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Awarded by the Virginia Public Library Directors Association (VPLDA)

Henrico County Public Library received this award at the Virginia Library Association Conference in October of 2024. This new award looks at metrics of library service across Virginia. The achievement of “Gold” highlights the valuable role the library plays in helping people and in building community.

Awarded By National Association of Counties (NACo)

The Hamilton Glass Mural Project reimagines the power of libraries to bring communities together in a productive way to help the community inspire change. Hamilton Glass is a respected painter and muralist in the Richmond area known for his Mending Walls RVA Mural Project which helped spark conversations about race, equity, and social justice. For the library project, he worked with community members to create murals in three branches: Varina, Libbie Mill, and Tuckahoe. Each mural focused on one aspect of the library’s mission statement: to “promote reading and lifelong learning, connect people with the information they need, and enrich community life.” The project was a collaboration between HCPL Adult Systemwide Programming and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. The result provides a space for meaningful conversation and community collaboration for dialogue about social justice and healing in our communities.

Awarded By National Association of Counties (NACo)

Food has a way of bringing people together. Cook & Book connects the local community through food and reading while opening the doors to local businesses to share new recipes and food. Leveraging Varina Area Library’s demonstration kitchen and technology, Cook & Book allows local chefs to introduce new foods and kitchen techniques in connection with the library’s collections. The programs have consistently high attendance and participation, partly because of the learning environment and the open discussion to ask questions and socialize in a welcoming setting while enjoying delicious food and a good book. Cook & Book programs support small businesses and facilitate collaborations within Henrico County departments, specifically with Henrico County Extension, and community partners. The program engages library users of all ages to learn and experience a variety of cuisines and cultures, increasing diversity and inclusivity programming.

Awarded By National Association of Counties (NACo)

Connecting Communities with Quilts wove twelve thematically linked programs to transcend languages and cultures, allowing the library to combine public spaces, reading, and interests to make all feel valued. Capitalizing on the library system’s popular summer reading program, the initiative included a large-scale community art project across six locations, a two-part workshop by Kuumba Afrikan American Quilting Guild, a lecture by Denise Lowe Walters of the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, a screening of a Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) documentary, and other resources, including tips on visiting barn quilt trails throughout rural Virginia. The centerpiece was a Collaborative Community Paper Quilt made of paper quilt blocks in six locations. Created by community members through drop-in programs, the resulting “quilts” were assembled and displayed for one month. Mirroring the quilt-making process, many people worked individually to create a single unit. The result proved people of all ages and backgrounds can share their gifts to create one beautiful, functional whole.

Awarded by the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government at VCU Excellence in Virginia Government Awards

Henrico County Public Library's Fairfield Area Library is selected for its innovative, first-of-its-kind “Work and Play Stations."

The Fairfield Area Library is Henrico County’s newest library. It opened with a unique, custom feature, the innovative “Work and Play Stations” which were developed by HCPL staff with the library's design team as a solution to a common problem parents and caregivers experience at the library. The solution was the installation of stations available at some computer areas to allow parents or caregivers to use the computer while their child is safe inside an adjoining playpen-like structure. This is especially helpful for people who use the public computers to search for jobs or who need to do homework or research and do not have access to childcare.