Our opening times from 11th January 2010 will be:

Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday & Friday. 2.30 to 4.30pm.
Thursday. 5.00 to 7.00pm
Saturday. 10.00 to 12.00 Midday

We are also restarting our highly successful Children’s Story Time. This is intended for pre school children to come with their parents and enjoy having stories and rhymes read to them. These sessions last for about half an hour. While providing an enjoyable time for the children it is also a good opportunity for the parents to meet. We hope to provide coffee and biscuits. There is no charge but donations to help with the running expenses will be appreciated.

Story Time Sessions:

Every Thursday including school holidays from Thursday 6th January 2011.

We are looking for even more volunteers to help run the Library and the Story Time Sessions. Ideally volunteers need to live close enough to Melbourn to be able to get to the Library in a few minutes. The normal commitment is for two hours once a week. We always try to have a least two volunteers working together to give each other practical support and to facilitate social interaction. All the team enjoy the work. Ideally you need to be able to operate the computer backed terminals while interacting with the customers. A lot of the customers are old friends. The work is interesting as from time to time problems which add interesting challenges to the work. We have to solve these situations at the time. There are procedures for handling these them but at the end of the day it is up to the Librarian to keep the customers happy.

Our main range of books is Adult Fiction and Children’s books. The Children’s books range from picture books for toddlers through Junior fiction for Primary School Children right up to young Adult books suitable for Senior School Children. We also have several small collections including History, Travel, Cooking and Local Studies.

The local people give us a large amount of support and without them we could not expand the facility. Please give us all the help you can in these difficult time by using the Library as often as possible.

We have just been presented with an award by the Melbourn Parish Council for our services to the village.

Thanks to those volunteers who have come forward to keep Story Time up and running so successfully.

As well as reading, volunteers are encouraged to build their own interests into the sessions if they want to e.g. drama, singing or crafts. Most of those attending the sessions are too small to protest so you couldn’t ask for a more obliging audience! And don’t worry if you don’t have any relevant interests, as the emphasis really is on creating a relaxed, friendly setting for those coming along.

If you feel able to help some Thursday mornings, between 10am and 10.45am, then please do give Jocelyn Robson a call on 07899 898061 or register your interest at the library (01763 269956).

Cambridgeshire County Council’s ruling group has decided keep £25 million in reserve, and to cut its support to ten Library Access Points across the county by 50% – a total of just £15,000. That includes Melbourn Library.

Ironically, the cut in support comes at a time when Melbourn Library is at an exciting crossroads. With new volunteers, a popular Under Fives Story Time, and realistic hopes of relocating to permanent premises, the library is looking to the future.

As an ’access point,’ the library houses a modest number of books but serves as an ordering, collection and return point for virtually any book in the Cambridgeshire Library system. You can order items from the on-line catalogue www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/online or by phone 0345 045 5225, and collect them at Melbourn. Items taken out anywhere in Cambridgeshire can be returned at Melbourn. The service is free.

The library is located in the aqua blue building with the bright red doors adjacent to the entrance of Melbourn Village College. It is open MWF 2:30–4:30, Th 5–7 and Sat 10–12. Under Fives Story Time is Thursdays during term time, 10–10:45 – just come along! Thanks to Parish Councillor Jocelyn Robson for spearheading the Story Time initiative.

Watch this space – ideas for permanent premises are now being discussed by the Parish Council. Regular updates will be posted at www.susanvandeven.com and on the Village website.

Please consider donating your unwanted children’s books to

MELBOURN DISTRICT LIBRARY

Please drop any donations into the Library during opening hours,
or at Melbourn Village College reception outside those hours.

Thank you for helping us share the joys of reading.