April comes from the Latin word, aperio, “to open” (bud), because plants begin to grow during this month. April’s birthstone is the diamond and the flower is the daisy. Some observances in April are: Amateur Radio Month, Autism Awareness Month, Financial Literacy Month, Jazz Appreciation Month, Library Snapshot Month, National Frog Month, and Tulip Month just to name a few. Be sure to keep an eye out on our Facebook, Instagram, and BluSky social media accounts for more observances, links, trivia facts, recipes, library-related programs, and other fun stuff!
Spring is here and Summer is just around the corner! The Library is making plans for our upcoming 2025 Summer Reading Program, we are going with the state-wide theme of “Color Our World”. We are encouraging our patrons to download the Beanstack app on the apple or google play store as we are going paperless this year, and most of our record keeping will be done on Beanstack. You can sign up now but will not be able to apply your own statistics until the beginning of each week during Summer Reading.
On Wednesday, March 26th the Appomattox Farm Bureau hosted the Library’s weekly Story & Craft Time. They featured the book “Outdoor Farm, Indoor Farm” written by Lindsey H. Metcalf. The kids discovered how both outdoor and indoor farms sustainably grow the food we eat throughout the year in this vibrant, rhyming picture book. The kids decorated their own biodegradable planting pot using stickers, ink stamps, and crayons, and they were given lettuce seeds to plant. They also did a coloring activity sheet, and snack included chocolate covered eggs and pouched yogurts to go. The Farm Bureau donated a copy of the book to us, and it is available for checkout. Our next Story & Craft Times will be on Wednesday, April 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd & 30th starting at 11:00 am and 12:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend with the understanding that this program is done on a preschool level.
On Thursday, April 27th the Library hosted a private craft day for a small group of adults. We welcomed the spring by preparing small glass jars to plant spider plants, made a post it holder, and created cat art by dragging strategically placed puff paint and accenting with markers before letting them dry and put into frames. Each cat was unique as the person who created it. We served snacks and enjoyed an early afternoon of fun. If your organization, club or social group wishes to have your own private event please feel free to reach out to the Library.
It was about the “pot luck” for the Friday, April 28’s Jamerson Cookbook Book Club. And employee highlighted the cookbook “What Can I Bring?” by Taste of Home, and featured the dish avocado salsa as her portion of participation. This dish was fresh, vegan friendly, and very tasty. Our next Jamerson Cookbook Book Club will be on Friday, April 25th, starting at 12:00 pm. April’s theme will be “Celebrating Spring”, suggestions would be a fresh salad, coconut or lemon cake, herbal tea, or a ham dish. Bring in a copy of one of your favorite cookbooks, a sample of one of the recipes from the book for everyone to sample, and copies of the recipe you made. The Library will provide the napkins, paper plates / bowls, and plastic ware, but you must provide your own service utensils. We will all share our dishes and recipes as we enjoy great conversation and company. This program is intended for adults 18 years of age and older.
What does it take to be a Library Secret Agent? Find out by joining us for reading challenges, four days of interactive fun, crafts, movies, snacks and more!
All students up through High School are welcome to join us. Space is limited, so sign up early! Register anytime between now and April 4th by downloading the Beanstack App on the Apple Store or Google Play. Search for the Jamerson Library and sign up each participant by following the instructions and answering a few simple questions on the App. If you have any questions or are having difficulty logging on, come to the front desk with your cellphone/tablet, and a friendly staff member will be happy to help you.
National Library Week runs from Sunday, April 6th through Saturday, April 12th and is a celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities. This would be a great week to renew or get a Library card! This Library has lots to offer you; internet, printing and faxing services, events, programs, books (physical, ebooks, and audio), magazines (physical and online), movies, kanopy (streaming service), free homework help, adult classes and more!
Get ready to eat a book and join in the festival, an edible book festival! On Tuesday, April 8th the Library will be hosting an edible book festival from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm in our community room. Participants are asked to create edible art inspired by books! All submissions must depict a fictional or non-fictional literary work or character. You can pick up an entry form and the list of rules at the Library. Read your book and eat it too!
On Saturday, April 12th the Library will host our Creative Outlet Class for Adults starting at 11:00 am in the community room. April’s project will be to create a watercolor silhouette using watercolor pencils and book pages. Let the colors flow inspired by spring and your imagination. Patrons 18+ are encouraged to register online at: https://www.jrjml.org/adult-program-registration/.