From Stacks to Screens

Handley Regional Library just had its biggest year ever — and executive director John Huddy joins Janet to break down exactly why. From nearly 850,000 items checked out to a 100,000-visit jump since before the pandemic, the numbers tell the story of a library system that's become an essential gathering place for Winchester, Frederick, and Clarke. John and Janet dig into what's driving the surge — new library cards, digital checkouts, early literacy partnerships, and a mobile library launching this fall — plus a few laughs about Zoom, curmudgeons, and library card colors. Tune in for the full picture of what your library card actually gets you. LINKS & RESOURCES Handley Regional Library System — handleyregional.org Friends of the Handley Regional Library Book Sale — August 14–15, Bowman Library How-To Fest — Saturday, September 26, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM, Handley Library Leyendo Juntos (Spanish-language outreach partner) Winchester Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (early literacy partner) THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations. New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon. Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us. Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday