There are holidays and observances almost every day of the month – so many reasons to celebrate.

I’m not saying there should be cake every day, but I’m not saying there shouldn’t be cake every day, either.

JUNE CELEBRATIONS

African American Music Appreciation Month
The National Museum of African American Music opened in Nashville in January 2021.  They have a lot of content available to read, watch, or listen to through their website, blog, and social media channels.

Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month and Dementia Care Professionals Month
Start with information from VCU Medical Center’s Health and Wellness Library – an excellent resource for authoritative and accurate health information for patients, family members, and caregivers.  Then check out the booklist Adult Children, Aging Parents – swapping roles with dignity, humor, and respect.

Bathroom Reading Month
Check out Words on Bathroom Walls – a YA book by Julia Walton, or a DVD directed by Thor Freudenthal.

Great Outdoors Month
Check out The Nature of Oaks by Douglas W. Tallamy – a book about the rich ecology of our most essential native trees.  Or maybe The Glitter in the Green by Jon Dunn – a book about hummingbirds, those glittering, sparkling, tiny, impossible creatures.

National Audiobook Month
Visit any library branch to check out audio CDs or use the power of your library card to download eAudiobooks from Hoopla (133,000 audiobooks!) or from OverDrive (Libby).  Don’t have a library card?  Find out how to get one here.

Pride Month and Rainbow Book Month
Check out a pair of booklists:  Rainbow Lit – adult contemporary fiction featuring LGBTQ+ characters, and LGBTQIA+ Reads – YA fiction.

Rebuild Your Life Month
Check out Moving Forward in Mid-Career by John Henry Weiss – a guide to rebuilding your career after being fired or laid off.

June 1st

National Say Something Nice Day
Check out Very Nice Ways to Say Very Bad Things – an eBook of euphemisms, synonyms, phrases, and descriptions of nice sounding insults and verbal abuse.  Or try The Southern Lady Code by Hellen Ellis –  essays on how to say not-so-nice things in a nice way. Also available as an eBook from OverDrive.

Flip a Coin Day
Check out Heads You Win by Jeffrey Archer, or Tails You Lose – an eBook (or eAudiobook) by Carol Perry.

June 2nd

Global Running Day
Check out Epic Runs of the World  – a Lonely Planet guide exploring the world’s most thrilling running routes and trails.

June 3rd

World Bicycle Day
Check out Epic Bike Rides of Europe  or Epic Bike Rides of the Americas – both Lonely Planet guides of stories of the best and most celebrated cycling routes.

Repeat Day
Check out Cook, Eat, Repeat – recipes and stories by Nigella Lawson.

June 4th

National Hug Your Cat Day, Adopt a Cat Month
Check out The Cat Who Went to Paris – a memoir by Peter Gethers, a cat-hater who opened his heart to a cat named Norton.  Or Dewey and Dewey’s Nine Lives – a pair of books by Vicki Myron about a small town library cat.

National Donut (Doughnut) Day
Check out Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth – seven ways to think like a 21st century economist.   If you want to make doughnuts at home, check out a trio of eBooks: 20 Best Doughnut Recipes by Betty Crocker, Best-Ever Doughnut Recipes by Sallie Stone, and Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts by Mark Klebeck.  Or, take your Covid-19 Vaccination Record Card to Krispy Kreme for a free glazed donut.  Every day.

June 4-6 – Fishing Week

Check out Lords of the Fly by Monte Burke – a story of madness, obsession, and the hunt for the world-record tarpon.

June 5th

Hot Air Balloon Day
Check out Freya and Zoose – a children’s book about a couple of stowaways during an 1897 hot air balloon expedition, or Hot Air Balloons – a children’s math eBook made fun.  Then, take a look at Balloons Over Virginia for information on local hot air balloon rides and more.

World Environment Day
Check out Under a White Sky  by Elizabeth Kolbert – a book about the nature of the future.  Also available as an eBook.  Or try Green Enough by Leah Segedie – a primer on how to eat better, live cleaner, be happier (all without driving your family crazy).

National Trails Day
Check out 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles by Phil Riggan – a hiking guide for Richmond, Williamsburg, Fredericksburg, and Charlottesville.  Or maybe 18 Trails That Traverse History – go on a journey through time, thanks to Atlas Obscura.

June 5-12 – International Clothesline Week
Check out Clothesline Clues by Kathryn Heling – a juvenile series that uses clues on clotheslines to introduce jobs, sports, and what happens on the first day of school.

June 6th

D-Day anniversary
Check out Every Man a Hero by Ray Lambert – a memoir of D-Day, the first wave at Omaha Beach, and a world at war.  Then take a look at a fleeting yet powerful sand memorial created on the beaches of Normandy to commemorate all 9000 of the fallen.

National Yo-Yo Day
Check out Yo-yo World Trick Book by Harry Baier – featuring 50 of the most popular yo-yo tricks, plus a history of the yo-yo and related toys.  Also available as an eBook from Hoopla.  Or maybe you’d prefer to watch the famous cellist in the DVD The Music of Strangers Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble.

June 7th

Daniel Boone Day
Check out Blood and Treasure by Bob Drury, about Daniel Boone and the fight for America’s first frontier.

June 8th

World Oceans Day
Check out Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton – a survival story of an early polar expedition that went terribly awry.  Also available as an eBook.

June 9th

International Archives Day
The Library of Virginia has the most comprehensive resources for the study of Virginia history, culture and government. They are open to researchers Tuesday-Friday 10-4 by appointment.   Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has special collections and archives in both the James Branch Cabell library and the Health Sciences library.  Access may be limited or by appointment.  And, of course, the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. houses the nation’s archives.  The buildings are currently closed to the public, but they offer many online research options.

June 10th

Ballpoint Pen Day
The first ballpoint pen was sold in 1938, by Laszlo Biro, the inventor.  Check out this video of retractable ballpoint pens being made, or this one, showing how Bic stick pens are made.  Then check out How to Draw With a Ballpoint Pen, an eBook by Gecko Keck.

June 12th

National Loving Day
Check out the nonfiction book Loving by Sheryll Cashin – a look at interracial intimacy and the threat to white supremacy, Loving vs. Virginia by Patricia Hruby Powell – a YA documentary novel, The Case for Loving by Selina Alko – a children’s book about the fight for interracial marriage.  Then watch The Loving Story – a DVD documentary directed by Nancy Buirski, or Loving – a DVD feature film directed by Jeff Nichols, and based in part on the documentary.

June 13th

National Sewing Machine Day
Check out Machine Sewing by Debbie von Grabler-Crozier – 25 quick and easy projects to build your skills.

June 14th

Monkey Around Day
Search the library catalog for Margret and H.A. Rey’s Curious George books – the library has plenty!  Then take a look at this New Yorker article for the backstory about the couple, who fled Paris ahead of the Nazi invasion.  Or check out a pair of novels: Still Life With Monkey by Katharine Weber – a novel about the conflict between the will to live and the desire to die, or Mister Monkey – a darkly humorous book by Francine Prose.

Flag Day
Check out this article on the history of Flag Day.

June 15th

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
Although the Richmond Public Law library cannot offer legal advice, it does offer books you can use in-house, like Elder Law in a Nutshell by Lawrence Frolik.  Or, check out The Family Guide to Preventing Elder Abuse, an eBook available through Hoopla.  Senior Connections, located in downtown Richmond, is a great source for information and referrals. The Virginia Department of Social Services can offer support to older residents, their families, and caregivers.  Or call their toll-free hotline at (888) 832-3858 for information, referral, or to report suspected abuse.

Nature Photography Day
Hoopla has lots of photography eBooks, like Birds of Instagram by David Allen Sibley, London in Bloom by Georgianna Lane, and The Curious World of Seaweed by Josie Iselin.  Or take a look at Photographer’s Market 2018 by Noel Rivera – a reference book on how and where to sell your photography.  Just for fun, take a gander at the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards – a humorous way to fund conservation efforts.

June 16th

Bloomsday
Named after Leopold Bloom, the protagonist in James Joyce’s Ulysses, which was set in Dublin on this date in 1904.  If you’re not ready to tackle the book (which Goodreads ranks as #1 on their 200 Most Difficult Novels list), check out The Most Dangerous Book: the Battle for James Joyce’s Ulysses by Kevin Birmingham – about the landmark 1933 federal obscenity trial.  Or maybe Nora: a Love Story of Nora and James Joyce by Nuala O’Connor – a fictional reimagining of Nora Barnacle, the inspiration for Molly Bloom.

June 18th

National Splurge Day
Check out $9 Therapy by Megan Reid – a collection of life hacks and mini-upgrades for finding simple pleasures in a pricey, wellness-obsessed world.

June 19th

Juneteenth
Check out On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed – an essential, sweeping story told by a Pulitizer Prize-winning historian.  Also available as an eBook and as an audio CD.

All city of Richmond offices will be closed on Friday, June 18th in honor of Juneteenth.  All branches of the Richmond Public Library will be closed Friday, 6/18 and Saturday, 6/19.  Visit the library online 24/7.

World Juggling Day
Check out New Juggling Tricks by Ellis Stanyon – an eBook guide to original and impressive juggling tricks.  Or check out Instructables for help learning to juggle, and instructions on making some cool items to juggle!  And, of course, youtube has videos on just about everything!

June 20th

Father’s Day
Inside of giving your Dad a tie – check out I Called Him Necktie – an eBook that is sad and sweet and probes below the surfaces of familiar Japanese stereotypes.

American Bald Eagle Day
Check out Beloved Beasts by Michelle Nijhuis – a vibrant history of the conservation movement – which helped bring our national emblem back from the brink of extinction.  Or Beauty and the Beak by Deborah Lee Rose – a children’s book about how science and technology (and a 3-D printer) saved an injured bald eagle. Then take a look at the Center for Conservation Biology bald eagle page, which includes an eagle nest cam.

World Refugee Day
Check out a pair of books by Dina Nayeri:  Ungrateful Refugee – the stories that immigrants will never tell you, and Refuge – a novel that may or may not mirror the author’s own story.

June 21st

National Daylight Appreciation Day
Search the library catalog for “vampires fiction” to peruse the many (many!) novels about the undead beings who spurn daylight – from the truly terrifying to laugh-out-loud funny.  Need more help finding a good vampire novel?  Ask The Bookologist for a hand-crafted “bespoke” list of suggested titles.

June 22nd

World Rainforest Day
Check out Amazon Adventure by Sy Montgomery – a tale about tiny fish saving the world’s largest rainforest.

June 23rd

National Hydration Day
Check out Hydration Station by The Million – just one of the many music titles available to download from Hoopla.  Or, to go in the opposite direction, take a look at Preservation by Christina Ward – an eBook on the art and science of canning, fermentation and dehydration.

International Women in Engineering Day (not to be confused with Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, which falls on Feb 25th)
Check out Classified: the Secret Career of Mary Gold Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer – a children’s biography by Traci Sorell.  Be sure to take a look at the website of the Society of Women Engineers for resources, information, and inspiration.

June 24th

National Handshake Day
Check out Just Add a Smile and a Handshake, an eBook by Endrea Kosven – a handy reference guide for writing your professional biography.

Celebration of the Senses Day
Check out Have You Ever Seen a Flower by Shawn Harris – a picture book about a child experiencing a flower with all five senses.  Then take a look at the booklist All Five Senses – adult fiction that you can see, hear, feel, smell, and taste.

June 25th

Bourdain Day
Check out World Travel – an irreverent guide to some of the world’s most fascinating places by Anthony Bourdain.  Also available as an eBook from OverDrive.  Or Anthony Bourdain: the Last Interviews and Other Conversations – a collection of interviews from throughout his remarkable career.

National Food Truck Day
Check out Around the World in 80 Food Trucks – an eBook available from Hoopla.  Or, perhaps The Taco Truck– a book by Robert Lemon on how Mexican street food is transforming the American city.

June 26th

Forgiveness Day
Check out Forgiving What You Can’t Forget by Lysa TerKeurst – discover how to move on, make peace with painful memories, and create a life that’s beautiful again.  Or, try Forgive Me, a thriller by Susan Lewis about two people on a collision course – one seeking forgiveness and one seeking safety.

Anniversary of the barcode
Take a look at “GS1 US Celebrates the 45th Anniversary of the Barcode’s Debut in Retail” which details the history of the barcode – first used on the purchase of a package of Wrigley’s gum in an Ohio supermarket in 1974.

June 27th

National Bingo Day
Check out Bingo Love – a graphic novel by Tee Franklin about two people finding, losing, and re-finding love at a church bingo hall.  Also available as an eBook.

PTSD Awareness Day
The National Center for PTSD is part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is the world’s leading research and educational center of excellence on PTSD.   Then check out Birds of a Feather by Lorin Lindner – a true story of hope and the healing power of animals.  Or 500 Miles From You – contemporary fiction by Jenny Colgan.

Micro / Small / Medium-sized Enterprises Day
Check out Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprise Finance and Development – an eBook available from Hoopla.  You can also find helpful information and resources from the Richmond District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

June 28th
International Lightning Awareness Day
You can find information about lightning and lightning safety at the National Lightning Safety Council website.  Then check out The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman – a novel about a woman struck by lightning who finds her frozen heart is suddenly burning.  Or The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty – children’s fiction about a 12 year old made a math genius by a lightning strike.

June 29th

Hug Holiday
Check out these children’s picture books:  Don’t Hug Doug by Carrie Finison, Bird Hugs by Ged Adamson, I Need a Hug by Aaron Blabey, Tiny T. Rex and The Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman, and The Hug by Eoin McLaughlin.

June 30th

World Social Media Day
Check out A Woman Like Her by Sanam Maher – the story behind the honor killing of a social media star.  Or perhaps something lighter, like Kill Reply All by Victoria Turk – an irreverent journey through the murky world of digital etiquette.

International Meteor Watch Day
Check out The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters – a novel where the Earth is doomed by an  impending asteroid strike.  (First in a trilogy).

Be sure to peruse the RPL Online Resources page for access to digital books, movies, music, magazines and so much more. You will need your Richmond Public Library card to access this premium content. Don’t have a library card?  Find out how to get one here.

Stuck in a reading rut?  Looking to read outside your comfort zone? If you want hand-crafted reading suggestions, check out The Bookologist – a bespoke readers advisory service for adults, teens, and kids.

If online learning is your jam, RPL has even more to offer! Check out the Online Resources page for plenty of online learning resources, from the award-winning art and craft video classes of CreativeBug, to Universal Class where you can learn anything.  Learn a foreign language with Rocket Languages or Transparent Language.  Whatever your interest, your Richmond Public Library card is your ticket to eLearning.  Don’t have a library card?  Find out how to get one here.