Public Libraries – Page 2 – The UncommonWealth

Until Freedom Comes: Newport News Public Library’s Black History Exhibit

On Juneteenth 2021, the Newport News Public Library unveiled a local history exhibit titled Until Freedom Comes: The African American Experience in Newport News, viewable…

Your Local Public LibrarianJune 9, 2025

Public Libraries The Stacks

IMLS, LSTA, and Public Libraries

In 1996, then-president Bill Clinton signed the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). This act provides federal funding for libraries through the Grants to States…

Barry TrottMay 12, 2025

Public Libraries

A Community’s Need Becomes a Community Opportunity

For a public library, summer is possibly the busiest time of year. It’s when some version of a summer reading program is offered. Aimed at…

Your Local Public LibrarianApril 14, 2025

Public Libraries

A FUN Twist on Movie Night at Fluvanna Library

Who wants to watch a movie when you can be in the movie? Several years ago, while visiting another library’s webpage, I discovered that they…

Your Local Public LibrarianFebruary 10, 2025

Public Libraries

Alexandria’s Black Family Reunion

The Alexandria Library Local History/Special Collections branch has a national reputation concerning Virginia history. Researchers not only use this collection when conducting genealogy and Civil…

Your Local Public LibrarianJanuary 24, 2025

Public Libraries

Virginia Public Libraries: An Essential Community Resource

If you ask a person on the street if they value their public library, most will respond “Yes.” But while people have a general appreciation…

Your Local Public LibrarianDecember 9, 2024

Public Libraries

From Motto to Action: Creating ‘A Library for All’ Through Community Partnerships

Since 1966, the motto of the Lynchburg Public Library has been “a library for all citizens.” It’s one thing to repeat it for nearly 60…

Your Local Public LibrarianNovember 12, 2024

Public Libraries

Collective Curiosity: Exploring Learning Circles for Teens

When I was assigned the task of starting a "Learning Circle" at my library, Prince William Public Libraries (PWPL), I was unsure what it entailed.…

Your Local Public LibrarianOctober 14, 2024

Public Libraries

Borrow the Outdoors: Camping Gear at the Library

Do you want to go camping or hiking in the Shenandoah Valley? Maybe you have never camped before or want to get your family outside…

Your Local Public LibrarianSeptember 9, 2024

Public Libraries

Partnership Breathes New Life into Local Juvenile Detention Home

What began as an outreach opportunity between the Chesterfield County Public Library (CCPL) and the Chesterfield Juvenile Detention Home (CJDH) has evolved into a year-round…

Your Local Public LibrarianAugust 12, 2024

Public Libraries

Quiet Spaces in Loud Places

Roughly 20% of the population is neurodivergent, meaning that over 6,000 individuals in Halifax County, Virginia, have a neurodivergent condition. These children and adults had…

Your Local Public LibrarianJuly 8, 2024

Public Libraries

Preserve Your Memories at the Vinton Library

If we had to guess, you probably have boxes or drawers full of outdated media. Don’t worry, we do too! And we have a solution…

Your Local Public LibrarianJune 10, 2024

Public Libraries

A Whole New World: VR Programming at Colonial Heights

The Sphere in Las Vegas is a virtual reality building seating 18,000 viewers, and as the lights dim to darkness, these viewers become fully enveloped…

Your Local Public LibrarianMay 13, 2024

Public Libraries

Survival Skills for the Zombie Apocalypse: Not Your Average Survivalist Program

Last year, during the swarm of programming that is summer reading, the Pulaski County Library System held a series of programs in collaboration with Claytor…

Your Local Public LibrarianApril 8, 2024

Public Libraries

This Library’s Knitting Program is Killing It

On a bone-chilling Wednesday evening in February, the Century Room on the lower level of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library’s Gordon Avenue branch is set up…

Your Local Public LibrarianMarch 11, 2024