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Adult Programs

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Central Library
434.979.7151 ext 4 | central@jmrl.org

Brown Baggers Book Group

On the third Thursday of the month bring your lunch and discuss fiction and non-fiction books. Library staff will provide value-added content and lead the discussion. Drinks and desserts will be provided. Sign up to be added to the email list. (RSS for Events)

Want to see what we've already read? Try Searching the calendar. Wiki discussion

Brown Baggers Book Group

UNCOMMON READERCITY OF FALLING ANGELS by John Berendt

April 15, 2010
12:00 pm

Traces the aftermath of the 1996 Venice opera house fire, an event that devastated Venetian society and was investigated by the author, who through interviews with local figures learned about the region's rich cultural history. Check the Catalog arrow

Brown Baggers Book Group

SUN ALSO RISESTHE SUN ALSO RISES by Ernest Hemingway

May 20, 2010
12:00 pm

A profile of the Lost Generation captures life among the expatriates on Paris' Left Bank during the 1920s, the brutality of bullfighting in Spain, and the moral and spiritual dissolution of a generation.
Check the Catalog arrow


Documentary Film Series

The fourth Thursday of the month, (except Dec) come view and discuss documentary films on current issues. Light refreshments will be provided. Sign up to be added to the film email list. (RSS for Events)

Documentary Film Series

Movie THE FARM: ANGOLA, USA directed and produced by Jonathan Stack and Liz Garbus (1998)
part of THE BIG READ

March 25, 2010
7:00 pm

An intense and revealing portrait of the daily life of six prison inmates, including a prisoner on death row, at the maximum security Louisiana prison. An award-winner! Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Documentary Film Series

Movie CHOPS directed and produced by Bruce Broder

April 22, 2010
7:00 pm

Follows a group of musically talented kids in an acclaimed public school program as they prepare for the Essentially Ellington jazz competition. In conjunction with the Charlottesville Jazz Society. There will be a live jazz performance from 6-7 pm prior to the film. more info

First Friday Opening - Art Exhibit

April 02, 2010
5:00 pm

Jazz Appreciation Month: 3rd floor
see above

Gardening Naturally

gardening naturallyNATURE-FRIENDLY GARDEN by Marlene Condon

April 14, 2010
7:00 pm

A 45-minute slide presentation by the author. Learn why the loss of biodiversity should be taken seriously and how you can help to save our wildlife by gardening in a nature-friendly manner.
Check the Catalog arrow

Crozet Library
434.823.4050 | crozet@jmrl.org

Crozet Soiree

Friendly evenings of informal conversations with guest speakers representing the arts, culture, businesses and interests of our community.

Crozet Soiree

TIM SANJULE: bicycle travels

March 25, 2010
7:00 pm

Sanjule
Tim SanJule has ridden his bicycle solo for thousands of miles on five continents. He'll share the nuts and bolts (and a few stories) of how to get started so you can pedal away.

Monday Evening Book Club

Meets monthly (Sept - July) on the 1st Monday of each month 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Please drop in and join us!

Want to see what we've already read? Try Searching the calendar.

Monday Evening Book Club

LITTLE BEELITTLE BEE by Chris Cleave

April 05, 2010
7:00 pm

A haunting novel about the tenuous friendship that blooms between two disparate strangers--one an illegal Nigerian refugee, the other a recent widow from suburban London. Check the Catalog arrow

Monday Evening Book Club

TIME AND AGAINTIME AND AGAIN by Jack Finney

May 03, 2010
7:00 pm

Simon Morley is selected by a secret government agency to test Einstein's theory of the past co-existing with the present and is transported back to 1880s New York. Check the catalog bullet

Future Readings:

Gordon Avenue
434.296.5544 | gordon@jmrl.org

Live Poets Society

The Live Poets Society meets the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. Come and share original poetry, or just listen.

The Literary Masterpiece Book Group

Meets at 10am on the first and third Fridays of each month to discuss literary classics. The group meets from September to May. For further information, call Tod Oliver (434) 296-4041.

Want to see what we've already read? Try Searching the calendar.

The Literary Masterpiece Book Group

FAREWELL TO ARMS A FAREWELL TO ARMS by Ernest Hemingway

March 19, 2010
10:00 am

Change location due to construction: will meet at Northside Library
An American's love for an English nurse during the First World War ends in tragedy.
Check the Catalog arrow

The Literary Masterpiece Book Group

THE RED AND THE BLACK by Stendhal

April 02, 2010
10:00 am

Change location due to Book Sale: call Tod Oliver for info 296-4041.
Stendhal’s masterpiece is the story a young dreamer from the provinces, fueled by Napoleonic ideals, whose desire to make his fortune sets in motion events both mesmerizing and tragic. Stendhal weaves together the social life and fraught political intrigues of post–Napoleonic France, bringing that world to unforgettable, full-color life. His portrait of Julien Sorel and early-nineteenth-century France remains an unsurpassed creation, one that brilliantly anticipates modern literature.
Check the Catalog arrow

The Literary Masterpiece Book Group

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE B. TOKLAS THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE B. TOKLAS by Gertrude Stein

April 16, 2010
10:00 am

Through the eyes of Miss Toklas, Gertrude Stein reviews both of their lives before their meeting and during their years of companionship. Check the Catalog arrow

The Literary Masterpiece Book Group

stranger THE STRANGER by Albert Camus

May 07, 2010
10:00 am

Through the story of an ordinary man unwittingly drawn into a senseless murder on an Algerian beach, Camus explored what he termed "the nakedness of man faced with the absurd." Check the Catalog

The Literary Masterpiece Book Group

BIRDSONG by Sebastian Faulks

May 21, 2010
10:00 am

In 1910, Stephen Wraysford, a young Englishman, journeys to France, becomes embroiled in a series of traumatic events, including a clandestine love affair, and is later trapped amid the horrors of the First World War. Check the Catalog arrow

The Wednesday Night Book Group

This group meets at 7:30 pm, the second Wednesday of each month to share insights on a variety of classic and contemporary fiction.

Want to see what we've already read? Try Searching the calendar.

The Wednesday Night Book Group

UNCOMMON READERUNCOMMON READER by Alan Bennett

April 14, 2010
7:30 pm

Obliged to borrow a book when her corgis stray into a mobile library, the Queen discovers a passion for reading, setting the palace upon its head and causing the royal head of Great Britain to question her role in the monarchy. Check the Catalog arrow

The Wednesday Night Book Group

OLIVE KITTERIDGEOLIVE KITTERIDGE by Elizabeth Strout

May 12, 2010
7:30 pm

The world of Olive Kitteridge, a retired school teacher in a small coastal town in Maine, is revealed in stories that explore her diverse roles in many lives, including a lounge singer haunted by a past love, her stoic husband, and her own resentful son. Check the Catalog arrow

The Wednesday Night Book Group

housekeepingHOUSEKEEPING by Marilynne Robinson

June 09, 2010
7:30 pm

Ruth, a young girl struggling to overcome haunting family memories in a town which will not let her forget, gradually grows close to Sylvie, the sister of her dead mother. Check the Catalog arrow

The Wednesday Night Book Group

MY ANTONIAMY ANTONIA by Willa Cather

July 14, 2010
7:30 pm

Published in 1918. Her best known work, it honors the immigrant settlers of the American plains. The reminiscences of a New York lawyer, Jim Burden, about his boyhood in Nebraska, particularly a young Bohemian girl named Antonia Shimerda, are set against the backdrop of the American assimilation of the immigrant.
Check the catalog bullet

Greene
434.985.5227 | greene@jmrl.org

Job Seeker Services

VEC SPONSORED BY THE VIRGINIA EMPLOYMENT COMMISSION

March 18, 2010
12:30 pm

Thursdays: no appointments necessary. Walk-ins welcome. (12:30pm - 4:30pm)
SERVICES PROVIDED:

  • Career Exploration
  • Job Search Assistance
  • Resume Writing Assistance
  • Interviewing Skills
  • Job Skills Development
  • Other Work/Career Related Services

Katrina Powell: Virginia Festival of the Book

AnguishTHE ANGUISH OF THE DISPLACEMENT and ANSWER AT ONCE: both books by Katrina Powell

March 20, 2010
4:00 pm

The author will discuss these books which bring together historical, archival and oral history research, including many of the letters written by families who were displaced when the Shenandoah National Park was formed in 1926.

Thursday Film Series

Shown on the 3rd Thursday of the month, and funded by the Friends of Greene County Library. This is an Independent and Documentary Film Series shown on the BIG SCREEN (in surround sound!) in the library meeting room. Come on out -- it's FREE and it's FUN. Join your friends, sip some coffee, watch a great film and join in a discussion afterwards. Most of these films are un-rated. Please check with library staff about suitability for teens or children.

Thursday Film Series

Movie FRESH: NEW THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE ARE EATING directed by ana Sofia joanes

March 18, 2010
7:00 pm

FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Explores the environmental & ethical issues surrounding sustainable vs. industrial farming while celebrating the innovative changes now taking place. Joining us for the film is Mike Clark, owner of Planet Earth Diversified, in Greene County.

Thursday Night Book Discussion Group

Meets at 7pm on the first Thursday of each month to discuss interesting books chosen by members.

Want to see what we've already read? Try Searching the calendar.

Thursday Night Book Discussion Group

LessonGHOST TRAIN TO THE EASTERN STAR by Paul Theroux

April 01, 2010
7:00 pm

The author of "The Great Railway Bazaar" revisits the past as he journeys through Eastern Europe, Central Asia, India, China, Japan, and Siberia on an adventure that reveals the dramatic changes that have occurred since the writing of the original travelogue.
Check the Catalog arrow

Thursday Night Book Discussion Group

LessonOUT OF AFRICA by Isak Dinesen

May 06, 2010
7:00 pm

In describing her experiences managing a coffee plantation in Kenya, the author provides insight into the nature of African life.
Check the Catalog arrow

Nelson
434.263.5904 | nelson@jmrl.org

Brown Bag Book Club

Fourth Monday of each month (with some exceptions) from 12:00 to 2 pm. Like to Read? Like to Talk? Join us at our Book Club Group! Call the library at 263-5904 for more information.

Want to see what we've already read? Try Searching the calendar.

Brown Bag Book Club

my father's tearsA LESSON BEFORE DYING by Ernest J. Gaines
THE BIG READ

March 22, 2010
12:00 pm

Dr. Justin Wert, PVCC English Prof, will moderate the discussion. The story of two African American men struggling to attain manhood in a prejudiced society, in Louisiana in the late 1940s. It concerns Jefferson, a mentally slow, barely literate young man, who, though an innocent bystander to a shootout between a white store owner and two black robbers, is convicted of murder and sentenced to death, and the sophisticated, educated man who comes to his aid.
Check the Catalog arrow

Brown Bag Book Club

GIRL WITH NO SHADOWTHE GIRL WITH NO SHADOW by Joanne Harris

April 26, 2010
12:00 pm

Vianne assumes a low-profile new identity in Paris, where she opens a chocolaterie and hopes to escape the ghosts of her past before a devious new friend threatens everything she has worked for.
Check the Catalog arrow

Northside
434.973.7893 | northside@jmrl.org

"@ Your Library"

A monthly program consisting of crafts and information.

March 24, 2010
6:30 pm

  • Women's Self-Defense Workshop - Mar 1
    Learn some basic self-defense techniques in this workshop for teens and adults. Registration begins February 16. Class size limited.
  • Monarch Butterflies - Mar 3
    Learn more about the amazing life cycle and migration of this special insect. Nancy Newman, Outreach Educator for the Virginia Museum of Natural History, will be here with slides, books, and enthusiasm. Registration begins Feb 10. Class size limited.
  • Writing Your Life - Mar 24
    Join Kevin Quirk for a memoir writing workshop to unlock your stories. Mr. Quirk is a successful local author who also teaches writing classes through the University of Virginia's continuing education program. A Big Read program.
  • Happy Birthday, Mr. Jefferson - Apr 28
    Elizabeth Chew, Curator at Monticello, will help us get a better picture of the home life of Albemarle County’s most famous resident. Have a piece of birthday cake in Mr. Jefferson’s honor. Registration begins April 7.

Books Made into Movies

March 20, 2010
2:00 pm

Movies are based on the following books:

  • The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) - Mar 20
  • The Kite Runner (2007) - May 22

Books Sandwiched In

Third Fridays (lunchtime 12-1 pm) Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, this is a series of presentations of books reviewed by noted local people. Why not bring a sandwich and join us? All programs are free and open to the public. For more information about the books and their reviewers, call 973-7893.

Meets January-May and September-November.

Want to see what we've already read? Try Searching the calendar.

Books Sandwiched In

big burnTHE BIG BURN: TEDDY ROOSEVELT AND THE FIRE THAT SAVED AMERICA by Timothy Egan

April 16, 2010
12:00 pm

Ironically, the nation's worst-ever forest fire saved the forests; Roosevelt used the positive public opinion in the aftermath to create the idea of public land as our national treasure. Reviewed by Thomas A. Dierauf, Research Forester (retired), Virginia Dept. of Forestry.
Check the Catalog arrow

Books Sandwiched In

ABIGAIL ADAMSABIGAIL ADAMS by Woody Holton

May 21, 2010
12:00 pm

"This is the Adams who deserves a mini-series!" One of American history's most beloved figures both as a patriot and a feminist is the subject of this thorough, thoughtful biography. Reviewed by Elizabeth Downing Taylor, independent scholar, James Madison’s Montpelier.
Check the Catalog arrow

Noon Notes

Kate TamarkinNoon Notes will be Fridays at noon before each Charlottesville & University Symphony Orchestra subscription concert weekend. Make the most out of each orchestra concert. Noon Notes offer an illuminating and thought-provoking exploration of the season's programs. These entertaining lectures by Music Director Kate Tamarkin offer both novice and experienced patrons a deeper appreciation of the performances. Full info

  • Nov 6: Vive La France
  • Feb 12: Heartland of Europe
  • Mar 26: English Variations
  • Apr 23: The New World

Wednesday Night Book Group

This new group meets the third Wednesday of each month, 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Please stop in and join us.

Want to see what we've already read? Try Searching the calendar.

Wednesday Night Book Group

NAMESAKETHE NAMESAKE by Jhumpa Lahiri

March 24, 2010
7:00 pm

A portrait of the immigrant experience follows the Ganguli family from their traditional life in India through their arrival in Massachusetts in the late 1960s and their difficult melding into an American way of life. Check the Catalog arrow

Wednesday Night Book Group

Book Picks

April 21, 2010
7:00 pm

Bring a snack to share and a list of titles to recommend for our 2010 book group reads.