Continue reading »]]> Calling all kids! Check out three ARLS locations to make a fun Valentine for someone you love! We’ll be making hand made cards AND a cute heart ornament or love bug craft! Stop by the the Prince George Library Thursday, February 9th at 4:00pm, the  McKenney Library Friday, February 10th at 4:30pm for the monthly “Cool Kids Club” meeting, or join us at the Hopewell Library Monday, February 13th at 4:30pm.

There’s plenty to share, so come to any event to make a one-of-a-kind gift. Don’t forget about our regular story times which will feature stories, songs and rhymes about Valentine’s Day the week of February 13th! There’s still plenty of time to join the Winter Reading Program for children ages birth to 5.  The program started January 9th and ends March 2nd!

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The 2012 Winter Reading Program features the cover art of "First Dog" by J. Patrick Lewis, Beth Zappitello and Illustrated by Tim Bowers. Image courtesy Sleeping Bear Press™.

The Appomattox Regional Library System is delighted to take part in this year’s Winter Reading Program, “Snuggle with a Book,” sponsored by the Library of Virginia.  The program is being offered alongside ARLS story times from January 9th until March 2nd.

Hopewell – Mondays @ 10:30 a.m.
Prince George – Wednesdays @ 10:00 a.m.
Dinwiddie – Wednesdays @ 11:30 a.m.
Carson Depot – Fridays @ 10:30 a.m.

Designed for young children from birth to five years old, the program aims to instill a love of reading by encouraging parents and other special adults to read aloud to children.  Children will earn a sticker for each book read, as well choose a free book at the end of the program.  Grand prizes will be given to the child who reads the most books and the child care center that reads the most books.  Registration materials will be available at all branches of the Appomattox Regional Library System.

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Two weeks of holiday events are coming to an ARLS branch near you! Please join Hopewell, McKenney, Dinwiddie, Prince George and  Burrowsville branch libraries for holiday festivities:

The Friends of the Library, Dinwiddie (FOLD) will host the annual Holiday Open House on Friday, December 2nd, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m at the Dinwiddie Branch. The Friends will have special refreshments and door prizes.

The Prince George Library will host a holiday open house following the Prince George County parade on Saturday, December 3rd,  from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Girl Scouts and the Hopewell Prince George Friends of the Library will offer refreshments and the library will offer a children’s craft and be showing a classic holiday movie.

Also on Saturday, December 3rd, the McKenney Branch will hold a holiday open house at 11 a.m. as part of a festive day of town activities. Refreshments and a children’s craft will be available at the library. The Town of McKenney will also be holding a holiday bazaar at 10 a.m. and a holiday parade will begin at 2 p.m.

Visitors can also enjoy a “Hogwart’s Holiday” on December 6th, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  at the Hopewell Branch. Dress up as your favorite character from Harry Potter and enjoy crafts and refreshments. Following this, the library will host the Ralph Jones Group at 7:00 p.m., with music for the holiday season.

The Burrowsville Branch library will have an open house with a children’s craft during The Friends of Burrowsville School, Inc. “Community Christmas Party” on December 9th, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Burrowsville Community Center and Library. The party will feature seasonal music, refreshments, door prizes and a performance by the Ralph Jones Group. The Friends will be collecting canned food items for the Prince George and Mission Ministries Food Banks.

Following the Dinwiddie County Christmas Parade, the Dinwiddie Branch will offer an open house with a children’s craft December 10th, at 4:00 p.m. This is in partnership with the county’s Christmas Illumination and tree lighting at the Dinwiddie Courthouse.

All events are free. Also, be sure to look for Rudolph the ARLS Bookmobile at the Dinwiddie, Prince George and Hopewell holiday parades!

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Historic engravings illustrate the 7 panels of “Harry Potter’s World” which will be at the Hopewell Library from November 14-December 31. (Photo courtesy of the National Library of Medicine, www.nlm.nih.gov)

The traveling exhibit “Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance, Science, Magic, and Medicine” will be on display at the Hopewell Library from November 14 to December 31. The 500 square foot exhibition, using materials from the National Library of Medicine, explores Harry Potter’s world and its roots in Renaissance science.

The Hopewell Library is hosting a series of free Potter-themed events for children, teens and families throughout the holiday season. Stop by to see the exhibit and enjoy these fun programs!

Harry Potter Movie Mondays
November 14 – December 19, Mondays at 5:00 p.m.
Hopewell Library
A different film will be featured each Monday in the Café.

A Hogwarts Holiday
December 6, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Hopewell Library
Dress up as your favorite character from Harry Potter and join us for crafts and refreshments.  Enjoy holiday and other music favorites by the Ralph Jones Group at 7:00pm.

Potions Class
December 20, 4:30 p.m.
Hopewell Library
Learn the Harry Potter way to make ice cream, silly dough, and fizzy drink. Registration is required.

This exhibition is sponsored by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. For more information or to register, please call (804) 458-6329 extension 1005.

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We're thankful for all the great books, movies, and more at the library! What are you thankful for?

Come to the Hopewell Library Thursday, November 17th at 4:30 pm to make your very own Thanksgiving place card holder!

Create this colorful place card holder to make sure no one snags your spot next to the turkey this Thanksgiving!  Cards will be provided for you to write your name or tell us what you are thankful for this year.  Stop by and join in the fun Thursday at 4:30pm!

Remember: all branches of the Appomattox Regional Library System will be closed Thursday 11/24 and Friday 11/25 and we wish you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving!

Continue reading »]]> Join the Appomattox Regional Library System as we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Carson Depot Branch Library in the upcoming months. Special activities and programs will be held in 2012 to promote and celebrate this unique library branch. 

The Appomattox Regional Library System first served the town of Carson with a book mobile stop (in 1975). Carson then became the site of a more permanent library (a decommissioned  bookmobile parked on the lot in 1985). Through public support and the generous gifts of Carson residents Lillie and John H. Clements, the  library moved into a renovated 1888 train depot. The depot and the land it rests on were donated by the Clements. Additional donations from the Bank of Southside Virginia, Prince George County, and Dinwiddie County supported the opening of the Carson Depot Library while landscape assistance came from the Carson Ruritan Club.

Visitors can tour the Carson Caboose.

In October of 1991 the branch was ready to open, with a formal open house ceremony held on May 3, 1992. An authentic caboose joined the station in 2002. Schools regularly visit the Carson Depot Library for a visit with our Conductor and a lesson on trains and their place in history. Friday story times are held throughout the year for families and the library often hosts special crafts and other events during our Summer Reading Program. Stop by and visit this one-of-a-kind library and keep checking our website for upcoming events to celebrate the Carson Depot Library’s 20 years of service!

]]> http://www.arls.org/2011/11/carson-depot-branch-turns-20/feed/ 0 http://www.arls.org/2011/11/celebrate-national-gaming-day-at-prince-george-library/ http://www.arls.org/2011/11/celebrate-national-gaming-day-at-prince-george-library/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 14:00:28 +0000 jturner http://www.arls.org/?p=9445

Continue reading »]]> Children, Teens and Families are welcome to stop by the Prince George Library from 3:00-5:00pm Saturday, November 12th  as ARLS joins thousands of libraries across the countryto celebrate National Gaming Day!

Whether it's the new XBox Kinect or Mario Cart on the BIG screen, Game Day is a blast!

Try out the X-Box Kinect,  race a game or two on the Nintendo Wii, or try out one of many board games!  Try your hand at classics like Chess, Checkers, and Scrabble or other favorites like Sorry, Clue, and Pictureka!

We even have games for the youngest kids in your family like Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, and Memory.  Don’t forget the popcorn and lemonade!
Join us for the fun!

National Gaming Day is brought to you by ARLS and the American Library Association.  Game Day @ Your Library® an initiative that aims reconnect communities through their libraries around the educational, recreational, and social value of all types of games.Gaming is yet another example of how a new format can fulfill the desire to learn, play and yes, read at your library. You can learn more at http://ilovelibraries.org/gaming

Continue reading »]]> Children, Teens and Families are welcome to stop by the Hopewell Library from 3:00-5:00pm Saturday, November 5th to join us for an afternoon of fun at Game Day!

Whether it's the new XBox Kinect or Mario Cart on the BIG screen, Game Day is a blast!

Try out the X-Box Kinect,  race a game or two on the Nintendo Wii, or try out one of many board games!  Try your hand at classics like Chess, Checkers, and Scrabble or other favorites like Sorry, Clue, and Pictureka!

We even have games for the youngest kids in your family like Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, and Memory.  Don’t forget the popcorn and lemonade!
Join us for the fun!

Continue reading »]]> This free event will be fun for the whole family! Bring your own pumpkin to decorate, or come early to pick one from a small number of donated pumpkins. We’ll provide all the decorating materials. Children and parents are encouraged to dress up as a favorite book character and compete for a very special prize in our costume contest. Refreshments will be served.