52 Ways to Use Your Library Card: Week Fourteen

Week Fourteen: Celebrating the Holidays with RPL 

There's so much to do at the Richmond Public Library in the month of December. We have an assortment of programs for all ages, as well as children's story times with special holiday themes. Pick up a copy of our holiday-inspired flyer for information about programs at our branches. All programs are free and open to the public. Spaces for most programs are limited, so call to register.

Here are some highlighted holiday programs

December 6 - Thursday-Main Library - 2-6 pm - Foraged with Tara Morand - join Tara Morand as she collects things from our natural urban environment and then turns her foraged objects into beauty for your home. As part of our "Out of the Box" series at Main, we will make ornaments, wreaths, and garlands for all the December holidays from Tara's urban natural finds. Join us!

December 6 - Thursday - Ginter Park Library - 7-9 pm - Holiday Fete - take a break from the holiday rush to attend Ginter Park Library’s annual fundraiser with food provided by local restaurants, door prizes provided by local merchants, and live music!

December 7 - Friday - Main Library - 7-9 pm - First Friday - join us for our artists' opening night reception.

December 8 - Saturday - Main Library - 11 am - Spend the Morning with Charles Dickens! Dr. Eric Douglass will present a dramatic reading of A Christmas Carol, dressed in period costume and using stage notes from Dickens's actual performance.

December 8 - Saturday - West End Library- 4:30 pm - The Magical Gingerbread Man Special Story Time
 - join us for Gingerbread Day fun! We will have a magical gingerbread story, craft, gingerbread manhunt and cookies! The program is best for ages 3-5 with an adult.

December 11 and 13 - Tuesday & Thursday - Westover Hills Library - Holiday Story time & Craft - join us for holiday stories, songs, and make an ornament to keep! 

December 15 - Saturday - North Avenue Library - 11 am - 4 pm- Festivals of Lights-come discover a new tradition and make a craft to take along.

December 15 - Saturday - Main Library - 2 pm - Gellman Room Concert: Richmond Boys Choir- become festive with the Richmond Boys Choir  at their 16th annual performance at RPL.

December 17- Monday - Hull Street Library-11 am-1 pm- Kwanzaa Ceremony and African Food Tasting - Dr. Aminah Waajid, Professor at Virginia State University will facilitate the culturally significant Kwanzaa Ceremony and Libations as she explains the meaning and significance of Kwanzaa to all Americans.  Following the ceremony we will have a chance to taste authentic African dishes prepared by MaMusu's West African Restaurant. All are welcome to join in. 

December 18 - Tuesday - East End Library -11 am-2 pm - East End Annual Christmas Celebration
 - join the East End Library Wednesday, December 18th at 11 am for the sounds and smells of Christmas, meet old friends and say good-bye as we prepare to close for renovations. Refreshments are provided.

December 19 - Wednesday - Belmont Library- 3 pm - Make Cut Out Snowflakes Day- help decorate the library with snowflakes as we enjoy Snowflake Day.

December 20 - Thursday - Broad Rock Library - 10 am - Special Christmas Craft Program - for preschool and up– you are invited to create a Christmas ornament. 

Teen Craft Sale!!

Also in this month, the Main Library Teen Advisory Group is having its first annual Craft and Bake Sale. Most of the materials are made resourcefully from recyclable materials. The purpose of the recyclable craft programs at Main is to show teens the importance of reusing materials while also encouraging creativity by making new and interesting stuff. We have had teens and volunteers helping us with several programs throughout the year in order to get ready for this sale. The money from the sale will be used to fund programs and services for teens at the Main Library.

Humor for the Holidays

The holiday season is chaos. Cooking major feasts, fighting hoards of shoppers, wrapping the presents you've been collecting for weeks (months?), decking the halls, finding an outfit for New Year's Eve... It starts in November and doesn't stop for more than a month.

Okay, maybe that's a bit of a humbug way to put it. But there's no doubt that this time of year can be hectic and stressful, even if you're no Scrooge. Maybe some seasonal comic relief can help you find Christmas cheer this year. Check out one of these books to keep you laughing.

David Sedaris' Holidays on Ice is a comedy classic. The collection includes a number of hilarious Christmas-themed non-fiction pieces, including "Let it Snow" and "Six to Eight Black Men." This title is also available in downloadable audiobook format through our Overdrive service. You definitely want to celebrate the holidays with this book.

Garrison Keillor fans will love his holiday novel, A Christmas Blizzard, a funny and heart-warming story about a holiday traveler who gets stuck in North Dakota during a blizzard. Keillor's trademark nostalgia-laced writing is sure to get you in the Christmas spirit.

 Follow the story of a young boy and his Christmas pageant-wrecking dog in Dave Barry's semi-autobiographical holiday tale, The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog. The Pulitzer-prize winner author creates a funny and nostalgic little novel that takes place in 1960. It's sure to be a favorite.

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Holidays will prepare you to survive the many perilous dangers of the holiday season. This ever-entertaining guide from the best-selling "Worst-Case Scenario" series will have you laughing even while you learn some actually helpful information. You never know when you might need to escape from an angry reindeer or extinguish a burning turkey.

A Christmas Tradition

Dressed in period costume and using stage notes from Charles Dickens' actual performance, Dr. Eric Douglass presents a dramatic reading of A Christmas Carol. In this one man show, Douglass follows the practice of Dickens in his performance, bringing to life a tale of greed and redemption. Come enjoy refreshments and experience the Victorian traditions of the holiday season.


A Christmas Carol is one of the holiday classics. Written by Dickens in 1843, the tale has been viewed as an indictment of nineteenth century industrial capitalism and was adapted several times to the stage, and has been credited with restoring the holiday to one of merriment and festivity in Britain and America after a period of sobriety and somberness.


The book was written and published in early Victorian era Britain when it was experiencing a nostalgic interest in its forgotten Christmas traditions, and at the time when new customs such as the Christmas tree and greeting cards were being introduced. Dickens' sources for the tale appear to be many and varied but are principally the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and various Christmas stories and fairy tales.


Presented at the Main Library on December 8th, at 1:00 pm

Celebrate the holidays with us and the Richmond Boys Choir!

Join us for our fifteenth annual Gellman Room concert with the Richmond Boys Choir. It's a holiday tradition! The concert is free and the public is invited to sit with us and enjoy the beautiful music that the choir brings.
Now in its 16^th season, the Richmond Boys Choir (RBC) began as a collaborative project of Theatre IV and the Boys and Girls Club of Richmond. After citywide auditions in the fall of 1996, 25 boys were selected for membership. In 1997, the Richmond Boys Choir became an independent, non-profit 501(c)3.


Over the past 16 years, members of the Richmond Boys Choir have been provided opportunities to represent their beloved Richmond throughout the U.S. by traveling to such places as Fayetteville, Kansas City, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and New York.


In 1999, the Richmond Chamber of Commerce deemed RBC “Richmond’s Ambassadors of Song.” In keeping with that title, the Richmond Boys Choir continues to showcase its personal, academic and musical excellence, while representing Richmond's diverse cultures through music and membership. RBC uses such opportunities to share with all who would hear the rich musical talent found right here in central Virginia. RBC welcomes members from all socio-economic, religious and cultural backgrounds. 

This wonderful event is held Saturday, December 10th at the Main Library at 2pm 

Holiday Happenings at Your Library

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and now that we're all well-fed and in a festive mood, it's time to do some full-force celebrating. Richmond Public Library is holding many events this year to help you and your family enjoy the holiday season. Build a gingerbread house, spend an afternoon with Charles Dickens, watch a family Christmas movie, or hear the Richmond Boys Choir perform their annual concert. All these events are free. And of course, we have an almost endless supply of books to help you share the holiday spirit. Click here to read about all events happening at Richmond Public Library branches.

And take note: we'll be closed on Friday, December 23rd through Monday, December 26th for the Christmas holiday and then on January 2nd for New Year's.

Horror for the Holidays

Looking for a little horror over the holidays? Well look no further. Richmond Public Library offers a number of the latest in teen paranormal fiction. Check out our newest selections!

Kim Harrison’s "Madison Avery" series, beginning with

Once Dead, Twice Shy.

Morganville Vampire series latest installment Ghost Town,

which is book 9 in the ongoing series by Rachel Caine.

Lovesick, book 3 in the Ghost Girl series by Tonya Hurley.

Manifest, a spooky Kimani Tru installment by Artist Arthur.

Other new, top-circulated books of note:
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Reckless by Cornilia Funke
Incarceron by Catherin Fisher
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

- Tonya Tyler, Broad Rock Branch

Inspiration for Holiday Cooking

Before you settle on this year’s Thanksgiving menu, stop by your library for a little culinary inspiration. Whether you're creating a spread that's traditional or something a little more surprising, we've got cookbooks-a-plenty. Foodies delight in Dewey Decimal area 641.5. Here’s a taste of what you’ll find there.

First Friday - April 2nd & branch closures for Good Friday

 Image: Flickr user Ivy Cole

All branches of the RPL will be closed this Good Friday, April 2nd, but the First Friday festivities WILL go on as scheduled at the Main Public Library from 7-9 p.m. And this Friday, we have a fantastic line-up of artists and lecturers.

To kick off National Poetry Month, we have the pleasure of hosting the 2010 Brodie Herndon Poetry lecture, starting at 7 p.m. in the Davenport Special Collections room on the lower level of the library.

The 2010 speaker for the lecture is Kathleen Graber, author of Correspondence, and winner of the 2005 Saturnalia Books Poetry Prize. You can read a commentary by Kathleen about her book here.

A recipient of the Hodder Fellowship at Princeton (2007) and the Amy Lowell Travelling Scholarship (2008), Ms. Graber is an assistant professor of English in the Creative Writing Program at Virginia Commonwealth University.  Her second collection of poetry, The Eternal City, is forthcoming.

Additionally, we have some wonderful artists exhibiting their work this month at the RPL:

Gellman Room

Kim Hall

"Corners of Home"

Colorful oil paintings of interiors, landscapes and still lifes by the Richmond artist.

Dooley Foyer

Thomas Dale High School Visual Arts Department

Artwork in all Media

Artwork: Thomas Dale's Ginna L.

View more artwork from the students through the Visual Arts Department Art Gallery.

Dooley Hall

 Therese McAteer

"Nature Unfurled: a Journey Toward Understanding Botanical Process"

A collection of botanical art from the local artist.

2nd Floor Gallery

Nicole Pisaniello

"Unrelated Fauna"

Strange characters in painting and sculpture by the Richmond artist.

View further work on her Facebook page here.

We hope to see you tomorrow evening!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Source

Monday, January 18th is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day. To celebrate this great humanitarian, this national holiday is also known as a Day of Service, for which people can volunteer with their community to support Dr King's vision of a "Beloved Community."

Source

Activities are planned across the nation - many ranging from Friday, January 15th through Monday, January 18th. We've located several volunteer opportunities throughout the Richmond area, so you can participate with your own community this coming weekend. If you have a volunteer opportunity that you have organized, please feel free to leave details in the comments.

The Richmond Public Library will be closed for this holiday on Monday, January 18th, so we wish you a safe and neighborly weekend, and look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.

For more information regarding Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the idea behind "A Day of Service," click here for the official website.

City of Richmond Volunteer Opportunities:

Information from the City of Richmond about volunteering at various city organizations, including the Richmond Public Library, can be found here.

Additionally, a comprehensive list of volunteer opportunities with City of Richmond Departments can be found here.

Local Richmond organizations with volunteer opportunities:

Central VA Foodbank:
Sorting and packing donations - information here.
Assisting with meal prep and packing for the Community Kitchen - click here.

VCU:
Community Lab Beautification for the Carver Community - information here.

Have a volunteer project that you coordinated for this weekend? Post your effort on the official Dr. King Day site here.


Library selections for this holiday weekend:


Thank you, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!
Eleanora E. Tate

ISBN: 0440414075
(Juvenile Fiction)

Mary Eloise is disappointed that the part she gets in the school play is that of Black History narrator--but two storytellers visit her school and change how she views her heritage.



The measure of a man
Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968.

ISBN: 0800608771

Eloquent and passionate, reasoned and sensitive, this pair of meditations by the revered civil-rights leader contains the theological roots of his political and social philosophy of nonviolent activism.




I've seen the promised land : the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Walter Dean Myers

ISBN: 0060277033
(Children's Biography)


Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is one of the most celebrated figures of the twentieth century. A crusader for nonviolent social justice, he led African Americans in their demands for equality through peaceful protests during one of the most tumultuous times in recent history. Set against key moments in the civil rights movement, here is the story of the powerful, eloquent spiritual leader and his belief that nonviolence could be used to overcome racial discrimination.


DVD: Martin Luther King [videorecording] : "I have a dream."
ISBN: 0788605992
1 copy available at the Main Library

Resolutions, Remixed

Source

Resolutions are not usually my cup of tea.

Of course, I like to think about improving my life and the lives of others with each fresh year that revolves toward us continually. But usually these thoughts are along the vague lines of something like "become more organized" or "become a more active participant in my local community."

But this year, my previous ambiguous goals were trimmed, simplified and narrowed to a specific vision - thanks to the Richmond Public Library and this blog in particular. We at the library want this blog to be the best it can be and this is where my personal resolution comes in.

I want to reach even more members of our Richmond community, and really start a dialogue on what you might like to see more of on this blog or at your local library. Would you like to see more features with members of the public library and their connections to the RPL? Do you want to know more about what goes on behind the scenes? Do you crave book reviews and recommendations? Wish that we covered more local writers and events? Provided new websites to check out?

This is your chance to really help tailor this page to your needs. So throw me a comment below or email if you so choose. Ask your neighbor what they would like to see, and then direct them to this page. I cannot emphasize enough how much we would love to hear your thoughts and ideas in this new year. Maybe you have a few resolutions of your own that could benefit by your participation?

Current ideas include further tutorials about different services the RPL can provide, potential book reviews and a series of interviews with you, the patrons. Let us know what you think!

New Year's Day Closure

Source

All Richmond Public Library branches will be closed tomorrow, January 1st, 2010 for New Year's Day. Thank you for all of your patronage and support this past year - you visited the Main library and the eight branches more than 1 million times!

Have a safe and festive final evening of 2009, and we'll see you in the new year when we reopen on Saturday, January 2nd. Happy New Year!

Year Endertainment

Source

Let's be honest. The title of this post is a terrible pun, and the week between Christmas and New Years should really be an additional, mandatory holiday for relaxing with your family, enjoying gifts received and given, and moving about as little as possible.

But sometimes, for those of us lucky enough to be doing all of this relaxing - especially those "relaxing" with children - entertainment sources need to be replenished. In this case, they can be replenished for free with your library card! Now is a great time to check out all of the new 2009 DVD material available at your local Richmond Public Library branch. Here's a hint:


We have this...








and this...








plus this.








Of course, we also have a selection of DVDs, CDs, audiobooks and books and other materials well beyond this new stock. An easy way to search the online catalog for the above new material and more is to do a Power Search in the catalog. It's easy! Here it is in a few steps, tailored to look for the newest, 2009 DVD releases.

1) Go to the Richmond Public Library site, click on the "Find Information" button near the top, and click on "Catalog."





2) This will take you to the OPAC (Catalog) main search page. You will see the term "Power Search" right below the library drop down selection box. Click on "Power Search."




3) Below is the shot of the Power Search function. This type of search lets you tailor your options very specifically to your needs, hence the library, format, language, etc options.

In this instance, we (well, really me, because I want to see Up again) wish to look for DVDs published or released in 2009. You could use this same concept to look for CDs released in 2009, and so on.

To do this easily, we want to select the Type of material, and the Pubyear:




4) The Type category specifies the type of material. This can be magazines, games, maps and more, but we want DVDs. So select "DVD" from the list.



5) We want DVDs released in 2009, so type in "2009" in the space next to "Pubyear", hit the blue "Search" button you see below and all of the DVDs released in 2009 and available from the Richmond Public Library will be laid out before you!



6) There are two blue buttons to the left of all of the DVD titles. The use of these buttons is probably old news to most, but bear with me.

The "Details" button will show branches where copies are available, how long the wait may be for a title, and will allow us to place a hold on the title. Click this button to place a hold and view more information.



7) The Details screen shows you which branch currently has the DVD in house, and makes it easy to place the hold on your new DVD! Simply click on "Place Hold" to secure your DVD. You'll be required to enter your user ID and PIN, and then you have to drag yourself out to pick it up!





Hopefully this tutorial is of some use, and it's important to remember that the Power Search function can be a great resource to narrow any search for any type of material from the library quickly and efficiently. Email us with any questions, and we'll be happy to assist you in your search for more holiday entertainment. Happy viewing!

Happy Holidays

From all of us here at the RPL, we wish a very happy holiday season to all of our patrons and their families. And amazingly this year, it seems that Richmond resembles the winter wonderland picture above! Remember, the library system will be closed tomorrow, December 24 and Friday, December 25th for the Christmas Holiday.

However, you can still submit reference questions during this time to the Cyberlibrarian and check out our catalog online for books or DVDs you may want to check out before the new year.



This time of year can also be a bit frantic for those looking for last minute gifts for family and friends. If you have friend or family member who loves books, the library, local art or the Richmond community in general perhaps this shameless plug will spur one last minute gift idea for you: Buy them a membership with the Friends of the Richmond Public Library!

Membership brings many benefits, including early admission to the biannual book sale, but the real benefit is contributing to the success of many special programs implemented by the library and orchestrated by the Friends. These programs include, but are not limited to; the Richmond Writers series, the Summer Reading Program and numerous other lectures, special events and community programs. Find more information here.




Looking to spend less and give more this year? The RPL has a stellar current team of volunteers, but we can never turn down a few more helping hands! Inquire at your local branch regarding their needs and see if you have time in your busy schedule to contribute to your community.

We wish you a safe and happy holiday, and hope to see you at your local branch when we reopen on Monday, December 28th.



Photos: Flickr user RSchuetz.de, the Smithsonian, Flickr user dheur

Main Street Station Holiday Open House

This past Friday, December 4th, the Richmond Public Library participated in the Main Street Station Holiday Open House to help celebrate the upcoming holidays. The theme for the event? The Polar Express, of course.

Doesn't Main Street Station look like something right out of the book? All aboard for the North Pole...

The City of Richmond and the Richmond Metropolitan Authority partnered to organize the event. As this year's event focused on literacy, the Richmond Public Library and several organizations, including the READ Center, gathered to participate in the festivities.

READ Center's Carol Holmquist & Laura Schoolcraft at the busy craft tables

The Richmond Public Library donated 300 books to attending children, and there were professional storytellers, many crafts - including a special Polar Express train craft - and free cookies, cider and treats!




If you didn't have a chance to attend the event, don't worry, there's always next year! In the meantime, there are plenty of upcoming holiday events at your Richmond Public Library, including:

Saturday, December 12 at 2pm - Main: Gellman Room Concert Series featuring the Richmond Boys Choir performing their 13th annual concert - a holiday tradition at your library!

Wednesday, December 16th - Ginter Park - Hot Cocoa Challenge!
Join the challenge at Ginter Park this winter and warm up with a good book. From December through January, we are challenging young readers to "outread" adult patrons! Each time you visit the Library, you can add your name to our hot cocoa mugs to see who reads the most this winter!

Also on Wednesday, the 16th at Ginter Park from 4:30 - 6pm - "Mickey's Christmas Carol" Holiday Party. Join us for the beloved children's film and make a craft to celebrate the holiday!

Saturday, December 19th at 11 am - Hull St: A Holiday special mini flick for Preschoolers.

Saturday, December 19th at 2pm - North Ave: Holiday Crafts with snacks and stories!

Saturday, December 19th at 3pm - West End: Gingerbread Day

Join us for the magical gingerbread man story time. We will listen to a story, make a craft, hunt for the gingerbread man, and snack on gingerbread cookies. Ages K-1st grade with an adult. Please sign up at the Circulation Desk or call 646-1877.

Thanks so much for celebrating the holidays with us - we hope to see you at your local Richmond Public Library branch for an event this holiday season!


Main St Station photo credit: Flickr user lawrence_the fourth