Have you spotted them yet?  Our colourful Little Free Libraries are all over Abbey and offer free access to high-quality books for all ages.

Three of our libraries in Barnwell were built for us by Jesus College, Cambridge, and are looked after by our fabulous Little Free Librarians: Sharon, Angie, and Miriam.

You can find them on Wadloes Road, on Peverel Road, and on the Ekin Road estate.

Open 24/7 these little community book swop boxes encourage you to read books – alone or with your family – and donate books for others to enjoy.

In addition, we have another book sharing spot permanently available at the Food Hub.

And our ‘Book Lady’ Catherine also runs her own Little Free Library on Beche Road.

So, if you love reading and are looking for a new favourite; if you’d like to read more or get better at reading; or if you are after a fun, local, mini adventure … why not give our Little Free Libraries a visit?

‘Making Cambridge Reading Rich’ 

2026 is the UK’s National Year of Reading, so this year we are expanding our Little Free Libraries project to give more underserved communities across the city and the county access to high-quality books and all the benefits that regular reading brings.

Together with partners including Jesus College, Cambridge and training and apprenticeship organisation Constructed Pathways, we aim to install up to 50 new Little Free Libraries in areas which typically have high deprivation, low book access, and other challenges.

If you have ideas on where our Little Free Libraries should go and who might be able to host one, or would like to support the project as a ‘Book Angel’, please write to Catherine at:
littlefreelibraries@abbeypeople.org.uk

Spring into Reading

Together with pupils and staff at The Galfrid Primary School we challenge everyone in Abbey to ‘Spring into Reading’ each year.

We keep track of the minutes we spend lost in a book by colouring in the flowers on our special ‘Spring into Reading’ bookmarks and count up the total at the end.

Who is the most improved reader for every age group? Who reads the most minutes? And whose name will get picked out of the hat for some fabulous book prizes?

It’s creative, competitive, and makes a big difference to spreading the book love right across the community.
(Oh, and the kids always beat the adults!)

Come and volunteer with us!

We always need donations of high-quality books of all kinds to keep our Little Free Libraries stocked and varied.

And there are lots of other ways to help too, all through the year.