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Somerset Studies Feedback
It is planned to relocate the Somerset Studies Library to the new Heritage Centre when this is opened in 2010. This will bring together many of the County Council's 'heritage' services on one site, with the Somerset Studies Library joining the Record Office, museum reserve collections and staff from the Historic Environment and Victoria County History services. We are at an early planning stage for this move and would welcome your feedback on this move.
Please click here for a copy of the feedback form
[ 33.8k]- this can be printed out and completed and then sent to the Somerset Studies Library, Paul Street, TAUNTON TA1 3XZ.
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Somerset Libraries improve in survey of Young library users: Children's Public Library User Survey results
The Children's PLUS (CPLUS) survey is a national measure of library performance. It is a questionnaire that we ask library visitors to fill in.
All library authorities must run a survey every three years and Somerset's was run in October 2007 at all our libraries, both static and mobile and was for library users under 16, and the results are now available.
The last CPLUS survey was run in 2005 and the Somerset result on the percentage of library users under 16 who view their library service as 'good' was 77.4%. From the 2007 survey Somerset increased their score to 85% saying 'good'.
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99% thought their library is a friendly place.
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98.2% thought their library is a safe place.
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96.6% thought their library is a place they want to come to.
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99.7% thought the books are 'good' or 'ok'.
To read the full survey results .
For a brief introduction to the survey
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 Read together in the National year of Reading 2008 - Wind in the Willows
Help celebrate National Year of Reading and the centenary of the publication of Kenneth Grahame's classic Wind in the Willows. read it, share your thoughts with other readers, watch out for events in local libraries.
To find out more about Kenneth Grahame and his books go to www.kennethgrahamesociety.net , this site also gives details of the many illustrators including Ernest Shepard whose drawings have helped bring Toad and his friends to life.
Find out more about the films, books and sequels based on the Wind in the Willows, including the William Horwood sequels The Willows in Winter, Toad Triumphant, The Willows and Beyond and The Willows at Christmas.
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2008 is National Year of Reading
Everyone in the family is encouraged to take part, whether it is in a reading group, storytimes for children or reading to your child at home. Libraries will be staging themed displays, events and book promotions throughout the year. Each month has a particular theme such as May - Mind & Body and August a sporting theme linked with the ever popular Summer Reading Scheme for children.
Libraries will be running events, book promotions and putting up displays to encourage everyone to take part. Let’s all celebrate and share the pleasure and joy which comes from reading.
The monthly themes are:
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April - Read all about it
Read anything and everything, anywhere and everywhere. Reading is not just about reading books - it can also include newspapers, magazines and online journals.
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May - Mind and body
Reading for health, relaxation and well-being, as well as for information about health
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June - Reading escapes
Holiday reads, reading to escape from the routine, or for travel information
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July - Rhythm and rhyme
Poetry and Lyrics
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August - Read the game
Sport and reading including Team Reads, the Summer Reading Challenge for children.
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September - You are what you read
Looking at the cultural, personal and local identities.
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October - Word of mouth
Storytelling, reading out loud, reading together, audio books and reading groups.
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November - Screen reads
Scripts and dramatisations tie-ins from TV and cinema
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December - Write the future
Writing, texting and blogging into the future.
Some of the things we’ll be doing include:
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Helping set up reading groups in Active Living Centres
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Boosting library book loans into pre-school settings
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Working with our local authors to join in library sessions
Recent Events
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Somerset author Sue Purkiss gave three talks to Year 7 students about her new book Warrior King, a story set in Dark Age Somerset telling of King Alfred and his struggle to save his kingdom from the invading Danes thereby changing the course of history.
Students from St. Dunstan's and Huish Episcopi Schools heard Sue at Glastonbury and Langport Libraries, and Sue visited Oakfield School in Frome to talk to students there. |
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The Eleven O'clock Show at Taunton Library
This year sees a new departure for events at Taunton Library with a series of free talks in the Meeting Room at the library, featuring local authors, and speakers from local organisations such as the National Trust, Quantock Rangers, and Somerset Wildlife Trust. The season of morning talks started with local author Malcolm Welshman talking about his career as a vet and his recently published humorous account "Pets in Prospect", and have featured "Wildlife on your Doorstep", "Getting the best from your Digital Camera" and an "Introduction to Family History".
The talks start at 11.00 a.m. and run for about one hour with the next events, admission is free. For details of coming events please click here .
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 Black History Month in Somerset
October provides the opportunity to celebrate cultural diversity with displays of books and art work in a number of libraries across Somerset.
The Great Reading Adventure for 2007 featured Andrea Levy's "A Small Island" which scooped both the Whitbread and Orange prizes, for its depiction of post war Britain and the experiences of Hortense and Gilbert as they seek to adapt to life in Britain having left their homes in Jamaica. It is hoped to stage a number of events across the county in the coming year to showcase different aspects of life in Britain today and the diverse cultural heritage of Somerset residents.
Information on African and Caribbean history is available all the year round at www.black-history-month.co.uk news of events and further information on Black History Month is also available at www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk
An interesting site about the contribution that men and women from across the Commonwealth have made to the defence of the United Kingdom can be found at www.wewerethere.mod.uk/
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Skills for Life Resources in Libraries in Somerset
Fancy updating your skills?
Perhaps you know someone who is interested in returning to learning?
These students from Yeovil College have taken the plunge..
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'The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.' (Dr Seuss)
Skills for life is about taking the first steps back into learning by giving everyone the opportunity to improve their reading, writing, maths and IT skills and speak English at a level that will help them at home and at work.
Libraries in Somerset have introduced 'Skills for Life' collections.
These collections include:
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Fiction - Stories at different lengths and at various levels
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Quick Reads - Exciting, short, fast-paced books by leading, best-selling authors.
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Book/CD/cassette tape sets of fiction books issued free of charge.
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Books to help you with your number skills.
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Books to help improve your written English.
All are available at the following libraries:
- Bridgwater
- Burnham on Sea
- Chard
- Crewkerne
- Dulverton
- Frome
- Glastonbury
- Minehead
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- Priorswood
- Shepton Mallet
- Street
- Taunton
- Wellington
- Wells
- Williton
- Yeovil
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Remember, items can be reserved and collected from any library.
Find out more online using free Internet access in all libraries by logging on to:
For information on local courses log on to:
If you prefer to speak to someone who can advise you please telephone 'learndirect' free on 0800 100 900
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Taunton Library Family History Sessions
Family history is growing more popular all the time, spurred on by TV series like "Who do you think you are?" Taunton Library is starting an extra new service to help with it. Somerset Libraries already provide free access to the "Ancestry" subscription website and to help users make full use of the service there are sessions every Friday afternoon from 2.00 to 5.00 with Somerset and Dorset Family History Society members on hand to offer guidance. Sessions can be booked in advance with the Somerset Studies Library, telephone 01834 340300, somstud@somerset.gov.uk
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Books on Prescription
Somerset Libraries and Somerset Primary Care Trust have combined to provide a new service. People who visit participating GPs, counsellors or mental health practitioners in Somerset now have the option of being recommended self-help books as well as medication and counselling.
The list of recommended books cover topics such as depression, stress, anxiety, shyness, panic attacks, low self esteem and weight problems. These kinds of problems are commonly experienced by most people at one point or other in their lives. The self-help books offer straightforward and practical tips and techniques, that people can use to help themselves manage their moods and cope with the day to day stresses of modern life. 
Borrowers do not have to be existing members of the library service as the prescription can act as temporary membership. The books on the list are in the libraries across Somerset and are available to the general public to take out, you do not need to have a prescription!
You will find that libraries also carry a wide range of other self-help guides and leisure reading, along with music, dvds, videos and a range of information services on health, education and leisure activities.
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New Book Promotions
Click here for information about new book promotions such as the Richard and Judy Book Club, the Man Booker Prize and the Orange Prize
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