Celebrating Summer Reading and the American Spirit at the Jamerson Memorial Library

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.

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:

DVDs

• The American Revolution (A Ken Burns Film)
• The First American
• Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery (A Ken Burns Film)
• Frank Lloyd Wright (Ken Burns Film)
• The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton Susan B. Anthony: Not For Ourselves Alone (A Ken Burns Film)
• Mark Twain (A Ken Burns Film)
• Horatio’s Drive (A Ken Burns Film)
• Unforgivable Blackness: the Rise and Fall of Jack Johnston (A Ken Burns Film)

Community Calendar

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.

May 27th, Wednesday – Be a smart cookie at the Sweet Sarah’s Jamerson Library Fundraiser in the parking lot of the Jamerson Library from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Come to Main Street, shop local, get cookies and other sweet treats from Sweet Sarah’s trademark vintage camper and visit the Library. A percentage of Sweet Sarah’s sales will be donated to the Library.

June 1st, 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!

June 1st, Monday – Dinosaur documentary starting at 1:00 pm in the Library’s community room. Join us for part 1 of a four-part new dinosaur documentary series as we stomp through 165 million years of history with free snacks and drinks.

June 2nd, Tuesday – Jamerson Library’s Book, Activity & Craft (BAC) Day from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the Library’s community room. The Library will feature a dinosaur themed book, a dino track fossil necklace, and an adopt-a-dino event. Join us free snacks, and earn a brag tag for attending.

June 2nd, Tuesday – GED Outreach @ the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library. From 5:00 pm – 7:00 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.

June 3rd, Wednesday – Fun & Craft Day in Abbitt Park from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm! 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 own t-shirt for tie-dying!

June 4th, Thursday – Trot the Book Bus at the Jamerson Library from 11:00 am to 12:00 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.

June 4th, Thursday – Jamerson Library’s Book, Activity & Craft (BAC) Day from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the Library’s community room. The Library will feature a dinosaur themed book and a “Fossil Fest”. Join us free snacks, and earn a brag tag for attending.

June 6th, Saturday – Jamerson Library’s Creative Class for Adults starting at 10:00 am in the community room. Patrons 18 + can join us for an illuminated letters & illustrations class, turning frames, foil, hot glue and markers into impressive art. You must be pre-registered to attend this class so that we can make sure we have plenty of supplies ordered. Please register online at: https://www.jrjml.org/adult-program-registration .

June 9th, Tuesday –Jamerson Library’s Book, Activity & Craft (BAC) Day from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the Library’s community room. The Library will feature a dinosaur themed book, a dinosaur sun catcher, and dino discovery eggs. Join us for free snacks, and earn a brag tag for attending.

June 9th, Tuesday – GED Outreach @ the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library. From 5:00 pm – 7:00 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.

June 9th, Tuesday – Appomattox Court House Quilt Guild to meet at the Jamerson Memorial Library starting at 5:30 pm in the community room.

June 10th, Wednesday – Jamerson Library’s Summer Reading Family Story & Craft Time starting at 11:00 am in Abbitt Park (located next to the Library). Join our guest reader MESH (Minicamelot’s Emotional Support Horses) and the mini horses for a horse-themed book. There will be crafts, and Kiva Automotive will supply the snacks! You must be pre-registered to attend this event as supplies and space is limited. Each family will take a copy of the featured book home! You can pre-registered online at https://www.jrjml.org/kids-program-registration/ or in person at the circulation desk.

June 10th, Wednesday – Dinosaur documentary starting at 1:00 pm in the Library’s community room. Join us for part 2 of a four-part new dinosaur documentary series as we stomp through 165 million years of history with free snacks and drinks.

June 10th, Wednesday – Jamerson Library’s Adult Book Club starting at 5:30 pm. This month the Library is featuring a non-fiction book titled “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End” by Atul Gawande. Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury, and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the inevitable condition of aging and death, the goals of medicine seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit. Nursing homes, preoccupied with safety, pin patients into railed beds and wheelchairs. Hospitals isolate the dying, checking for vital signs long after the goals of cure have become moot. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to carry out devastating procedures that in the end extend suffering.

June 11th, Thursday – Trot the Book Bus at the Jamerson Library from 11:00 am to 12:00 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.

June 11th, Thursday – Jamerson Library’s Book, Activity & Craft (BAC) Day from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the Library’s community room. The Library will feature a dinosaur themed book, quick egg carton geodes, and an erupting volcano. Join us for free snacks, and earn a brag tag for attending.

June 12th, Friday – Jamerson Library presents Tampa Taiko Drums starting at 1:00 pm in Abbitt Park! Tampa Taiko is a fun-filled, interactive program that covers the history of taiko, the music of Japan, modern drumming performance, and drum making, using discarded barrels that have been recycled into taiko drums. This event is free and open to the public of all ages. To learn more about Tampa Taiko visit their website at: http://www.tampataiko.com .

June 13th, Saturday – Jamerson Library 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.

June 15th, 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!

June 16th, Tuesday – Jamerson Library’s Book, Activity & Craft (BAC) Day from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the Library’s community room. The Library will feature a dinosaur themed book, dinosaur dioramas, and dino scramble. Join us free snacks, and earn a brag tag for attending.

June 16th, Tuesday – GED Outreach @ the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library. From 5:00 pm – 7:00 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.

June 17th, Wednesday – Dinosaur documentary starting at 1:00 pm in the Library’s community room. Join us for part 3 of a four-part new dinosaur documentary series as we stomp through 165 million years of history with free snacks and drinks.

June 17th, Wednesday – Jamerson Library to host ACG Hospice for an interactive seminar on “Life Planning & Hospice Care” starting at 10:30 am in the Library’s community room.

June 18th, Thursday – Trot the Book Bus at the Jamerson Library from 11:00 am to 12:00 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.

June 18th, Thursday – Jamerson Library’s Book, Activity & Craft (BAC) Day from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the Library’s community room. The Library will feature a dinosaur themed book, dino masks, and a Jurassic discovery tour. Join us free snacks, and earn a brag tag for attending.

June 19th, Friday – Jameson Library to 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.

June 20th, Saturday – Jamerson Library to be a guest vendor at the James River State Park’s Batteaux & Banjos Festival starting at 10:00! James River State Park is located at 104 Green Hill Drive in Gladstone Virginia. We will be giving away Library and Summer Reading information, crafts, a Bigfoot photo booth, and more!

June 23rd, Tuesday – Jamerson Library’s Book, Activity & Craft (BAC) Day from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the Library’s community room. The Library will feature a dinosaur themed book, create your own petroglyphs, and a dino excavation. Join us for free snacks, and earn a brag tag for attending.

June 23rd, Tuesday – GED Outreach @ the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library. From 5:00 pm – 7:00 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.

June 24th, Wednesday – Dinosaur documentary starting at 1:00 pm in the Library’s community room. Join us for part 4 of a four-part new dinosaur documentary series as we stomp through 165 million years of history with free snacks and drinks.

June 25th, Thursday – Trot the Book Bus at the Jamerson Library from 11:00 am to 12:00 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.

June 25th, Thursday – Jamerson Library’s Book, Activity & Craft (BAC) Day from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the Library’s community room. The Library will feature a dinosaur themed book, write like an Egyptian, and gemstone dig. Join us for free snacks, and earn a brag tag for attending.

June 25th, Thursday – Jamerson Library’s Summer Blockbuster Movie Night starting at 6:00 pm. Join us for this classic PG-13 movie about genetically engineered dinosaurs that run amok at an island park. We will serve free refreshments.

June 26th, Friday – Jameson Memorial Library presents Rodney’s Raptors starting at 1:00 pm in Abbitt Park. Rodney Stotts will showcase live birds of prey, and provide interesting facts about raptors, what they are, their care, individual needs and other questions by patrons. To find out more about Rodney and his raptors you can visit their website at:https://www.birdmanrodney.com/home

June 30th, Tuesday – GED Outreach @ the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library. From 5:00 pm – 7:00 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.