Order and Collect Service - Wrexham Libraries

Wrexham Libraries are taking the first steps towards the phased re-opening of the service. A new order and collect service is now being piloted at Wrexham Library, with the aim of gradually rolling out the service across the county. The rollout of the new order and collect service will mean our libraries will remain closed for regular use at the moment. As of July 1 you will only be able to return and collect stock from Wrexham Library. You will only be able to borrow books from Wrexham Library stock during the pilot phase; gradually you will be able to borrow books from other libraries across Wrexham. The choice of stock is currently limited as we wait for supplies of new books. We will do our best to get the books you want to you as quickly as we can. The safety of our staff and customers is our priority and we are following Welsh Government guidance on how to handle library books. Please note all books returned to the library will be quarantined for 72 hours.

When your books are ready, we will contact you to arrange a collection appointment for you to come and collect them. You can return books at the same appointment if you are collecting books. If you only want to return books, you will need to contact us by email and telephone to arrange an appointment. All books you currently have on loan and any you borrow via Order and Collect Service will be automatically renewed, so you do not need to worry about returning them on time and you will not incur any fines. Our Homelink Service is now delivering as usual to its customers, and we will contact you. We look forward to seeing you again!

Book of the Week

Welsh Book of the Week at Wrexham libraries this week is Yr Awen Drwy'r Storiau, an elegant volume comprising ancient and new poems - all inspired by legends from Wales. English book of the week is Girl by Edna O'Brien. A young woman, barely more than a girl herself, must learn to survive with a child of her own, in a world which seems entirely consumed by madness. As she navigates a landscape of terrors and trials, can she find a place of safety within a society blinkered by mistrust and denial? These books are available from your local library.

July's new titles on Borrowbox

This month, delve into The Art of Dying by Ambrose Parry, an entertaining tale of murder and misadventure in 1840's Edinburgh or Lisa McInerny's moving and darkly funny award-winner The Glorious Heresies. Those looking for gritty crime will find it in the criminal underworld of Manchester in Maudasue Heller's Run, or in C.J. Carver's suspenseful murder mystery Know Me Now. Also on offer is Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Tyler's witty and irresistible contemporary rework of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, Vinegar Girl. For the younger listeners, make sure to order Clownfish, the stunningly original story of friendship and life after loss, from award-winning author Alan Durant. Whilst in eBook and eAudiobook we have Matt Haig's Evie and the Animals joined by Bannie McPharlin's bighearted, madcap heist story, The Fearless Five. Available free of charge from www.wrexham.gov.uk/libraries and follow the online services link.

British Book Awards

Women authors sweep the 30th anniversary British Book Awards this year in a ceremony which was streamed live. J.K. Rowling received a special award, '30 from 30', for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Bernadine Evaristo, whose novel Girl, Woman, Other has won the British Book Awards' fiction prize and Evaristo has also won Author of the Year. For details of all of the winners visit https://www.thebookseller.com/awards/shortlists/30from30 You can download these books free of charge from our website www.wrexham.gov.uk/libraries and follow the online service link.

Meet the team

Lloyd Hitchmough has worked on the mobile library for more than 10 years, covering the rural communities of the Borough.

What do you love about your job?

On the mobile we are lucky to have such loyal and friendly readers who regularly visit us as we travel through their areas. I find it very rewarding suggesting new authors and getting feedback, which I am then able to pass on to other readers. I find the readers' love of books infectious and I am constantly looking for new authors for them to try.

How can the service help those in the community?

We are a regular and trusted point of contact for our readers and visit areas all over Wrexham County Borough. We take the library service to our reader, tailoring the service by requesting books, offering advice on authors. We are often used as a signpost to other council services. The vehicle has a lift which makes the library accessible to everyone.

Favourite childhood book? Secret Seven by Enid Blyton

Last book you read? A Minute to Midnight by David Baldacci. This is the second book with a new character, Atlee Pine, who is an FBI agent who works in a town near the Grand Canyon. She tries to unlock the truth regarding her twin sister's disappearance when they were young. Well worth reading the first book, Long Road to Mercy, to get the background on the character.

Any reading recommendations? I love reading adventure and thrillers books. Favourites include: Any Lee Child (Jack Reacher, especially the early books Killing Floor and Die Trying). Any Matt Hilton and Nick Petrie. David Baldacci, characters Will Robb, Amos Decker or Atlee Pine. Clive Cussler, characters Dirk Pitt or Kurt Austin, especially The Numa Files.