Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month starts next week, and we look forward to commemorating the occasion with films, book discussions, and a variety of programs. Listen to the sitar, learn to play Mahjong, practice the art of suminagashi (paper marbling), and much more. Read on for details about upcoming events and recommended AAPI titles from our collection. We hope you will join us for the festivities!

May is Older Americans Month. Since 1963, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) has led a national campaign to honor the contributions of older adults to their communities. To commemorate, we are highlighting some of the many HCPL programs and resources that may be of interest to older adults.

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!

In 2003, the International Council on Active Aging initiated the first Active Aging Week. Typically held in early October, the week-long campaign encourages the concept of positive aging. In observation of Active Aging Week, the Library will be hosting a number of events this fall. Read on to learn more about upcoming programs as well as additional local and Library resources that promote the benefits of active living and aging.

We're gearing up for a full month of Black History programs, displays, and reading in February. Explore contemporary local street art with Hamilton Glass, learn about Emancipation Towns in our region, research your family’s history with the African American Genealogical Society of Central Virginia, taste soul food from a celebrated local chef, discuss Black authors and filmmakers, enjoy theatrical performances with your little ones, and so much more. No matter your interests, we are offering a way for you to engage with Black History and culture this month at the Library.

This Spring, there’s a lot to discover at the library.  We’ve got a full slate of programs suited to every interest, new features added to popular resources, a new catalog look and feel, and of course, new additions to our collection.

Our online catalog has an updated look and feel. The home page of the new catalog features scrollable carousels with popular entry points for browsing titles in our collection, from new books to bestsellers. 

Did you know that you can digitize your memories at the library? Scan old photos, film and slides or transfer a VHS home movie to digital format using equipment available in our Digital Media Labs. Use the library’s resources to see what’s in that inherited collection of slides, re-watch your decades-old wedding tape, repair a long-lost photograph and much more! 

Since 1992, May has been designated Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month by Congress. The month was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States in May of 1843 and to mark the completion of the transcontinental railroad in May of 1869—which was predominantly built by Chinese immigrants (asianpacificheritage.gov).

With a library card, you can access stories by and about AAPI voices this month and all year round. Read on for recommendations of kid, teen, and adult titles to add to your reading list.