Welcome to our blog post from the north! This month we thought we’d tell you about the exciting things that have been happening at all three of the libraries in the north – Kensal, Notting Hill Gate and North Kensington, libraries.
What’s been happening at North Kensington’s Children’s Library?
This past two months we have had a very busy time in North Kensington Children’s library and it continues to be so.
Saturday 9 February was National Libraries Day. To celebrate this Senior Customer Services Assistant Ishwari Prince led a children’s craft and story session with ‘create your own book’. This involved some origami type folding and cutting to make simple books, which the children filled with their own ideas, pictures and stories. We were all very impressed with the creative and original ideas the children came up with, and everyone enjoyed themselves. Please visit the National Libraries Day website for more information about this day.
Senior Customer Services Assistant, Zvezdana Popovic launched our new after school children’s story and craft Sessions (second Thursday of every month, 4pm to 5pm) on Valentine’s Day with appropriately themed crafts and romantic verse.
We are celebrating Spring Time with a display of books including fact books about animals, urban nature trails and nature guides, festivals such as Easter and Holi and stories for children of all ages. We have lots of picture books and board books about spring animals. For toddlers and babies we have I love rabbits, an interactive touch and feel book full of adorable fluffy rabbits.
My favourite fact books are Wild Town: Wildlife on your doorstep by Mike Dilger and Usborne Spotter’s Guides: Urban Wildlife. You don’t have to visit the countryside or have a garden to enjoy nature. Both of these beautifully illustrated books introduce you to the secret world of wildlife in our cities and towns. They give useful tips on where to spot birds, animals, plants and creepy-crawlies in your local park, alongside rivers and canals and even on your doorstop or under your roof!
Gaynor Lynch
Lending Librarian, North Kensington Library
North Kensington Library’s Chatterbooks club
North Kensington Library’s Chatterbooks club is a reading group for children aged 8 to 12 years. The club members meet on the last Thursday of the month at 4pm in North Kensington Children’s Library. The club gives opportunity for children to share their reading experiences, discuss books, do fun activities including writing stories and poetry, quizzes and word search. New members are welcome, so come and join us! Check out our Chatterbooks page for more information.
Adisa Behmen-Kreso
Senior Customer Services Assistant, North Kensington Library
New story and craft sessions at Notting Hill Gate Library
Notting Hill Gate Library will be holding monthly story and craft sessions on the last Saturday of every month. Come have fun with your children, give them a chance to explore their creativity, meet new friends and better yet it’s free!
The first session will be on Saturday 27 April, 11.30 am to 12.30pm. Hope to see you and your children there!
Ihssan Dhimi
Senior Customer Services Assistant, Notting Hill Gate Library
What’s been happening at Kensal Library?
Come along to hear wonderful stories read by engaging friendly staff at Kensal Library at our storytime sessions every Friday from 11am to 11.30am. One Mum commented that her son and herself thought the staff were ‘amazing’.
We have a new collection of Portuguese and Arabic titles in stock which reflect the needs of our community here in the north of the borough. There’s more information about our this collection on our books in other languages page on our website.
Our first story and craft event was well attended and the children enjoyed the theme. We read a fictional story about sharks and then looked at some non-fiction books and talked about sharks and why people are scared of them and how we can protect endangered species before making some spectacular shark jaws! The next session will be on Saturday 13 April from 3 to 4pm and will be tied in to our Cityread London events.
Natasha Chaoui
Senior Customer Services Assistant, Kensal Library
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