Children's library service
We provide a
range of library materials and services for children:
Books and more to borrow
We have a whole range of books, videos, cassettes and CDs
including:
- Board books for babies and toddlers
- Story sacks and Little Monkeys packs for pre-school
children
- Picture books
- Stories to share
- Stories for children of all ages
- Information books
- Stories in languages other than English
- Large print books for visually-impaired children
- Novelty books for children with special needs
- Pop-up books for children to look at in the library
- Storypacks: cassette and book sets
- Reference books for children to look at in the library
- Poetry
- Sub-titled videos for children who are deaf or have impaired
hearing
- Sex education collections
- Teenage collections
- Young Adult collections
- Toys at Littleborough Library
Free advice
We can give helpful advice on choosing books for children,
including:
- Books for special times - lists of books written for children
which may help them cope with situations which are worrying,
unusual or just new to them eg divorce; adoption; a new baby in the
family, and so on
- An index of popular subjects for information books
- Spotlight promotions of authors
Entertainments and
events
Entertainments and educational events go on in our libraries
throughout the year, including:
- Under-fives' storytimes
- Holiday storytimes and entertainers
- Craft activities
- User education sessions
- Bookstart and SureStart activities
- Talks to parents' groups
- Sign & Rhyme sessions for very young children
- Book talks in schools and libraries
- Visits to play schemes
- Arranging for schools and nurseries to visit libraries
- Blind or visually-impaired children visiting the
Wheatsheaf Library can also use our Kurzweil and Brailling
PCs. These PCs can "read" text out loud and can also convert text
into Braille print.
Featured on the Web Catalogue
Homework Help.
Neat Stuff.
Services for
babies and young children
Book Crawl
Book Crawl is the reading game for under-fives, encouraging them
to join the library and to borrow books by rewarding them with
stickers and certificates.
We have a big selection of sumptuous picture
books in our libraries, including hard-wearing board books that can
cope with sticky hands and sharp teeth.
Any child under five can join in the Book Crawl if they have
their own library ticket.
Baby Sign and Rhyme sessions at the Wheatsheaf Library
From 11 November 2008 the Wheatsheaf Library is now providing
Sign and Rhyme sessions for babies and children up to four years
old and their parents and carers. Children can learn to use signs
before they can talk, so encouraging babies and young children with
signs helps them to communicate and reduces frustration. These free
sessions include songs, rhymes and stories and the parents and
carers will also be taught a few signs which they can use to help
them communicate with their children in a fun and enjoyable
way.
Sign and Rhyme sessions are held every Tuesday morning from
10.30am to 11.15am during school term time. There will also be time
for a chat and a drink afterwards!
For more information, contact: 01706
924917
Regular Early Years activities in our
libraries
Under-fives' storytimes
(School term times only)
- Alkrington Library
Fridays 11.30am
- Balderstone Library
Thursdays 2pm
- Belfield Library
Mondays 3.45pm – 4.45pm
All year round
(In conjunction with SureStart)
- Heywood Library
Tuesdays 2pm
- Junction Library
Thursdays 1.30pm
- Littleborough Library
Fridays 2.30pm
- Middleton Library
Mondays 2pm
- Milnrow Library
Fridays 10am
- Norden Library
Thursdays 1.15pm
- Smallbridge Library
Tuesdays 10.30am
(with Hamer Children's Centre)
Fridays 10.30am
- Smithybridge Library
Mondays 2.30pm
(In conjunction with SureStart)
- Spotland Library
Tuesdays 10.30am
- Wardle Library
Tuesdays 2.15pm
(First and third Tuesday of each month. In conjunction with
Meadowfields Children Centre)
- Wheatsheaf Library
Mondays 2.15pm
Baby Play (all year round)
- Alkrington Library
Mondays 2pm
Rhythm & Rhyme
- Heywood Library
Thursdays 10am
- Littleborough Library
Tuesdays 10.30am
(School term time only)
- Spotland Library
Thursdays 10am
Sign & Rhyme
(School term times
only)
- Balderstone Library
Fridays 10.15am
- Wheatsheaf Library
Tuesdays 10.30am
SureStart activities
- Milnrow Library
Tuesdays 3.30pm
(School term time only)
Book ahead
Book Ahead is a national initiative providing books for loan to
early years groups such as nurseries and playgroups. As part of the
scheme we have expanded our early years collections so that we can
provide a wide choice of books, particularly picture books, to help
young children learn to enjoy reading.
Book Ahead website
BookStart
Bookstart is a national initiative providing free books to early
years children. We hope to instil a love of reading at an early
age, it has been proven that a good reader performs well across the
whole curriculum and it is never too early to start the reading
habit.
The Library Service is rolling out the Bookstart scheme in
Rochdale. We supply health visitors with the Bookstart and
Bookstart Plus packs and these are gifted to children at around 9
months and 18 months at the health checks. Should you miss your
visit from the the health professional but would still like your
Bookstart pack we have them at your local library, please don't
forget to take your red book along with you.
We have two Library Outreach Workers for Bookstart & Early
Years who visit every early years setting in the borough to gift
the Treasure Box - this is the Bookstart pack gifted at around
three years old. The visit for gifting the packs is always a
special occasion, accompanied by a fun storytime, rhyme and singing
session.
Free internet access for
"Young Surfers"
Children with permission from their parents/guardians can use
this service.
Teens: Read up, Fed up, have your say!
Read up, Fed up is a national online discussion and voting forum
for teens hosted by Piczo. The campaign aims to help adults better
understand what teenagers love reading as well as what turns them
off.
If you're interested in having your say then log or register to
join the Read Up, Fed Up Forum and join the conversation. This is
not just about what teens like reading, but what they really don't
like reading too - the aim is to get them thinking and talking
about reading.
the Read
Up, Fed Up Piczo forum
Boys Into Books
Boys Into Books is another national initiative, this time aimed
at boys in the 5 — 11 age group. We have used money from this
project to create a collection of books that we loan to
primary school classes.
Boys Into Books website