Event and activity information

View the schedule of regular events

The events schedule shows regular events across the libraries and can be searched and filtered by location, audience and keywords.

Have you discovered the world of Geocaching? It's one of the fastest-growing hobbies in the UK and a fantastic way to get the whole family outdoors. After all, who doesn't love a treasure hunt?
   
Geocaching is a bit like a treasure hunt with a modern technological twist if you will! Read the beginner's guide to Geocaching and then download the app to start 'playing' and see what treasures you can find around Milton Keynes.

New and upcoming events

Black History Month

October is Black History Month and it's a time of celebration, recognition and reflection; an annual commemoration of the history, achievements and contributions of black people. We have several events taking place in October to celebrate it.

African Flag Bunting workshop

Saturday 7 October – 2 to 3.30pm at Central Library

Join us for this FREE children and family workshop by ‘Cultural Vibes’ as part of our Black History Month celebrations. Children can create one of four African flags and learn about the people, geography and culture of these nations. The sessions are for ages 5+ and children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.

Places are free but must be booked online in advance by following this link.

You only need to book for the children attending the event, regardless of how many adults will be accompanying them.

Parents/carers should remain in the library throughout the session.

A Music Icon: I K Dairo MBE - Exhibition

Exhibition in the Event Space at Central Library
4 October to 1 November

Celebrating 60 years of I K Dairo's MBE award to services to music across the Commonwealth - the only African musician to have received this honour. Free admission during library opening hours.

Amongst other accomplishments, he started STAR Records Ltd in 1969. This was the first African record label owned by its artists. He has performed in England and represented Nigeria at the Negro Arts Festival held in Dakar in 1965 as well as the World Music Festival in Tokyo in 1972.

Saluting our Sisters - Exhibition

Exhibition on the first floor at Central Library
4 October to 1 November

Commissioned for this year's Black History Month theme 'Saluting our Sisters' this exhibition tells the stories of the lives and contributions of ten pioneering black women of Milton Keynes. The women will be honoured at the MK Black Excellence Awards on 28 October 2023.

Books and book lists for Black History Month

During October you'll find books and information on display across the Milton Keynes Libraries along with book lists to celebrate black authors and poets spanning our adult, teen and children's collections. View the selections on the library catalogue or pick up a recommended reading list from your local library.

City of Codes & Light Festival

4 to 7 October 2023

Prepare for a four-day festival of innovation, art, science, and technology, in Milton Keynes. Milton Keynes Islamic Arts, Heritage and Culture (MKIAC) is teaming up with esteemed cultural, educational, and business partners, as well as talented artists and digital technologists, to curate an unforgettable experience.

The festival's collaborators include historic Bletchley Park, the South Central Institute of Technology (SCIoT) based at MK College, Shenley Brook End School, and the Milton Keynes Museum, with support from Arts Council England and Milton Keynes City Council. The project aims to spark creativity in local schools, colleges, and community groups through art and science workshops that will be used to create stunning installations and exhibitions. 

The festival will host an array of workshops, academic seminars, thought talks, and artist-commissioned installations, all within Milton Keynes Central Library. It will conclude on Saturday 7 October with an unforgettable fusion of media, music, and movement as STEM and artistic expression blend seamlessly.

The best part? Admission is FREE, ensuring that everyone can join these diverse activities and events that champion creativity, innovation, and community involvement.

For more information about the festival visit the MKIAC website.

Programme

  • Wednesday 4 October - Launch of City of Codes & Light Festival
    6pm to 8.30pm at Bletchley Park (MK3 6EB)
  • Thursday 5 October – Environment, Technology and Mental Health Symposium
    10am to 12.30pm at SCIoT (MK3 6DR)
  • Friday 6 October – Journeys from Alchemy to Chemistry interactive sessions with 1001 Inventions
    10am to 6pm at Milton Keynes Central Library (MK9 3HL)
  • Saturday 7 October – City of Codes & Light Festival Celebration
    7 to 9.45pm starting at Milton Keynes Central Library (MK9 3HL)

    • 7.30 to 7.45pm Echoes from the Golden Era Illumination by Limbic Cinema
    • 7.45pm Digital Lantern Parade by Inko-Nito heading to Campbell Park for the laser and music show finale

Journeys from Alchemy to Chemistry

Join 1001 Inventions for the 'Journeys from Alchemy to Chemistry' events between 4 - 7 October at Central Library.

Families, schools and home-schooling groups are invited to join the free sessions for 7-12 year olds. Please complete the relevant form to make your booking by following the links.

Use this link to book sessions for schools:

  • 4 October 10-11.30am or 12-1.30pm
  • 5 October 10-11.30am or 12-1.30pm
  • 6 October 10-11.30am or 12-1.30pm

Use this link to book sessions for home-schooling groups:

  • 4 October 2.30-4pm or 4.30-6pm
  • 5 October 2.30-4pm or 4.30-6pm
  • 6 October 2.30-4pm or 4.30-6pm
  • 7 October 9-10.30am or 11am-12.30pm or 1.30-3pm or 3.30-5pm 

Use this link to book sessions for families:

  • 4 October 2.30-4pm or 4.30-6pm
  • 5 October 2.30-4pm or 4.30-6pm
  • 6 October 2.30-4pm or 4.30-6pm
  • 7 October 9-10.30am or 11am-12.30pm or 1.30-3pm or 3.30-5pm 

Full information about the sessions and booking can be found on the 1001 Inventions website.

MK Lit Fest - 13 to 15 October

It's that time again! Milton Keynes Lit Fest returns with a programme of online and live events in October.

MK Lit Fest celebrates all things literary, bookish or wordy and you can read more about the current and past events on the MK Lit Fest website. Download a copy of the Autumn programme or pick up a booklet in your local library to see the upcoming events on offer.

MK Central Library is hosting events alongside Waterstones and Community Learning MK with further sessions taking place online. To book tickets for any of the talks or workshops you will need to book through the event links on the MK Lit Fest website.

You'll find more promotion and information on social media channels:

Please note that the Children's Library will close at 11am on Saturday 14 October while we host children's author events. 

Parish Constable's Baton

George IV (1820 - 1830) baton

Donated to Milton Keynes city Libraries by Mrs Susan Ranson and on display in the foyer at Central Library until the end of September.

This baton was given to Mrs Ranson’s husband in the late 1950s by two brothers, Walt and Dickie Weston, who were tenants at Pindon Manor, Hanslope.

Inscriptions on the baton:

HONI SUIT QUI MAL Y PENSE

  • “Evil to him who evil thinks” - this is the motto of the Order of the Garter.

DIEU ET MON DROIT - there are many translations for this phrase; the literal translation from Latin is “God and my right” with interpretations as:

  • “God and my right hand”
  • “God and my lawful right”
  • “God and my right shall me defend”

If you have any further information about the baton, the Westons, Pindon Manor or anything else that will add to the story, we’d love to hear from you. Please email library.promotions@milton-keynes.gov.uk

Regular activities

Regular events and services for each library are also listed on the individual library information pages. New and one-off events are shown in the section above.

Adult - various regular activities

  • COMPUTER HELP SESSIONS WITH OUR IT BUDDIES

  • FAMILY HISTORY CONSULTATIONS - Central Library (dates to be confirmed)
  • JOB CLUBS - Central Library Tuesday 1-3pm and Woughton Library Thursday 10am-12pm
  • KNIT AND NATTER sessions at various libraries
  • LIBRARY COFFEE MORNINGS at Stony Stratford Library with FoSSL on the first and third Wednesdays each month 10-11am. Free to attend, just stop by for tea, coffee, homemade cake and conversation.
  • LIBRARY READING GROUPS at various libraries
  • MK NANOWRITERS meet on the second Saturday each month at Central Library 2pm to 4pm. It's a social group for writers although they do discuss writing as that's their shared hobby. If you'd like to know more or are interested in joining the group, please email mknanowriters@gmail.com.
  • SMARTPHONE SUPPORT SESSIONS at Wolverton Library on the second Friday each month 10am to 12pm. Drop-in session - no appointment needed. Please note that there will be no session in July 2023.
  • SOCIAL SCRABBLE at Bletchley Library on Tuesdays 10.30-11.30am.
  • STONY LAST THURSDAY HISTORY SOCIETY - Drop-in any time between 2-5pm on the last Thursday of each month upstairs at Stony Stratford Library to chat with like-minded people about the history of Stony Stratford. If you'd like to know more, ask at Stony Stratford Library.

Children - various regular activities

Please note that some activities are term time only.

English conversation club

English conversation club is for anyone who would like to practise and improve their English as a second language, gain better skills for study or employment, or just get on in everyday life.

    Sessions at Central Library

    • Everyone is welcome to join us on the day and you don't need to register.
    • Conversation club sessions are held in the foyer at Central Library on Thursday mornings 11am-12pm.
    • If you'd like to know more you can phone 01908 254050 or speak to library staff.

    Exhibitions

    Discover MK

    The Discover MK Showcase area is on the first floor at Central Library. It is the primary showcase for the archive, museum and heritage of Milton Keynes and the surrounding area. It has a regularly changing series of exhibitions throughout the year and more information can be found on the Discover MK website.

    Nightlife MK - from September 2023

    A nostalgic look back at some much-loved nightclubs and venues from the city centre’s past - if you lived it up at The Point, Zazoos, Austens, Ultra Vegas (and more) back in the day pop along and see if you can see yourselves in any of the photos!

    This is another fantastic exhibition brought to you by Living Archive MK.

    A Music Icon: I K Dairo MBE - Exhibition at Central Library - 4 October to 1 November 2023

    Exhibition in the Event Space at Central Library
    4 October to 1 November

    Celebrating 60 years of I K Dairo's MBE award to services to  music across the Commonwealth - the only African musician to have received this honour. Free admission during library opening hours.

    I K Dairo is the only African musician to have received the honour of MBE.

    Amongst other accomplishments, he started STAR Records Ltd in 1969. This was the first African record label owned by its artists. He has performed in England and represented Nigeria at the Negro Arts Festival held in Dakar in 1965 as well as the World Music Festival in Tokyo in 1972.

    Saluting our Sisters - Exhibition at Central Library - 4 October to 1 November 2023

    Exhibition on the first floor at Central Library
    4 October to 1 November

    Commissioned for this year's Black History Month theme 'Saluting our Sisters' this exhibition tells the stories of the lives and contributions of ten pioneering black women of Milton Keynes. The women will be honoured at the MK Black Excellence Awards on 28 October 2023.

     

    JOIN ME: Our 2020 Events - Memorial Quilt at Stony Stratford Library

    Visit Stony Stratford Library to see this lockdown memorial quilt on display. It’s a community quilt project by Thread Thread Wine to memorialise the events that we most missed in 2020, whether cancelled, lost or postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Soraya Tate, founder of Thread Thread Wine

    At Christmas 2020 I decided to make a memorial quilt, dedicated to acknowledging the events and opportunities that we lost in 2020.

    • I would create a quilt square about my own losses.
    • I would invite others to do the same about their losses.
    • I would join the pieces to make a quilt.
    • I would display the quilt in December 2021 at an event for the makers.

    This is the project so far; I hope you enjoy viewing it and reading about it. We have 42 submissions and the quilt is 3m long.

    We have made some of the squares into cards for sale, to raise money for the mental health charity MIND.

    If you would like to contribute your artwork to this project, please email Soraya or visit the Thread Thread Wine (TTW) Facebook page.

    Read more about the background to this project, the inspiration and the artists who have contributed by visiting the Memorial quilt project page.

    Friends Groups

    Friends Groups work in partnership with us and closely with local library teams to help support and enhance libraries in our local communities.

    They provide an important contribution to support and maintain awareness of a library in a local community.

    Folio - Olney Library

    Folio (The Friends of the Library in Olney) run a programme of talks which are held 7.30-8.30pm at The Olney Centre, Room 4 and they request that you arrive at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Refreshments are served after each talk.

    • 2 October - The Mackintosh Myth - The Sources and Legacy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh by Natasha Buthee
    • 6 November - Operation Mincemeat. Who was Major William Martin? by Michael Kushner from Bletchley Park
    • 4 December - 'A Medieval Christmas' with music and instruments by Michael Brown

    Tickets are £5 in advance and can be booked online at Ticketsource or by phoning Ticketsource on 0333 666 3366.

    If you are no longer able to attend or have any questions, please email olneyfoliofriends@gmail.com.

    You can download a printable schedule of Folio talks here.

    FoSSL - Stony Stratford Library

    FoSSL (The Friends of Stony Stratford Library) run regular talks at the library and details for booking tickets for these events will be released closer to the time. If you'd like to join the mailing list to receive news and updates from FoSSL, email fosslmk@gmail.com.

    • Thursday 12 October at 7pm - The Friends of Stony Stratford Library present 'Paraguay and the Chaco' a presentation by Philip Grainger. Tickets are available from the library.
    • Saturday 18 November at 2pm - The Friends of Stony Stratford Library present 'Plato's Republic' by Charlie Hailes. Ticket information to follow.
    • Thursday 14 December - details to follow.

    Knit and natter

    • Several libraries host Knit and Natter groups.
    • Beginners and experts are all welcome.
    • Admission is free.

    Lego and Duplo clubs

    • Free all-round fun with Lego/Duplo clubs at several of our libraries.
    • We provide the bricks and you provide the imagination.
    • Everyone regardless of age is invited to join the fun.
    • Parents and carers are responsible for their child's safety.
    • Parents and carers must remain with their children throughout the sessions.

    Click on the session links to see the dates when clubs are running.

    Tuesday

    Wednesday

    Thursday

    Friday

    Saturday

    PLEASE NOTE that the Central Library session on Saturday 14 October will finish at 11am and the Children's Library will be closing to host MK Lit Fest events. 

    Library news

    You can subscribe to library newsletters to hear the latest news or follow us on our various social media pages.

    Reading groups

    Do you enjoy reading? Would you like to talk about what you have read? Would you like to share your views with an informal group? Then why not join a reading group.

    Stories, songs and rhymes

    Summer Reading Challenge

    We're excited to bring you the Summer Reading Challenge each year during the summer holidays.

    Vacancies at Milton Keynes City Council libraries

    We hope you'll consider joining our team here at the Milton Keynes Libraries. You'll find details of any current vacancies across our libraries on the library vacancies webpage.

    Volunteering with Milton Keynes City Council libraries

    • We welcome volunteers at all ten of our libraries.
    • There are many interesting opportunities for volunteers within the Milton Keynes libraries and there's bound to be something that suits you.
    • Volunteers need to be at least 13 years old.

     

    Milton Keynes City Council Libraries contact information

    Milton Keynes Central Library, 555 Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK9 3HL

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    Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF)