Heritage Open Days is England's largest community led festival of history and culture, involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations. Every year in September it brings people together to celebrate their heritage, community and history. Stories are told, traditions explored, and histories brought to life. It’s your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – and it’s all FREE.

For those early birds who would like to book on one of the Family History sessions, here are the details.

Twenty-minute family history consultations with expert John Hanson are available to book.

• Friday 12 September 2025 – 11am to 1pm at Bletchley Library
  To book your 20-minute session contact Bletchley Library on 01908 372797 or email library.enquiries@milton-keynes.gov.uk.
   
• Tuesday 16 September 2025 – 11am to 1pm at Newport Pagnell Library
  To book your 20-minute session contact Newport Pagnell Library on 01908 610933 or email library.enquiries@milton-keynes.gov.uk.

NEWPORT IN MINIATURE

As part of the Heritage Open Days celebrations, the Newport Pagnell Historical Society will be visiting the library to showcase the town's history and local buildings.

Everyone is welcome to join us at Newport Pagnell Library for these drop-in family sessions.

• Saturday 13 September 10.30am to 11.30am
• Saturday 20 September 10.30am to 11.30am

• 10-10.30am – Baby Songs and Rhyme Time at Central Library (under 2s)
• 10.30-11.30am – Lego Club at Stony Stratford Library
• 10.45-11.15am – Storytime for the under 7s at Central Library
• 11.15-11.45am – Storytime for the under 5s at Woburn Sands Library
• 2-3pm – Lego Club at Central Library
• 2.30-4.30pm – Games Club at Olney Library
• 3.30-4.30pm – Lego Club at Wolverton Library

• 11-11.30am – Storytime for the under 5s at Olney Library
• 2.30-4.30pm – Lego Club at Newport Pagnell Library

• 2.30-4.30pm – Read and Play at Olney Library
• 2.30-4.30pm – Games Club at Stony Stratford Library
• 3.30-4.30pm – Lego Club at Bletchley Library
• 3.30-4.30pm – Lego Club at Westcroft Library

• 2-4pm – Games Club at Newport Pagnell Library
• 2.30-4.30pm – Lego Club at Olney Library
• 3.30-4.30pm – Lego Club at Kingston Library
• 3.30-4.30pm – Lego Club at Woburn Sands Library

• 10am-12pm – Lego Club at Central Library
• 11am-12pm – Lego Club at Newport Pagnell Library
• 11am-12pm – Lego Club at Stony Stratford Library

We offer stories, songs and rhymes at various libraries over the summer (in addition to the weekly storytimes listed above and these sessions are all drop-in with no booking necessary.

• Saturday 30 August (11-11.30am) – Olney Library
  Summer Storytime with Folio volunteers (under 7s)

Choose from the adult and children’s design sheets and colour away! 

• Thursday 28 August (2-4pm) – Central Library
• Friday 29 August (10am-12pm) – Central Library

• COMPUTER HELP SESSIONS WITH OUR IT BUDDIES
  • Sessions are held at several libraries and offer one-to-one help with your devices (phones, laptops, tablets) and online processes like setting up an email or shopping. Visit the Digital Help web page for full details.
• GAMES CLUB - (all ages) at Newport Pagnell Library - Friday 2-4pm (drop-in)
• GAMES CLUB - (all ages) at Olney Library - Tuesday 2.30-4.30pm (drop-in)
• GAMES CLUB - (all ages) at Stony Stratford Library - Thursday 2.30-4.30pm (drop-in)
• GARDENING CLUB - Stony Stratford Library (contact Stony Stratford Library for dates).
• 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.
• SOCIAL SCRABBLE at Bletchley Library on Tuesdays 10.30-11.30am.
• STONY LAST THURSDAY HISTORY SOCIETY - Drop-in any time between 2-4.30pm 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.

Please note that some activities are term time only.

• CODE CLUB (ages 9-13) at Central Library - Monday 4-5pm
• CRAFT CLUB (ages 3-9) at Olney Library - third Saturday each month 10.30-11.30am
• GAMES CLUB - (all ages) at Newport Pagnell Library - Friday 2-4pm (drop-in)
• GAMES CLUB - (all ages) at Olney Library - Tuesday 2.30-4.30pm (drop-in)
• GAMES CLUB - (all ages) at Stony Stratford Library - Thursday 2.30-4.30pm (drop-in)
• LEGO AND DUPLO CLUBS at various libraries
• READ AND PLAY sessions at Olney Library - Thursday 2.30-4.30pm
• STAY AND PLAY sessions at Bletchley Library - Tuesday 10.30-11.30am (term time only) - starts 9 September 2025
• STAY AND PLAY sessions at Central Library - Wednesday 1.30-2.30pm (term time only) - starts 10 September 2025
• STONY MUSIC MAKERS at Stony Stratford Library - Wednesday 9.30-10.15am
• STORIES, SONGS AND RHYMES at various libraries

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 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.

The library offers many resources to help those who speak other languages and are looking to learn English as a second language (ESOL). The library also provides a range of material to help you improve your basic language and reading skills.

We offer Family History support from our volunteers:

FIRST STEPS

Get started with your family tree or research and have a beginner's guide to ancestry.com at Olney Library.

• on the second Friday each month - 2pm to 4pm

Book your free session by emailing library.enquiries@milton-keynes.gov.uk.

EXPERT ADVICE

If you’re having difficulties with your research and need some advice, John will use his years of experience to help you at Central Library.

• Dates to be announced

Book your free 30-minute session by emailing library.enquiries@milton-keynes.gov.uk or calling 01908 254050.

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.

• 1 September - Women Poets of the 100s/1800s - Vicki Shakeshaft and Stony Stratford Friends
• 6 October - The Olney Newton Link - Past and Present - Anne McCallum
• 3 November - Sink the Bismarck! - Michael Kushner
• 1 December - To be confirmed

Tickets are £6 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 11 September - Women writing in the Romantic Period by Vicki Shakeshaft

Tickets are available from 19 August at Stony Stratford Library (01908 562562). 

Visit the FOSSL website at: https://fossl.org.uk/ for the latest news and information.

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

These are the summer holiday club times and some sessions will change in September so please visit the website for the regular days and times.

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

Tuesday

• 10.30-11.30am at Stony Stratford Library
• 2-3pm at Central Library
• 3.30-4.30pm at Wolverton Library

Wednesday

• 2.30-4.30pm at Newport Pagnell Library

Thursday

• 3.30-4.30pm at Bletchley Library
• 3.30-4.30pm at Westcroft Library

Friday

• 2.30-4.30pm at Olney Library
• 3.30-4.30pm at Kingston Library
• 3.30-4.30pm at Woburn Sands Library

Saturday 

• 10am-12pm at Central Library
• 11am-12pm at Newport Pagnell Library
• 11am-12pm at Stony Stratford Library
• 2 August - 10.30-11.30am at Olney Library

• 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

• 3.30-4.30pm at Wolverton Library
• 4-5pm at Central Library

Wednesday

• 3.30-4.30pm at Newport Pagnell Library

Thursday

• 3.30-4.30pm at Bletchley Library
• 3.30-4.30pm at Westcroft Library

Friday

• 3.30-4.30pm at Kingston Library
• 3.30-4.30pm at Olney Library
• 3.30-4.30pm at Stony Stratford Library
• 3.30-4.30pm at Woburn Sands Library

Saturday 

• 10am-12pm at Central Library
• 11am-12pm at Newport Pagnell Library (starts 27 September)
• 11am-12pm at Stony Stratford Library
• First Saturday of each month - 10.30-11.30am at Olney Library

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

• Facebook (MiltonKeynesLibraries)
• Instagram (MKLibraries)
• Pinterest (MKLibraries)
• YouTube (Milton Keynes Libraries)

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.

• Several libraries hold storytime sessions.
• We also have many online stories, songs, poems and signed stories on our YouTube Channel.
• Be sure to browse our unlisted stories playlist.

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

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.

• We welcome volunteers at nine of our libraries (excluding Woughton Library).
• 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.