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The staff of the Travelling Library would like to wish a belated Happy New Year to all our current and (hopefully) future borrowers.
As we submit this article at the turn of the year, the weather has taken a turn for the worse. Please remember that bad road conditions could prevent us from making the journey from Stafford. In such cases we will inform the Staffordshire County Council’s contact centre, Burton library and – if possible - the Rolleston Club. If you personally have difficulty in making the trip to us, please phone the following number before setting out to check if we will be there: 0300 118000.
The Travelling Library is parked in Rolleston Club car park on Burnside on these Thursdays 9:30a.m. -18:45p.m. :
February 16th, March 2nd, 16th, 30th.
We hope to see you soon,
From the Travelling Library staff
A Merry Christmas from us all on the Travelling Library. Just to remind our borrowers the opening hours for Rolleston are unaffected over the Festive period.
We have a good selection of children’s Christmas books to whet the appetites of our younger borrowers over the holidays. These will be available from late November (and will hopefully be returned before Easter!).
We also have a good selection of reading for the grown-ups – from the latest blockbusters to large print for those who need it. For anyone on their travels we have a section of audio books to listen to in the car (available to hire)
Rolleston Travelling Library
Fortnightly service (except Bank Holidays)
Thursdays on Rolleston Club Car Park 9.30 am – 6.45 pm
Remaining dates for 2016
10, 24 November; 8, 22 December
It’s that time of year again where we remind our younger readers to register for the Summer Reading Challenge 2016 – “The Big Friendly Read”. The challenge runs from 16th July until 12th September.
It’s simple enough – just register with the library staff and read six books over the school holidays to get free Roald Dahl-themed cards and a gold medal and a certificate when you finish!
There will also be simple five minute crafting sessions held on the Travelling Library during the Challenge. Ask library staff for details.
The Travelling Library also offers a Home reader service where possible, providing books for people unable to get to the Travelling library themselves. If there are any Rolleston residents who feel that they would benefit from this, please contact the library staff
Rolleston Travelling Library offers a fortnightly service, except Bank Holidays and where indicated at Rolleston Club Car Park Thursdays 9.30 am – 6.45 pm. 2016 visiting dates: 18 August; 1, 15, 29 September; 13, 27 October; 10, 24 November; 8, 22 December
Rolleston Travelling library will be changing its operating hours after Easter. From April the service will be fortnightly on Thursdays 9.30-18.45 on Rolleston Club car park. The first visit under the new timetable will be 14th April and then two weeks after. Please see library staff for further details.
Why not celebrate Christmas with festive reading from your local library.
Are you looking for ideas for the theme of this year’s Advent Festival at St Mary’s – “A Literary Advent”? Here are a few literary suggestions to get you started:
- A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens (the obvious one!).
- THE ADVENTURE OF THE CHRISTMAS PUDDING by Agatha Christie.
- The CHRISTMAS Novellas by Anne Perry.
- THE HOGFATHER by Terry Pratchett.
Not forgetting the younger readers:
- THE SNOWMAN by Raymond Briggs.
- THE POLAR EXPRESS by Chris Van Allsburg.
- HORRID HENRY’S CHRISTMAS CRACKER by Francesca Simon.
Plus seasonal picture and board books for toddlers.
These titles (and other suggestions) can all be obtained from the Rolleston Travelling Library which is open on Thursdays from 9:30 – 18:45 at Rolleston Club. Membership is free.
Proposed Reduction In Rolleston’s Travelling Library Service
Are you aware that Staffordshire County Council is consulting on changes to the County’s Travelling Library service?
As part of a proposed reduction in the number of library vans it is proposed that the Rolleston service reduces from weekly to fortnightly.
The consultation closes on September 2nd. An explanatory booklet and questionnaire is available from the Travelling Library
If you visit Rolleston library you will know that it has a strong user base, particularly older residents and children who are able to access it during its opening hours. Through cooperation with the Club it has free wifi computer access and the very helpful library staff will do their best to assist with all enquiries.
Pity villages such as Anslow with a proposed service of 30 minutes (2.00 – 2.30 pm) once every three weeks. Who will remember and who can get there? Is this planned redundancy? Libraries remain an important social benefit to some – have your say.
It will soon be that time of year again – summer – where we challenge our young readers to break last year’s record for reading library books! This year’s Summer Reading Challenge has the exciting theme of ‘record breakers’. It runs from July 11th – September 14th. Ask library staff for more information.
For all adult library users out there, don’t forget your summer reading – we have travel guides, holiday paperbacks, or books to help you with the gardening.
The Travelling Library is parked on Rolleston Club car park every Thursday from 9:30am to 18:45pm.
As Christmas is approaching, we would like to take the opportunity to wish all our borrowers season’s greetings. Just to remind everybody that as Christmas Day and New Year’s day are on a Thursday, there will be no service in Rolleston over the holiday period; however we will be at Stretton on Saturday 27th December and Friday 2nd January. The Stretton service is in St Mary’s Church Hall car park (Friday 10am – 5pm, Saturday 9.30 – 12.30am). Alternatively please feel free to stock up on extra books early.
Come to your local library and pick up your latest blockbusters! Exciting new titles are on offer from top authors, such as Lee Child, Philippa Gregory and Anna Jacobs, with more new releases added frequently. For a small administration fee these and more can be reserved in your name. Simply ask your friendly Travelling Library staff for details.
The Travelling Library is open every Thursday on Rolleston Club car park from 9:30am – 18:45pm.
Membership is free.
Visit your Travelling Library this summer holiday for an a-MAZE-ing time. This year our Summer Reading Challenge has a Mythical Maze theme so you could meet dragons, heroes, heroines – even monsters!
Just register with us, read any six books in three visits and collect all sorts of goodies on the way. A medal and a personalised certificate are yours when completed. There will also be fun competitions for you to take part in. The Mythical Maze runs from 12th July to 8th September but we’ll give you more information nearer to the time.
The Travelling Library is parked at the Rolleston Club every Thursday (9:30 to 18:45). Dawn, Allyson and Ann look forward to helping you on your adventure.
Don’t forget to bring your young readers to the library van in the school holidays. This year the Summer Reading Challenge will mean we’re playing host to “The Creepy House” where you might find ghosties and creepy-crawlies (no not the staff).
We’ll even be running spooky craft sessions where the kids can create their own scary creatures (see members of staff for dates and details of those).
Children can sign up and receive their free pack of materials at the start of the holidays, then read six books of their choice collecting stickers and goodies along the way. If they complete the challenge, they receive a medal and a certificate. This year your child could also help their school win a shiny trophy for the Best Read school.
“The Creepy House” runs from
Saturday 13th July – Monday 9th September.
Library opening times are 9:30-18:45 every Thursday at Rolleston Club car park.
It is that time of the year again and life on the Rolleston Travelling Library has progressed fairly normally. Lots of visitors using the facility enjoying a vast variety of books, fiction and non-fiction alike, popular authors and those less known but equally readable. Yes you could say that we are close to the end of the year and everyone is happy.
Well almost everyone, one strange thing did happen; we had a complaint.
A Mr. C. Ratchit complained that one of our librarians had been less than pleasant: they had demanded a fine for a book that he insisted he had returned - a book about 19th century Rolleston. The only thing to do was to meet with Mr. Ratchit and find out what had happened. He was clear that the librarian was not any of the usual ones and commented that he had assumed it was a dress up day because the librarian he saw was dressed in ‘Top Hat and Tails’. This was made more unusual when the stranger insisted on the payment of a florin. Mr. Ratchit decided to hand over a £1 coin and leave, deciding to send a strongly worded complaint to the head of Library Services.
After returning Mr. Ratchit's £1 coin, giving a sincere apology and inviting him and his family to a tour of the main library to try in some small way to make amends for the unexplained incident, the memory of the encounter began to fade.
So on our last visit before the Christmas break, incidentally a fine but frosty morning, it came as somewhat of a shock when we arrived to be greeted by a strangely dressed man, who, when he spoke sounded other-worldly, “Good-morn young man and lady, am I correct in my assumption that I have stumbled upon a perambulating library with reading materials for public use?"
We looked to each other slightly confused by his manner, but before we could address his question he continued “I am confused and maybe you can assist, I have come by this missive that suggests I have an overdue volume, but I assure you it was returned many years ago; the florins’ I am accused of owing concerns me. You are mistaken” he shouted. We became even more troubled and were about to ask him explain further, when he became agitated and waving the letter said, “you must address your behavior, false accusations such as this can only do harm. You will be visited by 3 borrowers today on the hour, expect the first when the clock strikes 10, maybe then you will see the error of your ways, and change how you treat people. Expect others …” he said with a fading voice.
We looked to each other and then back towards the stranger, but – he was no longer there!
We were thoroughly bemused at such a strange beginning to the day and pondered what had happened. But, as you do, we continued. A busy morning with lots to do soon had us forgetting – but as the church clock struck 10 times the vehicle swayed and a large man with a very bushy beard came up the steps. His dress was unusual too, not at all as you would expect in the quaint village of Rolleston, a long heavy overcoat, clearly designed to keep out the cold and peeking out from underneath a brown tweed three piece suit. “I am the ghost of library past, remember how things were done?” he boomed, showing a small brown library card which had a card slipped inside. He threw the card onto our counter expecting us to look. Dawn picked it up. “What’s this?” quickly she saw the slip belonged to an old book, “look at the date on this? What Dawn saw frightened her. It belonged to a book borrowed many years ago referring to village history. “How can this be?” She murmured. But the stranger didn’t respond to the question, he raised his voice further, “you must understand, books borrowed, and returned do not deserve to be claimed overdue. Fines levied are not warranted”.
We looked to each other and then back to the stranger but – he was no longer there!
We carried on, as you do, perplexed but nothing more. Until the clock struck eleven times. We didn’t know what to expect when a dapper character bounced onto the vehicle, in a jolly voice he claimed “morning, I am Library Present. Do you have a copy of The History of Nineteenth Century Rolleston” Dawn thought for a moment before checking the shelves, “sorry, it doesn’t seem so, we don’t have a copy of that. It’s an old book so maybe it’s out of stock now”. He accepted this without comment but added, “you must understand, books borrowed, and returned do not deserve to be claimed overdue. Fines levied are not warranted”. We looked at each other wondering what this meant.
When we looked back to the stranger – he was no longer there! Dawn commented, "what a coincidence, isn’t that the same book the other man asked about?"
By now concern was developing at the Rolleston Library. Strange things were clearly happening and panic was almost setting in when, as the clock struck twelve the vehicle swayed once again and appearing, as if from nowhere, came a tall, elegant figure. He wore strange clothing, a one piece suit over high necked under-garments. He spoke in a crystal clear voice that held a warning tone. “You must understand what the future holds if this occurrence is not rectified. You must put right your actions. You must understand, books borrowed, and returned do not deserve to be claimed overdue. Fines levied are not warranted”
We looked to each other and then back to the stranger but – he was no longer there!
With all that had gone on that morning, and the business of the day, the overnight stock had not been shelved so as it quietened over lunchtime Dawn decided to unpack the transport box and in the box Dawn discovered an old book, one she had not seen before. It was clearly old and was about the history of 19th century Rolleston. When Dawn looked inside it the slip was missing. Dawn contacted the archive department of the Main Library to ask them to check if the book had been given a fine for none return, and yes it had. Immediately she searched for the ticket the second visitor had thrown on the desk, she placed it in the small brown envelope on the inside of the front cover and unbelievably the book faded and disappeared. We were shocked, stunned and left utterly amazed.
Some weeks later and still intrigued by the pre Christmas happenings, Peter asked “So Dawn, what was the conclusion of the Ratchit affair.” “Well” she said “it seems the book was actually borrowed for Mr. Ratchit's son Timmy, who incidentally was quite a sickly child, after the incident Timmy had vowed never to pick up a book again, he was so upset. However, score one for the library service, because we had shown Timmy and his siblings such a good time with the visit to Main Library he had declared everyone should use Rolleston Library and even said "God bless us, every one".
All the staff from the Travelling Library, especially Dawn, Ann and Peter wish you the compliments of the season: a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
Well what a surprise, Tom Martin (the editor) called onto the library this morning and asked “where’s the article for this edition of The Rollestonian – oh and it’s due today?” Well, after the shock and we had picked ourselves up, we settled to consider what to write about. (By the way we thought the last article was a ‘one-off’!) So overcoming our writers block we thought that this quarter we would ‘suggest something different to read’.
We promptly got our thinking-caps on to come up with books that might not ordinarily be taken off the shelves but we think are worth looking at.
The first one is a popular book, it’s even been made into a successful film, but it’s a book aimed at teenagers. Not a regular read for our borrowers. It’s called The Hunger Games written by Suzanne Collins. This book will surprise readers with its content. It’s written for children but has all the trials and tribulations of life and how courage is needed to survive. It’s also a commentary about the inequality of life. The book is well written with a memorable character who overcomes all to protect her younger sister. Why not give it a try?
The other book we thought worthwhile bringing to your attention is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. It’s a book about the Isle of Guernsey as it was just after the Second World War. It remembers the experiences of the islanders under German occupation and has all of life’s emotions running though its pages: humour, grief, anger, regret and … well all. What makes this so readable is its light style in the way it is expressed through letters between its characters (who come from various backgrounds) and brings a depth to the book that is unusual and makes it an interesting and enjoyable read. Why not give it a try? (We thought we could make this phrase a ‘Catch Phrase’ – but then thought again!)
Get your Children Reading!
Not wanting to waste an opportunity it’s worth mentioning that the Summer Reading Challenge is coming up. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this annual library event, it’s aimed at keeping youngsters reading in the long summer holidays and involves children being rewarded for reading, with stickers, toys and a medal and certificate if they complete the challenge. This year the theme is Storylab, focussing on sharing stories from around the world, and has an Olympic feel to it. It starts in July, so Parents and Grandparents pop along with your children and check out what’s on offer by enrolling on the scheme.
Finally we would also remind all that Your Library @ Rolleston has a good stock of non-fiction books. We are particularly proud of the selection of cookery books that includes many of the new titles from popular TV chefs. So any keen cooks or chefs: Why not give it a try? (Oh I said we wouldn’t say that, Sorry)
Don’t forget - your friendly library team, Ann, Dawn and Peter, are outside the Rolleston Club (but in the Library) every Thursday between 9:30am and 6:45pm. Hope to see you then.
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Last updated: 6 March 2017