Events are being held across Herts to celebrate National Bookstart Week, which started yesterday.

Events are being held across Herts this week to celebrate National Bookstart Week.

The idea is to encourage families to have fun reading together, anywhere and anytime, with Herts County Council’s library services getting involved.

The theme of this year’s National Bookstart Week, which runs until Sunday, is ‘Bookstart Bird Boogie’. Children who attend any of the events will receive a free copy of the picture book A Busy Day for Birds by Lucy Cousins.

Hertfordshire libraries will be giving them away to families at its ‘Baby Rhyme Time’, ‘Toddler Tales’ and ‘Weekend Stories’ events, so be sure to come along to your local library and join in.

Events will include stories, rhymes and lots of fun bird boogie activities to inspire families to read together.

Royston Library hosts Baby Rhyme Time tomorrow at 10.15am, with the same session held at 10.30am at Baldock Library. There are also two Toddler Tales sessions tomorrow, in Stevenage Central Library at 2pm and Letchworth Library at 2.15pm.

Hitchin Library hosts Baby Rhyme Time on Thursday both at 10.15am and 11.15am, with Storytime at Knebworth and Toddler Tales at Baldock – both at 2.15pm.

There’s also Baby Rhyme Time at Stevenage Central Library on Friday at 10.30am and 11.30am, and Toddler Tales at Royston Library at 2.05pm.

And on Saturday there is Weekend Stories at Royston from 10.30am, more Baby Rhyme Time at Stevenage Central Library from 11am, and Babies Love Books: Black and White Book Making at Hitchin Library from 2.30pm.

Councillor Terry Douris, cabinet member for libraries on Herts County Council, said: “Making time to read at home and in the library gives children is the best way to inspire a lifelong love of reading. Those children who read for pleasure are more likely to be happier and healthier than those who don’t.

“We invite all young families to join the fun at their local library this National Bookstart Week.”

Hertfordshire libraries will be also taking part in sight loss charity RNIB’s Make a Noise in Libraries Fortnight, which started on Monday and will highlight the services available to those who are visually impaired.

As part of the fortnight, Letchworth Library will host Sheila Keating, who will be talking about her late husband HRF Keating’s novels and narrating them. Tickets are free to the event, held from 2.30pm on June 14, but donations are welcomed. Call 0300 123 4049 to book.

For more information about what’s on at your local library, visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/libraries.