We welcome you to Camden Library Services and during these times of isolation hope you can make use of your Digital Library!

If you are not already a member of our Libraries, it is easy to join online by clicking the button on the ‘joining page’ of our website. Click here to sign up!

We hope that you can make use of our ebooks, audiobooks and online magazines whilst spending time at home. 

Camden Library Services subscribes to a number of online reference resources not otherwise available on the free web. You can access these with your Camden libraries membership number.

Online reference resources - Ancestry, Oxford dictionaries and reference, Who's Who, newspaper archives and more

#TakeYourLibraryAnywhere

Windrush Digital Titles, find them here:  https://www.camden.gov.uk/digital-library 

Homecoming: Voices of the Windrush Generation by Colin Grant 

Leave Taking by Winsome Pinnock 

The Windrush Betrayal: Exposing The Hostile Environment by Amelia Gentleman 

Black and British by David Olusoga 

Staying Power by Peter Fryer 

Windrush 1948: Legacy and Assessment by Trevor Harris 

Shame on Me by Tessa McWatt 

Small Island by Andrea Levy 

Voices of the Windrush Generation: The Real Story by David Matthews 

Beyond Windrush by J. Dillon Brown 

Windrush: A Ship Through Time by Paul Arnott 

Surge by Jay Bernard 

Homecoming by Colin Grant 

Familiar Stranger by Stuart Hall 

This Lovely City by Louise Hare 

The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon 

Lovers and Strangers by Clair Wills 

Pride reading recommendations!

Below is a list of reading recommendations for the month of Pride put together by the Camden Rainbow Group!

Trans like me CN Lester

A  New Man Charlie Kiss

The City and the Pillar Gore Vidal 

Gentlemen Jack Angela Steidele

The Argonauts Maggie Nelson 

Loved Women Chloe Caldwell

Spacegirl Pukes Katy Watson

In the Dream House Carmen Maria

Paul takes the Form of a Mortal Girl Andrea Lawlor

Rubyfruit Jungle Rita Mae Brown

Tales of the City Armistead Maupin

Sucking Sherbet Lemons Michael Carson 

King of the Badgers Phillip Hensher

Oranges are not the only fruit Jeannette Winterson

The Long Call Ann Cleeves

Hood Emma Donoghue 

Love Toni Morrison

Gay Life Stories Robert Aldrich

Fingersmith Sarah Waters 

Purple Prose: Bisexuality in Britain Kate Harrad

No Ashes in the Fire Darnell Moore

Nightwood Djuna Barnes 

The Lost Language of Cranes David Leavitt

The Hours Michael Cunningham 

The Binding Bridget Collins 

Queer Africa: Selected Stories Karen Martin and Makhosazana Xaba

Dancer from the Dance Andrew Holleran

David Bowie made me gay Darryl W. Bullock

Hold Michael Donkor

The Madonna of Bolton Matt Cain

Mur-Mur Will Eaves 

White Houses Amy Bloom

Drapetomania John R Gordon

Blood Relatives Stevan Alcock

Disobedience Naomi Alderman

The Trauma Cleaner Sarah Krasnostein

From Predjudice to Pride' Amy Lame

'Pride and Joy' Sarah and Rachel Hagger-Holt

Tryptich Jonathan Kemp

A Home at The End of The World Michael Cunningham 

Trumpet Jackie Kay

Mr Loverman Bernardine Evaristo

Insomniac City Bill Hayes 

Why Be Happy when You Can Be Normal? Jeannette Winterson

Library Offers

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone  

Pottermore Publishing will also be teaming up with digital library supplier OverDrive to gift the first book in its digital form. Patrons of OverDrive libraries will be able to borrow Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone as an eBook or audiobook in over 20 languages from participating local and school libraries, including via OverDrive’s Libby app, and the Sora app for schools.

This offering will last until the end of April, so if you can, why not have a browse?

Ancestry 

Research your family history on Ancestry.   

Now available from home with a Camden Library membership. Access this here.

Ideas to Stay Active and Engaged: 

Sport England’s Join the Movement campaign continues to evolve with the launch of a television advert made entirely with self-shot videos from members of the public embodying the #StayInWorkOut motto. The health and fitness industry has been involved in the development of the online hub, which is encouraging people to keep or get active in and around the home. Workouts from fitness brands and influencers such as Les Mills on Demand, The Body Coach (Joe Wicks) and FiiT are available and Sport England is keen to hear from those who have more content to share. They have also urged Local Authorities to help spread the  message across the nation.

ukactive and Nike have teamed up to launch Move Crew, a programme to help children stay physically active while they're off school. It features daily 'activity missions' created by school staff members, coaches and elite Nike athletes

Activity Alliance has released new ways to adapt activities so more people can stay in and work out. Disabled people and providers can access new social media graphics and tips on the STEP tool. STEP stands for Space, Task, Equipment and People and is an effective way to use household items to be active.

#CreateToConnect starts today, kicking off a month of daily creative challenges to keep people connected, curious and creative at home. The challenges have been set in collaboration with 31 different partners including schools, libraries, museums, community groups, care homes and more. You can download a free tailored activity pack with all the challenges ahead of time. This will enable you to engage your communities in the challenges - online and offline.

The National Archives are now providing free access to their digital records for as long as the site in Kew remains closed to visitors. Registered users can now order and download up to 10 items at a time, up to a maximum of 50 items over a rolling 30-day period.

A new online learning platform to help boost the nation’s skills while people are staying at home has been launched by The Department for Education. The Skills Toolkit is made up of free online courses, tools and resources to help improve digital and numeracy skills.

Make Music Day on 21st June will be a digital celebration this year taking the form of three key strands: Perform, Watch, Create. They are inviting people to get involved here.