November 2007

The adult Reading Group met at the Central Library on Tuesday 27th November as usual.  Group still going strong and will resume in January. Anyone interested in joining or starting a reading group should email library.services@merthyr.gov.uk

Family History Lecture and presentation on 13^th November at the Central Library. Please contact us on library.services@merthyr.gov.uk for details of future meetings

October 2007

Treharris opening hours have increased as planned, initially by opening through lunchtimes. Interest and use is increasing in that period of the day.

September 2007

There are computer courses running in Dowlais Library during the day during term-time, so it is now possible for you to use the Library on a self-service basis between 10am and 4pm when these classes are on. Please ask staff in the library for more details, or to make sure you know how to use the self-service machine.

August 2007

• The Catrin Collier event at Treharris Library went really well.  In total over 40 people attended.  Catrin was extremely positive about the event.

July 2007

• The national reading scheme for 2007 is the “Big Wild Read”. Promotional talks to schoolswent very well.  In total, staff visited 24 schools.  18 were presented with bird boxes.  A mobile library also visited schools in the Gurnos area. 
• External support for outreach related to the “Big Wild Read” Tesco has agreed to donate 500 Bags for Life, W H Smith have donated fabulous prizes and Waste Recycling Department are giving us ‘Percy the Penguin’ recycling unit to donate to the school that receives the highest % of children that finish the scheme.
• The Library Big Vote scheme consulted with children about new library stock. Results are currently being collated.  Approximately 1500-2000 cards were returned.
• Estyn Allan national reading promotion work involves 8 local library authorities collaborating to bring authors to the area.  At Merthyr Tydfil we’re having a Welsh speaking author that will be talking at the Canolfan Centre and Cat Weatherill.
• Penny Dreadful reading group London trip all organised.  It’s on the 6th August.  We’re visiting Puffin Headquarters and the BBC.
• Library staff visited Afon Taf to speak to the students due to enter Year 12.  We talked about the library service and a former student told them how the library service helped her whilst she was doing her A-Levels.
• The Merthyr Tydfil Reading Circle has now met twice on Tuesday evenings and has 10-11 members. 
April 2007

Update on the one day courses mentioned below. Three are going ahead - Complementary Therapies in Dowlais Library on Wednesday 18th April, Family History on Friday 20th April in Treharris Library, and Family History on Friday 27th April in Dowlais Library. Contact the libraries now to book your place!

Some feedback from the Family History course included,

March 2007

We have a special set of taster days coming up in April in both Treharris and Dowlais Libraries.  These are one day self-contained courses, provided by the GATES project, to let you try out a topic and see if you like it - or just spend the day finding out more!

We are including days on:

Family History; Local History; Skincare; Complementary Therapies; Head Massage;and Autoboigraphical Writing.

Contact Dowlais Library or Treharris Library directly for more details - or to book a place. All these days are free to attend, but we do need to know who is coming.

October 2006

A special Halloween event went really well at Treharris Library on Tuesday. Staff dressed up and we had 26 children and adults enjoyed the fun. Staff co-operated to buy decorations and snacks for the children to make it a success, so a special thanks to them. 

August 2006

From 10.00 am on Friday, September 15^th parents and carers can meet the Genesis Mobile Creche Team at a coffee morning in Dowlais Library.

If you care for a young child and want to use the new creche facility this event will give you the chance to meet the people who will be responsible for caring for your children in the regular weekly creche at Dowlais Library.

You can also use the time to enjoy reading, use the internet, browse for books, keep up to date with the news or simply read

Regular creche day and time

The Genesis Mobile Creche Team will be at Dowlais Library from Wednesday 27^th September at 1.00pm for 12 weeks.

This service is free and is open to library members and non-members.  The only provision is that you have to stay on the premises whilst your child is being cared for.

For further information, contact the Central or Dowlais Library at 723057 or 723051

March 2006

Mrs Jones, one of the regular attendees at the Creative Writing class at Dowlais Library, was awared a Cardiff Centre for Lifelong Learning Deprtmental Prize for "producing work of a high and versatile quality" 

February 2006

Work started on one of the next stages of stock management at the Central Library, the amalgamation of large sections of stock previously kept in the upstairs reference library with the main lending collections. There are a number of reasons for the changes including making title more accessible to those with disabilities and part of a long-term process of making stock holdings  

Promotional activities continued with a library display at the very successful "Community Celebration Day" at Aberfan Comununity Centre on 23 February - organised by the Community Wardens. 

January  2006

The service has been active with a number of promotional activities including the Book wave project at feeder schools to Pen y Dre.

Other activities includes presentations at a series of over-50s consultation meetings throughout the County Borough.

December 2005

Thanks to a local programme funded by a grant from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation (PHF), the library service contributed to a special evening organised by South Wales Police at the Voluntary Action Centre on 1 December. The event was to welcome those from other countries and cultures who have come to live, study and work in the area. The library provided a display celebrating the contributions of the many cultures that created the town - Welsh, English, Italian, Spanish, Irish, Scottish, Jewish and others, and distributed multi-lingual forms, audio information disks and other items. A selection of books in foreign language and other material was also on display and an experienced member of library staff attended the event to assist and inform guests. 

November 2005

We are pleased to report that local distribution of the Bookstart packs has increased since the scheme was re-launched in June Glenys Kinnock MEP very kindly agreed to speak to Health Visitors and a range of staff working with children and families about the importance of reading. Mrs Kinnock is seen in this picture with Karen Pugh, Customer Services Librarian

If you live locally and have a baby undergoing the 12 month and 24 month checks please ask your health visitor for the free packs.

If you have not received one for some reason please contact us

October 2005

The Library is seeking volunteers to help to extend our reach into the community. This would include supporting the deliver books, tapes and information to those who cannot visit because of long-term ill health, mobility problems or caring responsibilities.

Volunteers will be assessed and managed under a scheme organised by Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil (VAMT)

Library staff will give training and advice and promise a fulfilling time.

The service will run on a regular, usually monthly, basis and there is a mileage allowance available to those who use their own vehicles.

VAMT are co-ordinating these opportunities

September 2005

The power of our new library management systems and online facilities make it much earlier to support your library and information needs as individuals in your home and community.

If you have difficulty in visiting the libraries at Merthyr Tydfil, Dowlais or Treharris you can use the mobile library to obtain or return stock from the whole library lending collection.

During the next two years we will be working even more closely with community groups and organisations offering training like Community Education and the WEA.

Please contact us at library.services@merthyr.gov.uk if you want to know more about our plans or have some suggestions for items not already in our stock that could help you in your studies.

August 2005

Reading scheme

This year's reading Summer reading event "The Reading Voyage" has had a good response and was combined with some special activities for schools at the end of July.

During 2005-6 Libraries will be adding to the range of services that can be used by groups and schools to promote personal and group reading.

As part of broadening of services, we will be making multiple sets of selective books available for group use.

For example, 10 copies of Barkbelly by Cat Wetherill has already been successfully loaned to pupils at Troedyrhiw Junior school. Sets of books suitable for adult and children are in preparation and will include a book on wartime experiences, by a cancer sufferer and someone bullied at school.

Please contact us at library.services@merthyr.gov.uk if you or your friends want to know more.

We already have four sets of (6) novels available for group reading:

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

The Wrong Boy by Willy Russell

Misadventures by Sylvia Smith

The Honey Thief by Elizabeth Graver

Why not read with friends?     

Proposed change of opening hours at the Central Library

We propose to amend the opening hours following a period of consultation.

The change would involve:

1.Closing the Central Library at 7.00 pm on Tuesdays rather than 7.30 pm.

2. Extending the opening times on Saturdays from 12 Noon to 1.00 pm

Please contact us by mid-September if you have any comments

 July 2005

Time flies! We've been so busy recently that we haven't had much time to write about it. Work has included the following:

Projects to promote reading to year 6 of the schools sending pupils to Pen y Dre in September. Part of this work is to prepare promotional material that can be used in all schools.

A major re-organisation of stock that will strengthen stock holdings and give users a wider choice and sight of some treasures currently hidden away in our "reserves". This work will also give access to new topic collections on bullying, teenage issues, women's studies, etc.

We now have special sets of long-term loan material for parents who want to learn Welsh with their babies. The packs and available for at least 6 months (with no fines) and include guides to help parents and carers as well as a wide range of picture books.

We will soon have sets for "basic skills" (sorry about the jargon) and are increasing our collection of books for adults and teenagers who don't read confidently. If you know anyone who would like to develop their reading skills please ask them to contact us. We offer an easier application form, a personal contact to guide them, a wide range of stock for adults and special sets of books - from birth - aimed at helping parents and carers to learn and improve their skills with their children.

We have another wonderful reading programme for children this year - the "Reading Voyage". Details are available at every library and in our Reading Zone section soon.

17 July 2005

26 May 2005

After initial consultation we intend to improve the opening hours at Dowlais Community Library by making the following changes: