Green Pencil Award 2022

A big thank you to all the children and young people who entered the Green Pencil creative writing competition. We enjoyed reading all your writing.

For this year’s theme – Year of Scotland’s stories – P4-P7 aged children and young people in S1-3 were challenged to write a poem, piece of prose or story on the theme.

Once again, we were unable to hold an awards ceremony in Central Library, so here instead, you can listen to the finalists read their highly commended entries in these special Green Pencil videos.

Congratulations to all our talented finalists!

Hannah, St George’s: Can we stop it now?

Can we stop it now? by Hannah from St George’s School

Zara Shaw, Ratho Primary: The Difference We Can Make for Climate Change

The difference we can make for climate change by Zara Shaw from Ratho Primary School

Amber Rose Redpath, The Royal High: Mother Nature

Mother Nature by Amber Rose Redpath from The Royal High

Lukas Bell, Boroughmuir High: Foggy Bummer

Foggy Bummer by Lukas Bell from Boroughmuir High School

Come back tomorrow when the winner will be revealed…

Celebrating Libraries in a Digital World for Libraries Week , 7-12 October

 

There is only a few days to go until the start of this year’s Library Week.

There’s lots going on in Libraries throughout the week with digital drop-ins to help you get started using library online services, digital inspired craft sessions and lots more!  Here is a taster of some of the great events taking place next week.

Wester Hailes Library

Friday 11th October 2019
3.00 – 4.00pm
Stop Motion Animation
Learn the art of stop motion animation. We’ll show you how to create your own animated movies as part of our FUNgineers programme.
( 6 – 10 yrs)

Drumbrae Library
Friday 11th October
2.00 – 4.00pm
Game time taster session using playstation, VR gaming console virtual reality or Minecraft.

Newington Library

Monday 7th October
5.30 – 7.00pm
Game Programming
Ever wanted to know how to make your own computer game? Curious about what computer programming is? Join us for a quick taster session and tinker with some games to see exactly what is going on under the hood.
(Ticketed, 8+)

Wednesday 9th October
3.30 – 4.30pm
Building With Little Bits
Build electronic circuits and crazy devices with Little Bits. A light that automatically comes on in the dark? A musical synth keyboard? A sound activated fan that cools you down when you shout at it? Anything is possible! Just snap the pieces together and create.
(8+)

Kirkliston Library

Monday 7 October
4.00 – 7.30pm & Friday 11 October 1.00-4.00pm
Come along to the library and experience VR in collaboration with the BBC VR Hub
13yrs+ Booking essential

Moredun Library

Monday 7th October
2.00 – 4.00pm
Digital Bracelets
Learn the basics of coding by making binary bead bracelets.
(ages 8-12 yrs)
Drop-in

Tuesday 8th October
2.00 – 4.00pm
Make your own robot
(5-12 yrs)
Drop-in

Central Library

Saturday 12th October
Digital fun day: introduction to coding

Ratho Library

Tuesday 8th October
(afternoon)
Come along and try 3D Printing, 3D Scanning and 3D CAD Design.
Drop-in

Sighthill Library

Friday 11th October
(morning)
Come along for an introduction to online family history resources including Find my Past.
Drop-in

Stockbridge Library

Friday 11th October
2.30 – 3.30pm
Borrowbox Audiobook Roadshow
Drop-in

These are just some of the events to tempt you into the Library during Libraries Week.  Check out what more is on offer at these Libraries and your local library.

Find out about all our digital services at Your Library.

 

This summer’s Big Library Read

Travel through history along with millions of readers during Big Library Read, the world’s largest digital book club! From 17th June – 1st July, book-lovers can borrow LP Fergusson’s harrowing wartime love story, A Dangerous Act of Kindness, from Edinburgh Libraries OverDrive service as an ebook with no waitlists or holds.

A Dangerous Act of Kindness is a beautiful, harrowing love story, perfect for fans of Rachel Hore and Santa Montefiore. It tells the story of widow Millie Sanger, who finds injured enemy pilot Lukas Schiller on her farm during World War II. Compassionate Millie knows Lukas will be killed if discovered and makes the dangerous decision to offer him shelter from the storm. On opposite sides of the inescapable conflict, the two strangers forge an unexpected and passionate bond. But as the snow thaws, the relentless fury of World War II forces them apart, leaving only the haunting memories of what they shared, and an understanding that their secret must never see light.

The ebook will be available on the home page of Libby/OverDrive apps and the OverDrive website from the 17th June and with unlimited downloads is perfect for discussing with your friends and family. You can also join an online conversation about the book at BigLibraryRead.com and if you use #biglibraryread on social media you’ll be entered into a draw to win a Kobo Aura H20 ebook reader! All you need is library membership so you can login with your library card and PIN. Full instructions for using OverDrive can be found on our Your Library website.

Digital Music

This session at Stockbridge Library will introduce you to the way the internet has radically changed how people find, organise and play music. Records and cassettes gave way to CDs and they have now largely been superceded by digital music. We will look at how you can buy and download/save music on a laptop, tablet or even a phone but will be concentrating mainly on services such as Spotify, Apple Music (and less well known ones such as Naxos) which allow you to ‘stream’ music, create playlists and save all your favourites. Then, of course, you can play your music on a wireless speaker/s. Come along for an introduction to this new world of Digital Music.

STOCKBRIDGE LIBRARY, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3RD, 2.00PM

Top Ten eBooks

Ever wondered just what people read on our OverDrive eBook service? Well here’s the current top ten most popular online books with our readers –

Becoming by Michelle Obama

The biography from the former American First Lady is top of our charts.Looking like this is going to be our most popular ebook ever! Is also the most popular audiobook too (available through RBdigital).

 

Past Tense by Lee Child

Find out about Jack Reacher’s latest escapades. Our readers can’t get enough of Lee Child novels, which is why you’ll find 66 of his ebooks and audiobooks available on OverDrive. Also available on BorrowBox as audiobook.

 

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Winning prizes all over the place, this is the book of the moment. Follow the story of Connell and Marianne who grow up in a small town in rural Ireland and how their relationship effects their lives as they move in to adulthood. Audiobook also available on RBdigital.

 

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

THE book of 2018 – if you’ve not read it yet, then why?! Meet Eleanor who has learned how to survive – but not how to live and follow her as life comes knocking on her door. Also available on RBdigital as audiobook.

 

Mythos by Stephen Fry

A surprising, but enchanting hit in both ebook and audiobook format – Stephen Fry vividly retells the tales of the Greek Gods in an entertaining and enthusiastic manner.

 

 

This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay

This will make you laugh, it will also make you cry, but perhaps most importantly it will make you think. This diary of a junior doctor opens a window into the NHS from the other side and you’ll never think about it the same way again. Also available as audiobook on BorrowBox.

 

Milkman by Anna Burns

Another highly acclaimed novel, that tackles the Northern Ireland conflict from the perspective of an 18-year-old girl with no interest in the troubles, who’s aim is to stay as invisible as possible. As available on RBdigital as audiobook.

 

Transcription by Kate Atkinson

Another bestselling novel from one of Scotland’s top writers. In 1940, Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited into MI5. After the war she presumes the events of those years are over, but soon learns that there are no actions without consequences. Also available on BorrowBox as audiobook.

 

The Little Cafe in Copenhagen by Julie Caplin

Glad to see our readers like a little light-hearted romance too!  Described as “Danish happiness and hygge in one un-put-down-able story” this is the perfect read for a chilly night.

 

 

The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

Well last in our line up is a self-help book with a difference (hence the title!). It’s a much-needed grab you by the shoulders and look you in the eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humour. Available on OverDrive as ebook and audiobook..

 

So surprised at our top ten? Or hopefully impressed by the great choice of acclaimed and popular titles available now to download! Access these titles from our Libby or OverDrive apps or the OverDrive website. Full instructions for using our ebook service can be found at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/overdrive.

Read Your Free Daily Newspaper

Most people have a smartphone, tablet, or computer these days. One of the best uses you can put it to is accessing your daily newspaper for free. Edinburgh Libraries PressReader service has over 3000 full-spread online newspapers from all over the world, including 350 UK papers. Use your library card and PIN to login to the app or website from anywhere and read up to 20 newspapers a day for free.

 

 

Read today’s Scottish Daily Mail, Edinburgh Evening News, Scotsman, Guardian, Herald or The Edinburgh Reporter amongst hundreds of others.

 

As an added bonus you’ll find thousands of magazines available too so whether you’re in to cars or cookery, computers or crafts you’ll find a wide range of magazines to suit you.

 

Find full instructions for getting started at our Your Library website.

 

Friday afternoon Digital drop-in is back!

 

The Friday afternoon digital drop-in at Central Library will resume from Friday, February 1st, 2 – 4pm.

This is a partnership between the Libraries and Edinburgh University who provide a small team of students to offer 1:1 assistance with any kind of digital issue on any kind of device. No need to book, just drop-in and get help with that headache you have had trying to do something on your laptop, tablet or even your phone.

Volunteers are available between 2 and 4 pm each Friday afternoon on the Mezzanine level of Central Library, George IV Bridge.

 

 

Shopping Online

Never ventured into the world of shopping online? Don’t know where to start ? Don’t trust it? Frightened of scams?

Come along to our “How To” presentation and workshop. We won’t be doing any actual shopping on the day but we can take you through the things to look out for to keep it all safe and we will also show you typical/well known shopping sites and the simple steps involved in using them. . . . all just in time for Christmas!

Monday, Dec 3^rd 2pm – 4, Central Library

Limited places available, contact Kenny Sharkey on

07809 320 432

or give your name/contact details to a member of library staff 

 

 

Digital drop-in back at Central Library

In addition to the regular Get Online groups run by the Libraries’, the Digital drop-in delivered in partnership with Edinburgh University returns to the Central Library from this Friday, September 28th. It will run each week from 2 – 4pm with student volunteers on hand and offering you the chance to bring along your computing device (be that a laptop, tablet or smartphone) and get help to sort out any difficulties or issues you may be having. We will work with you 1:1 so it can be a very basic problem, like for example, how to send photos by email or text, or possibly something a bit more complicated like how you save and organise all those photos! If you do not have a computing device we can also offer general advice on what to look for or perhaps get you started on the library public access PCs. If you have attended a previous Get Online group or just have a digital issue you need help with, please just come along – you will find us on the Mezzanine level, Central Library.

Remember there are other digital ‘surgeries’ also offered at Central which are specifically about providing assistance with the Libraries’ e-book/audio and e-magazine/newspaper apps and services. These are again on the Mezzanine level, Central Library, every Tuesday 2 – 3.30pm and the first Thursday of the month 10.30am – 12.

Shopping online for beginners!

Never ventured into the world of shopping online? Don’t trust it? Frightened of scams? Come along to our “How To” presentation and workshop – bring along your tablet/laptop – we won’t be doing any actual shopping on the day but we can take you through the things to look out for to keep it all safe and we will also show you typical/well known shopping sites and the simple steps involved in using them. . . . all just in time for Christmas!

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH, CENTRAL LIBRARY, 10.30AM

Limited places available, contact Kenny Sharkey on 242 8124 / 07809320432

or email informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk

 

Join us in the Central Library for digital drop-in session

Central Library is hosting a new digital ‘drop-in’ service in partnership with Edinburgh University on Friday afternoons. From 8th September a group of students will be available to help you with your technology problems be they on laptop, tablet or smartphone. Bring along your device and sort out the issues or problems you are having whether it is perhaps some basics like how to get onto and search the internet, how to set up an email address or perhaps a more specific issue with how your device or a particular app works. The ‘drop-in’ takes place every Friday at the George Washington Browne Room from 1.30 – 4pm. Come along, get that technology headache fixed and have a cup of tea and a biscuit while you are in!

Summer listening for teens

Are you a teenager? Like listening to audiobooks? Well the SYNC program is just what you need to make your summer sound good!

Visit the SYNC website and you’ll find two free audiobooks to download every week over the summer. Just visit the site every Thursday to see the new titles that are available. Install the OverDrive app on your phone or tablet and you can download the audiobooks straight to the app.

There’s a great range of titles from horror to romance to non-fiction with a bit of Terry Pratchett thrown in for good luck. I for one can’t wait to find out what exactly is “The Dorito Effect”!

The SYNC Program is available until the 17th August, but audiobooks for teens are available at any time from our OverDrive and OneClickdigital services.

Cyber crime – how safe are you online?

 

Find out more about cyber crime and how to avoid it at a free event hosted by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. They’ll be joined by a representative from Police Scotland and will give information on internet security including:

• Current cyber scams
• Advice about safe surfing
• How prosecutors consider cyber scam cases.

The event is being held at Central Library at 2pm on Thursday 16 February 2017 and may be particularly useful to people aged 50+.

Reserve your free place via EventBrite  or contact Laura Connell for more information.

The Magic of Mathletics

Want to help your children or grandchildren improve their maths? Why not get them signed up to use Mathletics through Edinburgh Libraries. Mathletics is a fantastic website that teaches children maths in a fun and addictive way. You sign them up at their Scottish school level so you know they will be learning exactly what they need for school. They can work towards “medals” and can compete against each other in online maths games.

There are almost 5 million children of primary and secondary age using Mathletics around the world including many who use it in their schools. A study at the University of Oxford recently found that pupils regularly using Mathletics outperformed non-users in Primary 6 Standard Attainment Tests in terms of attainment and progress.

Many parents pay a subscription for their children to use Mathletics, but you just need to sign up through Edinburgh Libraries to use it for free.

Build a Robot!

Want to learn how to program your own virtual robot? Are you aged 10-17 and familiar with the basics of programming?

If yes, then sign up for Edinburgh CoderDojo’s new Robocode project. Robocode is an easy-to-understand, fun way to learn more about programming! The project starts on the 14th November and will take place at Stockbridge Library – it will last several weeks so make sure to book the first 4 week block now.

It’s Digital Reading Week!

At Edinburgh Libraries we are having a week long celebration of digital reading!  With your library membership you can download ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and newspapers all for free. So make the most of your tablet, smart phone or computer and get reading today! We’ll be doing a new blog post every day this week highlighting our digital reading services for you.

We are running two competitions as part of our celebration! Simply borrow an ebook or audiobook on OverDrive to be entered into a prize draw to win a Fire Tablet. Borrow an audiobook on BorrowBox and similarly you can win an iPad. These competitions will run from the 31st October till the 14th November.

So give yourself a treat (and maybe a new tablet!) and try out some of the following resources this week –

OVERDRIVE – over 10,000 ebooks and audiobooks for adults, teens and children to borrow 24/7

ZINIO – a great range of 116 popular magazines for men and women

PRESSREADER & PRESSDISPLAY – over 4000 Scottish and international newspapers and magazines to download

ONECLICKDIGITAL – great range of audiobooks for adults, teens and children

BORROWBOX – new and growing audiobook service for adults

Need help getting started –

1. Find Out How – download an instruction leaflet for your device from our Help Pages that will take you through using each of our services

2. Drop Into An Event – we’re running lots of digital events this week where you can come along and find out about our resources. Drop-in Surgery sessions are happening at Portobello, Sighthill, Newington, Wester Hailes, Blackhall, Craigmillar, Piershill, Stockbridge, Central and Colinton Libraries. Check out our Events Calendar to find out more.

3. Ask Us How – if you need a bit more support contact us on informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk or tel 242 8047

Get Them Learning Online!

Recent research by the National Literacy Trust into technology and reading suggests that alongside books technology can play an important role for children in supporting early communication, language and literacy.

Edinburgh Libraries has got a brilliant range of online resources for children and teens to help them do just that! They are all available to use from home or the library. So get them started on –

• OverDrive Kids & Teens – an ebook and audiobook site just for kids, filled with a fantastic array of titles and authors. Favourites include ebooks by Roald Dahl and the Harry Potter audiobooks read by Stephen Fry. As well as using a website version of OverDrive you can also use a range of easy-to-use apps.

• GridClub – set them loose on this huge website with over 500 fun educational activities. Covering activities for children aged 5-12 years you’ll find lots of material on English, but also maths, science, history, languages, geography, health, art, music and more.

• Spellzone – provides a full online course to improve your grammar and spelling and is suitable for ages 10 and above. Spellzone can also support pupils who are dyslexic or for whom English isn’t their first language.

If they need some support with maths as well get the best online help from –

•  Mathletics – access the world’s most used mathematics website covering all aspects of maths with 1000 different learning activities for students aged 5 up to adults. Register your child at their Scottish school level so they are getting work at exactly the right level for them. As well as a huge variety of fun but educational maths activities, learners can also compete against others from all over the world in live maths games of speed and skills.

Let’s Get Online launch at Westerhailes Library

Libraries, clubs and community organisations across the country are supporting the campaign offering older people the opportunity to join classes, showing them how to go online and get the most from the internet.

The Scottish Government held the re-launch of their ‘Let’s Get Online’ campaign at Westerhailes Library. The campaign is being run in partnership with organisations from the public and volunteer sector under the overall Digital Scotland brand.

Scottish Govt minister Jeane Freeman was joined by TV celebrity Carol Smillie at Westerhailes Library to meet with a group of recent learners from the Libraries’ ‘Get Online’ service and they enjoyed a very positive chat about the benefits of the course they had attended and the things they are now able to do online (including email, Skype and shopping).The Libraries ‘Get Online’ courses have groups at libraries across the city where learners receive 1:1 support on their own device. Groups run for two-hourly slots each week for five weeks and training is delivered by volunteers some of whom were present at the ‘Let’s Get On’ launch.

There was general agreement that taking up new technology and being able to use the internet are more important than ever for older people to remain in touch with family, friends and the world in general, but also not to be left out of the other considerable benefits to be gained from being online.

If you are interested in getting help with computing find a course near you at the ‘Let’s Get On’ website. Or contact Kenny Sharkey regarding groups run by the Library ‘Get Online’ service – tel: 07809 320432 or email: kenneth.sharkey@edinburgh.gov.uk

How safe are you online? Find out at this free event

Central Library is hosting an event provided by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to raise awareness of cyber / internet scamming on

Thursday 12th November 2015 at 2pm

The event may be most useful for people aged 50 and over.

Representatives of Police Scotland will be in attendance to highlight the known scams and offer advice on how to keep safe online and avoid becoming a victim.

Staff from COPFS will also explain how these cases are dealt with when reported.

Reserve a free place or for further information contact Laura Connell on laura.connell@copfs.gsi.gov.uk or 0844 561 3000.

 

LibraryLabs Pop Up at Central

Guest post from Gavin Willshaw, Digital Curator at the University of Edinburgh, about a project to improve the tagging of images in the University Library’s image collections (http://images.is.ed.ac.uk ). Please contact Gavin (gavin.willshaw@ed.ac.uk) if you would like more information or would like to get involved

Following on from the success of our Pop Up Library Metadata Games sessions during Innovative Learning Week, this week we took Metadata Games to the City of Edinburgh Council’s Central Library, the first time the game has been taken off campus since its initial pilot back in August. We battled through the inclement weather and set up stall in the library’s ground floor foyer area then, poised with laptops and lollypops, set about recruiting people to take part in our tagging game.

We were keen to spread awareness of our work – and the university’s collections – beyond the confines of campus and we were also interested in to see if there was any noticeable difference between the sorts of tags that members of the public contributed in comparison to those provided by students, academics and staff (that analysis is yet to be done!). Over the course of the two hour session, 15 players, ranging from teenagers to pensioners,  provided us with 776 tags (more than 50 per person) – an impressive total considering there was no free coffee on offer for participants on this occasion!

These tags will now be moderated and then uploaded to our image database, ultimately helping to make our collections more discoverable online. You can see an example of how the tags we have harvested from the game have directly contributed to the improved description of one of our iconic items, Rashid al-Din’s History of the World (http://collections.ed.ac.uk/iconics/record/51419). The crowdsourced tags ‘horses’ and ‘knights’, which were harvested from the game, complement the existing formal descriptive metadata showing author, date shelfmark etc.

We enjoyed taking the game on tour: many thanks to Bronwen Brown, Fiona Myles and all the staff at Central Library for all their help with the event, and to all players who contributed their time to help us improve the description of our images.

Keep on playing at http://librarylabs.ed.ac.uk/games/ (EASE login required)!

Gavin, Claire, Charlie and Paul