The National Year of Reading 2026 is a UK wide campaign to encourage everyone to rediscover the joy of reading through the theme ‘Go All In’.
It’s the largest reading campaign in a generation, designed to help people of all ages make reading a regular and enjoyable part of their lives.
Hertfordshire Libraries’ key aims are to inspire more people to read regularly and reverse the decline in reading for pleasure, to reconnect communities with reading and to encourage reading linked to passions and interests. It’s a great time to sign up at Royston Library. Our free membership opens the door for everyone to access thousands of titles from fiction to favourite hobbies, magazines to talking books. Online services include E-Books and Audio Books as well as newspapers and magazines.
The Herts Big Read for adults runs all this year.
Look out for the Summer Reading Challenge for children this summer.It starts on Saturday 4th July, and children can sign up for FREE at Royston Library. To take part, they’ll need to be a library member, but joining is completely free and only takes a few minutes.
This year’s theme is “Read to the Beat”, and the challenge aims to keep children reading throughout the summer holidays and rewards them for reading for pleasure.
Children are encouraged to read any 6 library books over the summer holidays. This could include listening to an e-audiobook, reading independently, or reading with parents or carers – any reading is good reading in our book!
Once they have signed up, each child chooses two books or challenges at a time, then returns to the library to tell the library team about their books and what they’ve done. They’ll be awarded stickers and invited to choose their next two books or challenges.
Children who complete all six books for the Summer Reading Challenge will be awarded a medal and certificate, and the chance to win a performance workshop ticket.
Drop into Royston Library to take part in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge.
Regular sessions continue: https://bit.ly/RoystonLibraryWhatsOn
Join the library: Royston Library welcomes members of all ages, from babies to those over 100. Membership is free and includes access to BorrowBox for e-books and audiobooks, as well as two hours of free daily computer use.
Full details of activities are available in the What’s On guide and on Royston Library’s Facebook page.
