Books and reading
Libraries in Rochdale have a wealth of books for you to
enjoy. Whether it is sitting curled up in front of the fire
reading your favourite fiction book or using our vast array of
non-fiction to study, we are here to provide you with the
opportunity to encounter all aspects of reading.
If you love books and wish to share your experiences with other
people why not come along to one of our many reading groups that
are held in our libraries throughout the Rochdale borough. They are
informal gatherings, which meet on a regular basis to talk about
books of all genres and discuss their enthusiasm for reading.
Each group is different; some may take a light hearted approach to
reading while others are more highbrow and formal. There is
something for everyone!
We also have writing groups and poetry groups for those who
wish to branch out and participate in something a little more
diverse.
The National Year of Reading
2008 is The National Year of Reading, a celebration of words and
reading in every form: from novels to song lyrics, from poetry to
film scripts. As well as events in libraries and schools you can
get involved by joining in discussions, polls and challenges on the
National Year of Reading web site.
From April 2008 to December 2008 events and activities linked to
The National Year of Reading will have a monthly theme:
- April: Read all about it!
- May: Mind and body
- June: Reading escapes
- July: Rhythm and rhyme
- August: Read the game
- September: You are what you read
- October: Word of Mouth
- November: Screen reads
- December: Write the future
Look out for National Year of Reading events in a library near
you!
Take a
Reading Challenge!
Read Up — teenagers have your
say!
News from The
National Year of Reading
Meet the authors!
Everyone is welcome to come along and meet local author Pamela
Hill, who will be at the Wheatsheaf Library on Saturday 5 July 2008
between 2pm and 4pm to talk about her new novel "A Sense of
Belonging".
Pamela was born in Greater Manchester, the only daughter of a
fireman and seamstress, during the Second World War. Raised mainly
by her maternal grandfather, during her formative years, she showed
an early interest in literature but only began to write books
following her early retirement. Her second book, “Alison” is due to
be published later this year.
Spotland Library is hosting an evening evening in the company of
local author Shirley Wells from 7pm to 9pm on Wednesday 30 July
2008. Shirley will be talking about her Lancashire-based crime
novels featuring Jill Kennedy and DCI Max Trentham. Her latest novel “A Darker Side”, the second in the
trilogy, has just been published and is available to borrow from
your local library.
Web Catalogue: availability of copies of "A Darker Side"
in our libraries
Both events are free. More details of these events are available
from the Reader Development Librarian on 01706 924941.
Will you be ready for the Summer Reading Challenge?
This year's Summer Reading Challenge for children — "Team
Read" — starts on 1 July 2008. It is free to join: just call
in at your local library and pick up your Team Read pack. Read as
many books as you want over the summer but remember to let us
know what you have been reading by filling in the details in your
pack as you go along.
- When you have read your first two books, fill in the details
and bring your pack into the library and we will give you your
Bronze Prize.
- When you have read your next two books, fill in the details and
bring your pack into the library and we will give you
your Silver Prize.
- When you have read your next two books, fill in the details and
bring your pack into the library and we will give you
your Gold Medal.
- Everybody who completes the Summer Reading Challenge will get a
certificate.
The Team Read web site
Be Greater Manchester's newest author!
Be Manchester's newest author..... Have your work published for
anyone to read!
We are working with Key 103 to find new ways for you to join in
with the year’s events and activities. We want you to submit your
short stories, poems, thoughts and experiences. Whether you write
something of your own or do this as a School class we want to read
your entries. You can submit your work (maximum 750 words) on the
Key 103 web site.
Key 103: Everything starts
with reading
Tired of struggling with small print?
You don't have to have "bad eyesight" to finding reading a
chore: there are times when you want to read a book but your eyes
really don't want to make much of an effort (especially if you have
spent all day staring at a computer screen). Help is at hand: your
local library has a wide selection of books in large print, including many titles in Amazon's
best-selling list.
Here is a selection of some of the popular titles we currently
have in our Large Print Collections:
Clicking on the links will take you to our Web Catalogue
(external link) so that you can see which libraries have copies. If
you are a member of the library and have a PIN number you can use
your library barcode and PIN to reserve a copy so that you can pick
it up at your local library. If you are a member of the library and
don't have a PIN, why not ask a member of staff to set one up for
you next time you visit? You can use your barcode and PIN to log
into the Catalogue so that you can renew your loans as well as
place reservations.