Weymouth Library and Learning Centre

04/06/2026

Today is Discover your Library Day! 📣

Choose this day to sign up for a library membership, or pop into learn something new about the library offer 📚

Check the link in the comments to discover more about Dorset Libraries

- The Weymouth Library Team

03/06/2026

Your child is invited to come and be a detective in the upcoming Children's Crime Fiction Chatterbooks special!

Join us at Weymouth Library on Wednesday 10 June from 16:00-16:45 for a mystery-themed Chatterbooks session
The children will share some spooky stories, and act as a detective to uncover the mystery

✅ Aimed at children aged 5-9
🔎 Combines creative writing, reading and fun
📚 Chatterbooks is a book club for children - it is free to take part an you can sign up on the day

No booking required 🎟️

- The Weymouth Library

03/06/2026

It’s Libraries Change Lives Week!

Reading and literacy open doors to opportunity, imagination, and lifelong learning - and libraries are at the heart of it all.
From Rhyme Time to digital skills, we’re here to support every step of your journey 📚

We’d love to hear from you: How has your library made a difference in your life? Let us know in the comments ⤵️

- The Weymouth Library Team

02/06/2026

June is Pride Month 🌈

Pride Month is celebrated in June to honour the LGBTQ+ community and its history
Libraries play a vital role in sharing stories, knowledge, and voices from across the community

Dorset libraries are for everyone

We’re proud to offer safe, welcoming spaces where people can learn, connect, and be themselves 🌈
Come in, take a seat, and feel at home

- The Weymouth Library Team

29/05/2026

Take a look at this fantastic free event by Friends of Portland Library ⤵️

THIS SATURDAY!

The Friends of Portland Library (FOPL) have a fantastic event to look forward to.

Join them for this FREE event on 6th June.

26/05/2026

Only a few days to go now! 🔽

There’s just under a week to go until Michael Malay joins us at Weymouth library on 28 May… have you got your tickets yet?

Why come along? Here’s what one of our team had to say:

“I’ve really loved reading Late Light- it’s such an easy, enjoyable read but still gives you so much to think about. The book finds the perfect balance between admiring the beauty and strangeness of the world, and I never expected to be so fascinated by moths, eels, mussels and crickets! It’s thoughtful, beautifully written, and has really stayed with me.”

Michael won the Wainwright Prize in 2024 for Late Light, a national award recognising excellence in nature writing, if you're a fan of nature writing and enjoy books by authors like Robert Macfarlane, don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity!

Michael will hold a creative writing workshop at 2:30pm and a Meet the author event at 5pm.
Tickets are Pay what you can or free and you can edit the amount you would like to pay in the listing. Find tickets and more information on Ticketsource, via the link in the first comment below 👇🏾

This event is part of Words Alive in Libraries, presented by South Western Regional Library Services and Literature Works, and funded by Arts Council England.

23/05/2026

There’s just under a week to go until Michael Malay joins us at Weymouth library on 28 May… have you got your tickets yet?

Why come along? Here’s what one of our team had to say:

“I’ve really loved reading Late Light- it’s such an easy, enjoyable read but still gives you so much to think about. The book finds the perfect balance between admiring the beauty and strangeness of the world, and I never expected to be so fascinated by moths, eels, mussels and crickets! It’s thoughtful, beautifully written, and has really stayed with me.”

Michael won the Wainwright Prize in 2024 for Late Light, a national award recognising excellence in nature writing, if you're a fan of nature writing and enjoy books by authors like Robert Macfarlane, don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity!

Michael will hold a creative writing workshop at 2:30pm and a Meet the author event at 5pm.
Tickets are Pay what you can or free and you can edit the amount you would like to pay in the listing. Find tickets and more information on Ticketsource, via the link in the first comment below 👇🏾

This event is part of Words Alive in Libraries, presented by South Western Regional Library Services and Literature Works, and funded by Arts Council England.

22/05/2026

Important Service Update – Bank Holiday Weekend 📣

Essential IT work will be carried out over the bank holiday period, which will affect some services:

💻 Public computers will be unavailable from 3pm on Saturday 23 May
📚 Some library systems will be offline – staff will continue to help, but transactions may take a little longer
📶 Visitor Wi‑Fi will still be available

Extended Access will also be unavailable - if you visit any of our Extended Access libraries, please check with each library to find out about their closures

Some community libraries will be closed on Saturday 23 May (Chickerell will remain open)

These service updates apply to all Dorset libraries

- The Weymouth Library Team

21/05/2026

Local and Community History Month!

Weymouth library decided to delve into the history of the very space it sits on for this month. Before the Library building was put up, there used to be a school named St Mary's from 1813 - 1982 and many of our customers often reminisce and tell us about their childhood memories.

St Mary’s Schools were once known as National Schools. This name came from ‘The National Society for promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church Throughout England and Wales’ which was set up in 1811. This was an Anglican movement aiming to set up church schools throughout the country. At that time the state played no role in providing schools or education for poor children. It was left to charities or private individuals.
The schools were initially funded by grants from the National Society but mainly from private donations from local people, often from the St Mary’s parishioners. For example in December 1841 after the sermon a collection was made from the congregation which produced £17 for the schools – just over a £1000 in today’s terms.

Some quotes taken from the ECHO - Former pupil Jill Nash remembers Ida Wills' mother coming into the classroom on Friday afternoons with sweets. She also remembers: "Mrs Wills made us put our head in our hands and rest it on the desk for a short rest after lunch!" And Mandy Stubbs recalls Mrs Wills as 'a lovely gentle lady with sensible lace up shoes'

Recalling her wartime experience at the school, Janet Wildman said: "I went there in the early 40s during the war (girls school then) playground was all air raid shelters, we used to have the alley to play in. Miss Bell was headmistress (l went to Weymouth Grammar School from there in 1945).

Playing jacks in the playground is a fond memory of Patsy's during her time at the school. She added: "I also remember Miss English, she had a reward book of hair slides distributed if you were good. I’m sure I remember getting a black bead necklace, also Mrs Read (Reid?) who lived near us on Lanehouse Rocks Road, I was the only one of my family who went there, my brother and sister went to Westhaven. "I was very sorry it was demolished, I was there from 1958 to 64, my maiden name was Coxon."

I have included some photographs that were kindly provided by the Weymouth museum. These old photos show a few of the teachers and pupils that would have attended the school, the school building and a historic note.

-The Weymouth Library Team

20/05/2026

Ever wondered where great stories come from?
Matt Cain MBE is an award winning author and broadcaster whose work explores identity, creativity and modern life with warmth and honesty.
Hear directly from Matt in our upcoming online author event on Wednesday 3 June, running this Pride Month and welcoming everyone.
Don’t miss out, see the link in first comment to book your free place 👎