I was so excited when I saw VBPL posted their new Litter Kits on Twitter. I knew that I wanted to check one out and use it with my class on Earth Day. My initial goal was to have my fourth graders clean up our school yard. While cleaning up, it quickly turned into valuable discussions on what kinds of materials we were picking up and why some locations of our school yard had more litter than others! The kiddos made predictions on the weight of their collected trash and we discussed what could be recycled! When my own first grader saw the safety vests and trash grabbers, he quickly asked his teacher if his class could participate too! It was heartwarming to celebrate Earth Day making a difference and showing students that they could check out this very same Litter Kit and make an impact in their neighborhoods!

-Megan B., Fourth Grade Teacher at Providence Elementary School 

To find out more about VBPL's Litter Kits, see: Litter Kits :: VBgov.com - City of Virginia Beach

Our four-year-old son, Kemp, was born with a severe congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). Simply put, he was born with half a heart. Kemp underwent three successful open-heart surgeries during the first three years of his life to “replumb” his half a heart to function more like a whole heart. And today, he’s doing AMAZING!
However, when he was first diagnosed in utero, we were warned of the many complications that accompany this condition such as developmental delays. So, it became all the more important to my husband and I to foster a love of reading and promote early literacy skills such as phonemic awareness and phonics. We both read to Kemp nightly, and when he was a baby/toddler, took full advantage of VBPL’s Storytime classes and ongoing special events. And then the pandemic hit…
Those days of quarantining with a high-risk toddler were scary and looooong but being able to hop in the car to go grab some good picture books from Princess Anne Public Library’s drive-through window was a godsend! Our rescue pup, Matty, was even eager to join us for the ride because she learned that the drive-through came with doggy treats!
We were so excited when the libraries were able to reopen safely. This past year alone, Kemp has checked out approximately 300 books! Visiting the Princess Anne, Joint-Use, or Pungo-Blackwater library has yet again become one of our cherished weekly traditions.
As for Kemp's development, he can already read independently, and he hasn’t even entered kindergarten yet! We attribute much of his literacy success to the ample opportunities and resources that the VBPL provides. Thanks for all you have done for our son and for the children of our community, VBPL. Your work truly matters! -Bevin R.

My daughter Scarlett is competing in the 2022 Battle of the Books. She's a great reader but tends to stick to just a few genres, so it's been awesome to see her really get into some new areas. Her team has had so much fun discussing and quizzing each other. They're thinking of forming a book club so they can keep it up and can't wait to compete at the middle school level. Watching her engage with authors Kate Karyus Quinn and Demitria Lunetta during VBPL's virtual Meet the Authors program was so sweet. She was giddy and I could tell it was a super fun fan moment for her! Thanks so much!

- Emily P. 

What started as an occasional tweet between parent and principal, eventually grew into a full-blown book club! While the majority of conversations between myself and my son’s principal revolved around school, I noticed that her penchant for psychological thrillers was similar to mine. She started posting pictures of her book stash from Norfolk Public Library and I started adding titles to my hold list at Virginia Beach Public Library! I figured it was only right to return the favor and soon we were adding to each other’s lists. The real fun started when authors like Lisa Jewell and Ruth Ware would join in the fun in our Twitter conversations.
When I saw that VBPL was bringing their book club kits back, I thought it would be a great chance to engage both staff and parents alike and the interest was immediate. The first book we did was “By Invitation Only” by Dorothea Benton Frank; everyone loved the light nature of the book. For some, it is their first book club, which is incredibly exciting! I told the vice principal (who is also a bibliophile) that it’s a treat for the adults in our building to talk about something other than our kids/students! 

Thanks, VBPL!  -Lakshmi G.

It’s such a gift to be back in the library. Oh, how I missed it during quarantine days. I homeschool my three children and my niece and nephew; our little class consists of grades 2-7. On our recent visit to the Kempsville branch, the kids learned how to search by author, subject and title, and then how to narrow the search by material type and library location. They all did so well!  Thank you VBPL staff for your kindness and encouragement as they searched the shelves. Three cheers for LEGO bricks, cookbooks, Amelia Bedelia, pugs, graphic novels, drawing books and so much more! We even enjoyed a nature walk on the grounds. This, my friends, is a place of exploration! - Charity M.

A few months ago, I sent VBPL a request for historical information about a local family’s genealogy and land ownership in the Kempsville area. Having worked in libraries myself for over 30 years, I knew a little about reference capabilities and was expecting a fairly simple answer or referral. To say that I was speechless after receiving a response doesn’t do it justice. VBPL’s Sara G. and other staff members searched tax records, property records and more from the 1800’s, all to provide me with a detailed answer. I am proud and very honored to call Sara G. and the VBPL staff library colleagues. Very respectfully, - Connie K. from Oklahoma 

I have been using Universal Class through the library, taking online classes like Creative Writing for Beginners. From all of the classes I took, I learned how to write scripts, and how to type and format my books with Google Docs. On June 28, 2021 my book got published. If I hadn't learned about these writing methods, I never would have gotten my book published. Thanks, Virginia Beach Public Library! - Ryan B. 

We are a very pro-library family, with four children, ages 10, 8, 6 and 4, and I am so proud of Virginia Beach Public Library for going Fine Free for Kids! This program is a gift for kids and parents alike and will go a long way in promoting a love of reading! As a homeschooling family who uses VBPL as a curriculum source, we are particularly grateful. We have a regular library day each week that the kids look forward to; choosing their own books, checking out themselves, keeping track of their checkouts, and returning the items by themselves teaches them independence and responsibility. The wide variety of books and resources available (like hoopla and Take Home Tech) broadens our curriculum options and enriches our home education in a way we would otherwise not be able to afford. Thank you, VBPL! -Katy C. 

Our family just loves the Seed Library, especially my daughter Charlotte. Her Nana collected several months of seeds from the Princess Anne Library and when Charlotte was finished with school this year, we planted them all in cardboard egg cartons. She is so excited to take care of them and replant them when they are large enough. The seed packets came with helpful information for planting and Charlotte learned all about the life cycle of a plant and also what they need to grow - sun, water, & soil! Thank you, VBPL, for this wonderful opportunity!  -Jennifer C. 

Our family has really enjoyed the virtual craft programs VBPL offered in recent months. The Teen Paint Night celebrating Lunar New Year wasdefinitely a favorite and my son loves his Year of the Ox painting! The clocks made from old CDs were so fun to create and ours now functions as our 'virtual classroom' clock. My favorite was the Alma Thomas and Her Art program using the many colorful mosaic tiles. I actually used the finished creation as part of a Valentine's Day gift for my son. We are excited to see what's in store for the spring and truly appreciate all the wonderful VBPL hosts!  - Brittany C. 

The Reading Road Trip was a blast in 2020! Despite the pandemic, I went on epic road trips to Spain, Paris, China, UK, Cuba, Savanna, Tangier Island, Sweden and so many more exciting places! All thanks to Virginia Beach Public Library. For real life travel, I do a majority of planning our trips using travel guides from VBPL. (Rick Steves is the best!!) I have such fond memories of going to Bayside library in the early 80’s with my mom and choosing picture book after picture book, and then going there in the late 80’s and rifling through microfiche after microfiche for school reports. Thanks for being there along the ride, VBPL! -Mindi M. 

"I chose to enroll in Career Online High School so I could finish my high school diploma; that accomplishment was important to me. I gained knowledge from the program and learned steps to successfully pursue a career. While I'm staying home now due to COVID-19 to be with my son who is in kindergarten online, my plans are to go into Corrections while I attend college for Criminal Justice. Thank you for the opportunity, Career Online High School!"  -Unitra L.

“I love that the library is offering virtual classes during this crazy time, and that they have adult options! With two toddlers, COVID and no family nearby, date nights are harder to schedule. But the virtual Spooky Painting class allowed us to have a creative date night in. It was fun to create together and you can't beat free! We will be keeping an eye out for other adult crafting classes. Thank you VBPL for an amazing date night!” - Erin J.

“I recently saw a post about thanking library workers! I have been one of those people posting videos and pictures without thanking my local library workers. I am beyond grateful for the VBPL library workers! I have been going to the same library since I was a kid and the library workers have been helping me renew my library card, find my holds, and search for books for years. For goodness sakes, I wrote my college essay about my local library! All the library workers have been so kind every time I come to pick up my stack of books. I could never express enough gratitude for the librarians working in the summer heat to provide pickup services during these tough times. Libraries are beautiful places, and they would not be possible without the librarians and volunteers who make them function. Don't forget to thank your local library workers!”- Ciara V. 

"Just thinking about how differently my life might have turned out were it not for our local public library growing up. It as a safe and nurturing space within walking distance of home, air conditioned in summer, with so many books inside. Thanks, VBPL!  -Anne-Marie A. 

"When Sadie was little, we attended all the library classes; she just adored visiting the library. Once she started attending school, she missed the library visits and we made it a point to go weekly. We would check out 30 books at a time and consume them within the week! Every Saturday, we were back at the library getting new books. For her birthday, I said, “We can go anywhere. Where do you want to go?” She responded, “the library!” It was her favorite place in the world - that is until we couldn’t go anymore because of the coronavirus pandemic. Sadie quickly went through all the books we had at home and started rereading chapter books. She longed for the library and new books. Then I remembered all the valuable resources available online! She quickly began downloading and returning books daily. She easily reads between one and two chapter books from the digital library every day. We are so thankful for Virginia Beach libraries! --Kimberly C.