Richmond Free Library

Whether you are choosing to school your children at home and provide your own curriculum and activities or your children are enrolled in the school district’s online school option, you might benefit from many of the resources compiled by the Vermont Department of Libraries. A full list of resources can be found on the YOUTH SERVICES page of this website.

Youth ages 12 – 14 are invited to register for this two-part program that will explore the book “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You” by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi.  This edgy, readable YA book is a remix of the National Book Award-winning “Stamped from the Beginning” by Kendi. Author Jacqueline Woodson calls it a stunningly accessible manifesto for young people. Participants will receive their own copy of the book at the first session when they will be introduced to the book, to each other, and to the art project to come. A month later the group will reconvene to dig into the book’s big ideas through words and art. Both sessions will happen outside on the library lawn where participants will be asked to maintain physical distancing and to wear masks.  If inclement weather necessitates a move indoors, the sessions will be held in the large community room where Covid protocols will be in place. This program is free but space is limited. Register by calling the library at 434-3036 or emailing rfl@gmavt.net. Please provide name, age, phone and email address. This program is a collaboration between the Richmond Free Library and Radiate Art and is sponsored by the Friends of the Richmond Free Library and the Vermont Department of Libraries.

Session #1 Wednesday, September 16, 4 – 5 pm

Session #2 Sunday, October 11, 2 – 4 pm

Wednesdays at 11 am

We will be gathering on the library lawn behind the building and observing physical distancing and all other safety protocols. Families will be asked to bring their own blanket or chairs and to set up their space on a premarked spot on the lawn. No registration is necessary. Storytimes will include books with big, bold pictures, rhymes, songs, stretches, and the opportunity to pick out some picture books to take home. Outdoor Storytime will be on Wednesdays at 11 am until it grows too cold to do so, or until Covid-19 protocols change. The program will not happen on rainy Wednesdays.

StoryWalk® A StoryWalk is an outdoor reading experience that reveals a story page by page as the reader follows the StoryWalk route.

The final Storywalk of the season, Upstairs and Downstairs from the story collection Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel is currently set up around the library grounds. Follow the Storywalk route from the front of the building to the rear and find out for yourself if Owl, who loves both his upstairs and his downstairs, is able to figure out a way to be both places at once. The story will be set up for the month of September so there’s lots of time to round up your favorite kids and take a field trip to the library. If you didn’t bring a little person to one of the June, July or August walks, don’t miss out on this one.

As James Baldwin wrote in his letter to his nephew in The Fire Next Time, white people “are, in effect, still trapped in a history which they do not understand; and until they understand it, they cannot be released from it.”

Here is a list of  resources (Listen, Read, Engage) we have available at the Richmond Library concerning the history and experiences of blacks in the United States. An internet search will yield many antiracist reading lists, check out this one from Read It Forward, and if you see something you are interested in but is not available at RFL, we can try to get it for you via Inter-Library Loan (titles must not be newer than 6 months).

We are very pleased to once again be able to offer library patrons access to the physical collection. This includes books, audiobooks, magazines, and DVDs. We cannot allow visitors beyond the outer foyer but you will find that this space has been adapted to serve as a safe and convenient place to pick up your item requests. Book bins in the foyer have been labeled alphabetically. Requested items will be bagged, labeled and placed in the bins according to patron’s last name. The door will be left open so visitors need not touch anything except their own bag. Please be mindful of others and wait your turn to enter the space if there is already someone there.

There are three ways to request materials:

1. Place a hold on whatever you like through your library account at rfl.kohavt.org.  You will need your library barcode number to log in to your account.  Your password is your own last name (capital first letter). Please note that the maximum number of holds allowed per account is five.
2. Call us at 434-3036. Leave a message if it is after hours.
3. Email us at rfl@gmavt.net.

Pick up times are as follows:
Mon & Fri: 10 – 4 pm
Wed: 10 – 8 pm (new!)
Tues & Thurs: 12 – 4 pm
Sat: 12 – 2 pm

* All items can be returned to the outdoor book return bin anytime.

We sure miss our Storytimes with the kids,  but know that all you fine parents have it covered. Home Storytime!  The good news is that we just made it a little easier for you to enjoy a themed storytime in the convenience and safety of your own home.  We have put together eight Storytime Bags for you and your child to check out and enjoy.  Each Storytime Bag features a different theme and contains, books, songs, rhymes and a craft/activity to do with your child.  Current themes include: Pets; Plants, Flowers & Gardens; Counting; Cars, Trucks & Things that Go; Silly Books; Friends; Seasons & Weather and Outdoors & Camping. We’re pretty sure your child is going to love this idea, so give it a try.  Request one of the bags today.

The library now has a TumbleBook Library subscription. TumbleBooks, a world leader in online children’s book databases, has made its family of online libraries available for free to public libraries until at least August 31. Thanks TumbleBook!

Its flagship product, TumbleBook Library is a collection of animated talking picture books, read-alongs, ebooks, quizzes, lesson plans, and educational games. You will find a link to these animated picture books as well as links to math picture books and books for teens on our YOUTH SERVICES page.