This week is Adult Learners’ Week. What’s it all about?

Adult Learners’ Week is a national celebration of the benefits of lifelong learning. We’re getting involved with writing workshops, singing, cooking, and facebook sessions – for details see our events calendar.
But why are libraries getting involved?

At the end of each of our Edinburgh Reads author events we ask the audience to fill in feedback forms telling us what they thought of the evening.
At last week’s event with Richard Holloway the same words kept coming up: candour, candid, openness, honesty.
People were also struck by Richard’s relaxed style, his sense of humour and thoughtfulness; but it was our speaker’s frankness that seemed to make the biggest impression.

A group of British expatriates meet for their weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Rome. At first the drama is low-key, little more than the nervous chatter of dry-drunks and their less disciplined colleagues.

Huge thanks to Louise Welsh and Regi Claire for entertaining another bumper Edinburgh Reads audience at Central Library last week.

We’re sorry to announce that, due to illness, we’ve had to cancel our forthcoming Edinburgh Reads event with Iain Banks.
 

Our latest Edinburgh Reads event features author J. David Simons:

Iain Banks, Kate Atkinson and Louise Welsh are among the highlights of our spring 2013 programme of free “Edinburgh Reads” author events.
We are really looking forward to welcoming Case Histories author (and Edinburgh book group favourite) Kate Atkinson who will discuss her new novel, Life after Life, in March.
Iain Banks

When her mother-in-law, Nancy, was diagnosed with Alzheimers, Andrea Gillies made the decision to care for her full time. She also decided to write about the experience.

Here’s some great news for National Poetry Day: on 15th November Edinburgh Central Library will be hosting a free event with Scotland’s Makar Liz Lochhead.

Time for a wee pictorial round-up of what’s been happening in libraries over the past few weeks.
Click to view slideshow.
Looking forward to the Olympics, Sighthill’s scarily talented Knit and Knatter Group have been busy knitting some famous Olympians. We’re loving this Cathy Freeman.
Olympic fever took hold over at Granton as well, which hosted its very own torch relay for some Olympians of the future.