Just a few more days till the 2026 Summer Reading starts on Monday, June 1st! Patrons of all ages, including adults, can enroll early using the Beanstack App. To register and track your progress download the Beanstack App, available on the Apple Store or Google Play. Search for the Jamerson Library and sign up each participant by following the instructions and answer a few simple questions on the App. If you have any difficulties logging on, come to the circulation desk with your cellphone/tablet and a friendly staff member will be happy to help you. We will be featuring dinosaurs, archaeology, paleontology, adventurers, scientists, fossils, rocks, gardening and more!

The J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library is an all-American hometown Library located on Main Street in the historic town of Appomattox, where our “Where Our Nation Reunited”. The Library is celebrating the American spirit through guest speakers, programs, and events all year! You can find out more by visiting our website at: www.jrjml.org, follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky), picking up a copy of our monthly newsletters, find our events listed on Experience Appomattox’s events page (https://historicappomattox.com/events-calendar-appomattox-virginia/), or in our local paper, the Appomattox Times, which is currently printed once a month, or you can visit their website at https://appomattoxtimes.com/.

The Jamerson Memorial Library is working with the Appomattox Times to preserve local history by asking patrons to search their attics and basements for old editions of the “Times Virginian” newspaper from 1984 to 2024, when the paper went out of business. You can drop off copies at the Library and the Appomattox Time will collect add them to their digital archives of this now out of business newspaper.

Beat the summer heat with the Library’s new game & puzzle collection, located near the seating area. We will be featuring checkout-able puzzles, chess boards, dice, card and journaling games to introduce this budding collection. We will be adding many more in the near future. You will be able to checkout up to three puzzles or games (3) per card for up to three (3) weeks, with one renewal allowed. Take time to make time by interacting with family and friends for an entertaining afternoon or evening with a puzzle or game challenge!

Library has plenty of herb, flower and vegetable seeds to choose from in our Seed Library. We have replenished zucchini and have added watermelon seeds. Patrons are allowed 3 items per week, per household while supplies last. If you have extra seed we encourage you to bring them in, to share.

Exciting news! We still have plenty of plants to choose from in our Library plant sale. Whether you’re looking for a new houseplant or something for the garden, we have you covered. Stop by soon—once these are gone, they’re gone! All proceeds support the library.

On Wednesday, May 20th, the Library welcomed  Staff Sergeant Roman Buchanan, a recruiter for the US Army, as our guest reader for the weekly Story & Craft Time. He read the book “The Bakery Dragon and the Fairy Cake” by Devin Elle Kurtz. Batter up! Ember is in charge while the baker takes a trip and he’s excited to show what he can do! When an opinionated fairy princess swoops in demanding a cake, he eagerly agrees. So what if he’s only baked bread before? The sugar hits the fan when Ember’s first attempt is a complete disaster. He tries again and again, but the royal customer is not happy. Everyone told Ember he was such a good baker, so why can’t he get this right? If he doesn’t figure it out soon, the only thing on the menu will be humble pie How hard can it be? The kids made own version of “fairy cakes” using stickers, markers and other embellishments, while enjoying juice and snacks. If you are interested in “The Bakery Dragon and the Fairy Cake”, we have a copy for checkout in the Library. Our next Story & Craft Time will be on Wednesday, May 27th, starting at 11:00 am and 12:00 pm, our guest reader will be Firs Class Petty Officer Ian McConnell, recruiter for the US Navy.  Everyone is welcome to attend with the understanding that this program is intended for preschool patrons. This will be the last Story & Craft Time until August 19, as we will be taking a break from our regularly scheduled program to focus on Summer Reading events and program.

Also on Wednesday, the Library welcomed Benjamin Esswein as a part of the Library’s celebration of the 250th Anniversary of America! He presented the seminar “The Religious Conflicts of Europe’s Confessional Era. Benjamin Esswein’s field of study is Early Modern Europe and the Reformation. He deals directly with Central and Eastern Europe, the Austro-Ottoman Borderlands in the sixteenth and early seventeenth century.

On Thursday, May 21st, the Jamerson Library hosted a very busy Early Release After School Games & Puzzles event for students of all ages. The kids had an opportunity to enjoy snacks while having fun interacting with each other on the Library’s collaboration tables, located on the main floor.

On Friday, May 22nd, the Jamerson Library hosted a second Early Release After School program giving students of all ages the opportunity to make crafts and enjoy snacks.

Also on Friday the Library hosted Gladius, an award-winning composer and accomplished classical/flamenco style guitarist. He drew the crowd in with his soulful sounds embracing many genres simultaneously, creating a unique and  interactive mini concert with a heartbeat the could only be Gladius! Just in case you missed it, we have posted videos and photos on our social media accounts.

On Saturday, June 13th, the Jamerson Library has the honor of being chosen to be a host Library for Ted Democracy Live! We will livestream TED Democracy Philadelphia: Founding Futures to help connect communities across the country to the vital conversations about the future of democracy taking place in Philadelphia during America’s 250th birthday celebrations. This daylong symposium features 15+ brand-new TED Talks focused on the evolution and future of democracy, streaming live from Philadelphia during America’s 250th anniversary. Join us for big ideas, thoughtful conversation and a shared civic moment. Free and open to the public!  This program will be broken down into three sessions. Session 1 will be from 11 AM to 12:30 PM EDT. Session 2 will be from 2 PM to 3:30 PM EDT, and Session 3 will be from 4 PM to 5:30 PM EDT.

In observance of the Juneteenth Holiday, the Library will be closed on Friday, June 19th. We will reopen for normal business hours on Saturday, June 20, starting at 9:30 am. Please do not return library-owned materials on the free rack located at the main entrance. The Library is not responsible for materials left on this rack.

The Library maybe be closed on Friday, June 19th, but we will be a guest vendor at the Appomattox for Equality’s 2026 Juneteenth Celebration “Honoring the Past – Celebrating the Present – Building the Future” from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm at the Carver Price Cultural Center at 106 Patricia Ann Lane in Appomattox. Juneteenth is the oldest national commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States and guests of all races, nationalities and religions will come together for reflection, rejoicing, assessment and self-improvement. This event is FREE for the community to attend. There will be live entertainment, Kuumba Dance Ensemble, 360 photo booth, Juneteenth Bingo, arts and crafts, 50/50 raffle, various vendors, and Walker’s Fish & Chicken and More.

If you have any questions or concerns about this article or other library-related topics, please feel free to call us during normal business hours.

The Library receives a steady supply of new and donated items and would like to highlight the following items: