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Summer Reading Challenge

The Summer Reading Challenge – Gadgeteers – is running until Saturday 3 September in all Essex libraries and mobile libraries.

To take part, children will need their own library card, so if anyone in your family is not a library member pop down to your local library to join or join online now.

The challenge for children is to read six books over the summer. If they do, they’ll earn a certificate and medal.

Big School Meet Up

Is your child starting primary school?

Starting primary school can be scary for children and their families. You can take the scare factor out by coming to one of our Big School Meet Ups before the big day in September. You can get the chance to meet other children and their families who will be starting at your own child’s school.

There have been severaL of these events already, but they’ll be continuing until the end of August. See what’s happening at your local library for details. And if you’ve missed the event for your own local school, don’t worry – you can still come along to one of the others, chat, listen to a storytime and get some tips and tricks.

Ink Bin

Recycling at your local library

 

Here’s a tip about disposing of your empty ink cartridges in an eco-friendly way. Take them to your local library. 

Every library has a new Ink Bin recycling box to put your empty home-use ink cartridges in. Once they’re collected, they’ll be sorted, refilled and put back on the market as remanufactured ink cartridges. This will stop them ending up in landfill.  

What else does your local library recycle? Most will take old batteries; some take small electrical items too. Save yourself a trip to the recycling centre!

If you’re running short of recycling sacks or caddies for roadside collections, your local library may be the place to help. Food sacks, garden sacks and recycling boxes can all be found at some of our libraries.

Book groups and Essex Library Service

Are you keen to share your thoughts about a book you’ve read? Can’t wait to find out what others thought of it, too? Starting a book group is a great way to stay in touch regularly with book lovers and to make new friends.

Essex Library Service helps book groups in many ways. By registering your group with us you can reserve multiple copies of your chosen book which can be borrowed for up to three months, and you chose to be added to the list of book groups which can be shared with other interested readers. Our website can give your group ideas for what to read.

Essex County Council Future Libraries Strategy 2019 - 2024

Hockley Library

Please see below summary of actions taken to date regarding the ECC Libraries Strategy proposals.

29th November 2018

ECC publish Essex Future Libraries Strategy Consultation 2019-24. Consultation ran from 29th November to 20th February 2019.

24th January 2019

Hockley Parish Council voted to submit a formal letter to Cllr Sue Barker, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Customer and Corporate, challenging the proposal to downgrade Hockley Library and inviting her to attend a meeting with the residents.

28th January 2019

Letter to Hockley Parish Council from Mark Francois MP for Rayleigh & Wickford

29th January 2019

Response received by Hockley Parish Council from Cllr Barker ECC acknowledging our letter and declining to attend a public meeting.

14th February 2019

Parish Councils invited to attend Draft Library Strategy Engagement Workshops held by ECC to receive an update on the Libraries Services Consultation and the future proposals. Opposition from Parish Councils affected across Essex was evident.  Concerns raised at the Workshops have been taken back to ECC for consideration.

18th February 2019

County Cllr Weston, Chairman of Hockley Parish Council & Clerk invited to an informal meeting with County Cllr Barker at County Hall.   County Cllr Weston submitted a formal report to Cllr Barker challenging the statistics that supported the decision to downgrade Hockley Library to Tier 3 and Hullbridge Library to Tier 4.   Cllr Barker advised that the challenge to the interpretation of the statistics would be presented to the Cabinet.    No action taken until information reported to Parish Councillors for consideration at their meeting on 18th March 2019.

20th February 2019

Letter sent to ECC by Mark Francois MP for Rayleigh & Wickford.

25th February 2019

Hockley Parish Council Chairman’s Report circulated to all members for Full Parish Council Meeting on 18th March 2019

12th March 2019

ECC announce a Special Full County Council Meeting to debate the public and political opposition to the Library Strategy.

12th March 2019

County Cllr Carole Weston’s Presentation to ECC at the Special Full County Council Meeting.

18th March 2019

Hockley Parish Council Full Council Meeting – No action to be taken until further information available from ECC.   County Cllr Weston to keep Hockley & Hullbridge Parish Councils informed of developments.

To be an agenda item at May Full Council Meeting. Deadline for submitting Expressions of Interest 18th June 2019.

7th June 2019

Rayleigh & Rochford MP Mark Francois took a delegation from Hockley and Hullbridge with him to a meeting he had arranged with County Cllr Barker at ECC to discuss the library proposals.

7.6.19 Notes Hockley Library Visit to ECC

9th July 2019

A positive update from Essex County Council regarding the potential Library Closure. Today, Cllr David Finch announced the outcome of the public consultation on the Future Libraries Strategy. No libraries will close.

“The Strategy has changed drastically due to what the people of Essex told us, information regarding the changes will be published on 15th July.”

17th July 2019

Revised Libraries Strategy published for discussion at Essex County Council Cabinet Meeting on 23rd July 2019.