Share this page
At Gloucestershire Libraries, we believe reading opens doors—expanding minds, building confidence and sparking creativity. But with busy lives and endless distractions, many people are finding less time to read purely for pleasure. The National Year of Reading 2026 is our opportunity to change that.
We’re joining the national movement to bring reading back into everyday life—making it something to enjoy, share and celebrate across our communities.
We’ll be using 2026 to celebrate the power of libraries themselves. Throughout the year, we’ll spotlight different parts of our service and highlight the impact of our free, welcoming spaces across the county. This isn’t about pressure, targets or feeling guilty about what you haven’t read. It’s about reminding people that stories, ideas and imagination belong everywhere—from a bus journey to a quiet moment at home.
Here is a breakdown of the themes we will be focussing on, month by month:
January
Launch of the National Year of Reading as well as the donations campaign ‘Share the Story’
February
Events: Storytelling through performances
March
Page to Screen: Celebrating Shakespeare
April
Greener Together: Events & The Library of Things
May
Intergenerational Storytelling: Roots and Reflections Exhibitions
June
Discover Pride Month: Celebrating LGBTQIA+ stories and voices
July
Launch of The Library Challenge: Tales Through Time
August
Gloucestershire Local History: Through walks and word
September
The Labs: Events and digital take over
October
Celebrating our Volunteers: Get Online Week
November
Explore your Library: Local Library takeover
December
Reflection of the year and celebration
As well as the monthly themes, we will be celebrating books and reading in all our 32 spaces. Events will be listed on the website as we move through the year.
