Summer Reading Challenge Teen mystery

The Reading Agency's Summer Reading Challenge is aimed at children 4 to 11 years of age and is already in full swing elsewhere. It was launched on 6th July in Merton libraries, in Lewisham and Haringey Libraries on 13th July, and on 20th July in Hounslow Libraries, for example.

Children can log in to record their progress. Over154,000 books had already been read by children up and down the country before the scheme is even launched in Croydon!

In Croydon, the Summer Reading Challenge commenced on  Monday, 29th July and will run throughout August.

Get all the details, as we know them here.


But teens will not miss out in Croydon libraries as the scheme is being extended to everyone up to 19 years of age.

Quite how this works remains to be seen.

You'll need to pop into a library to unravel the secret!

Do let us know how you get on.

And is anyone has information on the under 4s, please let us know. In previous years there was the Baby Book Crawl.

All comments welcome.

Teen Events in #Croydon Libraries

Teen activities have floundered in many Croydon libraries in the past year.  Part of the problem, we suspect, is that the staff are in certain libraries infrequently so not engaging with the youth in that library to pass the details on. Additionally advertising has been erratic; frequently events have been advertised poorly, without date and time information.

It is a shame as these were once very popular. They offer the ideal opportunity for teens to get together with other teens in their area.  We've asked to be sent details but the council will not provide us with a listing of dates. 

So, for 2013 we will be seeking out the details to pass on to you.  If there is an event you know of please pass it on to us by emailing savecroydonlibraries@gmail.com

If you know of places where events are listed please let us know so we can advertise them.

And if you attend an event and would like to write a review please send us details and we will publish your work on this site.

Here are the listings for January, 2013:

Teen Reading Groups

Shirley Library: Thurs 24 January, 4.30-5.30pm
South Norwood Library: Sat 26 January, 3-4pm

Young Writers’ Groups

Thornton Heath Library: Mon 14 January, 4.30-5.30pm
Selsdon Library: Sat 19 January, 3-4pm
Thornton Heath Library: Mon 28 January, 4.30-5.30pm

Manga Groups

(limited places – book in advance at library)

Central Library: Sat 12 January, 3-4pm
Purley Library: Sat 19 January, 2-4pm

‘Figure of Speech’ Drama Club 

(limited places – book in advance at library)

Thornton Heath Library: Fri 11 January, 5.30-6.30pm
Thornton Heath Library: Fri 18 January, 5.30-6.30pm
Thornton Heath Library: 25 January, 5.30-6.30pm

If you know of any other event not listed please let us know!

We are busy hunting down details of the MyVoice project running in Croydon libraries.  This  project is supported by The Reading Agency. We'll let you know as soon as we find out!

STOP PRESS! Wrong dates advertised!

You can only do what you can, big society and all that, but some councils seem determined to put every barrier in your way.  They just don't get it, do they?

Residents are being mislead and misinformed about events in Croydon libraries by haphazard, careless, some might even go as far to say a shambolic handling of the details and advertising.

The latest is that the Creative Writing Session advertised for tomorrow, Saturday 4th August, 2012 at Sanderstead Library is not on and has been moved!  The new date is now Tuesday, 7th August, 2012 from 3-4pm.

Saddened at the lack of promotion of Croydon libraries and of the activities run in them, we have done out utmost to promote the details.  It is not easy as Croydon Council, so proud to serve, refuses to release a list of library events to the campaign group or to individuals who request them.

A new blog, Teens4Libraries, has also sprung up, trying to promote libraries and library events, particularly  in Croydon libraries. They are tweeting about events in order to promote them as many library events are so poorly supported now as Croydon residents just don't know about them. They have been promoting this series of events via their blog and twitter.

If this date is incorrect, how many others are also? It is difficult not to trust information clearly advertised.

The actual poster, advertising the date.

Spot the mistake?  No.  We couldn't either.

And it is also clearly listed on the council's own website, at the top of the list, still visible today,  promoting the event on the wrong day too!

We fail to see how any resident could read this as an event actually being held on Tuesday, 7th August.

Can you?

Please let us know if you get details of events and we will promote them as libraries are important to the residents of Croydon.

MyVoice in Croydon Libraries!

The MyVoiceUK project, led by young people aged 11-19, has been running in Croydon for a little over a year now.  We only found out about it recently, but regularly attend the monthly meeting at Ashburton Library to organise library events, promote the use of local libraries and… eat pizza!

Last month we hosted a celebration of all the MyVoice UK work in Croydon so far, with a guest appearance of the Rap Poet Chris Syrus and LoveLife6958, who had worked with the MyVoice group in Croydon before we joined.

We also showed a video to summarise the work and events that had been organised by the MyVoice group in the last year, and interviewed some of the young people who participated in the running of the events. 






The Mayor of Croydon was unable to attend but the Deputy Mayor and his wife attended to show their support for the project. 

Unfortunately Liz Rose, the librarian who organises the MyVoice group, was ill on the day and unable to attend. I think she will be proud of what we achieved and we look forward to sharing our photos and videos with her.

Although the MyVoice project is not well advertised in Croydon, full details are on the Reading Agency site (where we discovered it!).


It is certainly a great opportunity for young people to get more involved in their libraries, and we personally feel that it is just a nice thing to do with your time. Hopefully the MyVoice group at Ashburton will soon be able to set up what some other MyVoice groups have done by setting up our own Twitter account, Tumblr site and Facebook page to better advertise what we do and what is on offer in our great Croydon Libraries!  Liz Rose, the librarian in charge of this project at Ashburton, is currently looking into this.

We would highly recommend trying it out at Ashburton Library. The next planning session will be held on Saturday 21^st April from 2.00pm to approximately 3.00pm, although it can run on much longer.  It is good fun and a great constructive thing to be doing with spare time!

To find out more or to get involved, get in touch with Ashburton Library’s Liz Rose by calling her on 020 8726 6900 or emailing her at Liz.H.Rose@croydon.gov.uk

We hope to see you there!


Amber and Poppy

You can find Croydon MyVoice on the Reading Agency site at http://www.myvoice.org.uk/croydon/ 
You can follow the Reading Agency MyVoice project on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/myvoiceuk
and on Twitter @myvoiceUK and @readingagency