Dorset libraries online activities and events

Calling all reading heroes - Winter Mini Challenge starts 1 December!

This winter we are very excited to team up with The Reading Agency award-winning publisher Knights Of to run an Everyone Is A Hero Challenge to celebrate heroes in all their forms!

• Start your Challenge by visiting Winter Mini Challenge. If you took part in the Summer Reading Challenge you can use your existing account.  If you need to create an account there’s a new streamlined sign-up where parents can add multiple children easily! We hope it will make a real difference to new users.
• Take part by reading any books (including eBooks, audiobooks and e-comics) of your choice (we’re suggesting 3 or more), then rate and review them.
• Books added to the website during the six-week Mini Challenge period will count towards unlocking special rewards including a certificate and a virtual badge
• The website will also feature activities, recommendations for great winter reads, and competitions.
• If you’re stuck for ideas for reading check out the Book Sorter, which has over 1.3 million peer-to-peer recommendations.  Or why not try something from this fabulous reading list - from friendship, to inventing to fun, this selection is full of heroes that inspire, challenge and push the definition of what it means to be a hero
• Keep track of your reading with this downloadable reading record
• Download your certificate when you’ve completed your Challenge

Nominate your Reading Hero

Dorset Libraries Favourite Fiction

We asked you to nominate your 5 best loved books so that we could compile Dorset Libraries favourite fiction titles.  You accepted the challenge and nominated 349 individual titles by 348 different authors! The results are in and the winner is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  The authors with the most nominations are Thomas Hardy and Charles Dickens with 5 titles each.  Terry Pratchett, Jane Austen, JRR Tolkien, Elena Ferrante and Agatha Christie followed closely behind with 4 titles nominated. 

How many have you read? How many will you try? 

Activities for wellbeing

Dorset Libraries winter online activity schedule

Throughout the week you’ll find library news and updates on Facebook and Twitter, plus ideas for reading, writing and getting creative.

We have the following regular online activities every week:

Monday

Start the week with Shared Reading

Brought to you on Zoom from Dorchester Library – every Monday at 10am. Contact Dorchester Library.

Tuesday

Book chat for adults

Join us on Facebook for an informal chat about books that you've enjoyed with a different theme each week. Share your love of books with others, get ideas of what to try next, and let us know your favourite books.

Rhymetime

Join in with Rhymetime on Facebook and sing some rhymes with your children at home.

Wednesday

Facebook Lego challenge

There’s a different themed challenge each week, so have fun being creative with your Lego. You can share your creations on Facebook, we’d love to see them.

Shared reading

Join Ferndown library on Zoom for Shared Reading online at 2pm Contact Ferndown library 

Thursday

Monthly -  Live chat reading group for adults (10am – 11am)

If you like to connect with others and chat about your book experiences, why not join our live chat Reading Group. For joining instructions, please email DLSLibrarians@dorsetcc.gov.uk 

Friday

Story time for early years

Watch library staff reading some wonderful stories on Facebook while you’re at home. Thanks to all the publishers who are giving permission to libraries for using their books.

Contact us