LIBRARY UPDATE

From Monday 6 July SOME services will be available at Yate library *by appointment only* in line with the latest public health advice.

📷 Free computer use and free WiFi for an hour a day at Yate Advance booking essential – full details: www.southglos.gov.uk/librarychanges

📷 Click and Collect service: order items to borrow Yate, . Bookings are now live. UPDATE: Due to high demand, collection slots for 6-11 July at Yate library are now full or almost full. *New slots are now available for collection dates 13-18 July*.

To find out more about Click and Collect and to book slots see: sglibraries.eventbrite.com

Their free digital services are still available 24/7 to library members:

📷Stream 1000+ national, regional & international newspapers bit.ly/N3wspapers

📷Download latest issues of 100+bestselling magazines bit.ly/05Mags

📷Choose from 1500+ eComics bit.ly/eCom1cs to download and read

📷Choose from 15000+ eBooks to download and read-on-screen bit.ly/eB0OKS

📷Choose from 3000+ eAudiobooks to download and listen bit.ly/eAudiobks

📷Silly Squad, Summer Reading Challenge 2020 *online* bit.ly/S1llySquad

📷Research your family history with Ancestry Library Edition bit.ly/Ance5try (free access to Ancestry from home has been extended until 31 July 2020)

📷And join in our weekly Lego challenge here on our Facebook page. Look out for the new theme each Friday morning!

For further updates please check o www.southglos.gov.uk/librarychanges

When you do go, the Library will look and feel quite different, as changes have been made to keep users and staff safe. See for full details and information about how to return items you currently have on loan: www.southglos.gov.uk/librarychange

LIBRARY EXTENDS ON LINE SERVICE

You can now access thousands of local and national newspapers free-of-charge through a new online library resources.

It covers the majority of national and local papers in addition to a range of international titles from across the world.

During the coronavirus pandemic there has been a surge of new members joining online - up 638 per cent since lockdown began.

In response to the demand, the Council has increased and expanded our online resources and are delighted to have received a grant of £1,000 from the Arts Council England to extend the service for a period of twelve months.

You can also get ebooks, eaudiobooks, digital magazines and eComics.

Anyone who isn’t yet a member of a South Gloucestershire library can join online at www.librarieswest.org.uk and will be issued with a temporary membership to access online resources.

Fancy a book?

The Home Library service is delivering books to Home Library Service Users - it is particularly important for those without digital access. And is going to expand to helping vulnerable families and children.

Library members can continue to download free eBooks, eAudiobooks🎧 and latest issues of 100+ bestselling magazines 24/7📲 bit.ly/d1gitalLibraryServices

To log in to our digital services you'll need your borrower number (on your library membership card) and for some of the services, your PIN. Don’t know your PIN? Use the ‘Forgot my PIN’ option on the log in screen which will send an email with re-set instructions to the email address they hold on your record.

What's on at Yate Library - December 2017

Christmas activities at Yate Library:

• Thursday 14 December - Christmas Rhymetime - Yate Library, 10.30am to 11am
• Tuesday 19 December - Christmas crafts - Yate Library, 10.30am to 12 midday
• Thursday 21 December - Stories around the tree (presented by Yate Library Teen Focus Group) - Yate Library, 5pm to 6pm

Regular events:

• Teen Focus Group meets monthly (3rd Thursday of the month)
• Rhymetime for pre-school children: Thursdays 10:30am term time only
• Exhibition space – Yate library showcases the best local arts and crafts for you to see, enjoy and even buy
• Lego Club for primary school age children, who must be accompanied by a grown-up.  One Saturday a month at 10:30am to 11:30am
• DigiLocal Club – Coding Club for 8-14 year olds.  Every Thursday, 6pm to 7pm. Places must be booked – email digilocal@hbb.org.uk.

Library opening over Christmas and New Year:

Click here for a list of Library Opening Hours over the holiday

For more details please check out the Yate Library web page

 

No online access to South Glos Council this weekend - Library Open Access also affected

Due to essential electrical work all of South Glos Council's online forms will be unavailable this weekend from 6pm on Friday 17 November until 4pm on Sunday 19 November 2017.

What's more, Open Access will not be available in libraries from Friday evening until Monday morning. IT services will also not be available in libraries in staffed opening hours. South Glos apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Pirate fun at Yate Library this Tuesday

A fun pirate-themed craft session is are being held in Yate Library this half-term.

All activities are free drop-in events for primary school aged children.

The pirate pandemonium sessions are taking place as follows:
Yate Library - Tuesday, October 24, 10.30am to 12pm.
Rhyme-times and story times are also taking place throughout the holiday at selected libraries.

Visit this South Glos web page for details.

Libraries to close temporarily for updates

Yate, Thornbury and Winterbourne Libraries will be closing for 2 weeks each to install the equipment for users to access them during unstaffed hoursunder the new seven-day-a-week opening arrangements, due to start in October. Borrowers will be able to gain access ith an upgraded library card.

If your local library is closed for a few days, you will be able to access another library relatively close by. You can still make reservations and renew books online and you won’t get a fine if your book is due back while the library is closed.

The project has been designed so that neighbouring libraries will not be closed at the same time.

The closing dates are:

• Winterbourne Aug 3 - Aug 18
• Thornbury Aug 9 - Aug 23
• Yate Aug 21 - Sep 5

Click here for more information about library services in South Gloucestershire.

Could YOU be a library volunteer?

Chipping Sodbury Library was earmarked for closure last year due to South Glos plans to save money, but following a local campaign it will now stay open on the condition that it is run by members of the community.

Friends of Chipping Sodbury Library are now looking for around 40 people to work shifts at the facility on a regular basis.

The library will be handed over to the community on the last weekend of September, with volunteers taking over running it during the first week of October.

They will work in shifts of around four hours, with the library expected to be open for 14 to 16 hours each week.

SGC are helping with some of the costs involved, including building maintenance, but the everyday job of running the library will be down to members of the community.

If you're interested, please contact the library for further details.

Half term holiday activities in South Gloucestershire libraries

South Gloucestershire’s libraries have a range of fun activities planned to help keep children entertained over the half term holidays including story times, rhymetimes and crafts. All activities are free drop-ins for primary school aged children unless otherwise stated.

Find your nearest library at www.southglos.gov.uk/libraries

Tuesday 30 May

Feathered friends
Emersons Green Library, 2pm to 4pm
Crafts and activities.

All around the world in 60 minutes
Filton Library, 2pm to 3pm
Crafts and stories.

Fantastical fairy tale crafts
Patchway Library, 10am to 11.30am

A jungle jaunt
Staple Hill Library, 10.30am to 12pm
Craft fun.

Spring into summer
Thornbury Library, 11am to 12pm
Crafts and stories.

Mini beasts
Yate Library, 10.30am to 12pm
Crafts and activities.


Wednesday 31 May

Maytime mayhem and madness
Kingswood Library, 2.15pm to 3.15pm
Spring themed crafts.

Go wild
Winterbourne Library, 10am to 11.30am
Jungle themed craft drop-in.


Thursday 1 June

Under the sea
Bradley Stoke Library, 10.30am to 12pm
Craft fun.

Fantastical fairy tales and nursery rhymes
Cadbury Heath, all day 9am to 5pm
Drop in throughout the day for fun crafts and activities.

Carnival capers
Downend Library, 10am to 11.30am
Crafts and activities.

Spring surprise
Hanham Library, 2pm to 3pm
Crafts and activities.


Friday 2 June

Fantastical fairy tales and nursery rhymes
Cadbury Heath, all day 9am to 5pm
Drop in throughout the day for fun crafts and activities.


Saturday 3 June

Fantastical fairy tales and nursery rhymes
Cadbury Heath, all day 9am to 5pm
Drop in throughout the day for fun crafts and activities.


Some libraries will also be holding free story time and rhymetime sessions for babies and toddlers and their parents or carers to enjoy stories, action songs and rhymes together.

For more information visit www.southglos.gov.uk/childrenslibrary, follow them on Facebook.com/sgloslibraries or Twitter @southgloslibs, or telephone the libraries on 01454 868006.

Library consultation - phase 2

South Glos Council has been thinking about the responses to the library consultation earlier this year and has now come up with a new set of proposals. The effects for our area are as follows:

• Savings target reduced from £650,000 to £500,000 (within a budget of £2.6million, so about 20%)
• Staffed opening hours to be reduced by a smaller amount than proposed in consultation phase 1
• "Swipe card" access allowing opening hours to be extended
• Mobile library service to be replaced with community centre based libraries across South Glos
  and run by volunteer groups, plus the the esisting home visit service
• Chipping Sodbury Library to be run by volunteers, with professional staff providing background support. The council’s library service would also provide stock and IT support
• Book Fund to be reduced by £81,000 (28%)

Full details are on the South Glos website

There will be a public meeting at Yate library on Tuesday 1 November at 7pm.

The consultation is open until 2 January - please have your say!

Partial reprieve for libraries but mobile library to be scrapped

After a consultation which attracted 3,600 responses, the Conservatives were forced to rethink their original plans for library cuts but unfortunately the new plans are very much a mixed bag.

The good news is that people in Chipping Sodbury have come together to save their library as a volunteer-run service and several other communities have offered to run libraries in village halls and other venues.

The use of new technology to open library buildings for longer is also welcome. Those aged 16 and over will be able to register to access libraries with their library card when staff aren't present. Children will have to be accompanied by an adult.

Unfortunately staff hours will still be cut significantly and the mobile library service will be scrapped altogether. That currently serves over 50 communities, many in our rural areas. The council says it can support up to 10 community libraries. If you will be affected by the loss of the mobile service, please let us know.

Back when the budget was set in February, your Focus Team made it clear we felt services like libraries were more important than shaving a small amount of the green bin charge. Many people have told us they agree. Unfortunately when we backed an amendment to that effect, we were outvoted.

There will now be a consultation on the proposals for each library, for example on which days and times staff should be present. We'll let you know when you can have your say. The changes are due to be made in October 2017.

Hands-on dementia reminiscence session 28 April

The Dementia Café at Yate Library from 2.30 to 3.30 pm on April 28th will be a real "hands on" session featuring items from Yate Heritage Centre's handling collection.

David Hardill (Community Heritage Officer) and Cherry will lead this session, which should bring back memories for many people.

Easter Holiday activities in libraries

During the Easter holidays there are a range of fun activities planned in our local libraries. These include for primary aged children:

Tuesday 29 March
Boats, trains & planes
Emersons Green Library, 2pm to 4pm
Transport themed crafts and activities.

Sunday 3 April
Get creative
Emersons Green Library, 11am to 2pm
Craft activities.

Monday 4 April
Pirate pranks
Thornbury Library, 11am to 12pm
Pirate themed crafts and stories.

Tuesday 5 April
Monsters and bunny rabbits
Yate Library, 10.30am to 12pm
Craft fun.

Wednesday 6 April
The great eggscape
Winterbourne Library, 10am to 11.30am
It’s not just chicks that come from eggs… join us to make some snapping, slithering and stomping crafts.

Thursday 7 April
Feathered friends
Emersons Green Library, 2pm to 4pm
Bird themed crafts.

There will also be Rhymetimes and Story times for pre-schoolers - for further details visit www.southglos.gov.uk/childrenslibrary

Visit www.southglos.gov.uk/libraries to find your nearest library and www.southglos.gov.uk/events/ for details of events. And if you value your libraries, don't forget to respond to the council consultation here and sign our petition here.

Consultation events at libraries

If you'd like to speak to someone about the library cuts, there will be drop-in sessions at the libraries, including:

• Thornbury - 9 March, 2pm to 7pm
• Bradley Stoke - 12 March, 10:30am to 1pm
• Chipping Sodbury - 19 March, 9:30am to  1pm
• Yate - 2 April, 9:30am to 1pm
• Emerson's Green - 7 April, 2pm to 7pm
• Winterbourne - 19 April, 2pm to 7pm   

Budget - council tax up, services cut

Council tax will go up by 3.99% in the coming year, but services such as youth provision and libraries face cuts.

After funding from the Government had been slashed more than expected, at the last minute they offered South Glos some additional one-off money. The Liberal Democrats proposed using some of it to protect youth services and Chipping Sodbury library.

Instead, the Tories funnelled the cash into a 50p a month cut in the green bin charge, less than the price of a chocolate bar.

The Liberal Democrat amendment proposed maintaining the Positive Activities Fund for youth services at the current level, instead of the quarter million pound cuts proposed by the Tories. The youth fund will be cut for each of the next three years, meaning fewer sessions and activities for young people across South Gloucestershire. The amendment would also would have kept Chipping Sodbury Library open for an extra year, giving the local community more time to find a long term solution.

The Liberal Democrats believe in enabling everyone to fulfil their potential in life, whatever their background. Universal youth services are a vital part of this - reaching out to teenagers who may be alienated from school, offering health advice and emotional support and giving our young people a positive focus. The wider community also benefits from supporting our young people. Libraries too are about more than just access to books - they offer many other activities and services, including access to computers for people of all ages to use for studying, applying for jobs and accessing services.

The Conservative councillors largely remained silent, refusing to explain why they felt a small reduction in the green bin charge was more important than youth services, libraries, PCSOs on the beat and a whole string of other ways the money could have been spent. Before the election, we challenged them to explain what they would cut instead, now we know.

You can read how our local paper covered it here.

Libraries at risk?

South Glos Council is consulting about the future of our public libraries. Last week the council launched a consultation on cuts to libraries of £650,000.

The ruling Conservatives' preferred option would involve closing the Mobile Library that serves our rural communities along with Chipping Sodbury Library and cutting smaller libraries like Winterbourne to two days a week opening funded by South Glos. Main libraries like Yate and Thornbury would have their hours cut by 8 hours per week on average. They would then look to local communities and volunteers make up some of the lost hours.

They're not giving people in Chipping Sodbury a lot of choice - all the options presented involve closing Chipping Sodbury Library, or possibly making it volunteer-staffed. Likewise all the options would scrap the ageing Mobile Library and replace it by a volunteer service to pick up books for individuals.

There are some flaws in the evidence they produce. Although the cost of running Chipping Sodbury Library is less than the South Glos average (in fact it's the cheapest library of all per opening hour), they say that the vast majority of users also use another library. After all, Yate Library is only a mile down the road. But perhaps people are using Yate as well because it caters more for their needs, or relatives or friends are picking books up for them? It's not clear - they haven't analysed why people use several libraries - in fact almost half of library users in South Glos use more than one library.

The other potential flaw is the equalities assessment - the number of older users at Chipping Sodbury is much higher than average, and the proportion of disabled users is the highest of any South Glos branch library. Another point is that they make almost no use of volunteers to support the service provided there.

The libraries might also be impacted by a review of council buildings.

So what can YOU do?

• You can find out more, including information packs for each individual library, and make your comments here until 13th May. Individual comments are VERY important - tell South Glos how these changes would impact you.
• Your Focus Team thinks that protecting services like youth provision and libraries is more important than cutting 50p per month off the green bin charge. If you agree, please sign our petition as well as responding to the council. 
• If you are particularly concerned about Chipping Sodbury Library, please sign the 38 Degrees petition against the closure. 
• Share the campaigns on social media - Twitter, Facebook etc.

Read about autism

Your local library has a new collection of books that you might find helpful if you are living with autism or Asperger's, or know someone who is.

The books have been recommended by people with autism and those who live or work with them, including the library service and the South Gloucestershire Autism Planning Group. They provide information and advice, support for living well, advice for relatives and carers, plus personal stories. The interactive list can be found online.

The books can be borrowed free of charge for a special extended loan period of six weeks, and if the book you want is not on the shelves when you want it, the library can get hold of it for you, also free of charge.

It's also worth noting that libraries belong to the Safe Places Scheme. This scheme provides locations for adults with a learning difficulty or vulnerable people to get help when they are out and about. For more information visit www.southglos.gov.uk/safeplaces.

Useful information this Christmas

Here's a round-up of links to Christmas opening times and other information you might find helpful during the holiday period.

Contacting the council

• The South Glos customer services contact centre will be closed from Christmas Eve afternoon (from 1pm) until 8:45 am on Wednesday 30 December 2015. The offices will also be closed on 1 January 2016. Please note that the adult care contact centre will be open until 5pm on Christmas Eve. When the offices are closed calls will be diverted to a service which deals only with emergencies.
• One Stop Shops will be closed from Christmas Eve afternoon (from 1pm) until Wednesday 30 December 2015. They will also be closed on 1 January 2016.
• You can continue to report issues or apply for services using the council's online forms which will be dealt with after the offices reopen.

More information on council services over Christmas and the New Year period is available here.

Recycling and waste

• Check when your waste will be collected here.
• Information on how to recycle your Christmas tree.
• The Sort It centres are open 8:30am to 4:30pm every day, apart from 25, 26 December 2015 and 1 January 2016.

Libraries
You can find the Christmas and New Year opening times for the local libraries here.

Bus times
Bus timetable information is available from Travelwest.

Train times
The Network Rail website provides information on travel during the holiday period.

Health services and pharmacies
South Gloucestershire CCG provides this advice on what to do if you are injured or feel unwell. They also have details of pharmacy opening times for Christmas and New Year. They advise anyone with long term health conditions to get their medication before Christmas Eve.

Free Christmas events at South Glos libraries

Once again libraries across South Gloucestershire are getting into the festive spirit during December and the Christmas holidays with a fun-filled programme of activities, including storytimes, rhymetimes and crafts. All activities are free unless otherwise stated.

Here are our local events:

Friday 11 December
Christmas rhymetime
Yate Library, 10.30am to 11am
Festive songs and rhymes for pre-school children.

Saturday 12 December
Festive family singalong
Yate Library, 11.30am to 12pm
Seasonal songs for everyone to join in and enjoy.

Wednesday 16 December
Christmas storytime
Chipping Sodbury Library, 2pm to 2.30pm
Festive fun for pre-school children

Thursday 17 December
Stories and songs around the tree
Yate Library, 5.30 to 6.30pm
Christmas fun for 3 to 8-year-olds.

Tuesday 22 December
Just chillin’
Yate Library, 10.30am to 12pm
Winter crafts drop in for 4 to 9-year-olds.

Community Learning open day at Yate Library Tue 16 June

10.00-12.00 IT drop-in

Take better picture on your smartphone or tablet and learn how to edit them
No need to book

10.00-12.30 Job Skills drop-in
Advice on CVs, applications and interviews
No need to book

12.45-1.45 Games and puzzles
Fun maths
Phone to book a place, or take your chance on the day

1.45-2.45 Creative Writing
Put your imagination to work on stories and poems
Phone to book a place, or take your chance on the day

Contact details for booking and to find out more:

• Telephone 01454 864613
• Email community.learning@southglos.gov.uk

Plus Info Stand all day:

• Information about free courses in Maths, English, IT. ESOL, Health and Wellbeing, Work-related Skills, Family Learning and more
• Course brochure
• Goodie bags and freebies