Select and Collect

As a reminder, our libraries are currently open for Select and Collect orders only: to make an order please telephone us on 01352 703750, or email us at libraries@aura.wales You can browse our catalogue at www.aura.wales/flintshire-library-catalogue/ and place a hold on items to collect from the library counter. We will just need to know your library membership number, a contact telephone number and email address, your book requests/preferences, and your preferred collection point.

Free adult learning courses

Aura Libraries are here to help and support you to gain more confidence using a computer or laptop. We are offering free six-week courses starting from February 15, 2021 where we will provide support over the phone to help you build confidence. These courses can also help you to gain confidence when using Zoom so you can enjoy activities and events online. Courses are funded by Flintshire Adult Community Learning.

Please call your nearest library to book your place:

• Buckley 01352 703860

• Connah's Quay 01352 703730

• Flint 01352 703737

• Holywell 01352 703850

• Mold 01352 703780

Free parenting courses

We understand that many families at the moment are trying to juggle home working and home schooling and that this may be challenging and overwhelming at times. We'd like to take this opportunity to let you know about the free Solihull Approach Online Parenting courses which provide resources and skills for parents which may help greatly during this difficult time.

Here is the list of courses available:

• Understanding your Pregnancy, Labour, Birth & Baby

• Understanding your Baby

• Understanding your Child

• Understanding your Child with Additional Needs - English only at present

• Understanding your Teenagers Brain

• Understanding your Brain (for teenagers only) - English only at present

For more information about the courses, please visit www.inourplace.co.uk

Cisco online courses

Aura Libraries, in partnership with Cisco NetAcad, provide self-paced introductory courses, which enable you to take your first steps on your path to becoming an IT professional. Even if you don't want to become an IT professional and just want to increase your knowledge, these courses are for you.

You'll find several Cisco NetAcad courses listed below. Each course has a final assessment that you can do, but if you don't want to do the final assessment, we recommend you do the quizzes and get feedback about your knowledge. There are lots of different topics to choose from such as Cybersecurity, Linux, IoT and Python. More information, and the full list of topics can be found here: https://aura.wales/libraries/digital-learning-and-training/

Weekly Book Corner

This week's book corner recommendation is The Librarian by Salley Vickers.

The Librarian by Salley Vickers

The Librarian by Salley Vickers

The novel is centred upon 25-year-old Sylvia Blackwell who moves from the suburbs of London to a little market town named East Mole. She intends to begin a new job as a children's librarian - a role perfectly suited to her as a lifelong lover of reading - and settles very well in East Mole, making friends with her neighbours and eccentric library volunteer, Dee. She did not intend, however, to find herself falling in love with an older man whose daughter Marigold, along with her neighbour's son Sam, visit the library often to discover new and exciting books for the first time. The lives of these four people become entwined and as a result, risk putting the library and her job under threat.

A charming ode to a love of reading and the power of books to make a lasting impact on us from a very young age - this book is well suited to readers who enjoy historic fiction and classic children's literature. Aura score - 4/5

Brand new Instagram page

We have created an Aura Libraries Instagram page to further connect with our library members and community online. We will be sharing lots of images and videos of book reviews, weekly and monthly events, plus lots of information about what your local library can do for you. You can find us at: @llyfrgelloeddauralibraries

• From everyone here at Aura Libraries, thank you for reading, stay safe and we hope to hear from you or see you soon! Whilst we may be facing difficult times, remember: we are always united by books!

Aura is a charitable, not-for-profit, organisation responsible for managing the majority of leisure, libraries and heritage services in Flintshire. Aura is owned by its employees and operates for the benefit of local communities.