Cardiff Libraries and Hubs are joining libraries across the UK to mark Libraries Week, the annual celebration of these much-loved facilities.

Libraries Week takes place from October 8 to 13 and this year, the focus is onwellbeingand how libraries bring communities together, combat loneliness, provide a space for reading and creativity and support people with their mental health.

A number of libraries and hubs across the city will be running stock promotions, with a health and wellbeing focus including books on exercise, yoga, mindfulness and so on, to highlight the wealth of resources available in the city.

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: "Libraries Week is a chance for us to celebrate our fantastic library service and the excellent libraries and hubs we have in our communities.

"The health and wellbeing of citizens is an important aspect of the service's work and many of the books, activities and events in our libraries and hubs focus on improving people's wellbeing and increasing their involvement in their local community to help combat social isolation.

"The range of services and activities offered in our libraries and community hubs has expanded in recent years and they are focal points in their communities that deliver real benefits for local people.This is something we are planning to develop further with the extension of our hubs programme to create wellbeing hubs in the north of the city."

Last year, Cardiff libraries and hubs held more than 500 events such as author talks and creative writing courses for children and adults. The service invested more than £1/2m on new stock and 1,406,637 items were issued to the city's 82,666 active borrowers.

The service also delivers, and played a key role in the development of theReading Well for Dementia scheme, an initiativedeveloped to support people with dementia. The scheme includes book collections selected by health professionals, available in all Cardiff libraries and hubs, forinformation and advice for people living with dementia and their carers as well as fiction, memoir and photographic books used in reminiscence therapy.

Throughout Libraries Week and into next week and in keeping with the wellbeing theme, libraries and hubs will be delivering arange of different yoga sessions, including chair yoga for people with mobility issues, yoga for older people, pregnancy pilates and yoga for mental health.

The sessions have been organised for people who may never have tried yoga or pilates before to try out a new activity for free in the familiar surroundings of their local library or hub.

To book on to a yoga session at one of our libraries or hubs, please e-mailcentrallibrary@cardiff.gov.ukor call 029 2078 0968 or ask in their local library/hub.

Central Library Hub will also be hosting a free drawing workshop on Wednesday, October 10 - World Mental Health Day, to promote how creative activities such as drawing can improve wellbeing by making people feel more relaxed and happier after taking part.

The artist-led workshop will be held from 11am to 12.30pm and is open to everyone, regardless of ability, no booking necessary.