Postcard representing Tubize Silk Mill

This program will be presented by library staff members Chris Wiegard and Jean Langford. Wiegard will provide perspective on the year 1934 in American History, a dark and disordered year of the Great Depression characterized by labor unrest, homelessness, and hunger. Langford will cover the specifics of the Tubize strike and its aftermath in Hopewell.

“We chose to title our program ‘Shrouded in Silk’” says Langford. “Tubize was a producer of luxury goods which for a time was known to employees as an ideal workplace of friendliness and good times. But when economic reality hit, things fell apart in a confused and mysterious way. This is a story with more drama than most fiction, and one that also relates to the modern day!”

The lecture will feature a digital display of photographs from 1934, some of which are from the Local History and Genealogy Collection at the library, and a display of physical objects from the Tubize company.

For more information, call the Hopewell Library Information desk at 458-6320 x 1005.

Our From the Heart Southside group is growing and expanding.

Hopewell – 1st & 3rd Thursdays of every month from 6-8 p.m. and the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays from 10 a.m.-12 noon.

Dinwiddie – 2nd & 4th Wednesdays from 1-3 p.m.

Join us Thursday, August 12 from 6-7:30 p.m. as we wrap up our series of summer Beach Babe meet-ups. We’ll talk about Sally Goldenbaum’s Patterns in the Sand, enjoy our salads together, and go over the chemo cap pattern found in the book (and teach basic stitches if you want to learn). To celebrate the finale, we’ll draw for great prizes, including lots of new yarn and several advance readers’ copies from popular authors such as Susan Wittig Albert, Joyce Maynard, and others. Bring a salad topping to share, if you’d like.

For more information, call 458-6329 X 1018 or email Shari at shenry@arls.org.

Please join us to discuss Heart full of Lies on Monday, August 2nd at 3:00 p.m. in the Hopewell Library.

An idyllic Hawaiian wedding held the promise of a wonderful future for handsome, athletic Chris Northon, an airline pilot, a confirmed bachelor-turned-devoted family man; and Liysa, an acclaimed surf photographer, loving mother, and aspiring Hollywood screenwriter. But few, including Chris, had seen Liysa’s other side — her controlling behavior and dark moods, her insatiable hunger for money and property. And no one anticipated the fatal outcome of a family camping trip in an Oregon forest. Liysa soon revealed herself as a victim of domestic abuse that culminated at the campsite, where she shot Chris in self-defense, but crime scene evidence led detectives to wonder if Liysa was a killer, not a victim. Her controversial trial stunned all who thought they knew her. A lifetime of sociopathic manipulations and lies had been expertly hidden behind her facade of perfection — as was her rage to destroy any obstacle to her ultimate happiness, even if it was the man she vowed to love forever.

Contact Joan Fleshman at jfleshman@arls.org or call (804) 458-6329 for more information.
This event is part of the Water Your Mind READ Adult Summer Reading Program. Only four more chances to qualify for the $100 grand prize!

Ms. Young-Stone will be discussing her debut novel The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors. It’s a fresh and creative story that does include people struck by lightning, along with many, many other things. Librarian Chris Wiegard reviewed her book earlier in the year, which you can read here on our Library Blogs. Copies of her book will be available for sale at the event for your convenience. Or, of course, you may check out a copy to read from the library!

To learn more about Ms. Young-Stone, visit her website at www.micheleyoung-stone.com.

We’re excited about Nonprofit Learning Point’s upcoming 14^th Annual Conference on September 8 featuring keynote speaker, Peter Brinckerhoff. His topic will discuss working across the generations. Mr. Brinckerhoff is the founder of Corporate Alternatives and author of several highly acclaimed books on the nonprofit sector including Generations: The Challenge of a Lifetime, which was awarded the Terry McAdam award for “Best Nonprofit Book” by Alliance for Nonprofit Management. Get to know Brinckerhoff better prior to the conference by reading Generations and several of his other titles we hold here at the Nonprofit Resource Center. Check them out!

Cool off and think warm thoughts at the Dinwiddie Branch Library of the Appomattox Regional Library System. Learn to knit and crochet with representatives from From the Heart, an organization devoted to teaching volunteer knitters, who will produce  items for donation, including blankets, “chemo caps.” These items benefit area hospitals, nursing homes, and veterans’ homes.  All class materials are free. We are accepting donations of needles and yarn at all branch locations. All ages and skill levels are welcome; we welcome experienced knitters and crocheters too.

Save Money, Save Water, Help Your Garden Grow

We are partnering with the Virginia Extension Office to bring the popular Rain Barrel workshop to you on Thursday, July 22 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at the Hopewell Library. Extension Agent Scott Reiter will make a short presentation, demonstrate how to assemble the rain barrels, and then be on hand to help everyone assemble their own. You will bring home your new rain barrel that night.

The cost for the rain barrel is $35. Checks made out to “Virginia Cooperative Extenstion – Prince George” need to be dropped off at the library Information Desk by Monday, July 19 in order to reserve your spot. You may attend the event free of charge if you are curious but not ready to invest in a rain barrel.

Call 458-6329 or come by the Hopewell Library to register.

Want to know more about rain barrels? Check out these websites:
What is a Rain Barrel? from the Environmental Protection Agency
Healthy Landscapes: Rain Barrels
Clean Virginia Waterways Rain Barrels

Carbs and Cadavers by JB Stanley

James “Professor Puff” Henry may as well have “loser” stamped on his forehead. Divorced, overweight, shy, and living at home, he relies on books and his favorite snack — cheese puffs — for sweet relief from his problems. A former English lit professor at William and Mary, he moves back to Quincy’s Gap, a small Virginia town in the Shenandoah Valley, to take care of his recently-widowed father. To improve his social life and waistline, he joins a supper club for dieters who lovingly call themselves the “Flab Five.” Avoiding carbs is nearly impossible in this deep-fried potato-loving land, so a mysterious death in their small burg provides an effective, if disturbing, distraction. While dodging delectable temptations, Professor Henry and his fellow dieters work together to shed pounds and find the killer who has struck fear in this tight-knit community.

Please join us to discuss Carbs & Cadavers on Tuesday, July 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the Hopewell Library. Snacks and beverages will be provided. Contact Carol Farmer at cfarmer@arls.org for more information.

This event is part of the “Water Your Mind READ” Adult Summer Reading Program. For more information, call 458-6329 x1005