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The Local Studies Library and Reading Room in The Central Library are currently closed until further notice while essential repairs are carried out.

The Central Lending Library, Computer Suite and Children’s Library are all open as normal.
We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

We have very exciting news for the end of the week - the Sheffield Children's Book Award shortlist is out!

Teachers and library staff have been busy reading and choosing the very best, most fun and engaging books of 2025!

We have something for all ages, from tiny tots right up to young adults. You will be able to vote for your favourites in any Sheffield public library, so dive in and get reading!

The shortlisted books are:

Baby Books:
Touch and Feel Construction by Sasha Morton and illustrated by Adam Howling
Animal Actions: Stomp Like an Elephant by Guilherme Karsten
Ada's Rainy Day by Daishu Ma

Toddler Books:
If a Monkey Ate Nothing but Bananas by Lillias Kinsman-Chauvet
Oh Dear, Look What I Got! by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
Calling All Bears by Diana Murray, illustrated by Alex Willmore

Picture Books:
The Forever Bear by Lu Fraser, illustrated by Pippa Curnick
Do You See the Tiger? by Philip Ardagh, illustrated by David Melling
Once I Was A Tree by Eoin McLaughlin, illustrated by Guilherme Karsten

Emerging Reads:
Squirrel and Duck: Mission Improbable, by Tom Percival
Donut Squad Take Over the World by Neill Cameron
My Teacher is a Diamond Thief! by Pamela Butchart, illustrated by Thomas Flintham

Shorter Novels:
The Zombie Project by Alice Nuttall
The Lone Husky by Hannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold
Sin Bin Island by Doug Naylor

Longer Novels:
People Like Stars by Patrice Lawrence
What Happens Online by Nathanael Lessore
My Name Is Samim by Fidan Meikle

Young Adult:
Bury Your Friends by Benjamin Dean
My Name is Jodie Jones by Emma Shevah
Traumaland by Josh Silver

#BookAward #BookAwards #BookPrize #ChildrensBooks #KidsBooks

Did you know that we have a regular schedule of planned late openings, to support essential staff training?

Don't get caught out - check your library's opening times before you travel. Simply visit our "Opening times and planned closures" page (link in bio) and select "Planned late openings".

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

#OpeningTimes #OpeningHours #UsefulInformation #Library #Libraries

We still have some places left for our Game Night in the Library next Wednesday! Join us for an evening of strategy, fun, and meeting new friends.

This week we will be playing Bärenpark, Bargain Quest, Point Salad and No Thanks!

Sheffield Central Library, Wednesday 20 May, 5pm-7.30pm. Suitable for ages 18+.

Book your free place via Eventbrite - link in bio.

#BoardGames #BoardGame #BoardGameNight #BoardGameLife #BoardGaming

Pupils from Stocksbridge High School were thrilled to receive copies of the shortlisted books for the Sheffield Children's Book Award!

All schools who subscribe to our Schools Library Service are eligible to participate in the award - simply search "Sheffield Schools Library Service" to find out more.

Find the full list of shortlisted titles over on our blog - link in bio.

#BookAward #BookAwards #BookPrize #ChildrensBooks #YoungAdult

Pupils from Stocksbridge High School were thrilled to receive copies of the shortlisted books for the Sheffield Children's Book Award!

All schools who subscribe to our Schools Library Service are eligible to participate in the award - simply search "Sheffield Schools Library Service" to find out more.

Find the full list of shortlisted titles over on our blog - link in bio.

#BookAward #BookAwards #BookPrize #ChildrensBooks #YoungAdult

Woodland Wellbeing will be at Ecclesall and Chapeltown Libraries over half term!

These fun activity sessions help families see the extraordinary in the small delights nature has to offer. Come and enjoy making crafts with natural materials - create sun-catchers using flower petals and make bunting from leaves. As always there'll be extra delights - birds' nests to marvel over, insects to see up close, and much more.

Ecclesall Library - Tuesday 26 May, 10.30am-12.30pm
Chapeltown Library - Tuesday 26 May, 2.30pm-4.30pm
Suitable for ages 2 to 12.

Book your free place via Eventbrite - link in bio.

Keep an eye on our socials for more half term holiday activities!

#ChildrensActivities #KidsActivities #KidsEvents #ChildrensEvents #KidsActivity

Wednesday 20 May will mark 120 years since Hillsborough Library opened!

We will have displays of archive photos available to view throughout the week. On 20 May we will also have quizzes for adults and children, a competition to design a birthday card for the library, and a guest book in which you can write your memories of the library.

Please do drop in and celebrate with us!

Images:
1. Young readers outside Hillsborough Junior Library, c.1930
2. A talk at Hillsborough Junior Library for Children's National Book Week, 1930s
3. Child jumping from window of Hillsborough Library during demonstration (please don't try this at home, folks!), January 1946
4. Hillsborough Junior Library, July 1967

Copies of all images are available from https://picturesheffield.com

#Anniversary #LocalHistory #Hillsborough #Library #Libraries

Wednesday 20 May will mark 120 years since Hillsborough Library opened!

We will have displays of archive photos available to view throughout the week. On 20 May we will also have quizzes for adults and children, a competition to design a birthday card for the library, and a guest book in which you can write your memories of the library.

Please do drop in and celebrate with us!

Images:
1. Young readers outside Hillsborough Junior Library, c.1930
2. A talk at Hillsborough Junior Library for Children's National Book Week, 1930s
3. Child jumping from window of Hillsborough Library during demonstration (please don't try this at home, folks!), January 1946
4. Hillsborough Junior Library, July 1967

Copies of all images are available from https://picturesheffield.com

#Anniversary #LocalHistory #Hillsborough #Library #Libraries

Wednesday 20 May will mark 120 years since Hillsborough Library opened!

We will have displays of archive photos available to view throughout the week. On 20 May we will also have quizzes for adults and children, a competition to design a birthday card for the library, and a guest book in which you can write your memories of the library.

Please do drop in and celebrate with us!

Images:
1. Young readers outside Hillsborough Junior Library, c.1930
2. A talk at Hillsborough Junior Library for Children's National Book Week, 1930s
3. Child jumping from window of Hillsborough Library during demonstration (please don't try this at home, folks!), January 1946
4. Hillsborough Junior Library, July 1967

Copies of all images are available from https://picturesheffield.com

#Anniversary #LocalHistory #Hillsborough #Library #Libraries

Wednesday 20 May will mark 120 years since Hillsborough Library opened!

We will have displays of archive photos available to view throughout the week. On 20 May we will also have quizzes for adults and children, a competition to design a birthday card for the library, and a guest book in which you can write your memories of the library.

Please do drop in and celebrate with us!

Images:
1. Young readers outside Hillsborough Junior Library, c.1930
2. A talk at Hillsborough Junior Library for Children's National Book Week, 1930s
3. Child jumping from window of Hillsborough Library during demonstration (please don't try this at home, folks!), January 1946
4. Hillsborough Junior Library, July 1967

Copies of all images are available from https://picturesheffield.com

#Anniversary #LocalHistory #Hillsborough #Library #Libraries

Over the next couple of weeks we're going to be showcasing the shortlisted books for each category in the Sheffield Children's Book Award!

First up is the Baby Book category, for our very smallest readers.

The shortlisted titles are:
Touch and Feel Construction by Sasha Morton and illustrated by @adam.howling . Published by @boxerbooksltd
Animal Actions: Stomp Like an Elephant by @guikarsten , published by @nosycrow
Ada's Rainy Day by @daishu_ma, published by @walkerbooksuk

Every library has a set of the shortlisted books - pick up your copies now and vote for your favourite! Voting link in bio.

#BookAward #BookAwards #BookPrize #ChildrensBooks #BabyBooks

A final book recommendation from Charlie to end the week!

Charlie's third recommendation is: Jillian by Halle Butler.

Charlie says: "Jillian is the funniest, yet saddest depiction of working life that you will ever read. This book observes the interactions between Jillian, a grotesquely optimistic & chirpy receptionist, and Megan, her relentlessly pessimistic colleague. You will despise every single character in this book... almost as much as you love them."

#BookRecommendations #BookRecs #ReadingRecommendations #Books #BooksBooksBooks

A final book recommendation from Charlie to end the week!

Charlie's third recommendation is: Jillian by Halle Butler.

Charlie says: "Jillian is the funniest, yet saddest depiction of working life that you will ever read. This book observes the interactions between Jillian, a grotesquely optimistic & chirpy receptionist, and Megan, her relentlessly pessimistic colleague. You will despise every single character in this book... almost as much as you love them."

#BookRecommendations #BookRecs #ReadingRecommendations #Books #BooksBooksBooks

🎂 Happy 100th Birthday, Sir David Attenborough - winning birthday card revealed!

📣 In partnership with @shefflibraries, we invited young artists across South Yorkshire to design a birthday card to mark Sir David’s incredible milestone - and you absolutely delivered!

We then asked filmmaker, climate activist and @natgeo Explorer @aliceaedy to undertake the wonderful task of selecting 10 finalists and one overall winner from all of your beautiful entries.

🏆 We are now delighted to reveal our winner! A HUGE congratulations to Charlotte, age 13, from Doncaster! @char.lott2012

Here’s what Alice had to say about Charlotte’s design:
“Charlotte’s work stopped me in my tracks. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. My eye keeps returning to it to discover new layers and details, and what makes me smile is that it puts Sir David exactly where I imagine he would love to be - not on a pedestal, but surrounded by the living world, equal to all the animal species he has spent his life trying to protect.”

And on judging the competition: “Most likely… the best job I’ve ever had?? (I’m) Overwhelmed with the quality and creativity of the submissions - and tributes to Sir David.”

Keep your eyes peeled as we reveal the full top ten birthday cards very soon!

🎟️ Charlotte and our 10 finalists have all won a pair of tickets to events in Sheffield DocFest 2026’s brand new GEN DocFest children and family programme, and Charlotte’s winning design will be presented at the festival itself!

Thank you to every young artist who entered 🌿🎨🦁

Happy 100th Birthday Sir David Attenborough!

Another day, another book recommendation from Charlie!

Charlie's second recommendation is: Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

Charlie says: "Set in working-class Glasgow, Young Mungo is a heartbreaking, powerful coming-of-age novel about a young man who finds himself grappling a queer identity in a homophobic society with a complex family dynamic. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart, but I would highly recommend to anyone looking to explore queer literature with astonishing prose."

#BookRecommendations #BookRecs #ReadingRecommendations #BooksBooksBooks #QueerBooks

Another day, another book recommendation from Charlie!

Charlie's second recommendation is: Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

Charlie says: "Set in working-class Glasgow, Young Mungo is a heartbreaking, powerful coming-of-age novel about a young man who finds himself grappling a queer identity in a homophobic society with a complex family dynamic. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart, but I would highly recommend to anyone looking to explore queer literature with astonishing prose."

#BookRecommendations #BookRecs #ReadingRecommendations #BooksBooksBooks #QueerBooks

Our library assistant Charlie is rapidly becoming famous for his excellent book recommendations, so we decided to feature some on our socials!

Charlie's first recommendation is: Small Worlds by @caleb_anelson

Charlie says: "Small Worlds is a masterclass in pure, visceral emotions that transcend the pages - the story follows a young British man who is the son of Ghanaian immigrants, and his transition into adulthood examining father-son relationships, racism, love, and finding yourself in the world. A modern classic in the making."

More book recommendations from Charlie later in the week!

#BookRecommendations #BookRecs #ReadingRecommendations #ReadingRecs #BooksBooksBooks

Our library assistant Charlie is rapidly becoming famous for his excellent book recommendations, so we decided to feature some on our socials!

Charlie's first recommendation is: Small Worlds by @caleb_anelson

Charlie says: "Small Worlds is a masterclass in pure, visceral emotions that transcend the pages - the story follows a young British man who is the son of Ghanaian immigrants, and his transition into adulthood examining father-son relationships, racism, love, and finding yourself in the world. A modern classic in the making."

More book recommendations from Charlie later in the week!

#BookRecommendations #BookRecs #ReadingRecommendations #ReadingRecs #BooksBooksBooks