We really love audiobooks here at HCPL, and have shared in the past some of our favorite narrators and audiobooks to make you laugh. When listening, it is easy to be carried away… swept up in the tale and transported by the storyteller. This time we are sharing some of our favorite stories, new and old, that take on a new life when read aloud.

The library offers eBooks and audiobooks that you can access online and enjoy on all kinds of devices. Read on to learn more about how to get started, and how to find eBooks, audiobooks, e-magazines, and children’s books that fit your interests - free from HCPL.

Whether you want a tale with a villain who plays mind games, an atmospheric spy novel, or an obsession-fraught love story, we have recommendations for books that will keep you turning the pages. Stop by your local library to check out the thriller you’ve been craving!

Sourdough by Robin Sloan inspires many questions about food, what makes a life fulfilling, and the role of technology in our lives. Explore these topics at one of our upcoming programs based on the novel, and be sure to join us on April 2 at 7:00 pm at Glen Allen High School for an evening with the author.

Every ten years, the U.S. Census aims to count each and every person living in the nation, including right here in Henrico County. The collected data helps to determine things like the number of seats Virginia has in the House of Representatives, and how to distribute $675 billion in federal funds to communities like ours. The Library is providing information about the census and assistance filling out the online form starting this month.

In our All Henrico Reads featured novel Sourdough, the gift of a sourdough starter jump starts Lois’s foray into baking, giving her a new outlook on life. Rejuvenate your relationship with food by baking your own bread! Baking can be a fount of creativity, as well as a delicious form of stress-relief. Our baking collection will help you put that oven to good use!

The Friends of Henrico County Public Library support library programs and services, and are the primary sponsors of All Henrico Reads, our annual author event (coming up April 2 with author Robin Sloan!). The Friends support Summer Reading, host author visits and book signings, purchase book sets for book discussion groups, assist the library with grant-funded programs, provide toys for young people to learn through play at the library, and raise funds to support these and other activities. Friends make the library a better place. If you love the library, consider joining the Friends!

During Black History Month, we recognize the enormous cultural contributions and civil rights achievements of African Americans. We are offering a wide array of events for adults, children, and teens including a presentation by the Petersburg Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, performances by Bright Star Theater, and a lecture on African American Art from the VMFA.

This February and March we are hosting programs across the county that explore Founding Era history through primary source documents, with the goal of bringing the community together in dialogue about social issues that persist to this day. The series will reexamine the early history of the United States focusing on the experiences of people of color.