The Essex Library Service has published a new list of 21 activities taking place at Canvey Library in Essex throughout 2026. The schedule is part of a wider effort to make the building a community hub by offering more than just book lending.
The 2026 calendar highlights family sessions such as Baby & Toddler rhymetime and references the county’s LEGO® in libraries programme. The LEGO project — launched by Essex County Council in 2023 and including Canvey as a participating site in the roll‑out — is described by the council as supporting problem‑solving, literacy (English), numeracy (maths) and coding skills while making learning fun.
For older residents the service is offering seated yoga/seated exercise classes and the wider Essex programme also includes scam‑awareness activities at a number of branches to help people stay safe from fraud. These developments follow the 7 January 2026 announcement that Essex Library Service had joined Arts Council England’s Libraries Development Framework, a new national accreditation to support library improvement and innovation.
Most events are free, although some instructor‑led health or wellbeing classes (for example seated yoga) sometimes carry a small charge — historically around £4 per session — so residents should check the event page for exact prices. Places and booking information are available via the Essex Libraries Events & Bookings portal.
The listing is a milestone in the final year of Everyone’s Library Service 2022–2026, the county’s four‑year strategy to protect, modernise and demonstrate the social value of its libraries and keep them open and useful to local communities.
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