JMRL blog

Central Library Brown Baggers discussed “Days at the Morisaki Bookshop” by Satoshi Yagisawa on April 16th. First published in Japan in 2010, the English translation was released in 2023. Set in the real life booktown of Jimocho, outside of Tokyo,Japan, the novel follows a young woman as she relocates to live above the Morisaki bookshop, […]

It’s that time of year again when each library branch hosts their own special event to celebrate the beginning of Summer Reading and the opening of Summer Reading Registration From sidewalk chalk, lawn games, reptiles, frozen treats, and more, there’s no shortage of fun activities to get you and your family pumped for another great […]

Location: Central Library, 201 E. Market St, Charlottesville, VA The How-To Festival is FREE and open to everyone. Bring the family and tell your friends! There’s something for all ages—drop-in to workshops inside and outside the building on a range of topics from 18th Century textile spinning, navigating AI, cooking demos, book making, woodworking, movement, […]

“All of the hormones that made me want to seem approachable so I could breed are gone and replaced by hormones that are fiercely protective of my autonomy and freedom” On April 2, 2026 Books on Tap met to discuss the 2024 novel (and National Book Award Finalist) “All Fours” by Miranda July. July is […]

For March, both of Central library’s book groups read and discussed this year’s Same Page Community read, “The House of Eve” (2023) by Sadeqa Johnson.  Every year, JMRL works with the Virginia Festival of the Book and the JMRL Friends of the Library to highlight a celebrated author and distribute free copies of one of […]

“With my pencil, I wrote myself into being.” Central Library’s Brown Baggers had a lively discussion of Percival Everett’s award-winning 2024 novel “James” on February 12th.  (Everett appeared in Charlottesville at The Paramount to talk about “James” as part of the 2024 Virginia Festival of the Book.) A modern retelling of Mark Twain’s “Adventures of […]

Books on Tap met Feb. 5th to discuss “Master Slave Husband Wife: an Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom” by Ilyon Woo.  A 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner for biography, the book tells of the journey of the Crafts, an enslaved couple who disguise themselves as master and slave in 1848 to travel from Macon,Georgia to […]

Each year, kids across Virginia vote for their favorite nominee to win the Virginia Readers’ Choice (VRC) Award. This year, JMRL is focusing on the Primary category featuring ten new picture books! View the titles in JMRL’s Find It Catalog or in Libby. From these lists, you can click on each book to see its […]

Central Library’s Brown Baggers book group met on Thursday, January 15th to discuss “The Women”  by Kristin Hannah.  This selection of historical fiction covers the experience of a young nurse who signs up to serve in the US Army Nurses Corp during the Vietnam War, and also the treatment and trauma she experienced once she […]

JMRL invites individuals, community organizations and businesses to participate in the 8th annual How-To Festival on Saturday, May 2nd from 10am-1pm inside and outside Central Library. Share your knowledge/skills/services and promote your business, organization or cause. The How-To Festival is a drop-in library takeover event with short presentations and demos on a variety of topics. […]