Syston Town News » Library News

HEALTH CHECKS AT LOCAL LIBRARIES

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 04:05:39 +0000

Charnwood Borough Council and Leicestershire Libraries have joined forces to create a healthier and more active community.The Council’s Active Together Team will be conducting free health checks for adults at local libraries throughout the summer. The health checks will be carried out by a qualified fitness instructor. The health checks include, measuring weight, blood pressure, body fat percentage, body composition, basal metabolic rate, muscle mass and total body water percentage. They will take place at:

Date                    Venue            Time
8/7/10              Syston          1.30-4.00pm
12/7/10            Mountsorrel         2.00-5.00pm
13/7/10            East Goscote 2.00-5.00pm
15/7/10            Birstall   10.00am-1.00pm
10/8/10           Thurmaston         2.00-5.00pm
12/8/10          Syston          1.30-4.00pm
19/8/10          Birstall   10.00am-1.00pm
9/9/10            Syston          1.30-4.00pm
16/9/10         Birstall   10.00am-1.00pm
For more information about these sessions or other physical initiatives for adults aged 16+ in Charnwood, please contact the Active Together Team on 01509 632 535 or email active.together@charnwood.gov.uk.

Space Hop – Summer Reading challenge 2010

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 04:05:09 +0000

Children aged four to 12 years can go on an intergalactic adventure at their local library this summer. Space Hop is a fun and exciting reading challenge that will be taking place in all Leicestershire libraries, including mobile libraries, from 10th July to 11th September.
Sign up for the adventure and receive a FREE Space Hop membership card and fold-out poster. To complete the space mission and the reading challenge children will need to read six books and collect stickers to add to the poster. Everyone completing the reading challenge will receive a Space Hop certificate and other rewards.
Children under four can join in their own version of the reading challenge by visiting their local library and collecting stickers for a special Bookcrawl Space Hop certificate.
For more information about Space Hop call in at your local library or check out the website www.leics.gov.uk/spacehop
It’s free to join the library and there’s something for all the family to enjoy.

Monthly Cycling Rides

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:01:54 +0000

Syston Library £2 a session
Tea and coffee available afterwards.
Saturday 29th May at 11.00am
Saturday 5th June at 11.00am
Tuesday 27th July at 6.00pm
Monday 16th August at 2.00pm
Thursday 26th August at 2.00pm
For more information contact
Matt on 01509 632 535

Saturday Wriggly Readers at Syston Library

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:01:00 +0000

Babies, toddlers and their parents or carers are invited to go along to free story and rhyme sessions at Syston Library.
Starting on 5th June there will be stories, rhymes and books to share for Wriggly Readers aged up to four years and their adults every other Saturday at the new time of 10.00am until 10.30am.
This new bi-weekly Saturday Wriggly Readers is in addition to the very popular weekly session already being held at Syston Library every Monday morning from 10.00am to 10.30am. If you haven’t already discovered the pleasure of sharing books with your baby or toddler go along to Syston Library on Upper Church Street and find out more.
Leicestershire County Council’s Library Service works in partnership with health visitors to ensure all babies receive a Bookstart Bag containing free books for babies and information for parents. It’s never too soon to share books with babies and research has proved that children who develop a love of books from an early age start school with an advantage in both literacy and numeracy.?
All libraries have books for babies and young children. It’s free to join the library and no child is too young.
For more information about Wriggly Readers phone Syston Library on 0116 305 3500.

Libraries become more dyslexia-friendly

admin — Sat, 01 May 2010 04:01:09 +0000

Libraries across Leicestershire have signed up to a new set of guidelines designed to make them more dyslexia-friendly.
Over the next few months, staff are being trained to ensure they understand the basic issues facing people with dyslexia.
Most of the checklist has already been adopted by county libraries and includes offering easy-to-read and audio materials, working with dyslexia groups and making reasonable adjustments.
This follows a national project, led by the Society of Chief Librarians, aimed at making libraries better equipped to help people affected by dyslexia.
Around 10% of the population are dyslexic to some extent and at least 4% are seriously affected, including about 375,000 children. People with dyslexia are often successful at reading and writing but they may need reasonable adjustments to be made to give them additional help.
The final part of the project has been developed in co-operation with NIACE, with grant funding from the JJ Charitable Trust, to provide on-line training for all library staff.

Try Something New at Syston Library

admin — Sat, 01 May 2010 04:01:00 +0000

Leicestershire Library Services is celebrating Adult Learners’ Week from 15th to 21st May by giving adults an opportunity to try something new.Adult Learners’ Week, now in its 19th year, is a national campaign encouraging people who might not have thought about learning to give it a go either for enjoyment or to gain new computer online skills. Learning as an adult can be fun and is a great way of meeting new people with shared interests. Syston Library will be running a Family History on the web taster session for people just starting to research their family tree on Friday 21st May 10.00am until 12noon. Places are limited, to book your free place contact Syston Library on 0116 305 3500.
To find out more visit a Leicestershire library or the library service’s website during Adult Learners’ Week, www.leics.gov.uk/adultlearnersweek

New Self-service Kiosk at Syston Library

admin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 04:08:35 +0000

Self-service machines were launched at Syston Library on 8th March to enable people to borrow and return books, CDs and DVDs quickly and easily.
Our pictures show the kiosk and users were finding it easy to use after a brief instruction by a member of staff. The kiosk has a touch screen with a home screen which has large buttons for users to select whether they are borrowing or returning items including books, DVDs and music CDs. To return an item the user needs to scan their card in the slot located just below the screen then place the item(s) on the shelf below the screen the machine then scans the items and asks if a receipt is require, then the items can be placed on a trolley to the side of the kiosk. When borrowing items the process is similar in that you scan your card then place items on the shelf where they are scanned and listed against the library card details given.
The library has also undergone a change of layout which gives it a fresh, light and spacious feel. Desks have been placed under the windows to allow users to sit and read using natural light. It also has freed up space in the Children’s area which will help with the wiggly reader sessions.
The staff said that it is much better as they can see around the library more easily and are freed up to by the self-service kiosk to help users with their enquiries. They have also been able to put in a welcoming seated area near the entrance of the library.
Features at Syston Library include: self-service machines, an extensive range of books, DVDs and music CDs and newspapers, comfortable seating, with special areas for children, free use of computers and internet access. Regular activities include, wiggly reader sessions for families and young children, chatter books reading groups for children and reading groups for adults.

Gardeners bring spring to life in Leicestershire libraries

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:02:39 +0000

Top gardeners will visit Leicestershire Libraries in March to celebrate the end of winter and the advent of spring.
Nick Hamilton (Barnsdale Gardens), Derek Cox (from Radio Leicester’s Down to Earth), Graham Pavey and Andrew Mikolajski are well known names around the East Midlands and will be bringing their expertise to various county libraries during the month.
The talks are:
Derek Cox: Vegetables in Containers.
Syston Library: Tuesday 30th March, 7.00pm-9.00pm
Nick Hamilton: Spring into Spring – Plants to give Spring Interest
Melton Library: Wednesday 31st March, 6.30pm-7.30pm
Andrew Mikolajski (Lecturer at Warwickshire College):
Fruit & Vegetables in Containers.
Braunstone Town Library: Monday 22nd March, 6.00pm -7.00pm.
Graham Pavey (Lecturer for the RHS):
Low Maintenance Gardening.
Mountsorrel Library: Monday 29th March 7.00pm -8.00pm.
Tickets for all events will be £2 and can be obtained from the library concerned. Places may be limited, so early booking is recommended.
Development librarian John Martin said : “The events will encourage people to get out into their gardens and put the winter weather behind them.”
For those unable to attend an event, Leicestershire Libraries can still help.
All libraries have a good selection of gardening books for you to borrow and there is more information at www.leics.gov.uk/focusongardening
For further information please contact Development Librarian John Martin john.martin@leics.gov.uk or 0116 305 3813

Learning about Local Heritage

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:01:54 +0000

Gargoyles and war memorials are among the topics to be discussed at a heritage conference being held on Saturday 24th April at Broughton Astley Village Hall, Station Road, Broughton Astley.
Organised by Leicestershire County Council’s (LCC) Historic and Natural Environment Team, the conference is aimed at Archaeology, Heritage and Tree Wardens as well as members of natural history or heritage groups, or anyone interested in countryside or heritage studies.
Jon Stokes from the Tree Council will explore the historic and cultural importance of trees and their role in shaping modern Britain. There will be a look at the Iron Age in Leicestershire in light of new work that has been done in this area with Leicestershire County Council’s Community Archaeologist Peter Liddle and an opportunity to hear about pre and post enclosure farmhouses in Leicestershire from historic buildings consultant David Smith.
There will also be updates on the progress of LCC’s two recording projects, gargoyles and war memorials.
The work of volunteer Archaeology, Heritage and Tree Wardens will be highlighted with an opportunity to hear about individual projects and activities being undertaken in local parishes.
Displays and literature will offer attendees plenty of ideas on how they can begin their own countryside and heritage studies. The conference aims to encourage more people to get involved in celebrating and recording our natural heritage.
Whilst the day is free, booking is essential as places are limited. To find out more please contact Leicestershire County Council, Holly Hayes Environment and Heritage Resource Centre, 216 Birstall Road, Birstall, Leicestershire, LE4 4DG, telephone (0116) 267 0003/0004 or email wildlife@leics.gov.uk

Good books are closer than you think

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:01:44 +0000

If you love to read good books, enjoy listening to CDs and watching DVDs but you are too far away from a static library, why not wait for the Mobile Library Service to come to a road near you?
There are six mobile libraries travelling to communities across the whole of Leicestershire, especially to rural areas, so you can take advantage of the many library books and materials available to you.
Managed by the Leicestershire Library Service, the mobile libraries visit communities every two weeks. To find out about the routes covered in Leicestershire and the times the mobile library runs, visit www.leics.gov.uk/mobilelibrary to plan your visit.
Find out more about the mobile library service by visiting your local library, call 0116 305 6988, email libraries@leics.gov.uk or visit www.leics.gov.uk/mobilelibrary.
Perhaps you are housebound and cannot visit a mobile? The Home Library Service is for people who may be too frail, have an illness or had an accident that affects your mobility. The service is subject to availability of volunteers in your specific area, please contact the Library Service on 0116 305 6988 for details.
The free home delivery service is run by registered library volunteers who visit the homes of housebound people of any age. Volunteers will visit you to discuss your choice of books or music before bringing them to you in the comfort of your own home. Friends or relatives can also collect books and other items on your behalf.
You can hire up to 24 books for free, or 12 CDs at any time for a small hire charge from a mobile or through the home library service.
For further information about the home library service, contact your local library on 0116 305 6988, email libraries@leics.gov.uk or visit www.leics.gov.uk/homelibraryservice