Thanks to Pat for bringing us this lovely library bag all the way back from La Capitolare di Verona (the Chapter Library of Verona). La Capitolare is one of the oldest libraries in the world to have been in continuous use, and is over 1500 years old with it's origins dating back to at least 517 AD.

Today is #HobbitDay because both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins were born on September 22nd. Normally we'd shire a hobbit pun or two but it might just feel like a tolkien gesture and we don't want to embarrass our elves. Anyway come and boromir #Tolkien books.

Ahoy, me hearties! It be #TalkLikeAPirateDay says we. So grab yer doubloons an read ye our favourite pirate thread about how an #Orkney pirate inspired the book that inspired the film that makes us go ARRR when we talk like pirates! Avast ye!🏴‍☠️

It's a grey and windy day in #Orkney which isn't very handy 🍃🌊 but if you need some library books then Booky's out in Sanday. 📚

Let them watch Hey Duggee on an iPad

Do you have experience of driving a bus or a lorry but you'd rather carry books? Would you like a job driving around #Orkney, going to schools and delivering books to people? There's still time to apply for the job of driving #BookyMcBookface at: myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/ork...

Robin (age 5) has just given us a copy of her second book! ❤️ A year after she published SHARKMANIA! Robin has donated an exclusive first edition of VAMPIRE HOUSE RUSH to the library! Thank you Robin 🧛‍♀️🧛‍♂️📚

Remember Orkney Library & Archive we will be shutting at 5pm all this week. Apologies for any inconvenience. Here's a group photo from the Archive but one man has just found a rabbit in his hat. We hope this makes up for any disappointment. 🐰

It's seven years today since we posted on Twitter that Sting had been in to return his books.

Do you love cook books? We LOVE cook books but we've got so many cook books that we need to make space for some new ones! In the foyer we have a trolley FULL of cook books FOR SALE! Some old ones, some duplicate copies. Come and have a look through them and help us make space for more Cook Books! 👨‍🍳

When you've finished it you have to go back and make it again

Today is Book Club Day and our newest Book Club is called Sisterhood & Stories - a women only book club run by Women's Aid Orkney that takes place at Orkney Library on the 1st Monday of every month. All women are welcome to join in. For more information, please contact Women's Aid Orkney.

It's only September so nobody really wants to think about the dark winter months BUT next month is October and our Knitting AND Sewing groups are BACK! Yap & Yarn and Sewing Circle both start back next month and are alternate Mondays right through to March 2026!

#BookyMcBookface is away on the ferry to the beautiful #Orkney island of Westray today. Last winter we filmed a full day of travelling from the library to Westray, around the island, and back again. 12 and a half hours in 2 minutes. Hold on tight! 💨

*drumroll* 🥁 We have just reached 20,000 followers on Bluesky! 🎉 Huge thanks to everyone who follows us, likes, replies, and engages with us on here. ❤️👏

We have an announcement. For the next couple of weeks Orkney Library & Archive will be CLOSING AT 5PM. We apologise for any inconvenience. We hope this photograph of a giant (20lb/9kg!) cat from our Photographic Archive collection helps to make up for any disappointment.

Have you ever wished that YOU could be the person who got to drive #BookyMcBookface around #Orkney, delivering books? Well, YOU could be. 👇 myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/ork...

Are your sheep always turning up late for work? Are they taking too long on their lunch break or simply struggling to get through the workload? Are they always just mucking about? Then you need some

It's seven years since we posted on Twitter about how kids kept coming into the library asking if we had any books about FORTNITE. We didn't back then, and we'd never heard of it so we tried asking what it was.

Our #Lego display cases were full of some amazing agricultural #Lego models for our recent #CountyShow #OrkneyLibraryLego theme! 🚜🐮🐑🎡🎠🍦🥇 All made by library users using our #Lego collection. Thanks to everyone who made a model! ❤️ Our next theme is SCHOOL! 🏫✏️➗️🎒

It's a calm, bright Tuesday morning in #Orkney and #BookyMcBookface our Mobile Library is away out west delivering bound pages of knowledge, entertainment and joy to the lucky people of Dounby, Birsay and Sandwick. ❤️ If you see Booky today then go and say hello 👋

It's the 1st of September - the start of meteorological autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Sunset in #Orkney today is at 8.14pm. That's 2 hours and 14 minutes earlier than at midsummer. By December, sunset in Orkney will be as early as 3.14pm. 💡

It's a calm, dry #SaturdayMorning in #Orkney but it's starting to feel more autumny now with longer shadows and a sense of late summer light. The wildflowers in our raised planters continue to evolve. The trees are beginning to lose their leaves. The balls are unchanged.

Just removed the date label from an old book and discovered that someone has drawn a design for a teapot that can serve either tea or poison how's your day going?

In one of our archive strong rooms there is a shelf. The shelf does not contain the most exciting or interesting item in the archive but it does contain something amazing. Read this short thread to find out more. 🧵👇

It's time to announce our next Audio Waves Book Club title! Audio Waves is our Book Club at Orkney Library where we listen and review Audiobooks instead of printed books. It's a way to offer a book club experience to readers who require audiobooks, though anyone can join in!

Our beautiful Silver Darlings inspired #BookBenchTrail Bookbench is AWAY! ☹️ It's been lovely having it here all summer but now it's away to Aberdeen to join all the other benches at a special exhibition before they are all auctioned off to raise money for Clan Cancer Support.

Thanks to Species on the Edge for coming along last Saturday for a drop-in session all about how to garden for pollinators. 🐝 It was great to see people finding out more about wildflowers while exploring our new Interactive Flora Trail. ❤️ AND we were left with some wonderful #LEGO bees! 🌱🌱🌼🌸🦋🐝🪲🐞

This was the misty morning view from the ferry as #BookyMcBookface sailed north to the beautiful #Orkney island of Stronsay this morning. It's like a Turner painting. Or the kind of scene a pirate ship would emerge from. 🏴‍☠️

Today we'll be officially launching our new Interactive Orcadian Flora Trail, created to highlight the diverse native plant life found in #Orkney. The trail is also an opportunity to hear the local Orcadian dialect, with flower poems specially created and recorded by the Orkney Voices group.

Don't forget that we're also on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! Follow us on them ALL for the MAXIMUM Orkney Library effect. It's a bit like in the 90s when all the Power Rangers joined together to form the Dino Megazord. ⚡️🦖 But with more books. (And balls) 📚

We were delighted to meet Shelagh Swanson this morning - the very talented artist behind our amazing #BookBenchTrail Book Bench in support of Clan Cancer Support. Inspired by the novel The Silver Darlings by Neil Gunn. Shelagh came to visit with her parents and the very cute Charlie the dog! ❤️

If your kids are struggling with going back to school then it's definitely not a new thing. This little girl was going to school in Evie, #Orkney in 1920 which is 105 years ago. She doesn't look terribly keen. #PhotographicArchives

Look at this brilliant clip from the National Library of Scotland showing an Orkney Library Book Box being filled to go to the island of North Ronaldsay in 1957. The Family Box service started in 1954 and continues to this day, serving customers in North Ronaldsay, Papa Westray and Graemesay. ❤️

we like Anne Fine but we enjoy Robert Muchamore

Today is #NationalPotatoDay in the U.S. so here's an Archive photograph which shows a man and a horse gathering tatties in #Orkney in 1933. 🥔 In other news, we will be CLOSING at 5pm tonight, instead of 6pm. (we promise the early closure is NOT #NationalPotatoDay related)

We have an announcement. We have some work going on in the library this week which could mean some short periods of drilling or other noisy business. We will try to keep any disruption to a minimum but just wanted to make everyone aware that there could be some noise.

Unexpectedly created a special leg pouch for carrying around my reading materials this morning. That's a turn-up for the books. #NationalTellAJokeDay

Our #Lego display cases were full of splendidly sporty models for our #ISLANDGAMES #OrkneyLibraryLego theme last month! 🏅⚽️🎾🏀⛵️ All made by library users using our #Lego collection. Thanks to everyone who made a model! ❤️ Our next theme is COUNTY SHOW! 🚜🐮🐑🎡🎠🍦🥇

We are delighted to have helped Lin Anderson launch her latest book last week at Orkney Library, and especially delighted with the lovely dedication. ❤️ Thank you so much Lin! Come back and see us soon 😀 @linanderson.bsky.social @panmacmillan.bsky.social

We have an announcement. Our online Archive catalogue is currently unavailable though we hope to have it back working as soon as possible. We hope this Archive photograph of the Milk Tray Man scaling a cliff with a basket of hazelnut swirls makes up for any disappointment.

The struggle is real

Happy #LeftHandersDay everyone 🤜 *goes home immediately* #InternationalLeftHandersDay

The Bluesky Department is now closed for holidays while we go off exploring library balls in exotic locations. ☀️ It'll be quieter on here for a bit but Orkney Library & Archive remains open as normal. 🏖️ If you need to get in touch please contact us at [email protected].

Before you go head off on holiday this year remember to CHECK IN at Orkney Library for all your pre-holiday research! We've got Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Eyewitness, Bradt, DK Top 10 and more, for all types of holiday, tours and trips. 🏖 ⛵️🛫

Hey have you heard that new song by

The shipwreck uncovered in Sanday, #Orkney last year has been identified as HMS Hind, later the Earl of Chatham which was wrecked in the Bay of Lopness in 1788. More than 230 years buried in the seabed, before being released by a storm in 2024. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Picture the scene. It's 1901. It's Paris. You make a bet with some friends that you could walk around the world, funding the entire trip by selling postcards featuring photos of YOURSELF. You set off. This is the story of Charles Millot. Read it now at: orkneyarchive.blogspot.com

In Germany they had Volkswagen but in #Orkney we had Goatswagon. 🐐

It's always a hard decision when you're choosing old books to withdraw from the book stock. Some are harder than others.