Welcome to your

New Family Email Newsletter

Matt — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:47:50 +0000

We’ve got a new way for parents, caregivers and educators to keep up with new family focused library news! Our new family email newsletter will keep you in the know about:

library events
new books
parenting resources
much more

The newsletter will be mailed quarterly and the first one is THIS week! If you are interested in receiving this email newsletter, sign up now.

Libraries, Publishers, eBooks & You

Matt — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:16:47 +0000

We wanted to let you know about a (very) recent development regarding our digital collection. As of today (2/10), Penguin (publisher of popular authors like Nora Roberts, Ken Follett, Charlaine Harris and many others) will no longer offer copies of their eBooks and audiobooks to be purchased by libraries via OverDrive.

What does this mean?

Basically, it means that we will not be able to buy any more eBooks from Penguin. They have joined other ‘Big 6’ publishers Simon & Schuster and Macmillian in not letting libraries lend the eBooks they publish. We would love to be able to lend their eBooks, unfortunately we can’t.

What about the books the library has already purchased?

They will continue to be available. One BIG difference, however, is how Kindle editions are handled. According to an email from OverDrive, eBooks published by Penguin will no longer be available for over-the-air delivery via Wi-Fi. People with Kindles who want to read eBooks published by Penguin will have to download the title and transfer it to their Kindle via a USB cord. We’re not sure how this will work yet. We will be learning along with you.

The eBook segment of the publishing world is in the very early stages of development. It will continue to change as publishers, book sellers, and libraries experiment with new ways to provide eBooks to you. We will continue do our best to provide the books you want in the format you prefer.

Virginia Trailblazer, Charles Alexander

Matt — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:20:55 +0000

Join us for an evening with Mr. Charles Alexander. On Monday the 20th at the Dumbarton Library, Mr. Alexander will discuss his experiences as one of the ’Charlottesville 12‘. They were the first group of students to integrate the Charlottesville school system in 1959. It will be a great evening with a Virginia Trailblazer.

We will also be showing the film ‘Locked Out: The Fall of Mass Resistance’ at three of our libraries leading up to the 20th. The film discusses the times surrounding the integration of Virginia’s public schools. (preview below)

Film screenings:

Saturday, February 11, 2pm @ Glen Allen
Wednesday, February 15, 7pm @ North Park
Thursday, February 16, 7pm @ Fairfield

Night with Mr. Alexander

Monday, February 2o, 7pm @ Dumbarton

Apptastic!

Matt — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:24:44 +0000

We’ve got an app! Exciting isn’t it? We think so.

We’ve been working with a company (Boopsie) to provide a mobile library experience for you. They helped us create an app that works on (just about) all smartphones and tablet computers.

So what can you do with our app? You can:

Check our catalog
Place holds
See what you have checked out
Renew materials
View our calendar of events
Locate the nearest Henrico library

Want to download the app? Yes? Fantastic! You can visit http://henricolib.boopsie.com/ in your mobile browser or use a QR code scanner and scan the QR code to the right.

Celebrate December with Henrico County Public Libraries!

Matt — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:31:16 +0000

It’s December and we’ve got a lot going on! Music, movies, crafts and parties are only a few of your choices. We’ve chosen a few to highlight here. Check our full calendar of events for everything going on this month.

“Interlude” with Seasonal Music

Thursday, December 1, 7:00 PM, Tuckahoe Area Library

“Interlude” male quartet will present selections of holiday music for your enjoyment in the Tuckahoe lobby. Sponsored by the Friends of the Tuckahoe Library.

Klezmer Music Concert

Saturday, December 3, 3:00 PM, Dumbarton Area Library

Richmond’s leading Klezmer band, Klezm’Or’Ami’m, will perform a rousing and free concert of old-world Eastern European folk music with roots in the Jewish culture. Fun for the whole family!

Pizza & Pages for Teens

Monday, December 5, 6:00 PM, Twin Hickory Area Library

Talk about what you are reading, swap used books and eat pizza! Bring your new or gently used fiction books to trade. Manga is welcome too. Exchanges will be one-for-one.

eBook Clinics

Tuesday, December 6, 2011, 6:30 PM, Tuckahoe Area Library

Tuesday, December 13, 2011, 2:00 PM, Fairfield Area Library

Wednesday, December 14, 2011, 6:30 PM, Twin Hickory Area Library

Just in time for the holidays! Curious about eBooks and eReaders? Bring your questions. We will help answer them at this informal eBook clinic.

Sweet Celebrations – Ages 5 – 11

Monday, December 12, 6:30 PM, Tuckahoe Area Library

Join us as we create sweet gingerbread houses for the holidays. Space limited; pick up a ticket at the Children’s Desk. Preschoolers! Come visit the Gingerbread Workshop in the Story Room for your own activities at this time. Sponsored by the Tuckahoe Friends of the Library.

Holiday Party for the Family

Thursday, December 15, 6:30 PM, Sandston Branch Library

Join us as we celebrate the holiday season with stories, songs, refreshments and more.

Holiday Party

Tuesday, December 13, 7:00 PM, Fairfield Area Library

Join us for our annual holiday party! Play games, make a craft, and visit with Santa!

Lego (&Duplo) Day for the Whole Family

Saturday, December 17, 2011, 3:00 PM, Fairfield Area Library
Monday, December 19, 2011, 6:30 PM, Fairfield Area Library

Join us as we build and create with blocks. Donations are welcomed.

School’s Out for Teens!

Monday, December 19, 2:00 PM, Sandston Branch Library

Join us for gaming night! This program will be in two sessions. Session 1: 2 to 4:00 pm. Session 2: 6 pm to 8:00 pm.

Quirky Crafts: Holiday Edition.

Tuesday, December 20, 6:30 PM, North Park Branch Library

Join us as we craft some last minute holiday cheer! Beginning crafters and amateurs are welcome. Adults and high school students only please.

Nitrate or Not Night

Wednesday, December 21, 6:30 PM, Twin Hickory Area Library

Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in a thriller spoof with uncommon suspense. Grant and Hepburn, using style and wit, keep their cool under preposterous twists in a deadly chase through Paris. (Universal, Not Rated; 113 minutes)

Gingerbread Party for Families

Wednesday, December 28, 2:00 PM, Dumbarton Area Library

Decorate a Gingerbread House and see a puppet show based on the delicious story of “The Gingerbread Man.”

Duct Tape DIY for Middle and High School Students

Wednesday, December 28, 3:30 PM, Glen Allen Branch Library

Beat the winter break blues and join us as we create wallets and more out of Duct Tape!

End of the Year Party

Thursday, December 29, 7:00 PM, Dumbarton Area Library

Look back on the best and worst of the year 2011 with a trivia contest, top 10 lists, games and more!

Learn more about 2012 All Henrico Reads author Garth Stein

Matt — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:59:48 +0000

Garth Stein is the author of three novels: The Art of Racing in the Rain (Harper, 2008); How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets (Soho Press, 2005), which won a 2006 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Book Award, and was a Book Sense Pick in both hardcover and paperback; and Raven Stole the Moon (Harper, 2010). He has also written a full-length play, Brother Jones, which received its first production in Los Angeles, in February, 2005, and was described as “brimming with intensity,” by the L.A. Weekly.

After receiving his B.A. from Columbia College (1987), and his M.F.A. in film from Columbia University, School of the Arts (1990), Garth worked as a documentary film maker for several years, and directed, produced or co-produced several award winning films.

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Seattle, Garth’s ancestry is diverse: his mother, a native of Alaska, is of Tlingit Indian and Irish descent; his father, a Brooklyn native, is the child of Jewish emigrants from Austria. After spending his childhood in Seattle and then living in New York City for 18 years, Garth returned to Seattle, where he currently lives with his family and his dog, Comet

eBook Clinics

Matt — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:00:18 +0000

Are you interested in eBooks? Don’t know what to make of this format? Thinking about buying an eReader for someone this year? Have an eReader but not sure how to use our digital collections? Well, we’ve got something for you!

Beginning next Monday we will be hosting eBook Clinics at each of our libraries. These clinics are an informal way for you to ask your questions about eBooks and eReaders. Library staff will be available to answer your questions.

Monday, November 21, 2pm-4pm @ Sandston

Tuesday, November 22, 2pm-4pm @ Glen Allen

Monday, November 28, 6:30pm-8:30pm @ Varina

Tuesday, November 29, 6:30pm-8:30pm @ Dumbarton

Wednesday, November 30, 2pm-4pm @ North Park

Tuesday, December 1, 6:30pm-8:30pm @ Tuckahoe

Tuesday, December 13, 2pm-4pm @ Fairfield

Wednesday, December 14, 6:30pm-8:30pm @ Twin Hickory

Hope to see you there!

November Highlights!

Matt — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:49:15 +0000

Looking for something to do this month? Here’s a list of a few of the things going on at your library!

You can always take a look at our calendar of events for full list of all the events, storytimes, book discussions and classes.

Vote for Your Favorite Book

Tuesday-Tuesday, November 1-8, All Day
Dumbarton Area Library

Visit the library and vote for your favorite book. All ballots will be entered into a drawing for three $25 Barnes & Noble gift cards (children, teens and adults). Voting results and the lucky winners will be announced November 9 at 5:00 pm. Sponsored by the Dumbarton Friends of the Library.

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)
Tuesdays, November 1, 8, 15, 22, 6:00 PM
Twin Hickory Area Library

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and we are hosting a coffee hour for local writers. Come to meet, chat, or hang out and scribble your masterpiece. Open to all writers of all ages, published or not!

AARP Driver Safety – Registration required
Thursday-Friday, November 3&4, 9:00 – 1 PM
Sandston Branch Library

Brush up on your driving skills with this 2-day class. Must attend both days. The cost is $12.00 for AARP members, $14.00 for non-AARP members. The course is open to all ages.

Pocahontas and Henricus
Thursday, November 3, 7:00 PM
Tuckahoe Area Library

Staff from Henricus Historical Park will present a look at the short but influential life of Pocahontas as a resident of the Citie of Henricus, including her conversion to Christianity and marriage to John Rolfe. Sponsored by Tuckahoe Friends.

Get Technology Smart with Teen Tutors: Scones and Skype – Registration required
Saturday, November 5, 10:00 AM
North Park Branch Library and Dumbarton Area Library

Teens host a presentation about Skype, free video software that helps family and friends keep in touch using the computer. Refreshments.

American Girl Party
Saturday, November 5, 2:00 PM
Eastern Henrico Recreation Center

Join the Fairfield Public Library staff and Arnette Adkins of the Chickahominy Tribe. Make a Native American keepsake to take home, and learn the story of American Girl doll Kaya–the only Native American in this popular children’s series.

History Kids – Indians
Monday, November 7, 3:30 PM
Tuckahoe Area Library

Thirty-five students, K-3, are invited to join staff from Henricus Historical Park in a hands-on celebration of the PowhatanIndians. Ticket required. Pick one up at the Children’s Desk before the program. Sponsored by the Tuckahoe Friends.

Friends at the Table Cooking Demonstration
Wednesday, November 9, 7:00 PM
Twin Hickory Area Library

Chef and cooking instructor Debi Shawcross will prepare a sampling of recipes from her new cookbook, Friends at the Table: the Ultimate Supper Club Cookbook.

Celebrating National American Teddy Bear Day
Monday, November 14, 3:30 PM
Glen Allen Branch Library

Bring your Teddy Bear to celebrate the day with a film, stories and a craft.

ESL Conversation Cafe
Wednesday, November 16, 7:00 PM, Tuckahoe Area Library
Tuesday, November 22, 7:00 PM, Dumbarton Area Library

Join us for an opportunity to practice speaking English in an informal setting!

Cary Grant Film Festival
Wednesday, November 16 & 23, 6:30 PM
Varina Branch Library

Newspaper editor, Cary Grant, and his star reporter, Rosalind Russell, in a classic romantic comedy (Columbia, Not Rated, 92 min.) and a classic elegant thriller with Audrey Hepburn are featured. (Universal, Not Rated, 113 min)

Family Fun
Thursday, November 17, 6:30 PM
North Park Branch Library

Guess who must prove that he is “smarter than the average bear” in Jellystone Park? Come view the natural beauty of the great outdoors along with Boo Boo and his picnic basket-stealing friend.

The Powhatan Tribes – Past & Present
Saturday, November 19, 2:30 PM
Tuckahoe Area Library

Wayne Adkins, Second Assistant Chief of the Chickahominy tribe, will discuss the Powhatan Tribes with emphasis on those who resided in the area that became Henrico, including the first contact with the English in 1607. Modern Virginia tribes will also be discussed. Sponsored by the Tuckahoe Friends of the Library.

Thanksgiving & Christmas Around the House
Saturday, November 19, 3:00 PM
Dumbarton Area Library

Join Lu Cavallaro as she covers traditions, advent wreaths and basic arrangements with evergreens and flowers! Sponsored by the Dumbarton Friends of the Library.

Pizza & Pages for Teens
Tuesday, November 29, 6:00 PM
Fairfield Area Library

We’ll be watching and discussing the 2010 Zac Efron movie based on Ben Sherwood’s book The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud. Free pizza!

eBook Clinics
Monday, November 21, 2pm-4pm @ Sandston
Tuesday, November 22, 2pm-4pm @ Glen Allen
Monday, November 28, 6:30pm-8:30pm @ Varina
Tuesday, November 29, 6:30pm-8:30pm @ Dumbarton
Wednesday, November 30, 2pm-4pm @ North Park

Just in time for the holidays! Curious about eBooks and eReaders? Bring your questions. We will help answer them at these informal eBook clinics.

The Biggest Bookmobile You’ve EVER seen…

Matt — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:00:15 +0000

OverDrive is bringing their digital bookmobile to the Tuckahoe library next Friday and Saturday! From 11am-5pm each day it will be open for everyone. They have been driving all over the country and we are happy to be included in their tour.

OverDrive is the company we have partnered with to provide eBooks and digital audiobooks to you to checkout, download and enjoy on many devices. Their bookmobile is packed with technology, gadgets and smart people to help you learn more about how to use our digital collection. It’s a great opportunity to play with new devices, ask questions and (from what we’ve heard) is something you really have to experience. They will be there from 11am-5pm each day. Be sure to come by. You won’t be disappointed.

As an added incentive for you to visit the OverDrive digital bookmobile we are giving away a Nook on Friday and Saturday! You can only enter the drawing if you visit though.

OverDrive works on the Kindle!

Matt — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:55:27 +0000

A frequent question we get about our OverDrive service is “Will it work on my Kindle?” It was a question we (kind of) dreaded because it didn’t.

Well, that changed today! We can now answer that question with ”Absolutely!” After months of waiting, Amazon and OverDrive announced that most eBooks available via OverDrive will work with the Kindle and Kindle apps.

This is great news for us and everyone who owns a Kindle. We hope all of our Kindle-owning public will enjoy our OverDrive collection.

How does it work? Here is an explanation from Amazon.

Visit our OverDrive collection.
Check out a Kindle book (library card required).
Click on “Get for Kindle.” You will then be directed to Amazon.com to redeem your public library loan. You may be required to login to your Amazon.com account — or create a new account — if you’re not already logged in.
Choose to read the book on your Kindle device, free reading app, or Kindle Cloud Reader.

If you are using a Kindle app on a mobile device you may have to check for your book in the ‘Archived Items’ option.
If you are using a Kindle your book will automatically sync with your Kindle when it is connected to wi-fi.

We’re really happy this is available and hope you enjoy it.