Your local library – there’s lots going on!

For children and families, we have a range of entirely free activities to enjoy including weekly story and rhyme sessions, special themed craft activities, construction clubs and science and technology-based activities involving virtual reality, engineering, and coding.

Plus, our biggest reading campaign of the year, the Summer Reading Challenge is on right now! It’s a science-filled challenge where children are encouraged to read six books over the school holidays, with prizes up for grabs. 

Our activities aren’t just for little ones though, with craft clubs, board games and reading groups, tea and coffee mornings, as well as author and local history talks aplenty! It’s not too late to enter our knitting and crochet competition with a chance to win a £50 Hobbycraft voucher. And our next local history talk will take place at Woolston Library on Monday 8 August 2022 where you can join local history author, Martin Brisland as he takes you through a journey celebrating Southampton and revealing the secrets of the New Forest that you might never have known. 

As well as fun events and activities you can also access a wide range of other useful advice and support services from the library. In Central Library there is a drop-in service where you can chat to experts from Citizens Advice, and in several local libraries across the city you can meet members of our Employment Support Team who provide free help and advice on all aspects of how to find work or training. Plus, if you are an entrepreneur or would like to start your own business you’ll want to visit the new Business and IP Centre in Central Library which will be opening soon to offer free access to databases, market research, Intellectual Property information, networking and business events.

So, with lots to see and do, free public access computers and wi-fi, free online resources for learning a language or passing your driving test and around 250,000 books to borrow, we think that popping into your local library could just be the best thing you do all summer.