Plymouth celebrates National Libraries Day

It’s National Libraries Day on Saturday 6 February and we’re celebrating with a programme of free events to show off what’s on offer at your local library.

Gadget help, computer coding, family history and rhymetimes are just some of the activities taking place in libraries across the city.

North Prospect Library is hosting its first teddy bear sleepover on Friday 5 February. Meet at the library at 3.30pm for bedtime stories and to drop off your teddy. Pick them up again at rhymetime the next day (from 11am) and discover what they got up to in the library overnight.

Everyone attending a rhymetime on National Libraries Day will receive a free copy of Bookstart Bear’s Reading Adventure, an exciting new sticker book for the under-fives.

Libraries will be popping up all over the city, from The Stannary Court Pub in Plympton to 1st Stop on New George Street and people can pop in to join up, get a library card and sign up for free eBooks and downloadable magazines.

Our library service is also giving two lucky people the chance to win a Kindle Fire as part of the celebrations. Free books will be distributed throughout the city on the day – find the one with the golden ticket to win. Plus everyone who borrows something on the day, in a library or online will be entered into a prize draw.

The Central Library has been digging into its archives and put together displays of images and artefacts celebrating its history and visitors will be able to see the plans for the new Central Library, due to open in March. Library staff will be at the Armada Centre too from 1pm to 3pm, to show people the plans and answer questions.

Also in the Central Library will be an exhibition by students from the Plymouth College of Art. They spent a week at the library in November capturing the essence of the library so future generations can look back and see how a library was used in 2015. The resulting work, including photographs, and 3D sculptures will be on display in the library from Saturday 6 February until Thursday 17 March.

Councillor Jon Taylor, Cabinet Member for Community Services and Transformation, said “We’re encouraging everyone to visit their library on National Libraries Day and find out what it has to offer. If it’s been a while, you may be surprised. You can download eBooks and digital magazines. They run a range of regular activities from Chatterbooks reading groups and Code Clubs for children, to craft groups and basic IT sessions for adults. They also provide information on a huge range of topics from health to patenting your business idea.”

For full details of our activities see our National Libraries Day page.