Get a head start on Summer Reading and join your friends at the Henrico County Public Library for weekly challenges designed to help you connect with the library and discover a great big world of learning, all while you Stay Home!

Exactly 50 years ago, April 22, 1970, the very first Earth Day was celebrated. At that time, environmentalism was growing and concerned people were looking for a way to generate even more interest in protecting the natural world. Over the years, Earth Day has continued to grow but one key point has always remained: it isn’t just a day of celebration, it is a day to lend a hand with conservation.

Getting creative in the kitchen can be very soothing. We are here to help with a huge assortment of cookbooks available now in Overdrive and Hoopla. Following a recipe can help calm your mind with engaging and simple physical tasks, plus you get to eat something tasty! Read on for a small sampling of our favorite titles.

Explore free streaming movies on Hoopla this Friday night and beyond with some recommendations from HCPL staff. It’s hard wading through the digital morass - why not make searching a little easier with a curated list from a librarian? Our selections include family friendly feature films and documentaries.

The study of genealogy and family history is a great way to connect with the past, and the library offers a variety of high-quality genealogical resources online. There are many reasons to research family history, but most of all it is a fun puzzle. When you dive down the research rabbit hole, you not only learn about your own family, but about the period they lived in.

We really love audiobooks here at HCPL, and have shared in the past some of our favorite narrators and audiobooks to make you laugh. When listening, it is easy to be carried away… swept up in the tale and transported by the storyteller. This time we are sharing some of our favorite stories, new and old, that take on a new life when read aloud.

Whether you want a tale with a villain who plays mind games, an atmospheric spy novel, or an obsession-fraught love story, we have recommendations for books that will keep you turning the pages. Stop by your local library to check out the thriller you’ve been craving!

Sourdough by Robin Sloan inspires many questions about food, what makes a life fulfilling, and the role of technology in our lives. Explore these topics at one of our upcoming programs based on the novel, and be sure to join us on April 2 at 7:00 pm at Glen Allen High School for an evening with the author.

Every ten years, the U.S. Census aims to count each and every person living in the nation, including right here in Henrico County. The collected data helps to determine things like the number of seats Virginia has in the House of Representatives, and how to distribute $675 billion in federal funds to communities like ours. The Library is providing information about the census and assistance filling out the online form starting this month.