Blog Entries

Handley Regional Library System and the Friends of the Handley Regional Library announce a unique book talk and reception on October 4^th at 3PM at Handley Library. Thompson M. Mayes, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel for the National Trust for Historic Preservation will discuss recent book Why Old Places Matter: How Historic Places Affect Our Identity and Well-Being.  This is free and open to the public.

The Winchester Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and the Friends of Handley Regional Library System are co-sponsoring a Candidates’ Forum for candidates who are running for the Virginia House of Delegates from the 10th, 29th, and 33rd Districts and for the Virginia Senate in the 27th District. The public forum will be held on Saturday, October 5, 2019, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Handley Library Robinson Auditorium. This is not a debate; the purpose of the forum is to allow voters to learn more about the candidates and their positions.

We've released our annual statistics representing library usage and patron engagement from the recent fiscal year, July 2018-June 2019. The statistics are summarized below and are tracked at length to report on community usage, funding requests, and overall system performance.  The stats reflect usage at Bowman Library, Clarke County Library, and Handley Library. 

1455 A Place for Writers Author Series at Handley Library continues with Ronnie Citron-Fink, who will read from her book True Roots: What Quitting Hair Dye Taught Me about Health and Beauty. This free program for adults is on September 26^th at 6PM at Handley Library. Founding 1455 Director, Sean Murphy, and the author will discuss the process of writing this book, the contemporary literary scene, followed by an open Q&A. Copies of Ronnie’s book will be available for sale and signing, courtesy of the Winchester Book Gallery.

Handley Regional Library System and Shenandoah University Conservatory's Dance Division will present a collection of solos that will showcase original dance compositions created by members of the dance class of 2022. Free and open to the public, the performance will be at Handley Library at 3PM on October 1^st. This concert celebrates diversity and inclusion.

As we continue our Toy Story celebration of "Library Card Sign-up Month" here at Handley Regional Library System, we will turn towards one of the most beloved toys of the last century, teddy bears! 

Bowman Library announces their next celebration of 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten on September 21 at 11AM. These graduates and their families took the challenge to read or listen to 1000 books to help prepare them for the next step in learning.  This is a celebration of accomplishments with their families and friends.

Storytimes have returned, just in time for our Library Card Sign-up Month! The Toy Story characters are helping us spread the word and are the inspiration for this week's storytime theme, Toy Trunk. 

Handley Regional Library System has expanded their STEAM-based (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) programs for kids with their new Girls Who Code Club. The series begins September 12^th and runs through October 31^st at Handley Library. Each session begins at 4PM and will focus on teaching coding in a fun environment just for girls. Registration is required and light snacks are provided. The program is free and open to the public.

We have a unique program called Conversation Partners that happens the third Thursday of the month, starting on September 19^th at 5:30PM at Bowman Library. The free program will pair up anyone who wants to practice speaking another language in everyday conversation with a native speaker. The library system can currently support Spanish; however they are seeking additional language volunteers. For more information, contact Mandy Foote at (540) 869-9000 ext.

We have an upcoming extracurricular activities fair for kids, teens, and their families on September 14^th at 2PM at Handley Library! 

The first class in the ongoing Tech Tuesdays series is on Windows 10 at Bowman Library. Free and open to the public, the class is led by George Williams from Senior Technology Service on September 17^th at 11AM.  Attendees will learn how to clean up, speed up, and protect their PC. They will also get the basics for Windows 10, including using the start menu with tiles, customizing the desktop, using the control panel, and keyboard shortcuts.

You never know what will be the next donation to the Archives, or where it will come from. In this latest blog post from the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives, photograph assistant Bettina Helms tells the story of how we acquired several new images of the Baker family of Winchester.

In June, Rebeca Thibodeau of Ocala, Florida contacted the Archives after she had purchased a framed set of eight pictures of Henry Baker family members at a church rummage sale. After researching the family, she realized they were from the Winchester area. Would we like to have them?

     It started with a simple collaboration between the Sinclair Health Clinic, then known as The Free Medical Clinic, and the Handley Regional Library System. We wanted to offer flu vaccinations to those without insurance and, at the same time, introduce the community to the services provided by the clinic. Well, since that first successful event things have grown.  We now have a number of community partners offering a variety of health, safety, and overall well-being services represented at our wellness event. You can still get that flu shot and much more.

We are excited to announce the Frederick County Board of Supervisors signed a proclamation to honor Library
Card Sign-up Month at Handley Regional Library System. 

Read all about the month here and sign-up for a card here.

Download the proclamation here.