Reading can offer quiet time alone or a connection with someone else. The Lakeside Library is launching The Light Stays On, an evening reading programme that invites students to bring their current book to the shared table every Thursday evening.

Each gathering explores an open question: how do we observe the natural world nearby, understand a different way of life, or explain why a work makes us smile? No prepared speech is needed. A passage, a question or simply listening can be the beginning of a conversation.

The library provides separate spaces for quiet reading and gentle conversation, alongside lamps to borrow and themed reading lists. Thoughtful arrangements help everyone find a reading rhythm that suits them.

The programme is organised jointly by the Student Reading Society and the library. When the lights come on again, we hope the stories on the page will find new connections with your own life.