East Riding Libraries are pleased to announce that they will be opening their doors for browsing from Monday, 10 August.
Each library has been working hard to put the systems in place to welcome customers back safely, supported by the government announcement that face coverings will be compulsory in libraries by that time.
East Riding Libraries and Customer Services are delighted to have reopened as lockdown restrictions have eased.
Since re-opening on Monday, 6 July, the teams have dealt with thousands of queries and book reservations, and just as many books returned. However, during the lockdown, the teams focused on the other main purpose of Libraries and Customer Services – the local community.
Since their launch last year, East Riding Libraries Cuppa and a Chorus group singing sessions have been a hit with residents across the area.
When libraries were forced to close due to lockdown, the team worked with choirmaster Mark Howley to bring the sing-along online, and have received amazing feedback.
Beverley Art Gallery in the Treasure House in Champney Road reopens on Monday 6 July. Visitors will be able to see the two exhibitions which had just opened as lockdown began in March.
‘Journey Into Abstraction’ is a retrospective exhibition of the contemporary British artist John Sprakes, whose career spans over 60 years of painting and shows.
Following the government announcement last week, East Riding of Yorkshire Council has issued updates about the first phase of the reopening of its libraries, mobile libraries, and Customer Service Centres.
To ensure the safety of customers and staff, the facilities will look very different to the service provided before lockdown. Social distancing guidelines and safety will guide the way in which these services will operate.
East Riding Libraries’ popular virtual book club, Face in a Book Club, has added many new titles.
In honour of the VE Day 75th anniversary, it will offer ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ by Heather Morris, the story of how Slovakian Jew Lale Sokolov fell in love with a girl he was tattooing at a concentration camp.
East Riding Libraries are encouraging families across the region to celebrate the bedtime story and reading together.
They want families to join them in this year’s Pyjamarama, an event organised by the BookTrust that takes place on Friday 1 May.
East Riding Libraries are offering free access to a new book for primary school children about the coronavirus and its effects and impacts.
Axel Scheffler, the illustrator of The Gruffalo and many other books, has illustrated the digital book, ‘Coronavirus: a book for children’, which is free for anyone to read on-screen or print out, about the coronavirus and the measures taken to control it.
From now until 19 July, young East Riding residents are being urged to keep calm and carry on reading, with the Big Spring Read-In.
The aim is to encourage children to read every week and submit online reviews. They will then receive certificates after they have submitted five, ten and 15 reviews.
East Riding Libraries customers can now access Find my Past and Ancestry.com FREE from home with their library card log in.
At normal times, this has only been possible using the computers in libraries, which are currently closed.
East Riding Libraries have launched a new virtual book group, Face in a Book Club, where customers can enjoy reading or listening to a selected Book, eBook or eAudiobook and share their views in a Facebook group.
East Riding Libraries are reminding people that EBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines are all available to download free for East Riding Library members, even though all East Riding Libraries and Customer Service Centres are now temporarily closed.
UK charity The Reading Agency and Libraries Connected are launching a new children’s mental health scheme as part of their national Reading Well programme.
All East Riding Libraries will be playing a key role in the new initiative, with financial support from the council’s Public Health team.
East Riding Libraries and Customer Services are now able to assist customers in the creation of Ordnance Survey maps.
These maps are suitable for a variety of uses including planning and building regulations applications.
East Riding Libraries will be celebrating Shakespeare Week 2020. Shakespeare Week takes place from the 16 to 22 March with Beverley Library planning fun events for children and families.
Beverley Library and also others across the East Riding will offer colouring masks of favourite Shakespeare characters.
Anybody whose New Year resolution was to try to save money should consider stopping paying for eBook, eAudiobook and eMagazine subscriptions, as they are all FREE at East Riding Libraries.
EBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines are all available to download free for East Riding Library members.
February half term will be fun at East Riding libraries with activities for younger children and their families.
Jungle Dance Storytimes will be a chance to find waltzing warthogs and rock n’ rolling rhinos. The Storytimes will feature ‘Giraffes can’t Dance’ with songs, stories and craft activities.
Limited numbers of tickets are still on sale for the ever-popular Harry Potter Book Night 2020 events in East Riding Libraries.
The event returns in February for an evening of games, crafts, and fun. There will be readings, the Sorting Hat ceremony, the Polyjuice Potion Game, and Ancient Runes Lessons!