Tuesday, June 18th, 2013

Oh My Bears!

Bear feeding at the Wildlife Center of Virginia on May 23, 2013. Spring 2013 has not been kind to the black bears in Virginia. The Wildlife Center of Virginia has admitted 19 black bears for treatment—a record number. The center, located in Waynesboro, cares not only for black bears but for all native wildlife—birds, reptiles, [...]

Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

The Great Gatsby

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father told me something that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.” With the release of the movie are you thrilled by all things Gatsby? If so, you might want to check out the Princeton University Digital Library. You can view F. Scott Fitzgerald’s manuscript—in [...]

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

For the Birds

Looking for an outdoor adventure that is both cheap and nearby? You might want to take a trip downtown to view the great blue heron rookery in the middle of the James River. Now is the best time to go before the trees leaf out and obscure your view of the herons’ nests. Parking along [...]

Thursday, March 28th, 2013

How does your garden grow?

Or should I ask does your garden grow? Here in central Virginia we have had colder than normal temperatures this spring. Despite that the longer hours of daylight have many people thinking of planting, tilling and eventually reaping a bountiful harvest. Gardening tips abound both on the web and in print. The Virginia Cooperative Extension, [...]

Thursday, February 28th, 2013

So you want to be President…

Or a teacher or an artist or a nurse or maybe you don’t even know what you want to be when you “grow up.” Because that is one of the toughest decisions you will ever make and there are so many paths to choose this is a good time for you to examine your options [...]

Friday, September 21st, 2012

Flashback Friday: Vintage Library Posters from the Work Projects Administration

While library services have been changed with technology through the years, our mission remains the same, to provide communities with a space to convene, discuss, educate, challenge, and enlighten. Don’t believe us? In today’s Flashback Friday, one of a three part series, we explore government funded artwork for libraries across the United States. We start [...]

Thursday, July 12th, 2012

Old Newspapers

Want to travel to the past? You can by reading a century-old issue of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Without leaving your home you can view issues from 1903-1913 through the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America project. The database includes papers published between 1836 and 1922 throughout the U.S. And just to illustrate how history sometimes repeats [...]

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

High Bridge Trail

High Bridge Trail Looking for nearby (tame) adventure? The High Bridge Trail, part of the Virginia State Park system, runs 31 miles between Pamplin City to Burkeville and through the town of Farmville. Once a railroad bed, the trail is open to hikers, bicyclists and horseback riders. With little elevation change and no traffic it [...]

Saturday, May 5th, 2012

Maharaja: The Splendors of India’s Great Kings

If a vacation to exotic locales is not in the budget for this summer—not to worry. Going to the VMFA can be your ticket to India. For a mere $15 ($12 for students) you can travel halfway around the world and back in time to India in the 18th to the mid-20th century. According to [...]

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

Update: Renovation @ Chester Campus Library

Renovations at Chester continue to progress on schedule. In October we posted pictures of the demolition, now just look at how far we’ve come! With lots of windows, plenty of study rooms, and cool lighting expect the library to reopen for the fall semester.