Newcastle born poet Linda France visited City Library as part of an author event to discuss her new book of poetry You are her. Linda describes her latest collection of poetry as exploring ‘themes of location and disorientation, investigating the possibility of the transformation of suffering.’ Linda teaches at Newcastle University and lives near Corbridge in Northumberland. She spoke to us below before her event.
Meet writer and illustrator Simon Bartram, author of the Bob the Astronaut books Man on the Moon: a day in the life of Bob and Bob’s best ever friend. Bob goes about his work on the moon and patiently explains to tourists that aliens really don’t exist. Or do they?
Jesmond Library: Tuesday 17 August from 11am – 12noon
Walker Library: Tuesday 17 August from 2pm – 3pm
High Heaton Library: 19 August from 11am – 12noon
East End Library: Thursday 19 August from 2pm – 3pm
Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Places are limited so make sure you book your free place early by calling the relevant branch below!
Jesmond Library – 0191 2784215
Walker Library – 0191 2784225
High Heaton Library – 0191 2774233
East End Library – 0191 2788400
The events are funded by their respective ward committees for families in those communities. Part of the Space Hop Summer Reading Challenge.
Children’s author and illustrator Ann Sharples visited City Library to run a workshop based around the characters in her fantasy adventure book, Violet Jelly. You can listen to Ann talk about her work in the podcast below. Ann would also like you to send her your own stories and illustrations so she can display them in the gallery on her website. She would love to hear from fans of her work and will gladly answer any enquiries about illustrating or writing children’s books via her email address info@annsharples.com.
Enter the fantasy world of Beast Quest with its strange monsters and adventurous heroes. Do you like writing stories or would like to give it a go? Come along and join this creative writing workshop and have fun putting your ideas on paper!
Tuesday 3 August from 2pm – 3pm on level 3 of the City Library.
The workshop is run by Explore Learning. The event is free and suitable for children aged 8 – 12. Booking is required – please phone 0191 2774100 or email information@newcastle.gov.uk.
Join Jack and Daniel as they take you on a wild ride through the comic book universe – giving you all the tools you need to make your very own science fiction or space themed comic strip.
Create awesome aliens, marvellous monsters and peculiar planets – then put them into your own great stories to show off to all your friends!
You’ll also get the chance to ask these two local comic creators questions about how to self publish your own stories. There are free events at branches across the city:
High Heaton Library – Friday 13 August from 10am – 12noon
Jesmond Library – Friday 13 August from 2pm – 4pm
Walker Library – Friday 20 August from 2pm – 4pm
East End Library - Thursday 26 August from 2pm – 4pm
Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Suitable for beginners or experts up to 18 years old. Places are limited so make sure you book quickly! Book your free place by contacting the appropriate library:
East End – 0191 2788400
High Heaton – 0191 2774233
Jesmond – 0191 2784215
Walker – 0191 2784225
The events are funded by their respective ward committees for families living in those communities.
Are you an information and guidance (IAG) provider? Would you like to promote your services to new audiences? Could you use high quality meeting space in Newcastle’s multi-award winning City Library?
The Agencies Space is a free venue for IAG providers, offering:
With daily visitors exceeding 3,000 use of this space will offer you the opportunity to meet existing and new clients and promote your services in one of Newcastle’s best venues.Space for most public information providers is free. For further details contact us on 0191 2774100 or email room.bookings@newcastle.gov.uk
Friendly new weekly Scrabble club for adults of all abilities (beginners very welcome) on Tuesdays starting on 17 August at 11am – 12:30pm. From September 2010 the club’s meetings will take place on a Tuesday from 1.45pm – 3pm.
Join us for refreshments and Scrabble in the coffee bar at Moorside Library. The sessions include a 15 minute master-class on how to improve your game.
For more information contact Moorside Library on 0191 2774288 or email information@newcastle.gov.uk.
It was mixed emotions all round when the Little Owls of Outer West had their final storytime and party before the summer break. Everyone enjoyed the songs, stories, good company and, of course, food! But it was very much the end of an era as several of the children have ‘graduated’ to nursery or playgroup and will not be attending again in the autumn.
Everyone was grateful to Nicola Dickinson who runs the group and has been involved not only with these children but with older and brothers and sisters and so has become almost a ‘friend of the family’ to some.
All the children received ‘graduation’ certificates and know they are welcome to continue to visit the library and choose books, DVDs or use the internet.
Little Owls storytime runs every Monday morning in term time from 10.30am. We look forward to just as much fun with the class of 2010. Phone Outer West library on 0191 2772790 to book a place at the next session.
The Space Hop Summer Reading Challenge will launch at East End Library this weekend. Are you up to the challenge of your space mission? Make monster masks and come face to face with Dr Who’s oldest and deadliest enemy – a dalek!
Saturday 24 July from, 1pm – 4pm.
Suitable for 5-12 year olds. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. No need to book.
Tyne Sound News (TSN) is a registered charity whose volunteers aim to produce high quality regular recordings of local news, entertainment, extracts from The Northumbrian magazine and occasional books. They are available free of charge or postage to anyone worldwide who suffers from failing eyesight.
TSN has recently recorded on CD and tape an edited version of ‘Armstrong’s River Empire’ written by Dick Keys and Ken Smith and published by Tyne Bridge Publishing. This is the exciting history of Newcastle’s Elswick and Low Walker shipyards and the icebreakers, train ferries, and warships that steamed from the Tyne to all parts of the world from the 1850s until after World War Two.
In recognition of the co-operation extended to it by the authors and publishers, TSN is happy to offer a CD or tape of to anyone, anywhere without payment of any sort. This offer will remain open until 31 December 2010. Contact tynesoundnews@btconnect.com for details.
In July and August the carpets in City Library will be cleaned. We’ve planned the work carefully to cause the least amount of disruption possible. Some areas might be closed for a few minutes in the morning while the carpets dry. Please ask us to help if there is anything you can’t easily get to yourself.
Week beginning 26 July: Local Studies
Week beginning 2 August: Level 4, computers and Book Gallery
Week beginning 16 August: Level 1, non fiction books, newspapers and quiet study area
The Stewart & Co. 100 seater cafe is on level 2 of the City Library and has an extensive menu of freshly made sandwiches, hot lunches, snacks and hand made cakes. They do a full English breakfast and have regular specials which are handmade on the premises. Where possible all ingredients are locally sourced and the café’s specially blended teas and coffees are Fairtrade certified.
Cafe founder Mark Stewart spoke to David Fay, City Libraries Manager, and you can listen to their conversation below.
Take one giant leap into libraries for Charlie’s Space Hop magic show at a library near you. There’s fun for all the family with Charlie the Magician to kick-start this years Summer Reading Challenge. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.
Jesmond Library – Friday 30 July, 2:30 – 3:30pm
East End Library – Wednesday 4 August, 2:30 – 3:30pm
High Heaton Library – Thursday 5 August. 2:30 – 3:30pm
To book you free place phone 0191 2774100 or email information@newcastle.gov.uk.
The events are funded by ward committees for families in those communities above.
Do you want to start up a business or would you like to get company advice on business markets? Then come along to City Library where you can to access a range of online business subscriptions including Cobra for business start up information, Corporate Researcher and Thompson Business Pro, all for free! (We also have Which? Online for consumer information).
All you need is to be a member of Newcastle Libraries. You can also check out our business factsheets online.
Do you want to try online dating but are unsure where to start?
Come along to this free internet taster session on Thursday 29 July from 5:30pm – 7:00pm and choose a dating site, create a profile and learn about personal safety.
To book please call 0191 277 4100 or email information@newcastle.gov.uk
