Top 10 library events this October

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Find out about the exciting events happening at libraries near you

Green Libraries Week

Green Libraries Week is a national, annual celebration of libraries focusing on the climate and sustainability initiatives for library users and their communities. This year it will run from 27 October to 2 November. To celebrate this week, we are hosting some unique events in our libraries.

A special Storytime with a ‘Sock Party’ craft on 28 October and a ‘Green’ Rhymetime session on 31 October. Also, free Retro Gaming all week (28 October to 1 November except on Wednesday 29 October), booking required. See Caterham Hill library’s events webpage for full details.
A special Storytime with a ‘Sock Party’ craft on 29 October. Also, free Retro Gaming all week (28 October to 1 November), booking required. See Caterham Valley library’s events webpage for full details.
A special ‘Green’ Rhymetime session on 30 October at Esher Library.
For the little ones, a special ‘Green’ Storytime session on 28 October and a ‘Green’ Rhymetime session on 31 October. For all ages, there will be a ‘Green’ Knit and Natter group session on 28 October available at Oxted library
A special Green Storytime and Stay and Play sessions on 30 October, plus Junk Modelling craft on 31 October at Reigate library.

To find out more, please visit our Greener Future in Libraries webpage.

Or visit your local libraries’ event’s webpage to find out what is happening in your area.

(Young) Adult author talks

Bestselling crime author Kia Abdullah will talk about the inspiration behind her novels including her new novel ‘What Happens In The Dark’ and ‘Take It Back’, a Guardian and Telegraph thriller of the year. At Stoneleigh Library, Thursday 2 October, 7pm. Tickets free, but please book via
Join us for an evening with prize winning author Helen Castor in conversation with New York Times bestselling author Dan Jones, to discuss the paperback release of their books The Eagle and the Hart and Henry V. At Staines Library, Wednesday 8 October, 6.30pm. Tickets £7. Suitable for 16+.
Join author Jacqueline Jones talking about her book ‘The Everyday and the Far Away’. At Frimley Green Library, on Thursday 16 October at 6.30pm. Tickets £3.

Tickets for Helen Castor & Dan Jones, and Jacqueline Jones events can be booked via

Children’s author Serena Hassan at Dittons and Weybridge Libraries

Join us for a fun, interactive story session with award-winning author Serena Hassan, as she reads from the second book in her Pigeon and Poppy series, A Fearsome Flutter at the Natural History Museum. Her new book explores the environmental themes of sustainability and caring for the planet through fun, child-friendly storytelling.

After a story, children will create their very own Earth Hero using socks and recyclable materials.

Join Pigeon and Poppy on a litter-picking adventure at Giggs Hill Green first, then head back to Dittons Library for the interactive storytelling session. Saturday 11 October, from 10.30am to 12.15pm.
Weybridge Library, Saturday 18 October from 3pm to 4pm.

Tickets £3 per child, adults free. Please book your ticket by visiting our

Shakespeare performances at Guildford and Woking Libraries

As part of our Imagination Spaces Cultural Programme, award-winning Guildford Shakespeare Company & Orange Tree Theatre will bring two unforgettable productions to your doorstop.

The gripping tragedy of Macbeth at Guildford Library, Thursday 30 October at 10.30am
The heart-wrenching romance of Romeo and Juliet at Woking Library, Thursday 30 October at 3.30pm

Aimed at ages 12+, these dynamic performances are a golden opportunity for GCSE and A-Level students to dive deeper into the plays in a fresh, powerful, and accessible way. Tickets are available with a donation via our

Celebrating 250 year of Jane Austen at Farnham and Cranleigh libraries

We will continue celebrating 250 years of Jane Austen in October. Join us for two more events to celebrate her life and novels.

Join Author Dr Christopher Herbert who will discuss his book ‘Jane Austen’s Favourite Brother, Henry’. Her favourite brother, Henry, may have provided inspiration for some of Jane Austen’s plots and characters! At Esher Library, Monday 6 October, from 2pm to 3pm. Tickets £5.
The Jane Austen Society will be hosting the talk Jane Austen: The Woman and the Writer. At Haslemere Library, Friday 24 October from 2pm to 3pm. Event is suitable for adults. Tickets £5.

To book your ticket, please visit

Dementia Awareness event at Ewell Library

�й�Pվ Libraries is working with several local partners in Epsom and Ewell to support those who are living with dementia in our community. To find out more about dementia and how you can support those living with it to continue to live rewarding lives in a supportive community, join us at Ewell Library. It is an informative and free event and everyone is welcome. No need to register, just pop along. On Wednesday 15 October from 11am to 1pm. At Ewell Library, Bourne Hall.

Living Knowledge Network exhibition and Author Talk Cranleigh Library

�й�Pվ Libraries are proud to be one of the Living Knowledge Network Libraries across the UK that will be hosting the inspiring Unearthed: The Power of Gardening exhibition. This exhibition focuses on gardens, plants and sustainability. The exhibition is currently at Cranleigh Library until 11 October. To celebrate this exhibition, the National Trust will host a free talk.

‘Gertrude Jekyll and Munstead Wood’. From Munstead Wood, Godalming, Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) revolutionised the art, theory and practice of gardening and pioneered many of the principles which underpin gardening today. Now in the care of the National Trust, this talk will offer insight into Munstead Wood’s history and Jekyll's rich legacy which is helping to shape plans for the property's future. At Cranleigh Library, Thursday 2 October at 2pm.

Book your free ticket via Or in person at Cranleigh Library.

To find out more about this exhibition and other events, please visit our Living Knowledge Network webpage.

Fun Palaces weekend

Fun Palaces are community-led, free cultural events held across the UK and beyond, featuring arts, sciences, craft, tech, and more. The next Fun Palaces weekend is from Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th October 2025. Some of our libraries are joining in the celebrations aiming to unite their local communities in sharing their creativity and culture.

A Family Crafternoon event and a special Intergenerational Rhymetime event. At Oxted library on Saturday 4 October. To find our more information, please visit the Oxted library event’s webpage.
Free workshops, crafts and activities run by talented people from talented people from our local community. Everyone welcome and no booking required. At Egham Library from 10am to 2pm.

To find out if your local library is taking part in the Fun Palaces weekend, visit local libraries’ event’s webpage

Get online week

Get Online Week is UK’s largest Digital Inclusion campaign. It is held every year and is back from 20 to 26 October 2025. You can find our Digital Welfare Support Officers across the county supporting several free digital inclusion events in our libraries across the county. They include:

Discover Library apps: audiobooks, e-books and manage your loans. At Merstham Library, Monday 20 October, from 5pm to 6pm
‘Try One Thing’ Get Online Week roadshow event. At Redhill Library, Monday 20 October, from 10am to 4pm (in their newly refurbished former home at Warwick Quadrant).
‘Try One Thing’ Get Online Week roadshow event. At Godalming Library, Tuesday 21 October, from 2pm to 4pm.
Spotting and avoiding online scams. At Haslemere Library, Tuesday 21 October, from 10am to 12 noon.
NHS App information event. At Caterham Hill Library, Thursday 23 October, from 10am to 12.30pm

No need to book, just drop in. For more information and other events, please visit our Digital Welfare Support library webpage.

This Side of the Looking Glass: Archives from the Real Life of Lewis Carroll

160 years after the first publication of ‘Alice’, we are celebrating the archives of the Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898) and his fascinating writing persona, Lewis Carroll, with a foyer display and cabinet exhibition in the �й�Pվ History Centre’s search room. On public view for the first time are items from important collections received over the past two years, including from the Dodgson family. Join Isabel Sullivan, Senior Archivist and curator for a virtual walk through some of the exhibits.

On Wednesday 15 October, 5.30pm to 6.45pm on Zoom. Tickets £6.

You can visit the �й�Pվ History Centre for free in October during normal opening hours to see the Lewis Carroll foyer display and cabinet exhibition in the search room.

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