Editor’s note: This is a weekly column that provides readers with insight into the happenings of the four county libraries.
Do you want to learn a new skill? Be informed on a wide range of topics? Enjoy fun activities and entertainment? Look no further than your local library! The Botetourt County Libraries offer a variety of workshops, classes, and special events to appeal to all ages and interests. Most of the programs we offer are free to attend and any required materials are provided, unless otherwise specified.
If you like arts and crafts, we have plenty of activities in which you can participate. All four branches offer a quilting and knitting group, where members can work on their own projects or focus on collective works. A weekly art class for adults and teens is held at the Blue Ridge branch on Thursday evenings. Every Friday, Miss Jaime leads an after-school craft for children at the Eagle Rock branch. Miss Jackie leads after-school crafts once monthly at the other three branches. An art show and poetry reading showcasing works by local artists will be held at the Blue Ridge branch on September 24.
In addition to crafts, the library offers other activities for children. A Lego Club meets monthly at the Blue Ridge and Fincastle branches. The Fincastle Pokémon Gym meets at the Fincastle branch every Sunday. Special programs for children, such as Harry Potter’s birthday party at the Eagle Rock branch, are held throughout the year.
If you’re focused on health and wellness, yoga classes are held at the Blue Ridge and Fincastle branches. A healthy lifestyle group called New Directions meets every Wednesday at the Eagle Rock branch.
Want to become more tech savvy? A technology class for children is currently being held at the Fincastle branch. This five-week course teaches coding, hacking, app design, and more. If you need help with computers, phones, tablets, or other devices, you can contact any of our branches to set up a one-on-one hands-on training session.
If you want to learn more about your family history, Rena teaches a genealogy class once monthly at the Fincastle branch. These classes teach research methods and the resources available to you through the library and Botetourt County Courthouse.
Workshops on nature, wildlife, conservation, gardening, homesteading, livestock, and related topics presented by the Botetourt Cooperative Extension and other agencies are held periodically at all four branches. Backyard Botetourt, a presentation by Mountain Castles Soil and Water Conservation District and the Valley Conservation Council, is held the fourth Monday of each month at the Fincastle branch.
As you can see, there’s so much more to library programming than story times and book clubs (although, we offer those too!). If there’s a class or workshop you’d like the library to offer, or if you’d be interested in volunteering to lead one, just let us know and we will work to create a program based around your interests or talents. For more details about events held at the library, please visit the Botetourt County Libraries Facebook page, or call your local branch.
-Audrey Clark
Fincastle Library
