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October 2024

Discover new authors, and cosy up with a good book this autumn

Visit your local library and check out these must-reads today! Happy reading! 📖

Counting Miracles, Nicholas Sparks  |  A Tide of Black Steel, Anthony Ryan | The Secrets of Blythswood Square, Sara Sheridan | Entitlement, Rumaan Alam | The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, James McBride | Intermezzo, Sally Rooney | Held, Anne Michaels | Here One Moment, Liane Moriarty | The Other Princess, Denny S. Bryce.

HALF-TERM ACTIVITIES

We have a fantastic line-up of activities this half-term to keep your little ones entertained! Join us for interactive dance, puppet-making, and Dogs Trust workshops, along with LEGO, crafts, and an autumn-themed picture hunt in all our libraries! 📚💃🐕🍂

Special Events:

Interactive Dance Performance: Join Bud and Buddy Delight for a free performance for ages 0-4! Watch as they wake from hibernation to explore a magical world and invite children to dance along. Sign up at the library and take home a free copy of The Delights storybook!  Performance Times: 10.15am & 1.15pm (Approx. 40 minutes).

• Bulwell Riverside Library: Friday 25 & Monday 28 October
• Hyson Green Library: Wednesday 23 & Thursday 24 October
• St Ann’s Valley Library: Tuesday 29 & Thursday 31 October
• Strelley Road Library: Wednesday 30 October & Friday 1 November

Dogs Trust Workshop: Join Alison from Dogs Trust for a fun workshop for children aged 7-11! Kids will learn about dogs and how to be their best friend.

• Clifton Library: Wednesday 30 October
• Nottingham Central Library: Thursday 31 October
• Southglade Park Library: Monday 28 October
• Wollaton Library: Friday 25 October

Time: All sessions from 11am to 12pm

Book your free place by emailing [email protected]. Note: No real dogs will attend.

LEGO and Craft Sessions: Unleash your creativity with hands-on LEGO and craft fun across all libraries!

Bonfire Crafts at Nottingham Central Library on Fri, 1 November from 10am to 12pm and Dales Centre Library from 11am to 1pm.

Spooky Crafts at Dales Centre Library on Fri, 25 October from 11am to 1pm.

Immersive Room Games: Experience our Immersive Room with fantastic games for ages 5+. Tuesdays, 22 & 29 October from 2pm to 4pm.

Spooky Totstime: Bring your little ones for Halloween-themed fun with stories, songs, and playful scares! Costumes encouraged for ages 0-4.
Nottingham Central Library on Thu, 31 October from 10.30am to 11am.

Don’t miss out on all the fun - bring your kids along for a week full of creativity and adventure!

The Delights

REGULAR EVENTS IN OUR LIBRARIES

📚 Ongoing Fun for All Ages at the Library! 

Our libraries offer a variety of regular activities for both children and adults. From storytime and craft sessions for little ones to book clubs, creative workshops and groups for adults, there's something for everyone!

Whether you're looking to learn, create, or simply relax, join us for engaging events that bring the community together.

Check with your local library for times and details!

Saffron Science Club

🔬Free science sessions are held monthly at The Meadows Libraries by trained professors! These fun, family-friendly sessions offer hands-on, practical science lessons 🧪🔍.

Drop on in to The Meadows Library, Saturday 19 October, 11am to 12pm.

This month’s topic: Gyrocopters and how they operate!

GREEN LIBRARIES WEEK

7-13 October is Green Libraries Week!

St Ann's Valley Library is running a Swap Shop in support of Green Libraries Week 2024, which focuses on climate and sustainability. 

During this week you can give any of your unwanted items in good, clean condition to a new home in the community and take away something you need in exchange.

St Anns' Valley Library, October 7 - 13 (during opening hours).

CENTRAL PRESENTS...

Enjoy a range of events including talks, performances, workshops and interactive sessions at the Nottingham Central Library.  Take a look at what is coming up!

‘AND THEN THERE WERE SOME’ – The Agatha Christie appreciation group

Join this informal Agatha Christie appreciation group and meet likeminded people discussing her books, film and TV adaptations, podcasts and more. This group meets quarterly from October 2024.

Next meeting Tuesday 15 October, 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

CRIME AND A CUPPA: Interactive True Crime Talks

Join the Crime and a Cuppa team as they hear captivating tales of true crime, with transcripts performed by local actors, and discuss the twists and turns of the case.

This month’s session covers the Yorkshire Ripper Hoaxer: John Humble on Saturday 12 October, 10am to 12.30pm.

RECLAIM THE NIGHT x Central Library

All day exhibition and special late night for marchers.

In support of the 2024 Reclaim the Night march for women's safety, Nottingham Central Library's Local History department presents a collection of photos, articles, and stories showcasing women's activism in Nottingham.

Drop by during the day to explore key moments in our city’s fight for women’s equality, from victories to struggles. 

Special Late Opening for Marchers: Join us in the evening for extended hours with teas and coffees.

Saturday 19 October, 9am to 4pm & 4.30pm to 7pm.

FUTURE MAKERS – Robotics and Emerging Technology

Join us for a unique opportunity to engage with scientists from the University of Nottingham and local robotics enthusiasts showcasing their work in cutting-edge technology. Highlights include:

• Meet Matilda, the famous House Robot from Robot Wars
• Pilot robots in the pop-up arena
• Enjoy crafting activities, workshops, demonstrations, and more!

Wednesday 23 October, 11am to 3pm at Nottingham Central Library

SOUND AT CENTRAL x Queer up Duck Festival

Join Nottingham Central Library for their late night cabaret, Sound at Central, with October’s partner, the brand new 'Queer Up Duck Festival'!

The evening will be hosted by Nottingham legend, Liv ,as she sets the scene for a flurry of local and far flung artists who represent the LGBTQ+ spectrum. We’ve got poetry from award-winning Laurie Bolger, music from Nottingham based bexx and more artists to be announced soon.

Friday 25 October, 7pm to 11pm 

ROUTE AI: Human-AI Decision-making

ROUTE AI are inviting participants (18+) to help the ROUTE AI team explore how humans and AI can collaborate to make decisions in real-world scenarios.

Your insights will contribute to important research on how AI might impact the attribution of legal responsibility in decision-making. 

Saturday 12 and Fridays 18 and 25 October
Sessions: 10am to 12pm, 12pm to 2pm and 2pm to 4pm.

NOTTINGHAM MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEKS

We’re hosting a number of events across libraries during Nottingham Mental Health Awareness Weeks (MHAW) 7-18 October.

Events are at Nottingham Central Library unless otherwise indicated.

• The Launch: marketplace of mental health and wellbeing services
• Talk: How men and women cope with stress differently
• Meet the counsellor: your questions answered by Relate Nottinghamshire
• Creative Calm craft workshop
• Ruby’s Worry: a special MHAW Storytime
• Autumnal Crafts with the Wolfpack Project
• Mindful crafts:  family fun with playdough and colouring (Dales Centre Library)
• Drop-ins with NHS Nottingham Talking Therapies (Hyson Green Library, Strelley Road Library and Wollaton Library).

LOCAL STUDIES WEEKLY JIGSAW

Have you tried our jigsaws?

The Local Studies team frequently uses images from our collections to create online jigsaw puzzles. Since starting in 2021, over 8,000 people have played, proving just how popular they are.

One of the most played features a man dressed as a cake, celebrating the 1953 Coronation!

You can enjoy the puzzles as they are or increase the challenge by adjusting the number of pieces.

You’ll also find a link to our Jigsaw Planet page, where more than 100 jigsaws (and counting) are available to solve. We regularly update the selection with new puzzles based on topical themes, such as Goose Fair, Remembrance Day, and National Cinema Day. In addition to photographs, you'll also find images like vintage advertisements, greeting cards, and invitations.

Hong Kong Experience Celebration Event

Come along to the Hong Kong Experience celebration event to find out more about the project which is led by Nottingham University and supported by Nottingham City Libraries, Child Friendly Nottingham, Visit Nottinghamshire and others.

Enjoy drop-in workshops, tastings, and tons of fun activities for the whole family!

Nottingham Central Library, Friday 25 October, 2pm to 5pm.

The Hong Kong Experience project: My Nottingham Exhibition

This exhibition celebrates the experiences and memories of new Hong Kong immigrant families.  It also showcases children's artwork that beautifully expresses theses journeys.

Other Events in October

• Rachel Carter artist in residence workshops: https://www.nottinghamcitylibraries.co.uk/speak-her-name-workshops/
• Yoga: https://www.nottinghamcitylibraries.co.uk/pop-up-yoga/
• Wargaming: https://www.nottinghamcitylibraries.co.uk/tabletop-wargaming-at-central/

See our website for more details and other events.

Data Migration Notice

Nottingham City Libraries is undergoing a data migration process at the end of October to enhance its services and improve user experience. For more information about this transition and how it will affect services, please visit our website.

Data Migration Notice | Nottingham City Libraries