Libraries from home for adults

Library services, information, and activities for people at home

Please also see our selection of activities and information for children.

Do you have difficulty getting to your local Surrey library due to ill health, disability, mobility problems or caring responsibilities? Do you still want to enjoy books and audio books? If so, you may be eligible for our Library Direct service.

Surrey Library Services

Join the library

eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines and eComics

Surrey Library Online Reference Shelf

Today's newspapers and magazines from all over the world.

Surrey Libraries' Reading Well – mental health self-help books recommended by GPs.

Do you have difficulty getting to your local Surrey library due to ill health, disability, mobility problems or caring responsibilities? Do you still want to enjoy books and audio books? If so, you may be eligible for our Library Direct service.

Find out more about how you can take your reading group online with our new range of eBook and eAudiobook titles for reading groups, and details of how meetings can be held virtually.

Take a look at all of our past on-line events on our new YouTube channel.

Computer help

Do you need help in using computers, tablets and smartphones?

Activities for people at home

Libraries Connected, a team of public librarians from across the country, has produced Libraries from home, highlighting key services that can be accessed through library websites and social media platforms.

Share your experiences of life during shutdown: Surrey History Centre is inviting you to keep a diary of your thoughts, experiences and challenges during these exceptional times.

Creativity and crafts

#Drawwithrob every day on Twitter every Tuesday and Thursday at 10am.

Zoom is being widely used for families to get together. Free to use, for up to 40 minutes a day.

Fun Palaces are offering Tiny revolutions of connection, in which they are sharing practical suggestions as to how to connect more with your local community and pass their time creatively in isolation.

Culture

The Community Zone at the University of Surrey's Student Union has been running a poetry campaign, with the School of Literature and Languages, to encourage students and staff to write about their experiences during lockdown. The poems submitted have now been collated into a digital anthology.

The Social Distancing Festival is celebrating art from all over the world.

The Lockdown Litfest is a global literature and culture hub.

The Hay Festival is offering podcasts, book discussions and free films.

If you have a passion for poems, take a look at our Poetry in Surrey blog, and make a suggestion or submission of your own.

Time Out has a list of virtual museums that allow you to experience some of the best museums in the world, from the comfort of your own home.

Take a virtual tour of the British Museum and explore two million years of human history and culture.

Google Arts and Culture has hundreds of collections of art that you can explore and experience.

BBC History Extra has a 30 day free trial. Listen to fascinating podcasts.

Financial matters

MoneyHelper for free impartial money advice. MoneyHelper joins up money and pensions guidance to make it quicker and easier to find the right help. MoneyHelper brings together the support and services of three government-backed financial guidance providers: the Money Advice Service, the Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise.

Geography

Explore some of the world's hidden wonders with Atlas Obscura.

Home learning

Surrey Adult Learning offer a range of online courses to develop personal learning. Learn a new hobby or take up an new interest, develop your skills and explore your potential.

The Department for Education has produced an excellent list of resources for learning from home, organised by key stage.

BBC Bitesize offers in depth online learning.

Gov.uk is offering free, high quality, digital and numeracy courses in The Skills Toolkit.

Feed your curiosity with Ted Ed animated talks.

If you've ever considered working to support people with dyslexia, or want to refresh your professional skills, Dyslexia Action offer accredited virtual learning courses.

Languages

BBC Languages will give you a good start in 40 different cultures.

Memrise have free online language learning packages for a range of different languages.

Physical activity and movement

PE with Joe Wicks – visit his YouTube channel. His daily workout has ceased but there are plenty of videos to help with fitness.

GoNoodle offers free movement and mindfulness videos for families to use when exercising at home.

Reading

Are you Interested in joining one of many online reading and book communities?

What should I read next takes your reading preferences and offers advice on other books you might like.

Missing the opportunity to discuss books and interested in joining an online book club?

Have a passion for all things science fiction and fantasy?

Have a passion for the classics?

Finding the time to write and interested in joining like minded writers?

Scams awareness

Guidance and tips to prevent falling foul of scammers.

Report a fraud or scam.

Science and technology

We have created the Surrey Library lab, Which contains our own science activities for you to try at home and a variety of other websites that are offering science and technology content.

Browse the Wellcome Collection and view thousands of artworks, photographs and images.

Wellbeing

Kooth provides free online counselling and mental health and wellbeing support for young people aged between 10 to 18 years. On Kooth.com, young people can speak to a counsellor until 10pm every day of the year, can access numerous self-help resources and share their experiences, creatively, through articles and forums.

The Healthy Surrey website is supported by the Health and Wellbeing Board, and helps you find self-care information, as well as signposting to local services available to you as a Surrey resident.

The National Autistic Society has created some tips for autistic people and families to help them cope in these unprecedented times.

Reviewed: 16 Apr 2024
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