JMRL's blog.

Books on Tap met on Thursday, January 5 to discuss The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian. Many of our members are familiar with Bohjalian, who has published 20 novels in the last 30+ years, and most of the group enjoys his literary and historical fiction writing. This book is set in 1964, but does not feel […]

It was both an extraordinary year and, in many ways, an ordinary one. After operating for more than two years within tiers of service in response to community Covid rates, JMRL gratefully resumed standard operating procedures across all eight branches and the Bookmobile. A “return to normal” may sound unremarkable, but 2022 was definitely not […]

JMRL cardholders in 2022 checked out 1.6 million items from the library. Read on for the Top 10 Checkouts of the year. How many have you read? young adult fiction 1. We Are Not Free / Traci Chee 2. Firekeeper’s Daughter / Angeline Boulley 3. Shadow and Bone / Leigh Bardugo 4. Six of Crows/ […]

A record Books on Tap crowd turned out Thursday, December 1 at Champion to discuss The Midnight Library by Matthew Haig. Was everyone just looking for something to do? (This is the most fun you could possibly have on a Thursday night!) Or is there something about this title that brings people out to discuss […]

Writing poetry can be playful, cathartic, celebratory, and immersive. Writing poetry is good for our critical thinking, language skills, and creativity. Writing is also one of the best ways to prompt us to look at the world from a different perspective. Through writing, we build empathy. Today, we are pleased to present our top two […]

Choose one of JMRL’s new outdoor lockers as your hold pickup location The next time you place library materials on hold, you could pick them up at your convenience—even after hours—by choosing one of JMRL’s new outdoor lockers as your pickup location. The lockers are available 24/7 near the entrance of the following branch locations: Crozet Library, Gordon Avenue Library, Greene County Library, […]

Brown Baggers book club met on Thursday, November 17 to discuss The Paris Library by Janet Skeslein Charles. We began our discussion by talking about if any of our members had been to the American Library in Paris, which is where this book takes place. The library has been moved twice since 1939 (when the […]

Books on Tap met at Champion Brewing to discuss a classic southern gothic coming-of-age story, The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers. This book takes the solitary feeling of growing up to an extreme – Frankie, age 12, “belonged to no club and was a member of nothing in the world.” She is growing […]

Books on Tap met at Champion Brewing to discuss a classic southern gothic coming-of-age story, The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers. This book takes the solitary feeling of growing up to an extreme – Frankie, age 12, “belonged to no club and was a member of nothing in the world.” She is growing […]

Central Library Brown Baggers met October 20th to discuss The Postman Always Rings Twice by James Cain. Set in California during the Great Depression, it is the story of Frank, a wanderer, and his passionate affair with Cora, the wife of Nick (a Greek owner of a diner). In order to start a new life […]

Central Library Brown Baggers met October 20th to discuss The Postman Always Rings Twice by James Cain. Set in California during the Great Depression, it is the story of Frank, a wanderer, and his passionate affair with Cora, the wife of Nick (a Greek owner of a diner). In order to start a new life […]

JMRL Food Drive November 7 – November 19, 2022 Be a hunger hero! Bring an item to the Front Desk of any JMRL location during business hours between Nov 7-19 and receive $1 off overdue fines and late renewal fines for each donated item. Note: Accounts in collections and billed items ineligible for this offer. […]

JMRL Food Drive November 7 – November 19, 2022 Be a hunger hero! Bring an item to the Front Desk of any JMRL location during business hours between Nov 7-19 and receive $1 off overdue fines and late renewal fines for each donated item. Note: Accounts in collections and billed items ineligible for this offer. […]

Books on Tap met Thursday, October 6, at Champion Brewing Company to discuss Kindred by Octavia Butler. For all but two of our members, who were already loyal fans, this was our first time reading Octavia Butler. For a long time, she stood as a class of one as a black, female, science-fiction writer. Butler […]

Books on Tap met Thursday, October 6, at Champion Brewing Company to discuss Kindred by Octavia Butler. For all but two of our members, who were already loyal fans, this was our first time reading Octavia Butler. For a long time, she stood as a class of one as a black, female, science-fiction writer. Butler […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: EJ Dowling, edowling@jmrl.org; or Jennifer MacAdam-Miller, pr@jmrl.org, 434-979-7151 x 6676  Poets ages 18+ are invited to submit one original, unpublished poem, 30 lines or less, to any JMRL branch location, WriterHouse, or via an online form on the JMRL website, by 5pm on Tuesday, October 25.  The poetry contest, now in its sixth year, “perfectly […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: EJ Dowling, edowling@jmrl.org; or Jennifer MacAdam-Miller, pr@jmrl.org, 434-979-7151 x 6676  Poets ages 18+ are invited to submit one original, unpublished poem, 30 lines or less, to any JMRL branch location, WriterHouse, or via an online form on the JMRL website, by 5pm on Tuesday, October 25.  The poetry contest, now in its sixth year, “perfectly […]

Contact: Peter Manno, info@jmrlfriends.org, 434-977-8467 or 434-806-1669 (cell); Jennifer MacAdam-Miller, pr@jmrl.org, 434-979-7151 x 6676  The Friends of the Library Fall book sale will be held at Albemarle Square Shopping Center (300 Albemarle Square) on Saturday, October 15 through Sunday, October 23, from 10 am – 7 pm each day. Half-price days are planned for Oct. 22  and […]

Contact: Peter Manno, info@jmrlfriends.org, 434-977-8467 or 434-806-1669 (cell); Jennifer MacAdam-Miller, pr@jmrl.org, 434-979-7151 x 6676  The Friends of the Library Fall book sale will be held at Albemarle Square Shopping Center (300 Albemarle Square) on Saturday, October 15 through Sunday, October 23, from 10 am – 7 pm each day. Half-price days are planned for Oct. 22  and […]

On September 15th, the Central Library Brown Baggers discussed The Boy in the Field, published in 2020, the ninth and latest novel by Scottish-born writer Margot Livesey. Set in a small town near Oxford, England, the story begins when three siblings discover a boy, later identified as Karel Lustig, hurt (stabbed & bleeding), alone in […]