November 2025
In This Issue:
Read Up Richmond
Friends Book Sale
Highlighted Events
All Events
Curated Reads on Libby
Smile and Learn Binge Pass
Richmond Public Library Foundation
Buy Our Merch
Sign Up for Our Newsletters
Library Closings
Read Up Richmond
Read Up Richmond: Kevin Nguyen in Conversation with Emma Ito
 
Richmond Public Library’s signature author event, Read Up Richmond, returns with novelist Kevin Nguyen in conversation with Emma Ito, Director of Education at Virginia Humanities.
 
Sunday, November 16, 2025 | 2:00 PM 
Richmond Public Library – Main Library, 101 E. Franklin St., Richmond, VA 23219 
Free and open to the public!
 
Richmond Public Library is proud to present Mỹ Documents by Kevin Nguyen as our seventh annual Read Up Richmond selection. Mỹ Documents is a compelling and provocative novel about a multi-generational Vietnamese American family affected by immigration policy and Big Tech surveillance, set in an imagined future barely different from our present. 
 
Books will be available for purchase and signing, with special thanks to Fountain Bookstore.   
 
Now in its seventh year, Read Up Richmond challenges people to read courageously, listen thoughtfully, and connect meaningfully. This program is made possible through the generous support of the Richmond Public Library Foundation and the Friends of the Richmond Public Library.  
 
 
Start the conversation early with these Read Up Richmond tie-in events: 
 
Family International Day,
Saturday, November 1, 10:00AM-12:00 PM
Main Library
 
International students from VCU will host tables showcasing information about their home countries. Enjoy learning about the history, culture, foods, and people of each nation.
 
 
Mäy documents : a novel by Kevin Nguyen
Book Discussion of Mỹ Documents
Thursday, November 6, 6:00 PM 
East End Branch 
 
Engage in a lively discussion as we consider the incidents and larger themes presented in the novel, especially since the storyline often feels similar to current events. 
The Japanese Experience in Virginia, 1900s-1950s: Jim Crow to Internment 
Friday, November 7, 6:30 PM 
Main Library 
 
Overlooked because of the small population, there are few sources to tell us about the lives of Japanese and Japanese Americans in Virginia during Jim Crow and World War II. Emma Ito will share her groundbreaking research into this history, explaining how people in Virginia were affected by the 1924 Racial Integrity Act and internment during World War II. Registration required. 
Friends Book Sale
The semi-annual event we've all been waiting for!
 
Come early, bring a tote, and get ready to fill your shelves with new-to-you reads. The sale takes place at our Main Library the weekend of November 7–9.
 
Schedule:
  • Friday, Nov 7 – 10:00 AM–12:00 PM Members-Only Presale | 12:00–5:00 PM & 7:00–9:00 PM Open to the Public
  • Saturday, Nov 8 – 10:00 AM–4:00 PM 
  • Sunday, Nov 9 – 1:00-4:00 PM
Pro tip: Bring a friend (and an extra tote). You’re going to need both!
 
Proceeds from the Book Sale benefit Richmond Public Library programming. 
 
Highlighted Events
Seasons of the James
Saturday, November 1, 11:00 AM
East End Branch
 
Join the James River Association to learn about flora and fauna seen along the river in the winter. Participants will learn how to incorporate seasonal plants into gardens and landscapes at home.
Local Author Laural Roaldson: Choosing Your Perfect Tree
Saturday, November 1, 2:00 PM
West End Branch
 
Roaldson will present some of the ideas from her book How to Choosing Your Perfect Tree: Tips from a Landscape Designer.
The Crafting Hour: It's the Great Pumpkin Pouch
Monday, November 3, 6:30 PM
Westover Hills Branch
 
Make your next dinner gathering special with handmade pumpkin shaped pouches to hold name cards or use them to give out little treats! Registration required.
Native American Heritage Month Storytime
Thursday, November 20, 4:30 PM
Broad Rock Branch
 
Children's librarian Miss Summer, a member of the Eastern Delaware Nations, will share stories from indigenous authors and discuss Native life in the U.S. today.
Stranger Things Escape Room
Friday, November 21, 10:00 AM-5:30 PM 
Saturday, November 22, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM 
Sunday, November 23, 1:30 PM-4:00 PM 
Main Library
 
Excited about the new (and last) season of Stranger Things? This is your chance to solve puzzles and see if you can escape the Upside Down. Call 804-646-4768 to register a group of 2 to 6 players for a 30-minute timeslot. Ages 9+ 
All Events
 
 
Curated Reads on Libby
Native Voices
Discover powerful stories from this list featuring Native voices, celebrating Indigenous authors and their diverse cultural narratives.
Exposure by Ramona Emerson   Whiskey tender : a memoir by Deborah Jackson Taffa   The rediscovery of America : native peoples and the unmaking of U.S. history by Ned Blackhawk   The angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones   Fire Exit by Morgan Talty
 
Battleground Books
Check out this list of titles featuring nonfiction and fiction books on military subjects and themes. 
Citizens of London : The Americans Who Stood With Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour by Lynne Olson   Healing wounds : a Vietnam War combat nurse's 10-year fight to win women a place of honor in Washington, D.C. by Diane Carlson Evans   Come fly the world : the jet-age story of the women of Pan Am by Julia Cooke   Absolution by Alice McDermott   The Hunt for Red October : Library Edition by Tom Clancy
 
ChronoLit: Stories Through Time
Will it be the future or the past? Get lost in time with one of these sci-fi reads today!
The Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson   Before the coffee gets cold : a novel by Toshikazu Kawaguchi   Hazards of time travel by Joyce Carol Oates   Light years from home by Mike Chen   The atlas six by Olivie Blake
 
 
Smile and Learn BingePass
Learning has never been this fun!
 
Smile and Learn is an award-winning educational platform with over 14,000 interactive activities and games for children aged 3-12. With a variety of topics from languages to yoga, parents and educators can reinforce school subjects or help kids develop new skills with these personalized and engaging activities.
 
 
Richmond Public Library Foundation 
We are excited to welcome Kevin and Emma to this month's Read Up Richmond! Thanks to your support, our community continues to thrive with fresh voices, new ideas, and meaningful conversations. Together, we're keeping Richmond engaged in reading, thinking, and discovering.
 
 
 
Buy Our Merch
Shop Richmond Public Library Merchandise from Anywhere!
Our first design, “Endless Possibilities,” by local artist Ash Rudolph, is ready to show off on cozy tees, stylish tote bags, and more. Whether you’re wearing your library pride around town, using a tote for your favorite books, or gifting a fellow book lover, this merch is a fun way to celebrate your love for Richmond Public Library.
 
Every purchase supports the library and helps us continue to offer programs, events, and resources to the community.
 
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Library Closings
 
As reminder, all Richmond Public Library locations will be closed on the following dates in November: 
 
Tuesday, November 4 – Election Day (Main Library open for voting only)
Tuesday, November 11 – Veterans Day 
Wednesday, November 26 through Friday, November 28 –Thanksgiving 
 
Richmond Public Library
101 East Franklin Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 646-7223
https://rvalibrary.org/