Blog Entries

Handley Regional Library System announces “Just for the Health of it”, a day showcasing the area’s health, safety, and family resources from the local community on October 21^st at Handley Library and October 29^th at Bowman Library – both from 10AM-4PM.  Aids Response Effort, The Child Care Network, Healthy Families NSV, The Laurel Center, Project Lifesaver, Shenandoah Community Health, Dr, Terry Sinclair Health Clinic, and Winchester Parks and Recreation Department will be meeting with patrons to offer free resources and information.

Although the American Library Association's "Library Card Sign-Up Month" has officially passed, your library card is better now than ever! Did you know that using your FREE library card is worth more than just books? Our special collections are as easy to check-out as your average library book! Which collections below have you checked out? 

Handley Regional Library System expands their portable Wi-Fi device check out program with T-Mobile devices – available for patrons to borrow for 7 days at Handley Library.

The next class in the ongoing Tech Tuesdays series at Handley Regional Library System is Understanding the Cloud – including Gmail and Google Drive Basics at Bowman Library. Free and open to the public, the class is led by George Williams from Senior Technology Services on October 8^th  at 11AM. Google Drive and Cloud Services will be explained. Attendees will also learn to manage their Inbox, download attachments, and other email basics. One-on-one assistance will be provided after to get help setting up an email account.

Our next author talk will be on October 14^th at 6;30PM at Handley Library. Author Sue Jaffarian will talk about her recent book Finding Zelda and about writing on the road full-time. Jaffarian is the author of three critically acclaimed mystery series:  The Odelia Grey, the Ghost of Granny Apples, and the Madison Rose Vampire Mysteries. She also writes the Winnie Wilde romance series, as well as general fiction and short stories. The program is free and open to the public.

It's the return of the fall event for kids, Handley Harvest Hoedown, on Monday October 14^th at 4:30PM at Handley Library!

Families can celebrate the season with a puppet show, interactive craft stations, balloon twists from Characters by Chelsea, face painting by Face Paint by Rachel, meet the Chik-fil-a Cow, and the first 100 kids receive a goody bag from Virginia Farm Market with apples and other prizes. The event is free and open to the public.

Add this event to your calendar here.

The Friends of the Handley Regional Library System announce the Fall Used Book Sale at Bowman Library. The sale runs October 8-12 and features thousands of gently books, DVDs, sheet music, and more. Prices are between .50 cents and $2.00. Payment is accepted in cash, check, or credit card. Inventory is restocked daily so you can shop all 5 days.  Donations cannot be accepted during the sale.  The hours are the same as Bowman Library; October 8-10, 10AM-8PM and October 11-12, 10AM-5PM.

The next class in the ongoing Tech Tuesdays series at Handley Regional Library System is All Things Apple – iPhones and iPads at Bowman Library. Free and open to the public, the class is led by George Williams from Senior Technology Services on October 1^st at 11AM. This week, George will be joined by Apple OS expert and Sprint Branch Manager Thomas Robinson who works hands-on with Apple products on a daily basis. 

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.

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.

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.