October half term at Derbyshire libraries with Find Maestro

A library visit can give a half-term morning a simple plan: choose a book, follow a reading mission and find something new to talk about at home. This autumn, selected Derbyshire libraries are hosting Find Maestro, a free poster challenge from Academiq Maestro.

The campaign runs from Monday 5th October to Friday 13th November 2026. Posters are now up at all the participating libraries listed below. Check the live map and your chosen branch’s opening hours before visiting.

Which Derbyshire libraries are taking part

The participating branches below give families options across the county. This is a selected list of participating libraries, rather than every Derbyshire branch. Check the current map for changes and use the library directory for addresses and opening information.

Around Chesterfield and north east Derbyshire

Brimington Library, Clowne Library, Creswell Library, Holmewood Library, Killamarsh Library, Old Whittington Library, Whitwell Library and Wingerworth Library.

High Peak and Glossopdale

Gamesley Library, Hadfield Library, Hayfield Library and Whaley Bridge Library.

Other participating Derbyshire branches

Borrowash Library, Duffield Library, Etwall Library, Melbourne Library and Pinxton Library.

Choose the branch nearest to you rather than trying to visit every location. Pinxton, for example, gives families in that part of the county an alternative to travelling towards Chesterfield or the High Peak.

Give everyone a book mission

Before you browse, let each child choose a mission. A younger reader could find a book with an animal on the cover and tell you what the animal might do. An older primary reader could choose a story set in another place and find three details about its setting.

For a teenager, try finding two books that approach the same subject differently: a novel and a factual book, for example. Ask which they would recommend and why. These are family ideas you can try independently; they are not advertised library events.

Add the Find Maestro poster challenge

Scan the poster’s QR code and follow the steps to select the venue and school year. Try the quick question, reveal your Maestro’s rarity and explore the student vote on features or designs for the upcoming learning app.

Challenges cover school years from primary through A-Level. You can read the question together, give your child time to think and ask them to explain their answer. The poster challenge is free and can be a short extra activity alongside your library visit.

Check events and opening times separately

Derbyshire libraries publish their own events and opening information. Check your chosen branch’s listings for anything else you would like to attend, including age ranges and whether booking is required. A Find Maestro listing does not mean there is a staffed half-term workshop.

School holiday dates can vary, so check your own school calendar. Ask the library about access arrangements or support your family needs, and have a phone available if you want to scan the poster.

After your visit

Let your child choose one thing to share at home: a favourite character, a new fact or the way they solved the poster question. They could give someone else a clue and see whether that person can work it out.

Plan your Find Maestro library stop

Check the map and choose a time your branch is open. For the separate prize draw, a parent or guardian aged 18 or over must follow the parent page and entry instructions, subject to the campaign terms. Solving the challenge does not automatically enter you.