Not Taking Your Novels Home with You? BookCross Them Instead!

If you’re packing up to go home soon and find you haven’t got room in your bag for any novels or fiction you’ve picked up for a little light reading, don’t sling them – give them to us and we’ll find them a good home via BookCrossing.

BookCrossing is the leisure reading phenomenon with the aim of encouraging us all to read more for pleasure. Designed as a ‘read me then release’ me scheme, the way it works is that you take any book you fancy, then, once you’ve finished reading it, pass it on for someone else to enjoy. To add to the fun, every book has been given its own ID number, so you can track its journey via the website.

However, to keep the scheme rolling we need more books to keep the baskets topped up! So, if you have any leisure reading books you’re happy to donate to the scheme, we’d really like to have them. Ideally we’d like good quality novels and biographies, autobiographies or memoirs. Please bring them to one of the Library desks, mentioning that they’re for the BookCrossing scheme, and we’ll do the rest!

Got Some Unwanted Novels? We Want Them!

When you’re packing up for the Summer Vacation in the next couple of weeks and discover you don’t quite have room for those novels you’ve been reading in your down time, don’t sling them – we’ve got room for them!

Have you come across the BookCrossing baskets of donated novels situated in various buildings across campus? The purpose of this initiative is to encourage everyone to take advantage of the recognised benefits and joys of reading for pleasure. We’re always in need of more books to ensure the baskets are refreshed and restocked throughout the year – and that’s where you can help us!

Please drop off at the Library any paperback novels you no longer need. The genre doesn’t matter – the broader the range the better! All we ask is that the books are in good condition.

BookCrossing Is Back!

After a brief hiatus, we’re pleased to announce that we’ve re-launched our popular BookCrossing initiative across campus this month, with new baskets situated in the S Building, the Business School and Martin Hall. They’ll be topped up once a month as usual.

BookCrossing is the leisure reading phenomenon with the aim of encouraging us all to read more for pleasure. Designed as a ‘read me then release’ me scheme, the way it works is that you take any book you fancy, then, once you’ve finished reading it, pass it on for someone else to enjoy. To add to the fun, every book has been given its own ID number, so you can track its journey via the website.

However, to keep the scheme rolling we need more books to keep the baskets topped up! So, if you have any leisure reading books you’re happy to donate to the scheme, we’d really like to have them. Ideally we’d like good quality novels and biographies, autobiographies or memoirs. Please bring them to one of the Library desks, mentioning that they’re for the BookCrossing scheme, and we’ll do the rest!

University Mental Health & Wellbeing Day

mhwd16

On Wednesday 9th March Loughborough’s Student Union will bring you the annual University Mental Health and Wellbeing Day. From 11am to 4pm there will be a flurry of activities, interactive stalls and experiences for everyone to enjoy and participate in. Head down to the Piazza and Room One this Wednesday between 11am and 4pm to pick up your free ‘Heads Together’ goodie bag and support mental health.

The theme of the day Heads Together strives to promote a unified approach in all of our attitudes towards mental health. The free flowing atmosphere and flexible agenda of the day should enable people to make the most of the day.

In attendance will be representatives from local support services such as the Charnwood Mental Health Network, the Mental Health Association Heads Up as well as the Disability Support Network and other various University Support Teams.

Events throughout the day include a Mindfulness Tipi in Room One, Recovery Tree, Art Therapy Corner, live acoustic performances, spoken word, Nightline Chat and Chill to promote their new instant messaging service as well as a Self Help Selfie station, so go down and take a self help selfie and see your selfie be collage on the Self Help Selfie collage.

We’ll be running a Library stall down at the Union too, between 11am-3pm, extolling the virtues of our mood-boosting and leisure reading ranges and asking you to ‘leave a leaf’ on our very own library tree by telling us what your favourite book is.

You can also follow the National Mental Health and Wellbeing Day on Twitter with #HeadsTogether

Bag a Book for Easter from BookCrossing!

book crossing mapYou may already know all about the Library’s Leisure Reading collection and its Student Book Club (if not, why not?!) but you may not know all about BookCrossing, the leisure reading phenomenon designed  to encourage us all to read for pleasure. The Library, with the support of Campus Living, has placed wicker boxes of donated novels in seven popular meeting places on campus:

  • Martin Hall Bistro
  • The Bridgeman Centre
  • The Graduate School
  • The Student Hub
  • The Schofield Building
  • The S Building
  • The Business School

Designed as a ‘read me then release’ me scheme, the way it works is that you take any book you fancy, then, once you’ve finished reading it, pass it on for someone else to enjoy. To add to the fun, every book has been given its own ID number, so you can track its journey via the BookCrossing website.

However, to keep the scheme rolling, we need more books! So, if you have any leisure reading type books that you’re happy to ‘release’, we’d really like to have them. Ideally we’d like your good quality novels (including graphic), and biographies/autobiographies/memoirs. Please drop them off at the Library and mention that they’re for the BookCrossing scheme.

Happy reading!

Arts Showcase

arts%20showcase%20banner

The Library’s Leisure Reading initiative and Student Book Club will be represented on Wednesday (17th February) at a special showcase being held by the School of the Arts, English and Drama down at Martin Hall and the Shirley Pearce Square.

Other events to look forward to at the Arts Showcase will include live performances from the Stage Society, creative workshops, spoken word performances and open mic slots.

On the hour, between 11am and 1pm, members of the Stage Society will be giving a whistle-stop tour of this year’s productions with three shows in 15 minutes.

The School’s Creative Writing Group will be leading 15 minute informal drop-in workshops at quarter past the hour, providing a taste of what creative writing at Loughborough is like.

In association with the Speech Bubble, the Students’ Union biannual spoken word event, students and staff will be presenting their own creative work at half past each hour.

Finally, open mic slots will be available in five three-minute intervals per hour for willing attendees share their work.

Information on many other arts-based projects on campus will also be available on the day. These include representatives from Flix (the University’s student-run cinema), LU Arts, The Student Wordsmith and the School’s own student-led publishing company, Lamplight Press.

The Arts Showcase will take place 11am-2pm at Shirley Pearce Square.

Bag A Book From BookCrossing

Book crossing sign copyYou may already know all about the Library’s Leisure Reading collection and its Student Book Club (if not, why not?!) but you may not know all about BookCrossing, the leisure reading phenomenon designed  to encourage us all to read for pleasure. The Library, with the support of Campus Living, has placed wicker boxes of donated novels in six popular meeting places on campus:

  • Martin Hall Bistro
  • The Bridgeman Centre
  • The Student Hub
  • The Schofield Building
  • The S Building
  • The Business School

Designed as a ‘read me then release’ me scheme, the way it works is that you take any book you fancy, then, once you’ve finished reading it, pass it on for someone else to enjoy. To add to the fun, every book has been given its own ID number, so you can track its journey via the BookCrossing website.

However, to keep the scheme rolling, we need more books! So, if you have any leisure reading type books that you’re happy to ‘release’, we’d really like to have them. Ideally we’d like your good quality novels (including graphic), and biographies/autobiographies/memoirs. Please drop them off at the Library and mention that they’re for the BookCrossing scheme.

Happy reading!

Murder, She Read… Student Book Club Launch Night

murder she readIf you fancy reading and chatting about great novels from lots of different genres, enjoying home-baked refreshments and taking part in other social activities, why not come along to the official crime-themed launch of the Loughborough University Student Book Club at 7pm on Tuesday October 20th in the Village Bar?

  • Scampi and chips for £2.95!
  • Guest speaker: John Martin – author and authority on crime writing
  • Pick up a brand new copy of Now You See Me by Sharon Bolton, the first great novel we’ll be discussing
  • Exciting prize draw!
  • Display of crime novels

For catering purposes, please register your interest in attending with Sharon at the Library: S.D.Reid@lboro.ac.uk

Comments from previous members:
“Thanks so much for doing this club by the way, it’s been great!”
“It is fun and the sessions…are a good chance to meet new people”
“I’ll be coming to the meeting … I can’t wait to talk about the book”

Man Booker Prize 2015 Announced

marlon james by georgia popplewellCongratulations to author Marlon James, who last night won this year’s prestigious Man Booker Prize for his novel A Brief History of Seven Killings.

The 680-page novel spans three decades and is set in the murky world of the Jamaican underworld. Its primary storyline is based around the true story of an attempt on the life of the legendary Jamaican reggae star Bob Marley.

James is the first Jamaican novelist to win the £50,000 prize, which was controversially won last year by Australian author Richard Flanagan. We’ll be getting a copy of A Brief History of Seven Killings for our stock shortly, but in the mean time you can find previous Booker Prize winners among our Leisure Reading stock upstairs on Level 4.

And if thriller novels are your thing, don’t forget that we’re holding our Student Book Club re-launch next Tuesday, which has a special crime fiction theme. Why not come along – deerstalkers and magnifying glasses not required!

Marlon James portrait by Georgia Popplewell, reproduced under CC License from Flickr.

Having a Clear-out? Don't Forget Us!

01 - Book Crossing Basket

It’s June already (where does the time go?!?) and that time of year when everyone is starting to pack up and look towards new horizons. It may very well be that you’ve accumulated quite a lot of ‘stuff’ during your time at University… including, we hope, a few books. Some you may end up keeping, but what about the rest?

Well, if you have any novels that you don’t think you’ll be taking with you, why not pass them on to us, so we can pass them on to others as part of our participation in the Book Crossing scheme which we’re running across campus.

Book Crossing is the leisure reading phenomenon with the aim of encouraging us all to read more for pleasure. Designed as a ‘read me then release’ me scheme, the way it works is that you take any book you fancy, then, once you’ve finished reading it, pass it on for someone else to enjoy. To add to the fun, every book has been given its own ID number, so you can track its journey via the website.

However, to keep the scheme rolling we do need a constant supply of books to keep the baskets topped up – and that’s where you come in! So, if you have any leisure reading-type books that you’re not going to take home with you, we’d really like to have them. Ideally we’d like good quality novels and biographies, autobiographies or memoirs. Please bring them to one of the Library desks, mentioning that they’re for the BookCrossing scheme, and we’ll do the rest!