Pirates, Plants & Possibilities at your Local Library

September is Library Card Sign Up Month, and it is not to late to come in and update your card or get a new one! A Library Card hits all the right notes! Explore a new world in the pages of a book and beyond, the possibilities are endless!

What is a pirates favorite letter of the alphabet? Rrrrrrrrr! On Tuesday, September 15th, it was all about Pirates at the Pamplin Depot Story & Craft Time. Library Director Cindy Scheu read the books “Pirates Ho!”, “Pirate Stew” and “How I Became a Pirate”. She followed up with snacks, juice and the craft, which was making a pirate ship using our handprints, paper plates, construction paper and crayons. The Library’s next Pamplin Depot Story & Craft Time will be on Tuesday, September 22nd, starting at 1:00 pm.

Seeing spots at your local Library? Don’t panic, it is just the dalmatian painted book bus named Spot bringing patrons preschool through high school, another resource for books! The Library and A.L.I.P. (Appomattox Literacy Intervention Project) have been working together to bring more books to the community to promote reading and literacy. You can find Spot at the Library on Tuesdays from 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm and on Thursdays from 9:50 am to 11:00 am through October 15th.

For the Wednesday Jamerson Library’s Story & Craft Time Library Fair MaKayla read the book “Picture Book by Dog” by Michael Relth. A loyal pup shares a simple, sweet, and funny rhyming story of finding a forever family. It’s a clever take on a dog’s journey from being lost to found — from shelter to home. The kids enjoyed snacks while creating their own dog silhouettes with recycled book pages, a pattern, construction paper, crayons and other embellishments. If you are interested in the book, it is available for checkout.

We wrapped up Wednesday with an early release program, in conjunction with MESH (Minicamelot’s Emotional Support Horses), as a part of the Library’s outreach programs. The horses may have been mini, but the outpouring of love and support was GIANT! Patrons enjoyed petting, meeting and greeting these tiny bundles of equine gentleness to promote confidence, bonding, and a love for animals and people. Reading and horses are something to neigh about! For more information about MESH visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1395773075130418. We want to thank MESH for coming out on such a warm and beautiful day to help spread love and joy for all.

On Thursday, September 17th, the Library was a host site for the Library of Virginia’s live streaming event of an empowering, eye-opening virtual conversation with renowned wellness expert Yasmine Cheyenne as we discussed her transformative new book, The Comeback Era: From Limiting Beliefs to Living Without Limits. If you missed the live stream or are interested in the book, we have a copy available for checkout.

The rain in downtown Appomattox didn’t care about history; it just wanted to wash the brick clean on Main Street. I stepped out of the storm and into the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library, where the scent of old paper and dust hung heavy like a bad alibi as Library employee Craig York introduced the first film for Film Noir Night on Thursday, September 17th, featuring “Quicksand”. Film Noir is a term means that means, “black film” in French, coined by critics to describe Hollywood crime dramas that mirrored post-war pessimism. Our next Film Noir Night will be on Thursday, October 22nd, at 5:00 pm featuring the classic “Rear Window”. Professional photojournalist L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies (James Stewart) is confined to a wheelchair in his Greenwich Village apartment with a broken leg, to pass the time, he begins spying on his courtyard neighbors across the way through his telephoto lens and binoculars. He grows suspicious that a middle-aged salesman named Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr) has murdered his bedridden wife after she abruptly disappears. Aided by his high-society girlfriend Lisa Fremont (Grace Kelly) and nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter), Jeff risks his safety to prove a murder took place right outside his window.

Saturday, September 19th, Library Fairy MaKayla spread her wings and talked like a pirate for the Jamerson Library Dance Party in the community room! The music was pumping and the snacks were delicious.

As a part of the Library’s continued celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, and science, there is a free “Science Across America” raffle. The planter is filled with a tote bag, water bottle, seeds, trinkets, crafts, a space puzzle, a science kit and more. It is one entry per person, per visit to the Library, open to everyone of all ages! We will announce the winner of this raffle on Monday, September 28th. Good luck!

Appomattox County Schools and the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library are hosting a Fall Festival. Meet us in Abbitt Park on Saturday, September 26th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. This is a community family-friendly event to promote local services. There will be vendors, games, and fun! Service animals are welcome, but please leave your pets at home.

From Monday, September 28th, through October 3rd, (Saturday) – Jamerson Library Book Fair! Get as excited as you were as a child, and join us for a nostalgic-style book fair in the Library’s community room during normal business hours. The library will have preschool through adult books for sale at an average cost of $2.00 to $10.00 per book. It is suggested that you bring cash or check, as we cannot guarantee the ability to accept credit/debit card.

Starting on Thursday, October 1st, the Library will be celebrating individuality and being different, with the famous raccoon Jimothy. Jimothy sprang to stardom after a he was first filmed in Seattle in July of 2026, with his distinctive compact, round body shaped due to short spin syndrome, a rare congenital condition. In honor of Jimothy the Library will be hosting a free raffle with Jimothy-related items complete with his very own trash can! It is one entry per person, per visit. We will announce the winner on Thursday, October 29th. Good luck!

Join the Jamerson Library for our much-anticipated annual Fall Plant Swap. Bring your extra or unwanted houseplants, seeds, bareroots, and cuttings to the Library and exchange them for new friends to take home. You must bring plants in order to take plants in a fair or generous exchange of greenery on Thursday, October 8th, from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm in the Library’s Community Room.

There are a few simple rules to follow;

• Plants must be free of diseases and infestations.
• No dead plants.
• Plants must be easy to transport (put in some sort of container, pots, cups, baggies with a wet paper towel).
• You must leave plants, to take plants, no taking plants without a fair or generous exchange.
• Bring your own totes, boxes, or crates for the swap to take selected plants home.

In observation of the Railroad Festival Weekend and Columbus Day the Jamerson Memorial Library will be closed on Friday, October 9th, Saturday October 10th, and Monday, October 12th. We will reopen for normal business hours on Tuesday October 13th, starting at 9:30 am. Our book depository will be CLOSED during this time. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause our patrons.

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.

Article/photo submitted by
Katharine G. Bloodworth
J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library

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

DVD

• Is God Is
• Signal One
• Project Hail Mary
• Animal Farm
• Curious George Sales with the Pirates and other capers!
• All I Want for Christmas is You (Mariah Carey’s)
• PAW Patrol: Winter Rescues
• Chuggington: Let’s Ride the Rails!
• The Lego Movie
• Arthur’s Perfect Christmas
• Bob’s White Christmas (Bob the Builder)