Summer is here, and that means long, hot days; our Summer Reading Program; and fun in the sun for all ages! But if the heat gets to be a bit too much for you, we have great news: you can now spend even longer (in the A/C) at all Richmond Public Library locations! Effective July 5th, every location has added evening hours, in order to better serve our communities.
One way you might use these new hours is to come check out our hottest titles to add to your reading log for our Summer Reading Program. Everyone who reads for 15 minutes a day, at least 30 days over the summer, will receive a special cinch bag as a prize; anyone who reads for 50 days over the summer will be entered to win a $100 Grand Prize! It's never been easier to participate, so get started today!
And since summer is the season for making memories, it's the perfect time for us to announce that we have been awarded a major grant to establish a Community Memory Fellow position from the Virginia History and Culture Museum. This person will help create a central repository for oral histories that capture lived experiences and moments in time from different neighborhoods and communities across Richmond.
So as summer heats up, come cool down with a good book at any one of our nine locations! We can't wait to see you, day or night!
New Hours at All Locations
If you've been waiting for us to resume our evening hours, that day has arrived! Effective July 5th, all locations are open until 8:00pm at least one night a week. Check out our new schedules below, and be sure to come by and say hello!
RPL Summer Reading Program
Have YOU signed up for our Summer Reading Program yet? It's easier than ever this year to take part and win prizes!
Get your Reading Log: register at your neighborhood RPL or register online. Pick up your calendar log or download a copy from our website.
Start reading! Read 15 minutes or more and color in that day on the calendar.
30 Days of Reading: After 30 boxes are colored in, bring your calendar into any RPL branch to collect a cinch bag.
Win Prizes! Finish coloring 50 boxes and your reading adventure is complete! Bring your calendar into RPL and register for the Grand Prize - a $100 Visa gift card!
Commonwealth History Fund Award
It is with great excitement that we announce Richmond Public Library is one of 12 inaugural recipients to receive a grant from the Virginia Museum History & Culture’s Commonwealth History Fund. Richmond Public Library has been generously awarded $30,000.00.
The Commonwealth History Fund is made possible by funding from Dominion Energy and is administered in partnership with Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources. It was established to provide grants annually to history organizations and projects across the state of Virginia. Key selection criteria include: the significance of the project or resource as well as its impact on its community and the Commonwealth; the emphasis of the project on historically underrepresented topics and communities; as well as the need for funding and the urgency of the project. This year $402,500 was awarded to 12 organizations, and the VMHC plans to give nearly $2,000,000 over the first five years.
We are incredibly honored to be one of the 12 compelling projects chosen by the Commonwealth History Fund for its inaugural year. Through this amazing opportunity, we will be able to give back to our communities by implementing a project that will help us to continue telling the story of Virginia and have a lasting impact on future generations.
Richmond Public Library will establish a Community Memory Fellow position within the Library. The position will be posted in Fall of 2022 and is envisioned as a collector, interpreter, historian, and preservationist who will work closely with other cultural institutions across the City of Richmond. The Fellow’s work will include collecting oral histories across neighborhoods, faith communities, school communities, sports, and grassroots civic organizations. The goal is to create one publicly accessible location where one can readily engage with a diverse, wide interpretation of public history. One will be able to learn and participate in Richmond history through traveling exhibits, outreach programs, and self-guided research.
Free COVID-19 At-Home Tests
Richmond Public Library is working with the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts to provide FREE at-home COVID-19 tests on a first-come first-served basis at five locations:
If you are experiencing symptoms, please send a healthy helper inside or call the library to request contactless pick-up. We encourage you to pick up a test for yourself and one for each member of your household.
For more information on COVID-19, community testing events, and other places where you can find at-home tests, please click here.
How to Access Materials
Your Library at Your Fingertips: Always Open Online!
Click this link or the images to the right for more information. Answer a few questions and you'll instantly be given access to a treasure trove of materials, enough to keep you busy, entertained, and enlightened.
Moment of Calm
"Muffin of Sunsets"
by Elaine Equi
The sky is melting. Me too. Who hasn’t seen it this way?
Pink between the castlework of buildings.
Pensive syrup drizzled over clouds.
It is almost catastrophic how heavenly.
A million poets, at least, have stood in this very spot, groceries in hand, wondering:
"Can I witness the Rapture and still make it home in time for dinner?"
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Richmond Public Library 101 East Franklin Street Richmond, Virginia 23219 (804) 646-7223https://rvalibrary.org/