Welcome
Welcome to our August edition, and Happy Yorkshire Day!
This month we have some changes to our opening hours to
let you know about, plus we invite you to join us for a summer of
engaging events, workshops, and new reads. Discover the latest
library news and enjoy a few of our book picks!
If you're not already, make sure you're following us on
social media to get the latest news and see what we're up to. You can
also check out our What's On in Leeds Libraries page on Leeds Inspired for
more details.
Library opening hours
Following a recent public consultation, a number of our
libraries will have changes to their opening hours, which will take
effect on Monday 5 August. In order to make savings, we are reducing
some of our opening hours at the least busy times.
This means some libraries and hubs will see evening
hours change on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, opening until 5pm
rather than 7pm. Wednesdays will remain late opening across the
majority of sites until 7pm. Most libraries and hubs will remain open
on Saturdays from 10am until 4pm, but some will now be open from 10am
until 1pm.
You can find updated opening hours for all of our
libraries and community hubs on our website and more information about
the changes here.
Women in Translation Month
Every August, bookshops, libraries, readers and writers
across the globe come together to celebrate Women In Translation Month.
Started in 2014 by Meytal Radzinski, Women In
Translation Month is a chance to celebrate and share your love for
books by women whose works can be read in translation. We have loads
of books on our catalogue that fit the bill, so dive in and explore
the wonderful world of Women In Translation – you could start with
this year’s International Booker Prize Winner Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck;
or how about the work of Nobel Prize winning Belarussian Svetlana Alexievich?
We’re also huge fans of the modern gothic horror stories of
Argentinian writer Mariana Enriquez.
You can follow Women In Translation month on social
media using the hashtag #WITMonth. Please share your favourites with
us @leedslibraries using the hashtag, and we’ll repost as many of
them as we can!
 Summer Reading Challenge
The 2024 Summer Reading Challenge has begun! It runs
every year throughout the summer holidays, and all children aged
4-11 are welcome to take part for FREE.
They can read anything they like (really - anything!)
and collect free rewards for their reading. This year's Challenge
theme, Marvellous
Makers, is all about creativity. From dance to
drawing, junk modelling to music, there's something for everyone!
Children will be able to find new reads linked to their favourite
creative arts, and take part in fun activities at the
library.
You can find our Summer Reading Challenge events here.
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Heritage Open Days
Every September thousands of volunteers across England
organise events celebrating our fantastic history and culture. It's
your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences, all of
which are FREE to explore. Here are a few highlights at Leeds Central
Library...
Thornes of Leeds and its Chesterfield Connections
Thursday 5 September,
1.00-2.00pm
In this unique talk, Andrew Littlewood will explain why
the question “why are there so many Thorne’s tins in Chesterfield”,
began a 30-year obsession with Henry Thorne & Co. Ltd., mustard,
cocoa and confectionery manufacturers of Lady Lane, Leeds.
Free talk, book here
Visit the Thornes display in the Local History Library
throughout August and during Heritage Open Days.
Leeds Local History Open Day
Saturday 7 September, 11am - 2pm
Pop along to the 2nd floor of Leeds Central Library to
explore collections dating from the 17th century in our showcase
event. Focusing on this year's Routes - Networks - Connections theme,
we will transport visitors through the history of Leeds and explore
the city's global connections. Librarians will handpick their
favourite examples, from exciting expedition accounts and historic
maps to tracing local railways and rivers.
Secret Passages and Hidden Tunnels Talk with Dr James Wright
Wednesday 11 September, 6.00pm
Dr James Wright is an award winning archaeologist with
two decades professional experience of ferreting around in people’s
cellars, hunting through their attics and digging up their gardens.
In this talk, he hopes to find meaningful truths about how ordinary
and extraordinary folk lived their lives in the mediaeval
period.
This event has been funded by Leeds Civic Trust.
Free talk, book here
Creative sessions coming up...
 Life Drawing: 4 week course with life model
Mondays 2, 9, 16 and 23 September, 5.30-7.30pm
Mondays 7, 14, 21, 28 October, 5.30-7.30pm
Art Library, Leeds Central Library
Venture into life drawing in this relaxed, supportive
four-week course taught by artist and tutor Paul Digby.
You'll explore figure drawing including line, gesture
and shade to develop your own artistic style.
Paul has a strong portfolio exhibiting extensively,
including EAST Gallery, Royal Society of Sculptors Gallery, Leeds
City Gallery, the Cornerhouse in Manchester and the Saatchi
Gallery.
Places are limited - please book here. Tickets
are £50 for the series. Age 18+
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 Ask For A Book
Looking for a good
read? Not sure where to start?
Ask for a Book is our
online personalised book recommendation service offering handpicked
reading suggestions. Choose a cover or theme based on a collection
displayed on the screen and our dedicated Book Picker will select a
recommendation for you!
You can collect your
selected books from Leeds Central Library, Chapel
Allerton Library, Morley Library & Community Hub and Pudsey
Library & Community Hub.
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 Social Media Summer School
Join us on Tuesday evenings
throughout August for our exciting new Social Media
Summer School, tailored specifically for businesses and
entrepreneurs.
These sessions
provide an ideal introduction to getting started with paid
marketing on social media. If you’ve been considering this but
aren’t sure where to begin or how much to spend, our workshop
programme is just what you need.
Explore the full
programme or attend the sessions that best suit your needs
As this is a
specialist workshop programme, there will be a small charge of £5
per workshop. Book your place here.
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What's happening in our community libraries?
 Chapel Allerton Arts Festival
30 August - 3 September
To celebrate this year’s festival, Chapel Allerton
Library will be hosting two events on Saturday 31 August. In the
morning, we’ll be running a special Lego Spike Beatbox event
for children to get into the musical groove, before being a host
venue for the Café
Run in the afternoon.
The Café Run will see venues across Chapel Allerton –
including the library – host acoustic performances by artists
including Ramona Ellis, Sueli Gil, Stiofan O’Treabhair and PKYB.
Tickets for both are available here and you can find out more
about the Café Run and Chapel Allerton Arts Festival via the links
below:
Lego Spike Beatbox tickets
Café Run tickets
Café Run information
Chapel Allerton Arts Festival information
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 Simon Zonenblick: An Invertebrate Fable
Tuesday 3 September, 1.30pm, Hunslet Library &
Community Hub
Meet poet and nature writer Simon Zonenblick as he
shares poems from his debut full length poetry collection.
Invertebrates are fascinating, their shapes and
behaviour intriguing. Simon takes us into the English countryside
in search of butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, slugs and snails,
as well as the slowly marching millipede or scuttling centipede,
all vital players in the ecosystem, often overlooked and
underappreciated.
Simon lives in the Calder Valley. His writing has featured in
books, magazines and newspapers; he presents talks and films on
various subjects and works on creative projects.
Book your free ticket here.
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Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black British Music at the
Reginald Centre
We are looking forward to the Leeds West Indian Carnival
at the end of this month!
This important part of the city’s heritage features
heavily in our exhibition Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black
British Music, inspired by the British Library’s major show in
London. You still have a chance to visit as the exhibition will be on
display at the Reginald Centre until the beginning of September. It
shines a spotlight on different voices and perspectives to celebrate
Black British music as a form of entertainment and vehicle for
community, as well as a source of liberation, protest and education.
Stepping into carnivals, clubs and record shops across the country.
Our version of the exhibition focuses on the impact Black British
Music has had on Leeds and visitors will recognise some familiar
faces and iconic venues.
If you have already visited the exhibition or attended
one of our events, what did you think? Your feedback will help to
support libraries, improve the offer, bring you more exhibitions and
events, and more. You’ll also have the option to enter into a prize
draw to win a £100 National Book token.
You can complete the survey here.
What We're Reading
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 Leech by
Hiron Ennes
This eerie and intriguing novel with its twists and
revelations deeply immerses you in its beautifully written and
atmospheric world. It will especially appeal to fans of gothic
horror, fantasy and science fiction, and anyone who enjoys dark but
thoughtful explorations of humanity and survival.
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 Nevada by Imogen Binnie
When thirty-something trans woman Maria's life
implodes, she launches her own Great American Road Trip to get away
from it all. In a washed-up town in Nevada, she encounters James,
who reminds her a lot of her younger self and together they form a
bond that confronts each other but also themselves.
The essential Brat girl summer book – hilarious,
messy, and probably the best American novel you’ve never heard of.
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 The Mark by Frida Isberg
A spiky dystopian novel by an Icelandic author
investigating the moral and social implications of a test that
reveals people who have lower empathy and who could be more likely
to commit a crime or anti-social behaviour. But will it be taken
too far? A timely exploration of what it means to be good and how
we treat people who are 'different' from ourselves.
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Customer feedback
We were delighted to get some really lovely feedback
recently about two of our libraries/community hubs...
"We have been coming to Calverley Library
for 6 years, our first thought was "wow, what a friendly
place" So relaxed and Julie especially makes you feel so welcome
and is very helpful. It's so organised and a great space, excellent
variety of books and for the young children too. We have never been
to a library like this, which is so friendly but peaceful too. Great
place, see you soon."
"I just wanted to say a big, big “thank you” to all
the team at Moor
Allerton Library and to all those working at the
Leeds libraries in general.
We benefit so much from your hard work and organisation.
You provide such a reliable and efficient service and we feel very
lucky to have free and easy access to so many books and resources. We
also love being able to reserve and renew particular books through
the app and even borrow audiobooks through borrow box .
My two girls have always loved books and stories and
they wouldn’t have been able to read half so many without Leeds
libraries. We also home educate now and being able to borrow books on
just about any topic is so helpful.
I hope this wonderful service continues for many years
to come and that you know how much the community appreciates
it."
These are just a few of our Unlimited Use e-Audio books
available on BorrowBox for your summer holidays. They're all free to
download with your library card and you won't have to wait! Check out
the selection here: https://leeds.borrowbox.com/
Find out more
Did you know we have two further library newsletters,
where you can find out more about family friendly activities, local
history and books and reading? Sign up here:
Thank you for reading our latest
newsletter. We look forward to welcoming you soon - get in touch or find your
local library
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