Blog Entries

A few times a year the children’s department goes on a storytime break. But what does that mean for you? It means every April, August, and December we pause our daily storytimes to prepare for the upcoming season. Fear not, there are still plenty of things to do at the library during a storytime break! 

Each week, we will have a different themed playtime experience set up for you and your littles to explore during the usual storytime timeframe! Everything from gross motor play to music and art exploration. See the list of themes by week below:

The Handley Library branch is very excited to introduce the next phase of our Grow a Reader brand to you all with a new annual special event called Read and Seed on Saturday, November 15th from 11am-1pm on the Youth Services floor at Handley Library! Consider this your official invitation to join us for a fun day of nature themed crafts, activities, and fun. 

Fall is here, and the weather is cooling down. Perhaps you are spending time outdoors with your family, trying to savor the moderate temperatures and evening daylight before we descend into winter. If only there was a way to combine literacy and your outdoor adventures…

When you think of memoirs written for kids, a graphic novel might not be the first thing that comes to mind. A graphic memoir is an autobiographical story told in comic format. There are some fantastic juvenile titles available at the library. Young readers might find relatable events in the true life stories of their favorite authors. Kids can expand and enhance their world view by learning about the lives of others. 

Check out these suggested titles:

Looking for fun things to do this season? We’ve got you covered! Our brand-new September–December 2025 Programming & Resource Guide is packed with events, activities, and resources for all ages.

From storytimes and book clubs to teen hangouts and special programs, there’s something for everyone at all three of our branches—Handley Library, Bowman Library, and Clarke County Library.

Welcome to the Handley Regional Library System, home to the magnificent 110-year-old Handley Library – a true architectural gem nestled in the heart of Winchester, Virginia. Join us on our next exclusive tour, taking place the 2nd Saturday of every month, as we unlock the secrets of this historic library, delving into its fascinating architecture and rich history.

Unveiling Hidden Treasures

We hope everyone had a great time at our How-To Fest on Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Handley Library branch. 

Save the date for next year – Sept 26, 2026. If you would like more details, contact Handley Library Branch Manager Adrienne Davis at 540-662-9041 ext. 13.

If you missed it, our annual How-To Fest is an out-of-this-world learning experience for humans of all ages to connect, create, and acquire new skills. Knowing how to human is hard.

Have you ever been stuck in a difficult parenting moment and wanted resources to help you through? Maybe you were deep in a google rabbit hole or scrolling instagram for answers. Perhaps you were convinced to buy an online course to help you get through, or maybe you even bought the book that someone told you would solve all your problems…

The Friends of Handley Regional Library System sponsor live music at our libraries with concerts called A Little Noon Music. From September to May, a variety of musicians delight audience members with their talents. This program has been running for over 40 years at our library and is still going strong!

At this point, I would imagine many of you reading this have had a chance to check out a Grab-and-Grow kit from the Handley Youth Services Department. If you haven’t yet, hopefully after reading this post you will hurry to the second floor to check out your very own kit! 

We’re excited to share that Handley Library was recently featured in a segment on NBC4 Washington as part of a story about two remarkable teen authors, Emma and Juliana, and their new book Let’s Explore Winchester.

After nearly 15 years of dedicated service to the Handley Regional Library System, Joan Wood has officially retired from her role as Archives Assistant at the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives at Handley Library.

Meet Rin, our archives intern, who’s diving into the skies of the past! They’re currently cataloging the Rudy Rodgers Aerial Photography Collection—a stunning archive of over 7,000 images capturing Winchester, Frederick County, and other parts of the Lower Shenandoah Valley from above.

In April, we launched an exciting new program, the Grow a Reader Playgroup! This 5 week program met on Thursday mornings starting before library hours at 9:30am and ending at 11:00am, and it took place in the Benham Gallery. You may be familiar with this space from our other programs, but you wouldn't have recognized the space once we had it set up for playgroup!

Out of the Archives is a weekly blog highlighting items in the collections of the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives.

Winchester Fairgrounds, 1870-1930

Top of Virginia Regional Chamber Records, 516 THL/WFCHS

Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Society Collection, 752 THL/WFCHS

Winchester Map, Sanborn Collection, 1912

Out of the Archives is a weekly blog highlighting items in the collections of the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives.

Thomas, Lord Fairfax Collection, 56 WFCHS THL

Today’s out of the Archives blog features a land grant from Thomas, Lord Fairfax, to Henry Baker for a “certain tract of waste and ungranted land called the Horse Lick on the Drains of Back Creek” that amounted to 195 acres. The grant was signed and sealed by Fairfax on July 8, 1777.

Looking ahead to summer, you won’t want to miss the Color Our World Summer Reading Program! Log your minutes in the Beanstack app to get virtual tickets for a chance at some great prizes. This year at the Handley branch, teens ages 12-17 will check in at the Information Services desk on the first floor for free books and prizes. Choose a free YA book for every 6 hours of logged reading. 

You’re an important part of our community! Join our Teen Advisory Board (TAB) and help make a
difference at the Bowman Library. Advisory Board members play an important role in establishing new teen programs and
growing existing teen programs while earning volunteer hours.  

We are currently seeking nominations for open leadership positions for the coming school year. 

Graphic novels are becoming increasingly popular with kids, and you may be worried that your littles aren’t getting much out of them. I’m here to ease your worries and make the case for the medium. From the visual art styles to the story lines, graphic novels have more to offer than you may realize.

Out of the Archives is a weekly blog highlighting items in the collections of the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives.

Leather Fire Bucket, circa 1800

Adam Douglass Collection, 70 THL

May 7, 2025: May 4^th was International Firefighters’ Day.  Seems like a good time for us to showcase a firefighting object found within the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives collection. 

Summer at the Handley Regional Library System is bursting with color, creativity, and community—and it all starts with our brand-new 2025 Summer Programming & Resource Guide! 🎉

This season, we’re inviting everyone to Color Our World with an exciting lineup of programs, events, and reading challenges for all ages.

Stop paying for ebooks and audiobooks—Libby gives them to you FREE with your library card!

Say hello to Libby, the app that brings the Handley Regional Library System to your phone or tablet. Whether you're relaxing at home, commuting, or heading out on vacation, Libby lets you borrow books anytime, anywhere—with zero late fees and zero cost.

Why Libby is your new go-to:

Out of the Archive is a weekly blog highlighting items in the collections of the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives. 

Apple Blossom Parade Route, 1932

Program, 1932, Apple Blossom Festival Collection, 46 THL

Out of the Archive is a weekly blog highlighting items in the collections of the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives. 

Pass me the Apple Hat: Apple Blossom Photo Album, 1925

Clarke T. Cooper Sr. Family Collection, 1806 THL

I’m sure you spend a lot of time reading books with your littles- perhaps the same book several times more than you would like to. Have you ever thought about how many books you will read to your child between birth and the time they go to kindergarten? 100? 500? 1,000? One thousand may seem like a big number, but its completely feasible for you to read that many books with your little (and probably more!) before they start kindergarten. Want to log those books for fun prizes, extra storytimes, and incentives for parents? Well you’ve come to the right place!

T. T. Wall's Emporium sold stationary, paper goods, and other fancy items in the early 1900s. The shop was located at 147 N. Loudoun Street, now home to the T. T. Wall's restaurant. 

Out of the Archives is a weekly blog highlighting items in the collections of the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives. 

Nancy Pullum was a resourceful woman of the 19^th century.  Living in the Blue Ridge Mountains around present-day Thorton Gap, Nancy made a living catching rattlesnakes and rendering their oil into a medicinal ointment. She was connected with her natural world in many ways: milking cows and raising hogs, picking wild berries, and facing the harsh mountain winters.  Her friends and neighbors include John (a formerly enslaved man) and the historic Virginia sculptor William Randolph Barbee.  

Are you curious about your family's past? Whether you're just starting your genealogy journey or you're a seasoned researcher, the Handley Regional Library System offers a treasure trove of free genealogy and local history resources to help you dig deep into your roots.

Here’s a look at the powerful tools available through our library system—some of which you can access from home, and others you’ll want to explore during a visit to one of our branches.

Out of the Archives is a weekly blog highlighting items in the collections of the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives. 

“Develop the Power that is Within You”: Harvey Dunn Poster Campaign

Handley Regional Library Records, 138 WFCHS THL

Are you looking for ways to better yourself? Do you feel isolated in your journey to self-discovery and personal growth? Join the Handley Library branch and MoveMentation in welcoming the brand-new Better Human Book Club! Our focus is on books that help us know ourselves and allow us to explore personal and communal growth together.

Did you know that Stewart Bell Jr. Archives has over 25,000 photographs housed in its collection?  It’s true!  These photographs represent a diverse look at our community and its people throughout the years.  The oldest photographs date to the early years of mass photographic technology in the 1850s, and the latest photographs date to the 2020s.  Within those one hundred and seventy years, a lot of local events, places, and people have been documented through photography.   

A key source of information while researching your family history is the U.S. Census.  It can provide you with information about where your ancestors lived, when they were born, what they did for employment, and where their families came from.  However, the records are not perfect and require some basic understanding of how to read the documents. 

If you’ve spent much time at the Handley Library branch lately, you’ve likely seen this logo in a few places when you’re on the children’s floor. This is the logo for our new brand that we are launching this spring: Grow a Reader! This brand is something we have been working on for a long time, and we are so excited to bring it to life starting this month.

The Kanopy database has been upgraded to include 30,000 titles. Kanopy Kids is one of the great features of the database. Kanopy Kids has unlimited viewing! You can access any title on Kanopy Kids without spending any of your monthly tickets. From storybook videos to read-alongs to TV shows and movies, you will find it all on Kanopy Kids.

Welcome to our brand-new newsletter!

We created the Staff Picks Newsletter to showcase books and media hand-picked by our staff. During the month of February, I asked our staff members to tell me all about their favorites. This first installment has just that. I received a wide range of responses, including fiction, nonfiction, movies, TV series, and music. 

Great news! We are excited to announce that patrons now have access to all hoopla BingePasses! If you love digital entertainment, learning, and exploring new topics, this is your golden ticket to unlimited access—completely free with your library card.

Could your ancestor be a witness in a criminal case?  Could your ancestor be involved in a civil lawsuit?  Could your ancestor’s testimony be found in a division of assets complaint? County court records are extensive and cover a wide range of topics.  Using them in your genealogical research may help break through brick walls in your search and offer insight into the lives of your ancestors and the community in which they lived.  So how do you find and use these documents?  Well, come to the Handley Library Robinson Auditorium on Saturday, March 15 @ 10:30 am

Planning a trip can be overwhelming, especially when traveling to a new country. Luckily, AtoZ World Travel, available in our eLibrary, makes it easier than ever to prepare for your journey! This incredible database offers comprehensive travel guides for 202 cities worldwide, covering everything from cultural etiquette to must-see attractions.

Here are five reasons why AtoZ World Travel should be your go-to travel resource:

Are you a teen gamer or puzzle aficionado? Then the library is the place to find your people! All three branches in the system have a variety of gaming and puzzling opportunities with which to engage. From Handley’s Board Gaming Guild, to the Puzzle Tournament at Bowman there really is something for everyone.

Highlighting some of the Young Adult Youth Media Award Winners for 2025: 

Did you know that your library has resources to help you prepare for the SAT, ACT, and AP exams? Read on to learn how we can help you make taking these tests a little less stressful. 

Have you been a faithful attendant of babytime for many months now, but your little is starting to walk, and the baby time activities just aren't keeping them engaged as much anymore? I’m sure that your little’s readiness to move up has come long before you are emotionally ready to move past babytime, and to admit that perhaps you have a toddler, not a baby anymore! When my own daughter was 16 months, I didn’t feel ready for toddler time, but I knew it was time for us to move up.

STEAM: What Does it Mean?

You’ve heard of STEM, but what is STEAM? It encompasses the same core tenets of science, technology, engineering, and math that STEM does, with the addition of an A for arts! In 2006, researcher Georgette Yakman found that the creativity and design focused thinking of the arts help contextualize STEM programs. Think of the liberal arts addition as the “who and why,” to the “what and how” of STEM.

We are excited to announce a NEW program series for caregivers with kids ages 1-3: Grow a Reader Playgroup. This 5-week interactive playgroup will feature educational components with outside professionals each week that will developmentally support your reader through learning and play. Community professionals based on each week's theme will provide passive education to support caregivers of littles ages 1-3.