Archive for February, 2012

29
Feb
2012

International Women’s Day events

On Thursday 8 March 2012, International Women’s Day will be celebrated around the world. Thousands of events will occur not just on this day but throughout the month to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.

This year’s theme is ‘Connecting girls, inspiring futures’ and we are holding the events below.

‘Sthree’
5 – 9 March, City Library (free)
Local artist Jayamini De Silva, will be exhibiting her work called ‘Sthree’ which replicates agony and ecstasy in life of women through her Asian style paintings (above).

Writing workshop with Helen Limon
8 March
10am – 12noon and 1pm – 4pm, City Library (free)
Local author Helen Limon will be visiting the library as our writer in residence to discuss your creative writing.  Helen has a PhD in creative Writing from Newcastle University where she teaches on the undergraduate program. Please bring along an example of prose of no more than 1000 words.

Coffee morning
8 March
10:30am – 12noon, Fenham Library
Pop along to Fenham Library to enjoy a cup of coffee and a chat.

Cake sale
8 March
11:30am – 2:30pm, West End Library
A cake sale has been organised by the Millin Centre who provide advice and encouragement to women who wish to start their own business. Visit the Millin Centre website.

Fenham, Gosforth, Moorside, Fawdon and East End Libraries will also host displays celebrating the acheivements of inspirational women from around the world. Find out more about International Women’s Day.

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28
Feb
2012

Dickens is for life, not just for Christmas…

010657:Sandgate Newcastle upon Tyne 1890

Children in Sandgate, Newcastle, 1890

City Library recently hosted an entertaining talk with Christopher Goulding from the Royal Grammar School to celebrate the bicentenary Charles Dickens’ birth. The talk outlined Dickens’ links with Newcastle, such as his performances at the Music Hall on Newson Street and his account of the aftermath of the Great Fire of Newcastle in 1854. If you missed the talk you can listen to Christopher Goulding talk about the Dickens legacy with Kerry Bossons from Newcastle Libraries.

Look out for the forthcoming exhibition on Charles Dickens and Victorian Newcastle which opens at City Library on 9 April.

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24
Feb
2012

ScienceFest your eyes on this!

Delve into the world of sleep science, optical illusions and taste tests at Newcastle ScienceFest in events across the city. At City Library we will be hosting two exhibitions and a day of fascinating talks covering subjects such as photoactive materials, science for the masses and the science behind language. All of our events are free. Visit the ScienceFest website.

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15
Feb
2012

Inspiration for young entrepreneurs

Grant Ridley, North East based ‘National Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011′, popped in to City Library recently to talk about his life so far in business, including his new project ‘Toonpreneur’. We also talked about the Business & IP Centre here at City Library and how that can help people starting out in business.

Listen to staff from the City Library’s information and digital team chat to Grant in the podcast below.

Find out more about Grant Ridley

Visit the Business and IP Centre Newcastle website

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9
Feb
2012

What we did on National Libraries Day!

Saturday 4 February was National Libraries Day and here in Newcastle we celebrated in style! At City Library the day began with a rousing performance from ‘Misspent Uke and Friends’ who played for a delighted audience who managed to escape the cold to tuck into tea, coffee and biscuits. At 1pm over twenty ‘little library lions’ sang songs, coloured pictures and made wonderful lion masks then later on in the afternoon more craft fanatics made valentines bookmarks and books to commemorate the day.


Author Matt Haig read from his brand new children’s book ‘To Be A Cat’ and talked to his audience about what it was like to be a writer. Throughout the day our digital champions were on hand to help customers with a huge range of computer and internet queries. We also had an exhibition on the history of the City Library and junior treasure hunters roamed the building searching for clues!

And don’t forget the branches! At Jesmond Library artist Bridget Jones unveiled the library’s reinstated stained glass panels that she originally designed over 20 years ago. Local residents and Councillors packed into the community room to celebrate with coffee and a specially commissioned cake. In the afternoon, local children took part in decorative glass workshops and created some fabulous pieces of original artwork.


At Moorside Library staff compiled a photographic display charting the changes that the library has undergone over the years, whilst on National Libraries Day itself local children made Chinese lanterns and every surface in the library was taken over with industrious folding, cutting and gluing! At Denton Burn, library visitors took part in collaborative story writing and created their very own work of fiction, whilst at Newburn Library a display of archive photographs evoked happy memories for local residents.

All in all it was a great day with a wonderful atmosphere and so many positive comments. A true celebration of all the varied things that happen across our city’s libraries and of what they mean to the people that use them!

For more photographs visit our Facebook page.

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