In the nonstop tsunami of global information, librarians provide us with floaties and teach us to swim.
Linton Weeks

Agents of Change – Female Activism in Virginia from Women’s Suffrage to Today


Monday, August 15th 5:00pm-7:00pm
Belmont Meeting Room

Dr. Karen Sherry from the Virginia Museum of History and Culture will be our guest as she tells the story of the Traveling Exhibition Agents of Change. Dr. Sherry curated this engaging exhibit and will answer questions as we explore together the impact of women's activism in the world of yesterday and today.

The Richmond 34 and the Civil Rights Movement, with authors Dr. Kimberly A. Matthews and Dr. Raymond Pierre Hylton


August 8th
Gellman Room Main Library

Join co-authors Dr. Kimberly A. Matthews and Dr. Raymond Pierre Hylton as they discuss their new book, Images of America: The Richmond 34 and the Civil Rights Movement, and the events surrounding the arrest of 34 Virginia Union University students during a sit-in protest in Richmond, Virginia in 1960.

August Bonus Borrows


August 1st-31st

hoopla Bonus Borrows are back August 1-31, 2022 with new themed collections! Patrons can choose from hundreds of titles in our Bonus Borrows collection. These hoopla Instant titles will be at NO cost to libraries and require ZERO patron borrows.

New Hours


Starting July 5th
All Locations

Starting July 5th Richmond Public Libraries will have new operating hours.

2022 YAVA Award Winner



We are honored to present this year's award to author Lamar Giles for his 2020 book NOT SO PURE AND SIMPLE. Giles is an acclaimed author who writes across multiple genres for both middle grade and YA readers. NOT SO PURE AND SIMPLE is a story about growing up, first love, how to handle sex and peer pressure as a teen, toxic masculinity, and so much more. The author tells a narrative that is both heartfelt and authentic all while being hilarious and approachable to the teen reader. Please join us in congratulating him!

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By Teens, For Teens - Lock the Doors & All the Bright Places

Jennifer Deuell
August 10, 2022
book recommendations
book recs
book reviews
booksforteens
byteensforteens
teenreads
volunteen
reading-recommendations
teens

Welcome back to another "By Teens, For Teens" post! This week we have two read-alikes lists created by VolunTEEN Diya, age 15. Do you enjoy psychological thrillers? Something dark and twisty? Then Lock the Doors by Vincent Ralph is for you! And, if you enjoy Lock the Doors, then check out the other books on Diya's read-alikes list. More in the mood for something moody and dramatic? Like books that make you just a little bit sad? Then All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven or other books on this read-alikes list are just the ticket. ...

Supporting Mental Health at the Library

Phil Shepard
August 1, 2022
health-and-wellness

In July, Virginia implemented the nationwide 988 hotline number to provide free and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers 24/7 access to trained counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress. And there is tremendous need, given that: In 2020, the U.S. had one death by suicide every 11 minutes.For people ages 10–34, suicide is a leading cause of death. From April 2020 through April 2021, over 100,000 people died from drug...

By Teens, For Teens - Rebecca & One Piece

Jennifer Deuell
July 27, 2022
book recommendations
book recs
book reviews
booksforteens
byteensforteens
manga
mangaseries
onepiece
teenreads
volunteen
book-reviews
fiction
manga
reading-recommendations
teens

This week for our By Teens, For Teens blog post, we have two VolunTEENs who submitted reviews for you. Isabelle R., age 16 reviews the gothic classic Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.  Then, for a complete change of pace, Jaden L., age 14 reviews the manga series One Piece by Eiichiro Oda. Book Review: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Rating: 4 out of 5 stars This book is a gothic mix of romance and thriller, coupling beautiful language with a familiar and intriguing plotline — the secret life of the aristocracy. The...

Public Safety Appreciation Week - July 2022

Ben Himmelfarb
July 25, 2022
book recommendations
public safety
reading suggestions
book-reviews

Richmond City Council and Mayor Stoney officially proclaimed the final week of July annual Public Safety Appreciation Week. You can read the full proclamation here. Richmond Public Library has published materials, newspapers and records related to the history of Richmond's public safety departments. Call the Main Library (101 E. Franklin Street) at 804-646-7223 for more information about historical materials! Below is a list of recently published books on aspects of public safety. Many of them are available in multiple formats: print,...

July Book Chat with the Youth Services Team

Louis Maranski
July 15, 2022
#bookchat
#bookrecs
#childrensbooks
#kidsbooks
#rplrecommends
#youthservices
childrens
families
reading-recommendations

Welcome back to the next installment in our new series of blog posts featuring children's books we're currently loving! "Book Chat with the Youth Services Team" features one book recommendation from each of our Youth Services team members. We cover a variety of books from fiction to non-fiction, picture books to chapter books, graphic novels and more! We hope that this month's reading recommendations get you excited about some awesome new books we've added to our collection as well as some oldies but goodies....