Blog Entries

Hello!

My name is Shelby and I recently started working at the Handley Library. So far, my time here has been fantastic! I have enjoyed getting to know fellow staff members and the many wonderful patrons that use our library. As a kid, going to the library with my family was one of my favorite activities, so being able to work here has been a joy.

The Friends of Handley Regional Library System is thrilled to announce the return of the A Little Noon Music program at Handley Library in the Robinson Auditorium. This program will feature free live musical performances on the the 2nd Friday of each month until May 2023. Students from Shenandoah University Jazz, led by Dr. Matthew Niess, with be featured throughout the season. Dr. Niess is a Washington, D.C.-based cross-over Edwards Trombone and Summit recording artist. He served in The U.S.

The Friends of Handley Regional Library System will be presenting three informative author talks focusing on different genres.

We will be presenting an Adulting 101 Workshop Series for patrons ages 16-21 at the Handley Library branch in the Benham Gallery from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM on various Saturdays. The series theme is “I’m an Adult, Now What?” This bi-monthly workshop series is designed to prepare teens and young adults for the future of adulthood and the workforce. From budgeting tips to big loads of laundry, patrons will leave with new skills, tricks of the trade from professionals in the field, and earn prizes along the way.

This September, Handley Regional Library, the American Library Association, and libraries around the nation have been celebrating Library Card Sign-up Month. Since 1987, Library Card Sign-Up Month has been held each September to mark the beginning of the school year. We encourage every child to sign up for a library card. This month many did at our local libraries.

The Friends of Handley Regional Library System will be presenting an informative and entertaining talk with author Robert Linkous in the Handley Robinson Auditorium at the Handley Library branch on October 6, 2021 in person at 6:30 PM. The program is entitled “Southern Fried Russia: From Communism to KFC.”

In a time when most of us were spending more time with friends and family outside thanks to COVID-19, The Friends of Handley Regional Library System brought us a multi-part virtual series titled "Third Thursday-Exploring the Outdoors". Each month featured a different outdoor enthusiast presenting their story and sharing tips to enjoy the outdoors. While this program will take a break for the month of August, it will be back in September! Here's a look back at past sessions:

July 16th marks the twentieth anniversary of the opening of the Bowman Library! The library was the culmination of years of planning and work on the part of library staff, county administrators, and dedicated volunteers.

Most of the players involved (authors, publishers, agents, book sellers) agree that the New York Times Bestsellers are the most well-known and prominent lists of books shared on a weekly basis. The list provides a common talking point for clubs and readers. They connect us on a social level supporting the “water cooler” discussions in person and virtually. Making the list is not that big of a deal for established bestselling authors but for the unknown or first time author it is a great benefit.

In conjunction with the 2021 Adult Summer Reading Program, library staff held a series of virtual workshops about Exploring the Library to help patrons best utilize the library and its resources. 

Programs in this series focused on Library platforms that provide digital content to our patrons including eBooks, Audiobooks, Magazines, Music, Comics, and streaming video. The three platforms explored were Libby (for iOS and Android, Hoopla, and Amazon Kindle).

Below is a list of the workshops with a link to the video recordings of each.

Science fiction is often a misunderstood genre. It's assumed to be universally chock-full of inscrutable scientific or technical jargon (no offense to those who enjoy such things, you are far more powerful than I will ever be), and lacking in things one usually likes to find in stories such as relatable characters, well-plotted stories, and readable prose. But it’s hardly true that such science fiction (often called “hard science fiction” or “hard SF”) offers nothing in the way of enjoyable stories and characters. 

If you’ve been using the Libby App recently within the past month, you may have noticed some changes in how the app looks. The app recently underwent a major update that not only looks a little different, but it also has some updated and newly added features. Below are some of the highlights with this update: