Celebrating World Book Day 2026

National Book Token giveaway 

Throughout the week we will be hiding Lucky tickets in various places around Bill Bryson Library. Find one and you’re a winner! Simply bring it to the Help and Information Desk to collect your prize - a National Book Token to spend in bookshops across the UK and Ireland.    

Keep a look out for a ticket when you visit us – it might just be your lucky day! 

Need to Read 

Our ‘Need to read’ boards return once again as part of our World Book Day celebrations.  

Located at Bill Bryson Library, Barker Research Library and the ISC Library, simply write the author and title on our board to share your suggestion with others. 

All recommendations will be considered for our collection at the Library, giving you the opportunity to help shape our collections for current and future students. 

Highlights from our National Year of Reading poll 

Why not take a look at the favourites you recently voted for in our National Year of Reading poll? The results are in!

Find a selection of your favourites available to borrow at Bill Bryson Library on Thursday 5 March and don’t forget to look out for more information about our digital leisure and wellbeing collection on Libby. 

Blind Date with a Book at ISC Library 

All week (2-6 March) you’ll have the chance to go on a Blind Date with a Book at ISC Library. Take a chance on love and borrow a book to read without seeing its cover or leafing through its pages first.

Titles have been carefully selected and will be waiting anxiously on our dating scene bookshelves. The books will be dressed in their finest paper with hints written on the front as to what you’ll find inside. 

How it works 

• Choose a book from our dating scene bookshelf and borrow it using our self-service machines – you can then unwrap it to reveal your choice 

• Head to your favourite spot to read your book – if you like it, you can even introduce it to your family and friends 

• Once your date has ended, simply return your book to the library – it'll always be there if you want to see it again!