Universal Skills - Universal Credit and Job Match

Wrexham Library Service has a resource which takes you through making a claim for Universal Credit and also through the Jobs Match portal. In addition to this it can also teach you basic computer skills, such as using a mouse. The site has some detail about preparing for an interview, CV writing tips and more. Each section is broken down into modules and you can check to see which modules you have completed. This invaluable resource is available from the library's webpages www.wrexham.gov.uk/libraries (follow the online services link) and can be accessed at home but you will need a valid library card to use it.

World Refugee Week

In the UK, Refugee Week (which this year ran June15-21), is a nationwide programme of arts, cultural and educational events that celebrate the contribution of refugees and encourages a better understanding between communities. To continue celebrating cultural diversity, empathy and the experiences of refugees, delve into some of the fascinating and heartbreaking stories available free of charge from BorrowBox. Titles include The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Chrisitine Lefteri and The Unforgotten Coat by Frank Cottrell Boyce, plus many more. Go to www.wrexham.gov.uk/libraries and follow the online services link.

Ancestry.com for free

Have you ever wondered who your ancestors are and what they did for a living? To find the answers to these questions why not visit the library's website where you can have free full access to Ancestry.com until the end of June. Ancestry will give you access to UK and international records such as the census, births, marriages and deaths, parish records and much more. For more details visit our website www.wrexham.gov.uk/libraries and follow the online services link.

National Reading Group Day

Did you celebrate National Reading Group Day on Saturday? Are you missing being part of a reading group? Welsh Libraries have launched Online Book Group Wales! It is a great opportunity for you to read along with this online community and share your thoughts on the chosen book. The selection will be voted by the public, and all are welcome to have their say. Books will be available to download from our online facility BorrowBox and read as eBooks and/or eAudiobooks. To find out more and get involved, search for 'Online Book Group Wales' on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/231290021468538/

Temporary online membership

Did you know that you can get a temporary online membership that will give you access to all of our online ebooks free of charge? Go to www.wrexham.gov.uk/libraries - Online services and select Online Catalogue and Join the Library.

Meet the team

Liz Jones is a library assistant at Chirk Library, and has worked there for 14 Years...

What do you love about your job? I love meeting people. We have customers from all walks of life, you never know who's going to walk through the door next or what their story is.

How can the service help those in our communities? Libraries are a hub of the community, especially in rural areas and make a huge contribution to wellbeing. Not just a building with shelves full of books (but we do have lots of books)! We have lots going on, from Welsh learner groups to social craft meetings and storytimes for children, as well as access to computers for those who don't have them.

Favourite childhood book? Br'er Rabbit by Joel Chandler Harris

Book you could read over and over? Voyager by Diana Gabaldon - and I have!

Favourite author? Hard this one, I've got several, including Diana Gabaldon and Phillipa Gregory. I'm a bit of a history buff but also enjoy Carole Matthews.

Last book you read? Holding by Graham Norton

Any reading recommendations? The Reader on the 6.27 by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent. Thoroughly enjoyed it, give it a go.