News & Events

Reading Children's Festival

Reading Libraries are holding the following events as part of the Children's Festival - all events are free!

Saturday 19th May

Reading Central Library
Getting Reading Reading, the local branch of the Federation of Children's Book Groups will be running a Creative Writing Workshop for children 8 to 13 years old. Drop in between 12.00 and 4.00pm

Saturday 2nd June

Palmer Park Library
Make a Mask - a craft session for children (younger children will need parental help). Drop in between 9.30 and 1.00pm.

Thursday 7th June

Caversham Library
Crowns & Corgis - a right royal craft session for children 2.15 - 3.15pm

Southcote Library
Badges & Spinning Tops - a craft session for children 6 - 10 years old. 10.30 - 11.30am - booking essential, please call 0118 9015109

Friday 8th June

Reading Central Library
Space pictures & bookmarks - a craft session for children aged 6 and over 10.30 - 11.30am

Whitley Library
Bird Gliders - a craft session for children aged up to 8. Booking essential, please call 0118 9015115

Tilehurst Library
Tissue paper flowers - a craft session for children aged up to 12. 3.00 - 4.00pm

Battle Library
Dinosaur Roar! A craft session for children aged 6-9 years old. 1.30 - 3.30pm

Reading Libraries Events Calendar

Use our events calendar to find out what is going on in your local library.

You can find different types of events by using the drop down menu and even add them to your own Google calendar!

Local Author Day

Reading Libraries are delighted to be showcasing three local authors who will be talking about their writing.

Annie Murray hit The Times bestseller list with Birmingham Rose when it was published in 1995. She has subsequently written many other successful novels. Annie will be talking about her writing including her latest book My Daughter, My Mother.

Tom Fort’s latest book The A303: Highway to the Sun is published this month. Part travel guide, part history book, it offers a fascinating insight into the history of one the essential routes of English motoring.

Chris Rhodes is based in Caversham. His debut novel, University Shambles, a bitingly accurate observational satire based at the newly fledged Evergreen Epstein University, has been described as “very David Lodge”.

Location: Reading Central Library
Date: Saturday 19 May
Time: 2pm - 4pm
Tickets: Free Event, Ticket Required

For tickets email info@readinglibraries.org.uk, phone 0118 901 5950 or collect from Reading Central Library.

A Visitor’s Guide to the Ancient Olympics by Neil Faulkner

What was it like to attend the Olympics in 388 B.C.? This guide offers readers an unparalleled opportunity to travel in time, back to the excitement of ancient Olympia exactly as athletes and spectators found it. It invites us to enter this distant, alien, but still familiar culture and discover what the Greeks did and didn’t do during five thrilling days in August 2,400 years ago. 

Neil Faulkner is a research fellow at the University of Bristol, fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and codirector of several field projects.

Location: Battle Library, Oxford Road
Date: Thursday 7 June
Time: 7pm start
Tickets: £3/2 to library members

For tickets email libraryevents@reading.gov.uk, phone 0118 901 5950 or collect from Reading Central Library or Battle Library.

Coffee mornings at Reading Central Library

Come and hear fun and lively speakers, meet new friends, enjoy a coffee and have a chat - all free at Reading Central Library.

Tutts Clump cider

Tim Wale from Tutts Clump in Bradfield will be talking about his Cider which he produces from apples and pears originating from West Berkshire and nearby counties.

Date : Monday 21st May 2012
Time : 10.30-11.30am

Reading Volunteers in the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939


A talk by Mike Cooper who is a local historian and co-author of ‘We cannot park on both sides’ the story of the people of Reading who worked, fought and died in Spain in the late 1930s

Date: Monday 18th June 2012
Time: 10.30 - 11.30am

Everyone is very welcome to join us at this free event.

Coffee mornings at Whitley Library

Come and hear fun and lively speakers, meet new friends, enjoy a coffee and have a chat - all free at Whitley Library. The next one:

A talk by the Royal Berkshire Medical Museum

Date : Tuesday 27th March 2012
Time : 10.30-12.00am

My life in Libraries- a talk by librarian Jacky

Date : Tuesday 24th April 2012
Time : 10.30-12.00am

A talk on Fire Safety by the Fire Service

Date : Tuesday 29th May 2012
Time : 10.30-12.00am

Whitley Estates with Margaret Simons

Date : Tuesday 26th June 2012
Time : 10.30-12.00am

All welcome at these free events!

JOIN THE LITTLE EXPLORERS BOOK CLUB CHALLENGE

WHAT IS IT?
The Little Explorers Book Club library challenge is for children aged 5 and under. You can join the Little Explorers Book Club at any Reading Borough Library but every child will need their own library card to take part.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
Children are issued with a collector's card which they have stamped every time they visit the library and borrow books.
When they have collected 6 stamps they receive a certificate and are entered into a monthly book token draw.
There are 10 new limited edition certificates to collect. Every child receives a book token when they complete the challenge.

COME TO OUR LAUNCH EVENT
We will be hosting a launch event for the Little Explorers Book Club library challenge on Tuesday 13th March at Battle Library. The event will take place in the childrens library between 2 and 3pm. There will be information about the challenge, stories and colouring. The illustrator for the Little Explorers Book Club library challenge, Cathy MacLennan, will be reading from her acclaimed picture book 'Monkey, Monkey, Monkey' and answering questions.
Contact Battle Library on 0118 9015100 for further information.

Battle Bookworms

This is a new after school club for children age 5 - 11 yrs. Come along and hear some stories and share with everyone what you're reading.

We'll meet every 1st, 2nd and 4th Friday of the month 3.45 - 4.15pm (Term time only)

Starts Friday 3rd February at Battle Library!

**Don't forget the Board Games club which meets on the 3rd Friday of the month**

Arts and Crafts for the under 5's

Come along and join us at Palmer Park Library!

We hold a monthly storytime and crafts session for under 5's on the 2nd Friday of every month - come and have fun, hear a story and be creative.

Time : 2.15-3pm

Dates :
Friday 9th March - Make a Sparkly Monster
Friday 13th April - Decorate an Easter Chick & Easter Egg Frieze to take home!
Friday 11th May - Make your own Diamond Jubilee crown
Friday 8th June - Make a Snappy Paper Folding Crocodile
Friday 13th July - Draw your own Treasure Hunt map
Friday 10th August - Make Pirate flags
Friday 14th September - TBC
Friday 12th October - TBC
Friday 9th November - TBC
Friday 14th DEcember - TBC

Coffee mornings at Palmer Park Library

Come and hear fun and lively speakers, meet new friends, enjoy a coffee and have a chat - all free at Palmer Park Library.

Coming up :

History Beneath our Feet

A fascinating talk by Colin Hennell on the life and finds of a metal detectorist

Thursday 15th March : 10-11am

Coffee and Mince Pies

Drop in for a festive coffee and mince pie between 9.30 and 12.30

Monday 10th December

All welcome at these free events!

Book Group at Palmer Park Library

Join our Book Group at Palmer Park Library

Come along and join our Book Group which meets at Palmer Park Library on the 4th Thursday of each month 10.30-11.30am.
Refreshments will be served and the group will choose what titles they want to read from a selection of Library Bestsellers.

The group will meet on:

Thursday 29th March 2012

Contact Palmer Park Library on 0118 9015106 or email info@readinglibraries.org.uk

Coffee and Crafts at Battle Library

Battle Library Coffee & Crafts

Every Tuesday 9.30 - 10.30am

Join us at Battle Library and enjoy a chat and a cup of coffee.

Bring your knitting, sewing, crochet, tapestry or exchange cookery and gardening tips.

Perhaps learn a new skill or share your skills and talents with others!

Rhymetimes & Storytimes

All the following events are free

Storytimes
Our libraries offer storytimes for the under-fives, where experienced members of staff will read to children and bring all sorts of characters and pictures to life! Sessions currently are :
Battle : Tuesday and Thursday 2:30-3.00
Caversham : Thursday 2.15-2.45
Palmer Park : Monday 2.15-2.45
Reading Central Library : Last Friday of the month 2.15-2.45
From the beginning of January 2012, storytime for the under 5s at Central will be on the last Friday of the month only, 2.15 – 3.00, and will include a simple craft activity.
Southcote : Thursday 2.15-2.45 (with rhymes)
Tilehurst : Thursday 2.30 - 3.00

Rhymetimes
Rhymetimes are fun sessions for babies, toddlers and their caregivers - come along and join in with nursery rhymes, action songs and much more. Sessions currently are :

Battle : Tuesday and Friday 10.30-11.00
Caversham** : Tuesday 10.15-10.45 and 11.15-11.45 and Wednesday 2.15-2.45
Palmer Park : Tuesday 10.00-10.30 and Friday 10.30-11.00
Reading Central : Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday all at 10.30-11.00
Southcote** : Friday 10.30-11.00
Tilehurst : Monday 9.30-10.00 & 10.45-11.15 & Friday 10.30- 11
Whitley : Tuesday 2.15-2.45 & Thursday 11.15 11.45

** The sessions at Caversham and Southcote libraries need to be booked in advance - please contact the library concerned to confirm your place.

Reading Central Library now has a limit to places available - click here for info.

Monthly Stories with Crafts sessions for the under 5s
Reading Central : Last Friday of the month at 2.15-3.00
Tilehurst Library : First Tuesday of the month at 9.30-10.30

Southcote Library also runs a Dads only rhymetime session - please contact the library for more information.