Winchester Library - Hampshire County Council

25/08/2026

🎶 Our Summer Reading Challenge is rising to a climactic crescendo! As we're entering the last few weeks, we've had so many children fill our Finisher Wall our musical staff is starting to get very full!

📚 There's still plenty of time to visit us and finish or start the challenge! Just pop in and speak to a member of the library team. We wish everyone the best of luck during these final few weeks and we can't wait to see many more finishers flaunting their medals and certificates! 🏅

22/08/2026

🌟 We've introduced a new feature in our Teen Section; the ability for teens to write short reviews and recommend their favourite books!

We think it's fun to share what you've been reading, and it's also fun to read them and maybe find your next favourite book! We're thrilled already with the reception and we can't wait to see even more recommendations from young people as we start the new academic year! ❤️

15/08/2026

⛩️ Fans of our Manga collection will be very excited to learn that we received a bunch of new volumes of some of our most popular series, as well as some brand-new additions!

🔥 We have the next volumes of popular shonen series like Kagurabachi and Marriage Toxin, and new entries such as the dystopian dark fantasy Fire Punch. If you're really into JJK, then we have brand new volumes of that series as well!

💖🏳️‍🌈 For fans of q***r manga, we have the popular school-life Boys Love manga Nomi x Shiba for the first time to loan! We also have new Yuri in the forms of Rainbow After Storms, and the third volume of The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All, which people are already clamouring for!

If you want to try something a bit different, why not try some magical girl Manga? This sub-genre of Manga is very popular and filled with battles against bad guys, transformations, and the power of love and friendship. Magical Girl Dandelion and Magical Girl Incident are two more modern takes on the genre, and well worth trying out! 🪄

Check out these and more at our Manga Collection, or check out the Hampshire Libraries website and browse our catalogue to see the full list!

13/08/2026

These beautiful literary earrings are available in the The Arc, Wi******er shop, but... pop quiz! Can anyone tell me the book that the diamond shaped ones on the top right come from? I've worked the others out but this one I just can't get!

12/08/2026

This month we've been really enraptured with Japanese Crime Fiction, which is increasingly becoming more and more popular over here in the UK. We've just finished reading 'Strange Pictures' by mysteriously anonymous author, Uketsu, and we loved every minute of it! 📖

🖼️ It uses a standard novel format but uses pictures, drawings, sketches and other diagrams to further deepen the mystery of what seems to be several unrelated mysteries. The drawings seem simple and unassuming, but within each of them lies a darker secret... can you find the answer?

➡️ Borrow this and other stories like it through the Library Service - Hampshire County Council; just pop in and ask a member of staff where to look!

11/08/2026

🌒 We've had some customers asking about Hampshire Libraries selling solar eclipse glasses 😎 I'm not sure where this information has originated from but we don't sell them.
Please find some helpful information in this post from Hampshire County Council, which includes a tutorial to make a pinhole viewer, in case you can't find glasses anywhere else either 🌘
👀 Keep your peepers safe everyone, you'll need them for reading (well you could use audiobooks I suppose, but please look after your eyes nonetheless.)

🌞 Don’t miss the partial solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 August! The moon will pass in front of the sun, partially blocking its light in a celestial display.

🕕 When: Depending on where you are, around 6pm to 8pm

If you’re planning to watch, remember – never look directly at the sun, even during an eclipse. Doing so can cause permanent eye damage. Cloudy skies don’t make it safe, and ordinary sunglasses won’t protect your eyes.

The only safe way to look directly at the eclipse is by using certified eclipse glasses that meet international safety standards.

No eclipse glasses? No problem! Here are some safe ways to view the eclipse if you don't have glasses: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gdxyjnz3do

And you find out everything you need to know about viewing the eclipse safely in the UK Health Security Agency blog (link in the comments).

10/08/2026

🏅 We're halfway through the Summer Reading Challenge and we're starting to see more and more finishers! One such finisher is Emily, who's been doing the Reading Challenge for years and claimed her next medal and certificate this weekend!

➡️ It's not too late to get your kids signed up and reading this summer, just pop into any Hampshire Library with your children and register them for the Challenge!

01/08/2026

There's still time to book places on this Perform Drama Workshop: Super Hero School! 🦸‍♀️🦸‍♂️ Tickets are £3 per child. Book through the link below ⬇

Drama, dancing and singing workshop for ages 4-8.

Fly to Superhero School for an action-packed mission to save the world.

Perform - Superheroes Free Drama Workshop! Wi******er Library Thursday 13th August 2026 10.00am to 10.30am or 10.45am to 11.15am Drama, dancing and singing workshop for ages 4-8. Fly to Superhero School for an action-packed mission to save the world. Your child will discover their own special powers...

29/07/2026

🎶 We've had a good start to the Summer Reading Challenge, with over 350 children choosing to read to the beat in their own way and sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge!

🎵 We'd love to see even more children register for the Summer Reading Challenge, and it isn't too late to do so! Simply come and visit us at Wi******er and speak to one of our wonderful volunteers and get started today!

Find out more on our website: https://www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/library/about-us/news/Summer-reading-challenge-2026

20/07/2026

📖 All throughout June and July, we've been to fourteen schools in the Wi******er area to tell everyone about this year's Summer Reading Challenge! ☀️

We've really had a great time visiting every school and spreading the joy of reading to everyone. We hope you found us memorable, and we can't wait to see you in the library over the summer holidays!

➡️ The Challenge has begun and you can take part today! Visit the website to find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge, and pop into branch to get started!