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.

New and upcoming events

The 2023 Winter Mini Challenge, presented by The Reading Agency in partnership with Youth Sport Trust, runs from 1 December 2023 to 19 February 2024. Following on from the Ready, Set, Read! Summer Reading Challenge, children can join the characters as they have fun on a winter walk to the library. Read more about the Winter Mini Challenge.

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.

    Kan Ya Makan Milton Keynes - Exhibition at Central Library

    December to 6 January

    'Once Upon a Time: Stories from the Middle East' is an exhibition on the first floor at Central Library.

    Visit Kan Ya Makan on Instagram.

     

    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.

    • 4 December - 'A Medieval Christmas' with music and instruments by Michael Brown
    • 8 January - 'Advantage Africa' by Andrew Betts
    • 5 February - 'General Election of 1923' by Brian Pollock
    • 4 March - 'The Origins of British Pub Signs' by Jean Yates
    • 8 April - 'Mystery and Magic' by David Tomkins
    • 20 May - 'Life Behind the Lens' by Tom Way
    • 3 June - 'Maintaining and Repairing Britain's Historic Buildings' by David Sleight
    • 1 July - 'Silks for Sundays' by Yvonne Bell
    • 2 September - 'The Science of Pearls' by Frances Carlaw
    • 7 October - 'Murder and Mayhem' by Jane Isaacs
    • 4 November - 'From Lorenze to Colossus' by Michael Kushner
    • 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 14 December - Victorian Christmas Chills presented by Lynette Hills, the Bard of Stony Stratford. Join Lynette for a Christmas storytelling session full of unhappy spirits, Christmas banshees and a sorrowful child who haunts Walnut Tree House. The sessions starts at 7pm and includes festive refreshments. Tickets are available from Stony Stratford Library (01908 562562).

    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.

    Please note that there will be NO Lego Clubs at Stony Stratford Library on Friday 15 December and Saturday 16 December.

    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.

     

    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.

    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)