Oadby Library Silver Surfers

Friday 15 May is Silver Surfers’ Day and there will be free sessions in libraries across Leicestershire where older people (50 – 100+) can find out what the internet can do for them.  This could include keeping in touch with friends and family across the globe to booking a holiday, doing the shopping, sharing photographs, catching up with missed TV programmes and much, much more. The internet has something for everyone.  The library, with its informal, relaxed atmosphere and friendly, supportive staff to help is an ideal place to take that first step to getting online.

Oadby Library will be offering free one hour Internet taster sessions. To book your free place Tel: 0116 305 8763 or visit www.leics.gov.uk/oadby_library

Loughborough Library helps the internet-shy

Friday 15 May is Silver Surfers’ Day and there will be free sessions in libraries across Leicestershire where older people (50 – 100+) can find out what they can do on the internet.

This could include keeping in touch with friends and family across the globe,   booking a holiday, doing the shopping, sharing photographs, catching up with missed TV programmes and much, much more.

There is something for everyone on the internet. The library, with its informal, relaxed atmosphere and friendly, supportive staff to help is an ideal place to take that first step to getting online.  Find out more at Loughborough Library:

• Ebay for beginners Friday 15th May 10.00am
• Family History for beginners Friday 15th May 1.30 – 3.00pm

Places are limited.  To book your free place 01509 212985/266436.   Visit www.leics.gov.uk/loughborough_library

Booksale at Loughborough Library

Loughborough Library is announcing a much awaited event.  Their Book Sale will be held on Saturday 2 May from 9.30 – 4.00 and on Sunday 3 May from 11.00 – 4.00.  Here’s your chance to pickup a bargain. There will be adult fiction and non-fiction titles, a variety of children’s books and a limited amount of local history books.

Take the opportunity whilst you are in the library to look at our Focus on Money display. You stand a chance of winning a £20 High Street shopping voucher by just looking at a particular website and filling in a form.

Find out more about Adult Learners’ Week at your local library or visit www.leics.gov.uk/libraries

Using Oral History

Using Oral History The East Midlands Oral History Archive (EMOHA), at the Centre for Urban History in the University of Leicester, is holding a one day event about oral history on 12th June 2009. The event, titled ‘Using Oral History’, is open to anyone with an

East Midlands Oral History Archive

interest in oral history and will be of particular interest to those who own or look after an existing oral history collection, or are thinking about creating new recordings. There are many uses oral history recordings can be put to and this day event will enable you to share ideas with other groups and individuals, and listen to speakers from projects across the East Midlands talk about how they have used oral history. The full agenda is yet to be finalised and will be made public as soon as possible. However, speakers currently confirmed include EMOHA’s Colin Hyde, Jenny Labbon and George Watley from the Northampton Black History Association, Diane Davies and Dr Viv Golding from the University of Leicester. The event is free but places are limited.

If you would like to attend please contact Kate Crispin at the Centre for Urban History by 15th May to book a place: Kate Crispin, Centre for Urban History, University of Leicester, Marc Fitch House, 3-5 Salisbury Road, Leicester, LE1 7QR

Tel: 0116 2522378 – Email: urban.history@le.ac.uk- Website: www.le.ac.uk/emoha

Library are Social 2.0!

Get social with Leicestershire Libraries on social networking websites Facebook and Twitter:

Follow Libraries on Twitter  – http://twitter.com/leicslibraries

Become a fan of Libraries on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Leicester/Leicestershire-Libraries/44867162917

Love Libraries all the time via our Website – www.leics.gov.uk/libraries

Spring in the meadows

Medieval remains and wildflowers are among the attractions on offer from a unique chance to visit a Charnwood meadow on Saturday, May 2nd.

Buddon Brook Meadows

Leicestershire County Council has organised a guided walk through Quorn’s privately-owned Buddon Brook Meadows, which are jointly managed by the Council and the owner, but not usually open to the public.  Ragged robin and wild garlic should be in bloom in the meadows, which are a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Walkers can also keep an eye open for greater and lesser spotted woodpeckers as well as numerous butterfly species.  A key feature are the moated earthworks of a former medieval hunting lodge.
The walk starts at 10am and will last for about two hours. A local naturalist will point out the highlights.

Buddon Brook Meadows are off Chaveney Road, Quorn.

The walk is free, but booking is essential as numbers will be limited.  Book early to avoid disappointment.  No dogs please.  Wellingtons or walking boots strongly advisable.

For more details and booking please contact Andy Hayes, Community Projects Officer for LCC on 0116 305 7269 or email: ahayes@leics.gov.uk

For books about nature, visit your local library

Spring into Oadby library

Spring is a time for celebration. Flowers are blooming, the birds are singing and the days are lighter and longer Springtime is also an occasion for many spring festivals in a number of different religions.

To celebrate this season Oadby Library, 10 The Parade, Oadby is holding a festive coffee morning with seasonal nibbles on Wednesday 8 April  from 10.30am to 12.00noon. People from different faiths will also be giving a very brief account of the importance of their Spring Festival.  Every one is welcome to join us for this informative and enjoyable celebration of Spring.

Please phone or visit Oadby Library for more details.

Family tree help for complete beginners

Television is increasing the popularity of researching family history, but for those who find it harder than the programmes make out, help is at hand.  Libraries are running a series of sessions for family history novices to learn how to get started on the research.  The free events will be held across the county during April and May.  Whether people have local family roots or not, these sessions will give basic information, show useful websites and direct people to relevant library resources.  Places on the sessions are limited, and booking is necessary.

Ernie White, Cabinet member for Community Services, said: “These events, which we hold twice a year, are extremely popular and are often over-subscribed.  “People who have taken part have said how pleased they are with all the interesting and helpful information and advice given and say the event has given them the confidence, motivation and encouragement to start studying their family history.”
Sessions will be held on:

22nd April. Glenfield Library (0116 305 3591)
23rd April. Glenhills Library (0116 305 3530
1st May. Kirby Muxloe Library (0116 305 3715)
12th May. Blaby Library (0116 305 3516)

For people who are unable to get to an event, libraries can still help. There are many books and websites giving information on how to research family history.  www.leics.gov.uk/focus_on_family_history

New IT opportunities at your local library

New opportunities to brush up on IT skills are now available in Glenfield and Blaby.

Computing in the Library

Customers have long had the opportunity to have an introduction to the internet or email for free at their local library. Now they will have the chance to learn how to use Microsoft Word, download digital photos, shop online and use the libraries fabulous Online Reference Service, which contains a wealth of information for study and leisure, including free access to ancestory.com.
These new sessions will give customers the chance to build on their IT skills with the library and learn how to use some of the most popular and useful tools available.
Sessions are free and held at:

Glenfield Library (0116 305 3591)
Blaby Library (0116 305 3516)
Kirby Muxloe Library (0116 305 3714)
Glenhills Library (0116 305 3530)

Contact your local library to book a session.

Ashby Canal Project Marks Local Mining Heritage

Ernie White, Lead Member for Community Services will unveil a Coal Seam Marker at Conkers Waterside on Thursday, 9 April, 11.00am.  As part of the Ashby Canal Restoration Project, Leicestershire County Council is installing cast iron coal seam markers at various points on the Ashby Canal route north of Snarestone.  The Ashby Canal was built to serve the coalfields, and carried millions of tonnes of coal during its working life. Now, theses coal seam markers will show us what is under the ground. The seams have names like Stockings and Kilburn, and will give visitors a greater sense of what the canal, and indeed, the area was all about.

Ernie White, Lead Member for Community Services is delighted to see the markers in place. ”So much of the mining heritage has gone”, he said, ”so it is important to recognise both the coal mining and the canal and their influence on the landscape”.

The markers have been funded by the Coal Authority, the National Forest Company and Leicestershire County Council, and designed by specialist artist Maurice Mcguire. They will be installed at various points from Ilott Wharf, south of Measham up to Moira Furnace and Conkers Waterside.  The first marker will be ‘unveiled’ by Mr White on 9 April, at the Ashby Canal at Bath Yard Basin. The basin is at the site of the Bath Yard colliery and depot and but now sits alongside Conkers Waterside, reflecting the new role of the area centred on leisure and tourism at the heart of the National Forest. www.leics.gov.uk/land_improvement

Find books about history and coal mining at your local library!