Launch Recite Me assistive technology

Event and activity information

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

View the schedule of regular events

 

New and upcoming events

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 - FULL
    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

 

1 to 27 September 2025 at Central Library

Step into a world shaped by imagination, skill, and self-expression. This exhibition brings together vibrant artworks from the Weavery, Pottery, and Arts & Crafts Workshops at Camphill Milton Keynes Communities.

From the rhythmic beauty of handwoven textiles to the unique character of hand-built pottery, and from bold brushstrokes to delicate stitches—each piece reflects the artist’s individual voice and creative journey.

The collection spans painting, drawing, printing, sculpture, sewing, and more, offering a rich and colourful glimpse into the many ways creativity can flourish. Some of the exhibits described this journey by including and describing their design processes. 

At Camphill, we believe that creativity lives within everyone. Our mission is to nurture that spark—supporting individuals to explore their talents, grow their confidence, and shape their own path as artists.

About Camphill Milton Keynes Communities

Camphill Milton Keynes Communities is a community for adults with learning disabilities and autism. We are a supported living provider, and our service is built around community living. It is part of the wider Camphill movement, which is based on principles of person-centred support, meaningful work, and shared community life.

Discover more about Camphill Milton Keynes Communities on their:

 

 

Look Again is a guide to Central Milton Keynes’ unique modern heritage, art, architecture and design. Get off the beaten track and discover stories of how creativity is all around you.

Look Again was created by Milton Keynes City Council with the research and collections of the Archive partners. The trail is added to every month, helping to test stories and designs, and enabling everyone to explore our unique design heritage. Throughout the City Centre information panels and artwork plaques have been created with QR Codes that take people to the online information, with a handy Map to explore by area, theme or interest.

Help us expand the trail by giving feedback online - head to the LOOK AGAIN website.

2025 Summer Reading Challenge, Story Garden

This year's challenge from The Reading Agency is all about adventures in nature and the great outdoors - inspiring children to tap into a world of imagination through reading and to celebrate adventure, fantasy and storytelling through nature and the great outdoors. The challenge ends on Saturday 6 September.

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.

  • 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 2.30-4.30pm (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 3.45-4.45pm (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 2.30-4.30pm (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 3.45-4.45pm (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.

  • 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 

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

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.

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.

 

Milton Keynes City Council Libraries contact information

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

Also interested in

Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF)
Milton Keynes SEND Local Offer