Henrico County Public Library announced on May 1 a series of events and activities to mark Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month throughout May. The library will offer a variety of programs, including board games, art workshops, traditional music performances, film screenings, and book discussions.
The initiative aims to celebrate the diverse cultures represented in the community and provide opportunities for residents to learn about AANHPI heritage. Activities include learning to play Parcheesi with its roots in India, exploring Kōnane known as Hawaiian Checkers, trying out Go—the world’s oldest board game—and playing Mahjong. Other hands-on experiences feature origami paper crane folding sessions at several branches with a goal of completing 1,000 cranes during the month.
Art-focused events include an introduction to Chinese calligraphy organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and funded by endowments. There will also be a Teen Art Studio session dedicated to suminagashi marbling paper art from Japan and a workshop on Chinese knotting techniques. Musical programming features a concert of Javanese gamelan music performed by University of Richmond artists and Peni Candra Rini.
Film enthusiasts can attend a screening of “Whale Rider,” which explores Maori culture in New Zealand. Book discussions are scheduled around works such as “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” by Jesse Q. Sutanto and “River East, River West” by Aube Rey Lescure.
Henrico County Public Library enhances community life through offerings like homework help, tax assistance and job search support according to the official website. The library features various meeting spaces for groups of different sizes and provides mobile library services to retirement facilities and day care centers according to the official website. Facilities are certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program according to the official website, with nine locations operating throughout its service area according to the official website.
The library works to encourage reading, lifelong learning and community enrichment by connecting people to vital information according to the official website. Mobile services further extend outreach efforts into retirement facilities and day care centers according to the official website.
