It will be curtain up next month when a series of short films showcasing the wide variety of services on offer in Somerset Libraries is premiered in Bridgwater.
The debut – open to the public – will be held at the town’s Arts Centre on 16 January and feature four short and engaging films to highlight what Somerset Council’s Library Service can offer the community.
The 90-second films were commissioned under the banner of #LoveYourLibrary thanks to funding from a national partnership project – Digital Libraries – funded by Arts Council England (ACE).
The films have been made by local company Flying Tiger, based in Glastonbury, and focus on four themes:
- Supporting Health and Wellbeing
- Employment and business start-ups support
- Teens and young people
- Services for parents of toddlers and young children
Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Communities, said:
Thousands of our residents already love their library but we want even more people to enjoy what’s on offer.
Joining the library is free and your library card gives you access to many amazing services but remember you can visit our libraries without being a library member. They are open to everyone.
It’s well worth it. These brilliant films show how our library offer spans all generations and backgrounds and proves there’s so much more to a library than a place to borrow a book.
The films will also be showcased on the big screen in the Yeovil Triangle, in the Westlands Entertainment Centre and on digital screens in libraries and other venues such as GP surgeries.
The launch event will also feature three authors – Chris Evans, CL Taylor and Tim Weaver – who will discuss their work and help highlight the joy of reading during the National Year of Reading in 2026.
Some of the technology that people can access by becoming a member of Somerset Libraries, will feature, including:
- Loanable iPads
- Loanable activity tracker watches and blood pressure monitors
- Static health monitors
- Interactive projectors
The event is strictly ticket only and seats are limited – to get your free ticket, please book via the Bridgwater Arts Centre website or call 01278 422700
The national Digital Libraries Project is managed by The Space, a digital commissioning agency funded by ACE. Somerset is one of the nine national partners and the only library service in the southwest to be chosen as a project partner, due to its rapidly growing reputation as an innovative and agile service with a proven track record in delivering digital and health and wellbeing.
The Digital Spaces Project has also enabled Somerset Libraries to offer Virtual Reality Experiences in several libraries across the county – to help create greater engagement with libraries and to showcase digital technology to a wide audience.
