Cookham Discussion Board

Following government advice on COVID19, we have taken the decision to close all our libraries until further notice.

Whilst library buildings are closed:

You can renew books online
No fines will be charged during the closure period
All reservations on physical items have been suspended
The library team can still be contacted by emailing Maidenhead.Library@rbwm.gov.uk and if you need a call-back we can arrange one for you. Please remember to leave your contact details if you need a call-back.
Council Customer Services will be available to answer your calls from 9am-6pm Monday to Friday on 01628 683800.
Even though our buildings are closed, there is a huge range of resources that you can access online for free, and over the coming weeks we will be working on innovative ways delivering our services online and through social media.
Below are some of the incredible online services you can already access using your library card, and details of some of the new services we are providing.
Join the Library Online

If you aren't already a member of the library, you can still join online whilst we're closed. Once you have joined you will be given a temporary library card number - we are working hard with our Online Resource providers to ensure that you will be able to access our digital services with this number whilst we are closed. If you live in the borough we will post your physical library card out to you.

Please share this with any friends and neighbours.

If you already have a library card, but have forgotten your PIN, you can reset it online.


RB Digital app - eMagazines and 1000 eAudiobooks

The RB Digital app gives you access to a huge collection of top magazines, all available to download for free, including BBC Good Food, Cosmopolitan, The Economist, Grazia, New Scientist and many more.

We're also extremely excited to announce that we have now added a collection of 1000 eAudiobooks to RB Digital, including Hilary Mantel's latest book The Mirror & the Light, and all the other books in the Wolf Hall trilogy.

Download the RB Digital app from the app store on your device, and register with your library card details. Select the menu to switch between our eMagazine collection and our eAudiobook collection.


Libby by OverDrive

Libby by Overdrive is a fantastic app that giving you access to eBooks and eAudiobooks. Download the app from the appstore on your device and sign in with your library card. These are some of the collections we currently have available:

The Women's Prize for Fiction. Take a look on our website at our eBook offer.

The longlist is out and the eBooks are available on Libby by OverDrive.

How about setting yourself the challenge of ploughing through the whole list this year? The current long list proves to be very interesting with big names like Hilary Mantel, Ann Pratchett, Edna O' Brien and Maggie O' Farrell, along with joint Booker winner Bernardine Evaristo with the brilliant Girl, Women, Other.

We think the very beautiful and thought provoking Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson could be a winner. Decide for yourself!

Reading Well for Young People
With so many challenges at the moment do you know a young person who might benefit from one of our Reading Well titles available on Libby by OverDrive?

We have a selection of titles available to borrow from the "Reading Well For Young People Campaign" from the Reading Agency which are specifically chosen to support young people in their well-being.


Britannica Library

Did you know that you can use Britannica Library from home? Just go to our Online Resources page to open up a world of information.

Britannica Library is packed full of facts and information. It is split into three age categories, Children for ages 5-11 years, Students for ages 12-18 years and Adults so you can find the pages that are just right for you.

Maybe you want to find out some information for a school project, perhaps you're mad about space or you may want to research a subject of your choosing. The great thing about Britannica Library is that you can use this award winning resource from home for children or adults. It's easy to use and easy to find trusted information.

Looking for facts about the Great Fire of London? Look no further! With Britannica Library you can find out where it started and when
Looking for Geographical facts? There are fact from around the globe
Looking for information on Climate Change? Discover a wealth of articles and trusted facts

Minecraft Server

We're hosting a secure Minecraft realm. We're using Minecraft for Windows 10, so anyone with Minecraft on Windows 10, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or Android Phone can access it. It's invite only and we're going to be moderating it consistently to make sure it remains a safe place for everyone.

Email rbwm.libs.minecraft@outlook.com for more information on how to join.


We will keep you updated

Over the coming weeks look out on our social media channels for our author and book suggestions, Reading Tips, Facts Galore with our non-fiction collection, stories to share with young children and Books That Shaped Our Lives plus lots more.

During the closure period we will be sending out our library newsletter weekly instead of monthly, to keep you up to date with the latest developments in these difficult times.

You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram.


World Book Day Celebrations: Author visits across RBWM Libraries

We recently celebrated World Book day on 5th March. Over the course of 2 weeks we invited over 1,700 school children into our libraries to meet with our excited chosen authors.

Award winning picture book author and writer Nick Sharratt drew along with pupils at Dedworth and Windsor libraries.

Poet, writer and singer John Dogherty entertained children in Maidenhead area libraries with tales from his Stink Bomb and ketchup face books.

The Brilliant Guy Bass motivated even the most reluctant readers to start his new series The Skeleton Keys and the amazing Abi Elphinstone swept KS2 readers away on her new Rumble start adventure.

We bought new stock for all these author visits and the children were encouraged to take the books home. Please remind your children about the experience they had meeting up with the authors and don't forget to read their fantastic books!!


Online payments

While the Town Hall and libraries are closed, you can pay for the majority of council services on our website using a credit or debit card. Please visit www.rbwm.gov.uk/pay to make your payment.

Keep up to date with the impact on all RBWM council services on our COVID19 resident and business update page.