Ancestry.com

News Flash! Did you know you can access the full Ancestry.com package free of charge from home using your library card until the end of June? If you would like to know more about your family history why not visit Ancestry.com via our website www.wrexham.gov.uk/libraries, select Online Catalogue then log in to your library account at the top of the page and select the Ancestry icon. You will never know until you try it!

Free e-magazines

Do you enjoy reading magazines? Did you know that you can download free magazines via Wrexham Library's website? All you need is a valid library card to access over 250 magazines, including best-sellers such as Hello!, Good Housekeeping, Ideal Homes, National Geographic, New Scientist and Radio Times; plus more specialist titles such as Outdoor Photographer, Papercrafts, and PC World. You can download these and many more to your pc, tablet or phone via the RB Digital app. For more details and to see the full list of available titles visit www.wrexham.gov.uk/libraries and follow the Online Services link.

National Shelf Service

Are you struggling to find something different to read? CILIP, the UK's library and information association, has launched the National Shelf Service, a new daily YouTube broadcast featuring book recommendations from professional librarians. The National Shelf Service will feature one librarian and one book recommendation each day. The broadcast happens every weekday at 11am. The initiative focuses on helping children and families discover new and diverse reading experiences.

The books themselves will be picked specifically to encourage children to enjoy diverse characters and authors from diverse backgrounds, as well as supporting children's creativity and wellbeing as they build their literacy and confidence. This week they have included Where the World Turns Wild by Nicola Penfold, Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai, Jemima Small Versus the Universe by Tamsin Winter, Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love and Toffee by Sarah Crossan. To check out next week's books go to YouTube and National Shelf Service.

Carers Week

Carers Week (June 8-14) is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. It also helps people who don't think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support. There are 6.5 million people in the UK who are carers. Whilst many feel that caring is one of the most important things they do, its challenges should not be underestimated. Caring without the right information and support can be tough. If you are a carer who needs support why not try these books The Carers Bible by Amanda Waring, The Accidental Carer by Nicole Banerji, Pan Fo Rhywun Newydd A Dementia by Susan Elliot-Wright plus much more and all are available from Wrexham's Libraries.

Hi VIS Fortnight

'Make A Noise In Libraries' is changing into 'Hi VIS' from this year. The celebration of accessible library services and alternative formats will be taking place during the first two weeks of June and it aims to champion and raise awareness of the range of library services and activities that are available to visually impaired people to access. This provision is critical to visually and print impaired people being able to access reading and literature, and the general theme of this year's fortnight will be celebrating the word in all its forms and formats. So if you would like to access our range then visit our website www.wrexham.gov.uk/libraries and follow the online services/online catalogue links where you find books in audio format or ebooks for you to read and listen to on your devices.

Meet the team

Cerys Bennett has worked full-time for many years at Wrexham Library but now work part-time at Rhos Library.

What do you love about your job? I love meeting the people who come into the library whether they are regular customers or visiting the library for the first time.

I enjoy chatting to customers about the books they have read, suggesting alternative authors and pointing out new books that they might like. Some customers like to have a general chat and it's important that you show an interest as it may be the only opportunity they have to talk to someone.

How can the service help those in our communities? Libraries offer a lot more than books these days. We serve our communities by offering free access to the internet so that they can search for jobs and check their emails etc.

We offer free access to Ancestry, so that they can search for their families. We also have collections of books that offer self-help and advice to promote health and wellbeing.

In Rhos Library we have a Book Club, a Welsh Conversational Group, a Knit and Natter Group and a Friendship Group, these area all well attended.

We love having children in the library. On a Friday I run a bilingual Story and Rhyme time for toddlers and throughout the week during school term times we welcome groups of children from our two local Primary Schools.

Every Tuesday the Community for Works Team are at the library ready to assist people looking for work or finding courses to enable them to enhance their skills. The Community Agent also has a regular drop-in session.

Favourite childhood book? Tom Kitten by Beatrice Potter.

Book you could read over and over? Lleian Llan-Llŷr by Rhiannon Davies Jones.

Favourite author? Agatha Christie.

Last book you read? The Lying Room by Nicci French.

Any Reading Recommendations? The Maisie Dobbs series of novels by Jacqueline Winspear.