Thwarted!

Here's how Fate can play hob with the best laid plans of library events...

Justine at Wardle Library arranged for some firemen to come to the library to give a talk about fire safety and a tour of a fire engine. She was warned beforehand that it's a working engine so there's always the danger of an emergency call-out but it should be OK...

• The engine was late coming to the library: they were on their way well in good time when they got a call-out to an emergency (it zoomed past Zillah, one of our Community Librarians, as she was driving in from the Wheatsheaf Library).


• Next time they came they got as far as the top of Birch Road, within sight of the library, when they got another call-out and had to turn round and rush off.


• The third time they managed to park the engine in the car park and unload the goodies and fire safety information before they had to rush off to yet another emergency.

Obviously one of those days!

The children who came to the event got some fire brigade goodies, a pile of stories from Zillah, and a wave from the departing firemen. All of which is pretty neat, but not as much fun as getting to have a close look at a fire engine, so Justine's going to try and reschedule the event some time when there's not so many bonfires and fireworks and stuff.

Thanks to everyone who turned up and participated in the event. And thanks to the firemen for trying their best, we appreciate they're a busy emergency service and we're grateful for their help with events.

(Besides, it gives Justine the opportunity to chat up some firemen! )

Authors of the Month

We've just updated the "Authors of the Month" feature on our Web Catalogue. This is a list of the authors featured in some of our libraries, click on any entry in the list and you'll see which of their books with got in our libraries. If you then click on any particular title you'll see which libraries have copies and whether or not any are available.

If you're a member of our libraries and have your barcode and PIN to hand you can reserve a copy to be picked up at your nearest convenient library. This is a free service to our customers. If you don't have a PIN, next time you call into the library please ask for one to be set up for you.

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Not all of our libraries run "Author of the Month" features. Some prefer to run features celebrating particular genres or subject areas. Others prefer to run features that cut across genres and collections, including both fiction and non-fiction. These last can be particularly difficult to turn into searches that can be build into the Catalogue, the Love Stories list in "Themed Reads" being one of the few examples we've done so far. (As its name suggests, it's also the easiest!) Every so often we'll include one of these wider-ranging features in the Blog o'Reading.

What Makes You Happy

Littleborough Poetry Group is having a workshop for children called "What Makes You Happy" at Littleborough Library from 2.30pm — 3.30pm on Monday 29th October.

The workshop's suitable for children aged 7 or over.

If you're interested, please ring the library — (01706) 378219 — to reserve a place.

Heywood and Wheatsheaf Libraries — temporary closures

The Wheatsheaf Library will be closed for re-carpeting from Wednesday 7th November 2007 for approximately 3 weeks.

Books and other items on loan can be returned to the Special Services unit which is situated opposite the main Library entrance in the Wheatsheaf Centre.

Heywood Library will be closed from Monday 12th November 2007 for approximately six months for extensive refurbishment works.

Some of the stock from Heywood Library, notably Best sellers and Graphic Novels, are being temporarily transferred to Darnhill Library, which will have a temporary extension to its opening hours.:

Darnhill Library opening hours from 12th November 2007:

Monday	9.30-1	2-7.30pm
Tuesday	9.30-1	2-5.30pm
Wednesday	9.30-12.30pm
Thursday	9.30-1	2-5.30pm
Friday	9.30-1	2-5.30pm
Saturday	9.30-1	2-4pm

Your custom is still welcome!

Items issued at Heywood and the Wheatsheaf in the run up to the closures have extended loan periods so that they are not due back until the libraries are expected to re-open. Fines are not incurred on days when libraries are closed.

Borrowers from Heywood and the Wheatsheaf Libraries are welcome in all libraries in the Borough. Your barcoded library card lets you borrow or reserve items from any of our libraries.

We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience.

Masquerade!

Half term week
Monday 29th October to Saturday 3rd November

Make a mask at your local library

What’s available?
Here’s a clue!
Witch pumpkin the cat make the wolf owl with?

Call in any time during usual library hours

Pure Passion: Christina Jones

Award-winning romantic comedy author Christina Jones is coming to Castleton Library on Wednesday 14th Nov as part of Time To Read's Pure Passion promotion.

She is currently leading the voting as the favourite romantic author with her latest novel ‘Love Potions.’ You can cast your vote online by clicking on the Pure Passion logo above.

Admission is free. Everyone is welcome!

"Pure Passion" titles in our libraries.

NewsBank

We're adding to our portfolio of online reference resources.

The latest addition is NewsBank, which includes full-text information; hot topics and special reports using newspapers from both the UK and around the world. This provides support to students and researchers needing information about current affairs.

You'll need your library barcode to log onto this site. Joining the library is free: call in at any of our libraries to join (and if you've joined one, you've joined 'em all).

Books on Prescription

We've been working with Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Primary Care Trust to set up a "Books on Prescription" service to provide help for people with emotional or psychological problems including stress, eating disorders, depression and bereavement, to be launched next month.

"Books on Prescription" is a health scheme used successfully in other parts of the UK that we hope will come to be used by all GP surgeries in the Borough. It provides a collection of "self help" books that doctors and health professionals can prescribe to their patients to help as part of the recovery process. Once somebody's been given a prescription they can come to any of our libraries and we'll lend them a copy of that book. All loans on the "Books on Prescription" scheme will be confidential.

Items in the Books on Prescription Collection are only available via prescription, though there may be other copies of these titles available in the Adult Lending collections.

The scheme will be launched on Wednesday 7 November at the Manchester Golf Club in Middleton.

Co-operative history

The Rochdale area is famous for its historic links with the co-operative movement, including the Rochdale Pioneers and the formation of the Co-operative Wholesale Society.

We put a lot of material on the Co-operative Movement onto the old version of the Rochdale Council web site as part of our New Opportunities Fund funded digitisation project.

That material has now been successfully migrated to the Leisure Trust's Link4Life web site, which houses Rochdale's Local Studies pages.

The Local Studies Portal now includes a section providing detailed links to these pages as well as preset searches of the Library Catalogue for materials in the Co-operative Collection and the Local Studies collections and a selection of preset searches of the Newspaper Index.

The Co-operative Collection

Rochdale was the birthplace of the Co-operative Movement, and home of the Rochdale pioneers. The Wheatsheaf Library has a collection of material on the subject of co-operation.

The collection holds nearly 1,500 items, published from 1829 to date, relating to co-operation both in the UK and internationally. There are books; pamphlets; yearbooks; bound volumes of newscuttings; and also the weekly paper "Co-operative News." Material charts the birth of the Co-operative Movement in Rochdale and the history and development of co-operative societies around the world to the present day

A small number of the books may be available for loan for a short period, if there are duplicate copies. Otherwise, the material is available for use in the reference library only.

Branch library spotlight: Alkrington Library

Every so often we will feature one of our libraries or services in this blog to give you a bit more detail about what we're doing for our local communities. This time we've asked Alkrington Library to tell us a bit about themselves.

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Access information

The library is situated in the Mainway Shopping Precinct. There is a large free car park, including disabled parking bays close to the library entrance. The library is a single-storey building with ramped access and automatic outer doors.

People with limited mobility may require some assistance with the inner doors but staff are on hand to help.

Reading

In addition to a wide-range of non-fiction titles and popular authors, the library also offers frequently changing feature collections, introducing a greater choice and variety; “Author of the Month” displays; a “Quick Choice” selection for those in a hurry; books in large print; and a small selection of books on audio tape.

A varied selection of ex-library stock is always available at very reasonable prices. Pop in and pick up a bargain.

Please ask our friendly library staff for details about services for housebound customers and those with special needs.

Any title on the library catalogue can be reserved free of charge from the Web Catalogue, in person or over the phone.

A reading group meets in the library on Friday afternoons once a month to discuss a chosen book.

The library hosts occasional reading events throughout the year for both adults and young people.

Children and young people

The library has a spacious children’s area with plenty of room for homework and study. The book train, loaded with picture books is a favourite with the under 5s.

All ages, from tinies to teens are well catered for, starting with board books for babies and progressing through to full-length novels and information books for young readers of all ages. Story packs, offering a picture book and accompanying audio tape, can be borrowed free of charge. A special parent and carers’ collection offers a range of help and advice on topics related to the early years.

A popular under 5s’ storytime, which includes a simple craft activity, takes place every week during school term times. All young children and their parents and carers are welcome. Please ask staff for details.

Young library members wishing to use our free, filtered Internet access for fun, homework, word-processing and e-mails, can join the Young Surfers’ Club. Please ask staff for an application form.

Look out for free fun events throughout the school holidays, including the annual Summer Reading Game.

Local schools, nurseries and playgroups are very welcome to visit by prior arrangement.

Learning

In addition to a wide non-fiction stock, the library offers a small reference section.

There is free internet access, even if you are not a library member (although, of course, we would love you to join!) Colour printing is available at a small charge.

The library hosts occasional free computer-based events such as “Silver Surfer” sessions and help with family history on the web.

Community

The library has a good selection of leaflets detailing local events and places to visit, plus a community noticeboard.

A black and white photocopier is available for A4 and A3 copying.

A small display case contains items of local interest from Rochdale Museum Service.

Directions from the M62

• Leave the motorway at Junction 18 (M66).
• Take M66 towards Manchester/Middleton.
• At the end of the motorway turn right — the second exit on the roundabout onto a dual carriageway — use inside lane.
• Turn left at the second set of traffic lights (A6104) on to Victoria Avenue.
• After approx. 1 mile turn left – major traffic lights – towards Middleton.
• Take third turning on the right onto Mainway (dual carriageway). At the top of Mainway turn left then right onto a small shopping centre car park.
• The library is on the left of the shopping mall.
• For more information please contact the library directly.

Contact details

Alkrington Library
Kirkway
Middleton M24 1LW

Email: Alkrington.Library@Rochdale.gov.uk
Tel: 0161 643 7799

Opening times

Monday 9.30am-1pm, 2pm-7.30pm
Tuesday closed
Wednesday closed
Thursday 9.30am-1pm, 2pm-5.30pm
Friday 9.30am-1pm, 2pm-5.30pm
Saturday 9.30am-12.30pm

Building works update

Balderstone Library

It will take longer to complete the building work at Balderstone Library than was planned. We have had to extend the closed period to 22nd October.

Some loans will be due back during this period; we have set the circulation system so that closed days are not taken into consideration for fines and charges, so please do not worry about not being able to return items by these due dates. The Library Service would like to apologise to all customers for this unavoidable delay.


Smallbridge Library

Toilet facilities for disabled people are now being installed at Smallbridge Library. The work does not require the library's being closed but there may be some occasional disruption to the library in the process. The Library Service would like to apologise to all customers for any inconvenience.

Firemen at Wardle Library

Firemen from Rochdale Fire Service are coming to Wardle Library to give a fire safety talk and a tour of a fire engine.

Tuesday 30th October
2.30pm – 3.30pm

Places are limited so please telephone the library on 01706 377476 to book a place.

Big Wild Read

Ray Stearn is our Children's Services Manager. Amongst his many tasks is the co-ordination of and reporting back on the summer reading game. From his first look at the rough figures we have increased those starting The Big Wild Read by 18% and the figures for those finishing is up by 2%. (All the starters' cards aren't back in yet to double-check all the figures so we're not audit-proof yet.)

We had about 36% of the children finishing, which is below our target but getting nearly seventeen hundred children involved and reading something over the summer holidays isn't to be sniffed at.

Once the figures are confirmed he'll see how they relate to the promotional work we did at schools just before the holidays. It'll be useful to see if visiting a school to talk about the summer reading game leads to an increase in participation.

Elsewhere

Sixteen budding authors enjoyed a free short story workshop at Wheatsheaf Library in Rochdale on Saturday. Frode Grytten, one of Norway's most respected authors and Dinesh Allirajah a founder member of the North West writing group 'Asian Voices, Asian Lives' read some of their most popular work and shared their literary experiences.

The workshop dealt with different approaches to the "small town" story and provided a forum for debate on what makes a great story and enable participants to share Dinesh and Frode's wealth of writing experience.

A "simultaneous translation" reading was a particularly popular feature of the event. Frode read his story in the original Norwegian with an English translation scrolling on a screen behind him. This let the audiences experience the cadences of the original writing whilst still being able to follow the story.

Frode has published five short story collections, two children's books, a poetry collection and a travelogue. Dinesh has performed at venues all over Europe with his short story collection 'A Manner of Speaking' recently published by Spike Books. (More about the writers)

Eighteen people attended the readings of the results of the workshop, which were enthusiastically received.

Many thanks to everybody involved in the event.

National Poetry Day

Today's National Poetry Day, with this year's theme being dreams.

Do you have a favourite poem on this theme? Please use the "Comment" function on this blog to let us know about it. Rather despite myself my favourite poet remains the bard and tragedian William McGonagall but I'm blessed if I can recall any of his poems on this theme.

Anthologies of English poetry in our libraries.

Customer service award

Congratulations to Sharon Roddy who runs the Doorstep Library Service for housebound people. Sharon is one of the winners of Rochdale Council's awards for excellent customer service as part of National Customer Service Week.

Sharon accepted her award at the ceremony this lunchtime: a certificate and a rather nice clock.

Biggest Coffee Morning

Jennifer Harris tells us that Smithybridge Library's contribution to the World's Biggest Coffee Morning last weekend netted £176.50 for the MacMillan Nurses.

Many thanks to everyone who contributed something towards this.

Children's Book Week

It's Children's Book Week, the annual celebration of reading for pleasure organised by Booktrust. This year's theme is the environment, which follows on nicely from the Big Wild Read and complements other activities we've been involved in such as LEAF and the BBC's Breathing Places campaign.

If you or your children don't already have a favourite book or story about the environment, or if you want to try something new, our Big Wild Read and Little Wild Read lists might give you a few ideas.

Balderstone Library

Balderstone Library is closed from today for building work: toilet facilities for disabled people are being installed. The library will re-open on 15th October. We apologise for any inconvenience this will cause.

If you are a member of Balderstone Library you're a member of all the libraries in the Borough; your library card will let you borrow items from any of them. You can also use the Web Catalogue to browse our stock, reserve items and renew your loans.