Monthly Archives: September 2019

Libraries Week 2019: celebrating 100 years of Wiltshire libraries

Libraries Week 2019: celebrating 100 years of Wiltshire libraries

Wiltshire Council libraries are holding a week of activities and events during 7-12 October to celebrate both national Libraries Week and the centenary of the library service in Wiltshire.

Libraries Week is a celebration of the nation’s libraries, with the focus in 2019 on digital services. In Wiltshire, we will be showcasing our various e-resources and services, and also looking back to celebrate all that libraries offer as part of the centenary.

On 1 August 1919, Wiltshire became one of the first counties to have a public library service. Initially the service consisted of circulating ex-army ammunition boxes of books to distribution centres (mostly local schools). They were supplied from a central headquarters in Trowbridge and changed two or three times a year.

Lots has changed in the last 100 years, and as part of the centenary celebrations, libraries around the county will host special displays with photographs and information. Larger libraries will also be running a historic library photo quiz – where customers have to guess the library from the old photograph and clues. There will be a prize draw for all correct entries, with the winner receiving a copy of Deepest Wiltshire: the people, the places and the roots of a unique community, kindly donated by the authors Fanny Charles and Gay Pirrie-Weir.

To highlight Wiltshire libraries’ digital services, in the run up to Libraries Week, there will be a Big Wiltshire eRead, when libraries will encourage everyone to read the eBook The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. Then, during Libraries Week there will be special reading group sessions to discuss the book in Bradford on Avon, Chippenham, Devizes, Melksham, Trowbridge and Salisbury. The eBook can be downloaded for free using the free App; see www.wiltshire.gov.uk/libraries-ebooksfor more information.

For children and young people under 16, libraries will be running a Libraries of the Future art competition. They will be encouraged to recreate their own vision of a library in the future using a medium of their choice. This competition will run from Libraries Week until 31 October and will be judged in three age categories: 0-6s, 7-10s and 11-15s.

The Library Bingo Challenge will see 24 fun challenges set out on a bingo style sheet – promoting a range of library services, including challenges such as check out an eMagazine; visit a Wiltshire library you’ve not visited before; or take a selfie in the library and post on social media.

Anyone joining a Wiltshire library during this week will be automatically entered into a prize draw, and one newly joined child member and one adult member selected at random will win a prize.

Finally, we will be asking customers to tell us what they love about their library in less than 100 words and also inviting comments on Facebook and Twitter, with the hashtag #WiltsLibraries100.

Cllr Allison Bucknell, Cabinet Member for Libraries, said: “We have a wonderful programme of activities during Libraries Week that we hope will bring the community together.

“We’re delighted to celebrate 100 years of the much-loved library service in Wiltshire, and it’s also great that we can look ahead during Libraries Week and showcase the ways we can support people to learn new digital skills, get connected, get creative and enjoy our range of digital services. Everyone is welcome and the library is free to join.”

To find out more, follow @WiltsLibraries on Twitter, or find larger libraries on Facebook.

Education boost for Somerset as nearly 17m of school projects are completed

Education boost for Somerset as nearly 17m of school projects are completed

Somerset school children have started the academic year boosted by a multi-million collection of school new builds and improvements. These include the £8.5m Hazelbrook campus at Selworthy School and the new £7.3m Nerrols Primary school, both in Taunton, and between them creating 500 new school places. The state-of-the-art new campus at Selworthy will offer 80-100… Read More…

The Bishop’s Palace Harvest Festival

The Bishop’s Palace Harvest Festival

The Bishop’s Palace Harvest Festival  – 28th-29th September 2019, 10am-5pm The Bishop’s Palace in Wells is holding a brand-new Festival on 28th & 29th September 2019, designed to celebrate the Harvest Season. Following the popularity of the annual Garden Festival, it was decided that a new Flagship event should be introduced in Autumn for locals… Read More…

Make the most of National Sleep-in Day

Make the most of National Sleep-in Day

The Sleep Council is urging people to make the most of their extra hour in bed this National Sleep-In Day (Sunday, October 27, the day the clocks go back) by resetting their whole bedtime routine. More than a third of all Brits survive on less than six hours sleep*, and although sleep needs differ, the… Read More…

Final consultation on Bath’s Clean Air Zone

Final consultation on Bath’s Clean Air Zone

Postcards are going out to all homes and businesses in Bath & North East Somerset highlighting final plans for a clean air zone (CAZ) in Bath. The class C zone will charge all higher emission vehicles, except private cars and motorbikes, to drive in Bath’s city centre by the end of 2020. The council is… Read More…

Roadworks in Bath & North East Somerset

Roadworks in Bath & North East Somerset

Period: 16 September 2019 to 29 September 2019 Bath & North East Somerset Council is responsible for the maintenance of some 1150km of adopted highway within its boundaries as well developing the network to improve safety, accessibility, and ease congestion. In addition it has to accommodate works by utility companies. To help make our communities… Read More…

Is your child’s car seat safe?

Is your child’s car seat safe?

Road safety officers at Bath & North East Somerset Council are working in partnership for the tenth year running to help people make sure they have the right child car seats to transport babies and children. Car Seat Smarter in Bath on 18 September will see officers team up with Child Car Seat Safety, Avon… Read More…

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