The front cover of 'The Gruffalo' by Julia Donaldson.
On this day in 1999 the Gruffalo was published.
It is one of the most well known and successful British children's stories. It has since been adapted for film and theatre. The Gruffalo also has commemorative 50p coins and stamps!
#OnThisDay #Gruffalo #JuliaDonaldson #AlexScheffler #ChildrenBooks
Some reading recommendations from our volunteers and staff: The Secret of Golden Island by Natash Farrant What you are looking for is in the library by Michito Aoyama I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride Some Thing In The Water by Catherine Steadman You Are Her by David Nicholls Orbital by Samantha Harvey Biblio Maniac by Robin Ince Kick Flip Volume 1 by L D Lapinski and Logan Hanning Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell Conundrum by Jan Morris Small Bomb at Dimperley by Lissa Evans
The top books chosen by library users in 2025 as Book of the Month are: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Dork Diaries Spectacular Superstar by Rachel Renee Russell Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass Babel by R F Kuang The Man in the High Castle by Philip K Dick The Lightless Sky by Gulwali Passarlay with Nadene Ghouri The Little One by Linda La Plante The Explorer by Katherine Rundell Across the Void by S K Vaughn Miss Marple’s Final Case by Agatha Christie Surfing the Himalayas – a Spiritual Adventure by Frederick Lenz
Happy New Year. 2026 is National Year of Reading.
And as Lewisham Adult Reading Challenge continues we’ve compiled some recommendations from our volunteers & staff + the books you've chosen as Book of the Month throughout 2025!
Why not follow a recommendation and read something new today?
The site for the Archibald Corbett Library was formerly tennis courts, and was donated by Archibald Corbett. The £4,500 construction cost was donated by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. “… presumably would have made good use of the new Library which opened in Torridon Road in 1907. The local council had wanted to build one for several years, and Corbett was willing to donate land, but they were short of funds so it wasn’t until Andrew Carnegie – world famous philanthropist and serial builder of around 3,000 libraries – stepped in with a donation of £4,500 that it finally came into existence. Sadly for the estate’s tennis fans it was the recreation ground that Corbett offered up for the new building: maybe he figured the new Mountsfield Park over the other side of Brownhill Road was close enough to provide for healthy exercise.” Extract from the history of the Corbett Estate on the Corbett Society website - see: https://thecorbettsociety.org.uk/the-estates/catford-hither-green/
Photo by Paul de Zylva, library volunteer, of a red Jaguar E-type on the road in front of the Corbett Community Library, known to many as Torridon Library on the junction of Torridon Road and Sandhurst Road in Catford, Lewisham, London, SE6.
The commemorative plaque for the 30th November 1907 opening of the Archibald Corbett Library can be seen high on the right hand side wall as you enter the foyer of the library. The library was opened by Mrs ECB Philpott, who was the wife of the vicar of nearby St Andrews’s Church which opened in 1904.
View of the library from the top deck of a London bus at the top of Sandhurst Road. It’s an odd thing that even from at that height, our magnificent dome is hard to see. Come in to see it from below.
118 years ago today, St Andrew’s Day, 30 Nov 1907, our library opens to serve the people of #Catford #SE6 #HitherGreen #SE13 #Lewisham
1907 also saw the serving of the first school meals and the start of London’s first metered taxi service.
Come in for more knowledge, fun, etc
Come and join us for an evening of seasonal entertainment on Sunday 14 December, including music, magic and more!
Tickets cost £15 per person and include a mince pie and a glass of mulled wine!
Scan the QR code on the image or follow this link to book: www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/lon...
We have a limited service on Saturday 29 November as we have our Christmas Fair.
Page one of the leaflet of Corbett Community Christmas events 2025 lists the Christmas Tree Festival, the Corbett Christmas Fair, and Christmas at Abbotshall.
Page two of the Corbett Community Christmas leaflets shows details for the: - the Christmas Tree Festival from 24th to 29th November from 10am to 5pm each day at St Andrew’s Church Hall SE6 1XD and - the Corbett Christmas Fair from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 29th November at two venues: the Corbett Community Library at 103 Torridon Road SE6 1RQ and St Andrew’s Church Hall SE6 1XD.
The third page of the leaflet details Christmas at Abbotshall on Sunday 30 November from 10am to 4pm including Santa’s Grotto, and Christmas Tree Sales.
The fourth and final page of the leaflet sets out how to order a Christmas Tree from Abbotshall Healthy Lifestyle Centre. Order online at Abbotshallhlc dot org forward slash Christmas hyphen trees abbotshallhlc.org.uk/christmas-trees
You lucky people. Yes, it’s the Corbett Christmas:
- Mon 24 to Sat 29 Nov - it’s the Christmas Tree Festival at St Andrew’s Church
- Sat 29 Nov - Corbett Christmas Fair at our place & at St Andrew’s Church Hall
- Sun 30 Nov - Abbotshall Healthy Lifestyle Centre.
#Catford #SE6 #HitherGreen #SE13
The local Dinosaurs came to our Halloween event. Think they were lost (in time).
The Clue in the Haunted Library - hmmm will Barbie find clues at our Halloween Event?
Crafts, activities, tasty treats, and witches’ brew on Friday 31 October, from 5pm to 8pm.
Drop in at any time. All ages welcome. Entry for a £ donation to the community library.
#Catford #SE6 #HitherGreen #SE13
It’s the 10th #CatfordArtsTrail this weekend - Saturday 11 + Sunday 12 October, 11am - 5pm.
We’re venue 18 and there’s a cluster of other venues nearby to check out.
#Catford #SE6 #Lewisham
Spookiest night of the year at our place: Fri 31 October, 5-8pm.
Crafts, activities, tasty treats & witches' brew.
Drop in on your way round trick-or-treating, show us your awesomely scary costumes, and see how the library transforms after dark!
All ages welcome, make a donation to enter.
Aharr me hearties!
It’s story time again!
Join legendary pirate Jacky and her lucky parrot this Saturday 4 October at 11.15am for an hour of pirate-themed storytelling and craft!
Landlubbers of all ages welcome!
Say hello to our newest customers - the doors are big enough, we're sure they'll fit in (if they're tidy)! Now we're busy wondering what police horses read...
not to hype my own books, but this is the exact audience my Spidey books are for tbh -- sort of an age level up from the early Percy Jackson books reader -- there's a good amount of slice of life in addition to the superheroing, and a lot of humor
Photo of Corbett Community Library with a double rainbow arcing directly into it
Pile of books on a table. Titles are: - Crusader Gold by David Gibbins - The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog Goes For Gold! by Jeremy Strong - Riviera Gold by Laurie R. King - Sisters of Gold by Annie Murray - The Prisoner's Gold by Chris Kuzneski - A Storm of Swords II: Blood and Gold by George R.R. Martin - Secret Kingdom: Leopard's Gold by Jenny Nimmo - Noah's Gold by Frank Cottrell-Boyce - King's Gold by Michael Jecks
Photo of books on a table. All of them have golden spines. Titles are: - All the Rivers by Dorit Rabinyan - Inkheart by Cornelia Funke - A Victorian Story: Son of the Circus - Classic Football Heroes: Keane by Matt and Tom Oldfield - Eve of Man by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher - Shoe Wars by Liz Pichon
There's a double rainbow leading into the library! Sadly we have no actual gold, but we have plenty of gold and gold-themed books (and as we all know, all books are a kind of treasure anyway!)! Come and have a browse and maybe take something home!
Save theatre, libraryes, parkes, indie bookestores, museums, cinema, local restaurantes, coffee shoppes, meetinge places, qualitye public educacioun, communitye marketes, lyve musique, weirde places, goode places. All the thinges that corporate logic ys so eager to distorte and remove.
New on our KS2 poetry book list: Chicken in the Kitchen by Neal Zetter, illustrated by Emily Ford
schoolreadinglist.co.uk/genres/poetr...
Cover of GLOAM by Jack Mackay. A teen girl with long hair stands in a doorway, looking back over her shoulder. A pair of twin girls stands inside the door to the right. A boy stands on the left inside the door frame, peering out. A shadowy figure stands on the steps inside the house.
In GLOAM by Jack Mackay, after moving to their grandmother's remote home, Gwen is forced to be brave to protect her siblings from an evil babysitter w/something to hide. An atmospheric spooky & suspenseful book about the power of family will thrill #MGLit horror fans.
@penguinschoollib.bsky.social
“I’ve borrowed hundreds of ebooks.” 📱
One patron shares her newfound love of ebooks and how she’s found some amazing reads from our suggested lists. Thank you for sharing your Library love!
Haven’t tried ebooks or audiobooks yet? Start today👉 buff.ly/P3QcKrs
#DisabilityPrideMonth may be wrapping up but these stories and voices should be shared all year long! Explore the booklist to discover picture books, graphic novels, novels, and more for readers of all ages centering the disability experience.
A photograph of Orkney Library & Archive's balls with logos for social media accounts above it and the Orkney Library & Archive logo
Happy #SocialMediaDay2025. Make your social media feed a better, happier, funnier, more joyous place by following more libraries, archives, museums, bookshops, galleries, and all the other lovely heritage institutions. ❤️
We agree! 📚
Libraries are all about inclusivity and should provide diverse reading materials, in many different formats, in order to fully meet user needs. Audiobooks are incredibly accessible and powerful reading mediums. They deserve a seat at the table.
A poster for Reading Well for Families showing a mug of hot liquid, two books and a stylised heart.
Have you heard about #ReadingWell for Families? The new booklist from @readingagency.bsky.social is designed to support parents and carers through pregnancy and early years. Head to your local #Library to explore further!
readingagency.org.uk/get-reading/...
Made from 100% endpapers and artworks from @nhmlibraryarchives.bsky.social collections.
It's National Crime Reading Month!
Come and read a summer mystery from our collection - if you dare to cross the crime scene tape…
The HiVis2025 Logo and poster
A display of large print books, audiobooks on CD and large format jigsaw puzzles
It's #HiVis2025 and we're supporting @readingsight.bsky.social and the RNIB Library
in promoting accessible library services that can assist people living with visual impairment.
Every hour, another person in the UK goes blind, with around 2 million people in the UK living with sight loss.
On Saturday 3rd May we look forward to welcoming you here for our annual Spring Makers Market and VE Day Celebration. We have 26 stalls outside and in with artists, makers and bakers, face painting, a raffle, 40’s music, jerk chicken, cakes, tuck shop, our lovely outdoor coffee shop and more! We love hosting artists here and sharing the work of the talented people that live in and around the Corbett Estate. We also have some live 1940’s singing with local, talented resident Ros at 4pm, followed by the raffle at 4.30pm. NOTE: Our usual services will be extremely limited on Saturday 3 May. There will only be book returns available - no borrowing or computer access. Apologies for the inconvenience.
On Saturday, also pop along to St Andrews Church Hall (just across the road) for a forgotten treasures sale! Between 11am and 4pm you can browse pre-loved goods and grab yourselves some treasure - so much is available, from books and clothes to building materials and fat quarters, and anything in between! They're also hosting overflow stalls from our Spring Makers Market, and between 11-3 will have a pop-up café! So go along to find yourself some treasure - and why not visit our market too while you're nearby?
At 4pm on Saturday, as part of our Spring Makers Market and VE Day Celebrations, local talent Ros will be singing a selection of 40s hits, followed by the raffle draw at 4:30pm! Come along and enjoy some fabulous live entertainment!
It’s our Spring Makers’ Market & VE Day Celebration.
26 stalls with makers, bakers, face painters, raffle, 40’s music, jerk chicken, cakes, tuck shop, coffee shop…
4pm - live 40’s singing with Ros. 4.30pm - Raffle. St Andrews Church Hall has a ‘Forgotten Treasures Sale’ with extra craft stalls.
A child reaching up to touch a book being read by a librarian during BookTrust Storytime
Of the children who took part in #BookTrustStorytime this year, we estimate that:
⭐ 34% were new to the library or setting
⭐ 51% were from lower-income households
⭐ 59% returned to the library or setting after their initial visit
⭐ 38% signed up for library membership (2/3)
🎉 We’ve partnered with @carnegiemedals.bsky.social for a fantastic giveaway!
One lucky winner will receive a selection of 2025 shortlisted books, filled with powerful stories for secondary students.
Enter now for your chance to win: buff.ly/b13jLHZ
Giveaway closes 14th May 2025
May is Zombie Awareness Month. Don't want your patrons and students to have their brains eaten by the undead? Sharing this list of picture books, early readers, middle grade, and YA titles just might save their lives.
#EduSky
