Yate Library

‘Take Note’ music festival February 2009

Please note this will be taking place in ALL South Gloucestershire Libraries. South Gloucestershire has a wealth of musical talent. The Take Note Festival aims to showcase the very best adult and youth music groups right on your doorstep – in your local library. And if you’ve enjoyed listening, there are lots of opportunities for you to make music yourselves – join in our school holiday workshops, go along to one of the music centres for more youth music opportunities or join one of the community music groups listed in the brochure which accompanies the Festival. See the calendar for event details.

Great Reading Adventure 2009

To promote The Great Reading Adventure 2009 for which the designated book is The Lost World by Conan Doyle - we hope to have a DVD tie-in for hire - and to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin several events are planned.

Active card

Early in the New Year we are rolling out a joint Library/Leisure Centre membership card called an Active Card. Members who sign up for the Plus or Total version, which can only be done at Leisure Centres, will get special concessions at both libraries and leisure centres. Libraries will only be issuing the basic version. Holders of the card will be sent a regular newsletter telling them about events/promotions in their area. We have also just introduced pre-overdues for all members who opt to receive information from us via email. Please let us know if you would like to receive this service.

Refurbishment News

Following our successful bid to the Big Lottery Fund, we are now carrying out a major refurbishment and extension to Yate Library.

We are based in temporary premises at 23 South Parade, Yate Shopping Centre, (next to Adams Children’s wear and opposite Lidl) until December 2009.

Due to the restricted space at 23 South Parade we are only able to provide a limited selection of stock and PCs during the closure period.

The opening times will not change and will be as follows:

In addition, Chipping Sodbury Library on the High Street (next to the Police Station) will be open for longer hours as follows:

Your South Gloucestershire library card allows you to use any library in South Gloucestershire, Bath & N E Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset or Somerset.

Other libraries in the area you may wish to use which offer a wide selection of stock and PC access are: Winterbourne Library, Flaxpits Lane and Emersons Green Library, Emerson Way.

We apologise for any inconvenience the temporary reduction in service will cause. We are sure, however, that the changes to the building will greatly increase the range of facilities on offer.

For details about library services and any other enquiries, please phone 01454 868006, or visit www.southglos.gov.uk/libraries

Feedback

If you want to have a say about the new library, please please become a member of the Friends of Yate Library group: ask staff for a postcard, call 01454 868006 or email:

As part of ongoing consultation, Yate Library is seeking your views on the provision of exhibitions, events and activities in the library. Visit www.southglos.gov.uk/newyatelibrary or pick up a survey from the library to have your say.

Mobile Library

We have had a number of enquiries recently about South Gloucestershire Libraries’ mobile library.

South Gloucestershire Mobile Library is a fortnightly service that covers the whole of the council area. It stocks books (including a large print and children’s selection), DVDs, Talking Books (on CD & Cassette) and Jigsaws.

You can either join on the Mobile or use your existing South Gloucestershire library card. If we do not have the book you require we will reserve it for the next visit free of charge. The Mobile Library is equipped with a lift for ease of access.

We can also deliver books to people living close to where it stops. For full details of dates & routes either log onto www.southglos.gov.uk/libraries or ring 01454 86 8006 for more information.

Are you eligible for library concessions?

If you are in receipt of one of the following you are entitled to concessions:
Working family tax credit; disability living allowance; housing benefit; state pension; disabled person's tax credit; widows benefit; income support; industrial disablement benefit; incapacity benefit; student in full time education.
We will require initial proof of benefit. In most cases the concession will entitle you to half-price reservations, music CDs and spoken word tapes. In addition if you are visually impaired or housebound you will not be required to pay any charge (including overdue charges).

Ancestry.com

Who are you? People can now find out about their family history for free at all South Gloucestershire Libraries. Through the Ancestry website, which is normally a pay to view service, library users will have access to more than 4 billion names in over 4,000 collections which includes access to the censuses from 1841 to 1901.

The new service has been supported by local family history groups. Bob Lawrence, Chair of Bristol and Avon Family History Society said "Our society welcomes the initiative by South Gloucestershire to provide this access in their libraries, Ancestry. Com is a fantastic resource to both experienced family historians and those just beginning to look into their family history"

Ancestry Library Edition is available at all South Gloucestershire libraries. Time on the computers can be pre-booked by contacting any South Gloucestershire Library.

Please note this FREE service is only available from the library computers.

For more information on any of the above items please ring the library on 01454 868006 or visit our web-site: www.librarieswest.org.uk

You can use the website to renew your books, check the catalogue, reserve items and consult a wide range of on-line reference materials including Oxford English Dictionary Online; Oxford Reference Online; Oxford Dictionary of National Biography; Grove Music Online; Grove Art Online. You will need your borrower number and pin number (available from the library).

We have a 24 hour renewal line on 08450 020 777, and can inform you of reservations and overdue items either by email, text or voice message. If you would like to opt into any of these you can change the details online, ask at the counter or ring on the above number. Please note to access many of these services you may be asked for your PIN number, please ask the staff for this.

For reference enquiries try our Library Enquiry Centre on 01454 866900 or email .

We also offer free internet access and word processing.

Library opening hours