Whether it’s a destination at the top of your bucket list or a place you’re curious about but would never visit, discover a book about it in the library’s collection of unique travel titles. Who knows? Maybe a great book will open your eyes to a surprising destination for your next real-life trip. Adventure awaits you at the library!

That’s a wrap on our 2024 Summer Reading Challenge! Thank you to everyone who read and learned with us. Whether it was diving into books, trying new things, or exploring new places, we think it’s safe to say that this summer was quite an adventure. Read on to learn more about all of your accomplishments.

If you’re a student or have students in your household, a library card can be a key to success—and savings. For families looking for ways to save, a free library card can unlock hundreds of dollars of programs and services to help students succeed. This handy calculator shows how libraries can save you money. Read on to learn more about free library resources in our community.

This year’s Summer Reading theme is “Adventure Begins at Your Library,” and we couldn’t agree more! HCPL is the perfect place to plan your next adventure. There are plenty of fun places to explore in Richmond, throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the greater Mid-Atlantic region. Read on for recommendations and learn more about resources to help you plan your next local adventure.

Did you love Cheryl Strayed’s Wild but aren’t ready to hop on the Pacific Crest Trail yourself? One of the easiest ways to travel is from the safety of a book. Armchair adventures abound within the doors of your local Henrico library. Some of these adventures are unlimited by time, space, the rules of physics, or any other bases of reality.  Others are real world quests to find riches, new lands, healing, or the meaning of life itself.  Perhaps one of these works will inspire you in your own life’s quest.

Now a federal holiday, Juneteenth (June 19, 1865) is when more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were informed of their freedom, preceded by the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Union Troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, on that fateful day in 1865, sharing news of the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery in the United States. We wish everyone a happy Juneteenth full of community and celebration. Read on for recommended reads about Juneteenth from our collection!

As Varina Area Library celebrates its eighth anniversary, we’d like to highlight the only HCPL library situated on the Capital Trail! Opened in June of 2016, Varina’s current LEED-certified location on New Market Road replaced the smaller Varina branch which served the community since 1970. Varina Library is a 43,885-square-foot two-story building equipped with designated adult, teen, and children’s areas; study and meeting spaces; a Digital Media Lab; a demonstration kitchen; a grand stairwell for events; and a nature trail. In 2017, Varina won the prestigious Library Building Award presented by the American Institute of Architects in conjunction with the American Library Association. Read on to learn more about this serene and nature-inspired library nestled in the East End!

Happy Pride Month! Pride is an annual commemoration dedicated to recognizing the impact of the LGBTQIA+ community. In celebration, we’re reading across the rainbow and highlighting some of our collection’s newer LGBTQIA+ reads for teens and adults. Read on for some of our recommendations!

It’s official: the HCPL Summer Reading Challenge starts this Saturday, June 1. With plenty of programs, prizes, and fun for everyone, let your summer adventures begin at the library! Read on to learn more about this year’s challenge.