These crisp autumn days are perfect for stepping outside, catching the sun, and enjoying the changing colors of our neighborhood. If you are looking for a great destination for your next stroll, why not walk over to the Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library? Located right across the street from Cameron Station, we are incredibly lucky to have this fantastic resource so close to home. You can drop in to pick up a great book for the evening or join in on one of their many neighborhood programs. The library has a packed calendar for November, and we’ve highlighted a few favorites for every age group below. To explore everything happening this month, view the full events calendar on the website.
Writers Group at Beatley | Sunday, November 01, 2026 | 1:00pm - 4:30pm | Small Conference Room | Age group: seniors, adults
November is for Noveling! This is forum for writers to work on drafts, network, and share moral support. We will meet every Sunday in November. All are welcome!
Knit Night | Wednesday, November 04, 2026 | 6:00pm - 7:00pm | Age group: 8-18
A knit club for kids ages 8-18. Learn to knit under the guidance of experienced knitters. All supplies will be provided. Knit Nite meets weekly on Wednesdays from 6:00 - 7:00. It is not necessary to come every week. Participants may join at any time.
Alexandria Oddball Cinema – Next Exit | Thursday, November 05, 2026 | 5:30pm - 7:30pm | Large Meeting Room | Age group: seniors, adults
Oddball Cinema brings you all of the weird, eclectic, and lesser-known films you probably never saw in theaters. The story begins with a discovery: the afterlife is real, and it’s neither oblivion nor torment. On the contrary, it seems intriguing and appealing. The scientist who provided the proof wants to do further research, and her clinic offers opportunities for volunteers to expire under her care while she gathers data about the process. Two troubled loners with no connection to each other each decide to participate. Due to unexpected travel complications, they wind up at the same rental-car office and agree to share a car for several days to reach the clinic. The film focuses on the relationship that forms between them – completely dysfunctional at first – as they explore the reasons for their decisions and encounter various friends and strangers along the way. It’s a thought-provoking journey that goes far off the cinematic beaten path.
Cast — Gavin Powers, Joe Powers, Katie Parker
1h 46m
Unrated, suitable for teens and adults
Teens Teach! Technology | Thursday, November 5, 2026 | 6:00pm - 7:00pm | Story Room | Age group: ages 6-12
Alexandria library teens have a lot to share! Join us to make your own electric projects. Drop in for one project or attend each week to build on your skills! Each week we'll work on a different project:
- November 5 - The Homopolar Motor
- November 12 - Operation Style Wire Game
- November 19 - Mini Light-Up Circuit Bugs (Blinking Firefly)
All materials will be provided. This program is suitable for ages 6-12 and is a collaboration between Alexandria Library staff and teen volunteers. Please note that children under 8 should be accompanied by an adult during the program.
Registration is requested but not required (please register each child who will attend).
Yarn Storm - Keep Someone Warm This Winter | Monday, November 9 through Wednesday, December 2, 2026 | Any Alexandria Library Branch | Age group: teens, seniors, adults
We are collecting handmade or store bought scarves, hats and mittens. All donated items will benefit Alexandria'sCommunity Lodgings. Drop items at any Alexandria Library Branch between Monday, November 9 and Wednesday, December 2, 2026.
Questions? Email jshea@alexlibraryva.org
Jazz Storytime with the Windmill Jazz Collective | Monday, November 16, 2026 | 11:00am - 11:40am | Large Meeting Room | Age group: 0-5 with an adult
Experience the joy of live jazz with the Windmill Jazz Collective! This storytime will be held inside in the Large Meeting Room. Stop by the Children's Desk for a ticket for entry. They will be distributed starting at 10:30 am.
Charles Sumner: Conscience of a Nation | Author Talk with Zaakir Tameez | Wednesday, November 18, 2026 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Large Meeting Room | Age group: teens, seniors, adults
Join us to explore the life and legacy of Charles Sumner, the unsung hero of the Civil War and Reconstruction with biographer Zaakir Tameez. Charles Sumner is known as the abolitionist stateman who suffered a brutal caning on the Senate floor by the proslavery congressman Preston Brooks in 1856. This violent episode has obscured Sumner’s status as the most passionate champion of equal rights and multiracial democracy of his time.
In a comprehensive narrative, Zaakir Tameez presents Sumner as one of America’s forgotten founding fathers, a constitutional visionary who helped to rewrite the post-Civil War Constitution and give birth to modern civil rights law.
Zaakir Tameez is a scholar of antitrust and constitutional law. A graduate of Yale Law School and the University of Virginia, he clerked for Judge Jill Pryor on the Eleventh Circuit. His book, Charles Sumner: Conscience of a Nation, was the winner of the 2026 Cooley Prize, an annual award for the best book on constitutional law given by the Georgetown Center for the Constitution.
Light refreshments will be served.
Nutcracker Ballet presented by the Metropolitan Youth Ballet | Saturday, November 21, 2026 | 11:00am – 12.30pm | Large Meeting Room | Age group: 0-5 with an adult
Experience the Nutcracker, adapted for young audiences, by the Metropolitan Youth Ballet. Storytelling, mime, dance, and photos with Clara and cast will be included. Stop by the Children's Desk for a ticket for entry. They will be distributed starting at 10:30 am.
Alexandria Oddball Cinema – Yesterday | Sunday, November 22, 2026 | 2:00pm - 4:00pm | Large Meeting Room | Age group: seniors, adults
Oddball Cinema brings you all of the weird, eclectic, and lesser-known films you probably never saw in theaters. After years of working in obscurity, a struggling singer/songwriter has only produced one moderately popular song. A former schoolteacher, he’s ready to give up music and return to the classroom despite the encouragement of his manager/driver/sort-of-girlfriend. After another lackluster performance, he’s heading home on his bicycle when a weird and inexplicable occurrence causes him to collide with a bus. When he awakens in the hospital, casual conversation reveals that he’s been launched into a world where The Beatles never existed. He starts performing their songs from memory, passing them off as his own, and becomes an immediate worldwide sensation. Fame and fortune follow, but much of what happens later is probably the opposite of what viewers will expect.
Cast — Himesh Patel, Lily James, Sophia Di Martino
1h 56m
Rating — PG-13
There is so much more to do at Beatley Central Library and the other branches of Alexandria Library! Check the full events calendar here.
Did you know Alexandria Library offers homework help. Whether you're stuck on a math problem or working on a research paper, you've come to the right place. You'll find the help you need in Alexandria library’s databases, online learning tools, websites and ebooks. All are free, but some require entering your library card number. Need tutoring help? Get help with Brainfuse HelpNow between 2pm-11pm, 7 days a week!
Caroline Boomaars is on a four-year adventure in the US following her husband who works as an engineer officer for the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Very happy to be living in the warm and welcoming community that is Cameron Station, Caroline tries to give back by volunteering for Beatley Library, Friends of Beatley Library and recently joined Cameron Station’s Communications Committee.
Follow