Planting the seeds of knowledge at your local library

The Library has free copies of the Appomattox Times located in our front foyer and on our information table! The Appomattox Times plans to do a monthly printing of their online newspaper. Please be sure to follow them on Facebook and their website.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556173151506
https://appomattoxtimes.com/

Introducing the new ACLA (Appomattox County Library Association) Library Store! As part of ACLA’s mission to support the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library, the Appomattox County Library Association (ACLA) has launched a small store featuring seasonal gifts, stationery, and library-themed items. Please note that the ACLA Library Store currently accepts cash or check only. The Library Store is located immediately in front of the circulation desk.

Library has plenty of herb, flower and vegetable seeds to choose from in our Seed Library. We have replenished yellow squash, and have added aster, broccoli, burpless cucumbers, buttercrunch lettuce, butternut squash, celery, cherry tomatoes, cosmo, four o’clock, foxglove, johnny jump ups, peas (snap sugar daddy), zinnias, and zucchini. Patrons may select up to three packets of seeds per household per week.

Math Matters in May with the equation Books+Me+Jelly Beans = the perfect trio! Patrons are encouraged to ask for a small packet of Jelly Belly® jelly beans when they checkout at the circulation desk. It is one pack per visit per patron, while supplies last. Don’t forget to look at some of the math items we have on display for the month of May!

We would like to remind patrons that the rack, located outside the Library’s front doors is not a return rack, but a free rack, for patrons to put small household items, clothes, toys and other such items to share with others who are in need. Our book depository is located at the back of the building. The Library is not responsible for books and other library-owned materials that have been placed on this rack.

On Monday, May 4th, the Sun Bonnet Sue Stitchers gathered in the community room for good conversation and busy hands creating an assortment of knitting, crocheting, quilting and embroidery projects.

The winner of the Cinco De Mayo & Taco Tuesday Free Raffle is Whitney! We want to congratulate her on winning a flower pot with cilantro seeds, a Taco Tuesday apron, the book “Pete the Cat’s Wacky Taco Tuesday”, a positive taco amigurumi, and mini taco pen.

On Tuesday, May 5th, PEATC (Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center) met in the Library’s community room to provides tools and information to empower parents/guardians of students with disabilities (birth – 26 years of age) with services and support. For more information on PEATC, please visit their website at: https://peatc.org/.

Wednesday, May 6th, was a very busy day for the Library, with several events taking place including Girl Scout Story & Craft Time. Elisabeth Copp from Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline read the book “Girl Scouts: The Amazing Daises”. Meet the Amazing Daisies, three best friends who work together to accomplish amazing things. The kids enjoyed snacks while doing crafts. Our next Story & Craft Time will be on Wednesday, May 13th, starting at 11:00 am and 12:00 pm. Our guest reader will be the Robert E. Lee Soil and Water Conservation District.

Virginia Legal Aid presented an educational seminar on Unemployment Benefits on Wednesday in the Library’s community room.

Library Director Cindy Scheu hosted Girls Who Code on Wednesday in the community room. Girls Who Code is a club designed to help young women learn about science, technology, engineering, math, and how they integrate into their everyday lives. The Jamerson GWC Club welcomes new members from 3rd grade to 12th grade.

The Library welcomed Lisa Crutchfield as a part of the 250th Anniversary of America with her presentation “Reconsidering Early American Anglo-Indigenous History and its Legacy”. When we think of the Indigenous history of North America, our minds often go to the Old West. But what of our colonial and revolutionary Indigenous history east of the Mississippi? What were the parameters of interaction during those early years and what effect would they have on the subsequent 250 years since the formation of the United States of America? In this presentation, historian Lisa Crutchfield invited the audience to discover and reassess the prominent roles Indigenous people played in early colonial history, reflect on how we recover and present that narrative, and consider what the legacy of that interaction is in our modern world. Lisa Crutchfield is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Lynchburg and a historian of early America and the Atlantic World.

The Library’s annual Spring Plant Swap was held on Thursday, May 7th, with lots of plants being exchanged. Due to this very successful plant swap and employees propagating plants, we are hosting a plant sale. We have lots of plants that need new homes with indoor and outdoor plants to choose from. All proceeds will benefit the Library. Prices are as marked.

On Saturday, May 9th, the monthly Creative Outlet Class for Adults made book flower holders with flower pens to go in them, making them not only pretty to look at, but useful. Each month the Creative Outlet Class for Adults tries a new craft or art project. Everyone 18 and up is welcome to join!

In observation of the Memorial Day Holiday, the Jamerson Library will be closed on Monday, May 25th. We will reopen to the public on Tuesday, May 26th, starting at 9:30 am. The book drop located at the back of the building will remain open during this time.

Library staff is working hard to get ready for the 2026 Summer Reading Program “Unearth A Story”! Summer Reading will start on Monday, June 1st, and run through Friday, July 31st. Patrons 2 years of age and older will have lots of opportunities to read, win prizes, attend programs, and do crafts. We will be featuring dinosaurs, archaeology, paleontology, adventurers, scientists, fossils, rocks, gardening 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.

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

Community Calendar

May 11th, Monday – GED Outreach @ the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library. From 1:00 pm–3:00 pm, Doriane Mills from the Adult Learning Center will be at the Library to answer your questions and help you sign up for classes to earn your GED.

May 12th, Tuesday – Trot the Book Bus at the Jamerson Library from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. All aboard the pony express! Preschool through high school-aged youth can borrow a book from this horse-painted bus that will be parked out front of the Library, located on Main Street. The Library accepts book returns and donations on behalf of Trot year-round.

May 12th, Tuesday – Jamerson Library’s Tween STEAM starting at 4:00 pm in the Library’s conference room. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics! Enjoy a fun interactive and educational program while enjoying snacks and good company.

May 12th, Tuesday – Appomattox Court House Quilt Guild to meet at the Jamerson Memorial Library starting at 5:30 pm in the community room.

May 13th, Wednesday – Jamerson Library’s Story & Craft Time starting at 11:00 am and 12:00 pm. Our guest reader will be the Robert E. Lee Soil and Water Conservation District. They will feature an age-appropriate book followed by a simple craft project and snacks. Everyone is welcome to attend with the understanding that this program is intended for preschool patrons.

May 13th, Wednesday – Jameson Library’s Adult Book Club starting at 5:30 pm. This month’s book is “Lucky Everyday” by Bapsy Jain. Forced to flee Bombay when her wealthy and charming husband divorces her and squashes her career, Lucky Boyce feels defeated and desperate for respite. Fortunately, old friends welcome her to New York where life begins with promise. Determined and trying to make a difference, she volunteers to teach yoga to prison inmates. But with her confidence in question and love starting to surface, a series of bizarre events leave Lucky searching once again for answers. There are multiple copies available at the circulation desk.

May 13th, Wednesday – Jamerson Library’s Kanopy Movie at 6:00pm in the community room. Help celebrate the 250th Anniversary of America by joining us for a patriotic movie and snacks! The Library will feature the movie The First American. George Washington is central to understanding America’s founding. He was the crucial figure in winning the American Revolution, in creating the Constitution, and in establishing the precedents for effective self-government as our first president. This is a family event to celebrate the American Spirit!

May 14th, Thursday – Spot the Book Bus at the Jamerson Library from 9:50 am to 11:00 am. Bark up a good book! Preschool through high school-aged youth can borrow a book from this dalmatian-painted bus that will be parked out front of the Library, located on Main Street. The Library accepts book returns and donations on behalf of Spot year-round.

May 18th, Monday – Sun Bonnet Sue Stitchers to meet at the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library starting at 10:00 am. Anyone interested in sharing or learning a skill like crocheting, knitting, quilting, needlework, sewing, or other related hobbies are encouraged to attend. Enjoy good company while sharing patterns, exchanging ideas, learning new projects, or teaching others. This meeting is open to anyone willing to teach or learn, yes gentleman, this includes you too!

May 18th, Monday – GED Outreach @ the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library. From 1:00 pm–3:00 pm, Doriane Mills from the Adult Learning Center will be at the Library to answer your questions and help you sign up for classes to earn your GED.

May 19th, Tuesday – Trot the Book Bus at the Jamerson Library from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. All aboard the pony express! Preschool through high school-aged youth can borrow a book from this horse-painted bus that will be parked out front of the Library, located on Main Street. The Library accepts book returns and donations on behalf of Trot year-round.

May 19th, Tuesday – Jamerson Memorial Library Board Meeting starting at 4:00 pm in the Library’s community room. This meeting is open to the public.

May 20th, Wednesday – Preschool Story & Craft Time at the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library starting at 11:00 am and 12:00 pm. The Library will feature an age-appropriate book followed by a simple craft project and snacks. Everyone is welcome to attend with the understanding that this program is intended for preschool patrons.

May 20th, Wednesday – 250th Anniversary of America presentation “The Religious Conflicts of Europe’s Confessional Era” by Benjamin Esswein, starting at 6:00 pm in the Library’s Community Room. The religious conflicts of Europe’s confessional era set in motion a migration that would fundamentally shape the American republic. Driven from their homelands by persecution, groups such as the Puritans, Huguenots, Quakers, and Moravians carried with them a vision forged in the Protestant Reformation — one centered on the primacy of individual conscience and faith free from state coercion. Their convergence in the American colonies produced something unprecedented: a society built not from a single religious tradition, but from the shared conviction that faith could not be compelled. This unique pluralism became the engine of colonial growth and civic identity, and ultimately found its most enduring expression in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution — transforming the suffering of Europe’s religious dissenters into the foundation of a nation unlike any the world had seen before. 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.

May 21st, Thursday – Spot the Book Bus at the Jamerson Library from 9:50 am to 11:00 am. Bark up a good book! Preschool through high school-aged youth can borrow a book from this dalmatian-painted bus that will be parked out front of the Library, located on Main Street. The Library accepts book returns and donations on behalf of Spot year-round.

May 21st, Thursday – Jamerson Library’s Early Dismissal Games & Puzzles 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Meet your friends after school at the Library’s collaboration tables on the main floor for some fast-paced games, cards, and puzzle challenges. There will be snacks!

May 22nd, Friday – Jamerson Library’s Early Dismissal Crafts 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Join the Library in celebrating the 250th Anniversary of America by making patriotic crafts just in time for Memorial Day and Summer Vacation! Don’t forget to join our 2026 Summer Reading Program “Unearth A Story” starting on Monday, June 1st!

May 22nd, Friday – Gladius to perform at the Jamerson Library, starting at 2:00pm in the Library’s community room! Gladius is an award-winning composer and “accomplished classical/flamenco style guitarist” who soulfully “shreds on the electric” (Phil Keaggy), sharing the bill with Grammy winners and mesmerizing audiences nationwide with his electrifying live act since 2016. For more information about Gladius visit his website at: https://gladiusofficial.com/

May 27th, Wednesday – Preschool Story & Craft Time at the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library starting at 11:00 am and 12:00 pm. The Library will feature an age-appropriate book followed by a simple craft project and snacks. Everyone is welcome to attend with the understanding that this program is intended for preschool patrons.

June 3rd, Wednesday – Fun & Craft Day in Abbitt Park! Join the Library for their annual launch of Summer Reading Program. There will be games, vendors, prizes, giveaways, body glitter tattoos, and more! Bring your t-shirt for tie-dying!