disabilities, with Lorène Levavasseur, Founder of Lorenipsum LTD.
• Mastering the art of negotiation: from preparation and the key steps, that lead to confident outcomes led by Natacha Wilson, Founder, Cambridge Insight
• Exploring the support available from the Business & IP Centre to help you grow and thrive.

This event is designed for women who want to learn something new, strengthen their skills, and connect with a community of like‑minded business owners.

Location: Cambridge Central Library

Enrol now and take the next step in your business journey.

Film Screening - How to Build a Library

Join us at Cambridge Central Library for a screening of the documentary film 'How to Build a Library' (2025, directed by Maia Lekow and Christopher King) in partnership with Cambridge University Library (CUL).

Two tenacious Nairobi women transform what used to be a whites-only library into a vibrant cultural hub in 1958. Along the way, they must confront the lingering ghosts of Kenya’s colonial past.

You will also learn about CUL's exciting new project, 'Black British Voices: Black British Collections’, made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Hear from the project’s Community Panel who are exploring CUL’s collections to find the voices of Black British communities from as early as the 16 century to the present, and are also asking: what role do politics and community play in shaping library collections?

Free and all welcome, but booking is essential.

Supporting Women's Health

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we would like to share a selection of books and resources that help women and families through key stages of life. These collections offer practical advice, emotional support and helpful information for women's health and wellbeing.

Reading Well for Families – Supporting the wellbeing of parents and carers from pregnancy through to the early years (from conception to age two).

Books about Breastfeeding – A curated list offering practical advice and supportive stories for new and expecting parents, including picture books to help young children learn about this subject.

Reading Well for Teens – Helping young adults understand their feelings and build confidence through adolescence.

Menopause Matters – A booklist exploring symptoms, support options, and ways to live well through menopause, including uplifting personal stories.

Please browse through these collections on our Health and Well-being | Cambridgeshire Libraries page, where you can also place reservations.

For trusted, comprehensive information about all aspects of women’s health, visit Women's health - NHS.

Download now

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