All Richmond Public Library locations provide curbside services. Computer access is suspended until further notice effective December 28. Visit our Reopening Page to learn more about the many services available.

Librarians save lives: by handing the right book, at the right time, to a kid in need.
Judy Blume

Gellman Room Concert Livestream: Richmond Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota


Saturday, February 27
Online - 2pm

The Richmond Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, an international music fraternity, presents a mix of classical and popular selections featuring pianists, vocalists and other instrumentalists.

Hoopla Bonus Borrows


February
Online

Hoopla Bonus Borrows are back for the entire month of February! Any items checked out from the Bonus Borrows collection will not count towards your remaining available checkouts.

Black Freedom Struggle


February
Online

ProQuest invites you to explore the new Black Freedom Struggle website, featuring expertly selected open primary source documents. Visitors will find historical newspaper articles, pamphlets, diaries, correspondence and more from specific time periods in U.S. history marked by the opposition African Americans have faced on the road to freedom.

Teen Spotlight Zine Submissions


February 1
Online

We're welcoming our new teen zine, Teen Spotlight! You can get creative by submitting your own work or be inspired by the unique submissions of teens in your area. It's a perfect excuse for a break, and a way to connect with other teens through their art!

RPL Express


Effective December 28
All Locations

We are open for curbside services. Need books, movies, programs? Visit our reopening page to find out more. Or contact your nearest library for more information.

Latest from the Blog

26 Feb
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12 Feb

Celebrate the Days - March

Meg Raymond
February 26, 2021
celebrations
reading-recommendations

March "comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb". This month can have all four seasons! There are holidays and observances every day of the month - so many reasons to celebrate. I'm not saying there should be cake very day, but I'm not saying there shouldn't be cake every day, either. Monthly celebrations: National Craft Month The Richmond Public Library has loads of books on learning all kinds of crafts - search the library catalog using keywords of whatever interests you, or call your local branch for assistance. You can also get out...

Help! Taxes!

Meg Raymond
February 22, 2021
taxes
inform-enrich-empower

Last year, the IRS pushed the tax filing deadline to July 15, 2020, for 2019 returns.  So far, the April 15th deadline is in place this year for filing 2020 returns, but rumor has it that could change.  (The deadline for filing state taxes is May 1st.) WHERE TO FIND FORMS FEDERAL FORMS call 1.800.TAX.FORM (1.800.829.3676) to have forms and instruction booklets mailed to you. find and print out most federal tax forms (prior years, too!) at the IRS website. if you know the tax form(s) you need, the library will print...

Black Suffragists and Activists: Addie Waites Hunton

Kathy Coker
February 19, 2021
black-history-month
history-and-preservation

Addie Waites Hunton In preparation for Black History Month, I did a little research and uncovered some fascinating people like Addie Waites Hunton, an African American suffragist, activist, writer, political organizer, and educator.   Early Life Born in Norfolk on June 11, 1866, Addie D. Waites lost her mother as a child and then moved to Boston to be raised by a maternal aunt. She was the first black woman to graduate from Philadelphia’s Spencerian College of Commerce. Waites then moved to Normal, Alabama, where she...

Celebrating the Year of the Ox

Laura Price
February 17, 2021
books for adults
children's books
Lunar New Year
picture books
teens
Year of the Ox
young adult
adult
asian-american
childrens
families
holidays
teens

Old memories die hard. I can still recall my Kindergarten class field trip to New York City’s Chinatown for the Lunar New Year celebration. The sensory overload—fantastic noises, colorful dragon dancers, and pungent firecracker smoke—has stayed with me for over 55 years. This year's Asian Lunar New Year celebration began on February 12th. It’s a 12-day event and includes one of the greatest human mass migrations in the world. Millions of people in Asian countries return to their hometowns to enjoy reunion meals with their families...

Black History Month: Picturing Families

Lisa Crisman
February 12, 2021
Adinkra
BHM
Black families
Black History Month
Bryan Collier
Diversity
Gabrielle Union
Grandparents
Jerry Pinkney
Lizzy Rockwell
Misty Copeland
picture books
black-history-month
childrens
families
reading-recommendations

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History develops themes for Black History Month each year. The themes "reflect changes in how people of African descent in the United States have viewed themselves, the influence of social movements on racial ideologies, and the aspirations of the black community." For 2021 the theme is "The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity." For many children a picture book is their first window to the world outside their daily experience. Most would like to see themselves...