Shetland ForWirds presents Hjalta: an evening of poetry and music

Many poets have been inspired by the natural world, from seasons to birdsong, and mooritoogs to maalies. Hjalta is a Shetland ForWirds event to celebrate Shetland's nature.  

Including poems from Vagaland, Mary-Ellen Odie and Rhoda Bulter. Tuesday 8th July, 7.30pm, Shetland Library

Writer Jean Saunders is giving a talk in the Library on Monday 7th July, at our first ever Library coffee morning. One of our most-borrowed authors, Jean also writes as Rowena Summers and Rachel Moore. Jean's website

Tuesday 29th July, 7.30pm, at the Museum and Archives - free entry. Come to the film of the year. Hollywood attire optional - library staff will be attending and dressing for the occasion!

Team Read, the new Summer Reading Challenge for children, starts on Saturday 5th July. Register at the library, read six books over the summer and collect some great giveaways.

Team Read Website

Makkin & Yakkin now every month! What better way to spend a lightsome evening? Come to a session in the comfortable surrounding of the library mezzanine. You just bring your knitting (or sewing) along, and chat with like-minded folk. Hot drinks available.

First Monday of every month from 6pm - 8pm (clewin up time 7.50pm). Next Makkin & Yakkin evening: Monday 7th July.

In preparation for summer play events, some of the library staff got trained in the art of face painting, which livened up the library offices no end!

June 2008: Congratulations to our Mobile Library drivers Elizabeth Robertson and Annette Shewan, who have just scooped the CILIP President's Shield for Best Small Mobile Library. They were attending the 'Mobilemeet' at Aintree. Ian Stringer of CILIP said that the award reflects not just on the physical build of the vehicle but the whole concept of the service and its emphasis on social inclusion. "Your staff gave us a vivid account of life on Shetland and this was one of the main reasons for giving the award."

In July the group is reading The Second Husband by Louise Candlish. The group was given free proof copies by publishers Little, Brown. The group is also reading the books of Will Self, since he is coming to Shetland in September.

The next book group meeting is on Thursday 24th July at 7.30pm in the Old Library Centre. New members are welcome at the Book Group: just contact Karen or Morag here at the library if you want to join. Group page: Lerwick Book Group. Book Group Blog

We always welcome your feedback. Every week, all comments by email or in the suggestion box are entered in a prize draw to win a useful jute Read Mòr bag. Comment

19th - 24th of May was a celebration of International Shetland, and the Library took the chance to publicize our Welcome collection of books in other languages. We hosted an Adult Learning event for 'Cultural Diversity Day' on the 21st, and also held dual-language story times during the week. Bells Brae nursery bairns were surprised to hear French, German and Norwegian versions of their stories, read by Librarian Morag Nicolson.

Over 80 readers signed up for the Six Book Challenge between January and May 2008. Readers reported that the Challenge encouraged them to read more widely, and some discovered the joys of the library for the first time. Thanks to all who took part, and thanks to the Peerie Shop Cafe for sponsoring the Challenge with free coffee vouchers.

Ann Cleeves, author of Raven Black and new book White Nights, did a series of events for Shetland Library between the 12th and 16th of May 2008. The Lerwick event included a talk by Archivist Brian Smith about an awful family massacre that took place in Lerwick in 1858. £100 was raised from ticket sales, and this will be donated to Cancer Research. Photos

This is an annual award given by the Crime Writers Association - nominated by libraries and judged by librarians. This year Karen Fraser from the Shetland Library is one of the six national judges. The shortlist is Elizabeth Corley, Andrew Martin, Denise Mina, Craig Russell, CJ Sansom and Chris Simms, and the winner is announced at an awards dinner on the 10th of July.

As an extra service to our customers, we regularly open up the library basement so that you can have look at some of our reserve stock - lots and lots of extra books for you to browse. (Please note that children under eight must be accompanied by an adult.) Watch this space for the next Basement Browsing.

April 2008: Shetland Library's Poet Partner Jen Hadfield hosted an online poetry discussion on the Scottish Poetry Library site. Poet Partner is a three year project sponsored by the Scottish Poetry Library and Paul Hamlyn Trust. In 2007 Jen chose a new selection of poetry books for our stock and we produced two leaflets where she writes about her choices. Leaflet One Leaflet Two

Bookstart Competition Winners: The local winners of the Bookstart nursery rhyme competition are: Kaylee Drever; Niamh Coffey' Eloise March; Emmy Morgan and Lauren Brown. All win a  Bookstart  teddybear.   These, along with the 100 other entries we received,will be entered in the national competition.

The favourite nursery rhyme locally was Humpty Dumpty.

Tried the new out-of-hours return point yet? It's the big bin just outside the door that says Books on it! Just put your returns in there if you arrive when the library is shut.

Remember, you can also browse our catalogue and renew or request books 24 hours a day. Just click the My Account or Library Catalogue tabs at the top of the page.

Over 60 people crammed into the library for a double treat at a special event on Friday, 14th March 2008. Local poet Jen Hadfield launched her new book, Nigh No Place, and read from her work. The second part of the night was 'open mike', when members of the audience came armed with some favourite poems to share. We enjoyed a huge variety - everything from toilet humour to W.B. Yeats; a poem to mark the 5th year anniversary of war in Iraq and another in memory of John Graham; some dialect poetry and - last but not least - some beautiful singing. Thanks to all who took part.

On Monday 3rd March 2008, First Minsiter Alex Salmond visited the library to launch our Welcome Project. This project, which is being funded with a Scottish Government grant, is providing the library with a self-issue machine, out-of-hours return point, and a collection of materials to better serve key groups like migrant workers. The First Minister spent 40 minutes in the library talking to staff and customers, and said "I am glad to see projects offering library support to groups such as young people and migrant workers – this is where great results will be achieved".

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History

“A magisterial work....as encyclopedic as you could possibly hope for. The eclectic subject matter is admirable....pick any page here and there is something to grab the attention. Once you start delving it is devilishly difficult to stop. For the true nautical buff...this is an indispensable reference work."--Navy News

The reference room is upstairs in the library. This is just one of the many classic reference works you can browse there.

This year is the 100th Anniversary of Mills and Boon. To celebrate this great occasion, we invited customers to write up to 250 words which distilled the essence of a good Mills and Boon. The writing competition was judged by Elaine Fulton, Director of the Scottish Library and Information Council. Here she presents the prize of a Scottish Libraries jute bag and a Shetland poetry book to winner Barbara Fraser (pictured left).

Read some of the best entries here.

A feasibilty study was carried out in 2007 into better library facilities in Lerwick. There have been public surveys and wide consultation. Read a review of the feedback here. You can find out more about public library building projects by visiting the Designing Libraries website.

Following a report to Council, a decision has been made to remodel both St Ringans and the old library to provide better library facilities. There will be more opportunities for public consultation once the design process gets going. Thanks for all your input so far.

A booklet has recently been compiled at the Library for the purpose of explaining how former United Free Church, St Ringan's became the new Shetland Library. This has been done in response to numerous enquiries (visitors to Shetland in particular) who are keen to find out more about the building's history. The booklet in paper form is now available from the front desk of the library for £2.50 and it can also be accessed in 'bite size' PDFs, listed below.

The Sanctuary

St Ringans History

St Ringans Now

List of Illustrations and Bibliography

Extra pictures