Get crafty: 5 upcoming events at UVA Library

By UVA Library |

The University of Virginia Library has six locations, an array of cozy study spaces, millions of items available for checkout or browsing, and new resources arriving each day. And did you know we also offer events throughout the year ranging from exhibitions to concerts for UVA and the Charlottesville community ?

Join us at the Library this fall for reading groups, writing cafés, crafting workshops, and open educational resource sessions. All Library events are free.

For a full listing of Library events, check out our public calendar.

1. Open Educational Resources: Finding, Evaluating, and Reviewing 

Logo for the University of Virginia Library, featuring a padlock symbol above the text.Join us for a hands-on session where we will briefly review the landscape of open educational resources (OER) and then focus on strategies for finding materials that meet your needs. We’ll talk about how to evaluate OER and do some myth-busting of common misconceptions around OER. In addition, we’ll cover how to review an open textbook from the Open Textbook Library and receive remuneration for your effort.   

This is the second in a series of workshops centered on OER that the Library is offering this semester. Please join us! 

2. Graduate Writing Café

A cup of coffee with latte art displaying the "Graduate Café" logo, placed on a wooden table next to a white computer keyboard.Graduate students: Hang out with us for a three-hour block dedicated to free coffee, snacks, and a great workspace exclusively for you! The three-hour block is a drop-in session, so come and go as you like. Librarians will be available on-site for research consultations and writing center tutors will be available for writing support.

Held in partnership with the School of Education and Human Development’s Student Affairs office and the UVA Writing Center.

3. DIY Leather Dice Tray (With the Cosplay Costuming & Crafts Club)

A hand holding dice over a leather rolling tray embossed with a decorative dragon design and the text "D&D The 20-Sided."Come learn the basics of leathercrafting with the Cosplay Costuming & Crafts (CCC) Club this Friday by trying your hand at making a custom dice/miscellaneous/jewelry with us!

All materials are provided and no experience needed!

We expect this workshop to take around one hour to complete (if using paint instead of dye), so feel free to come in any time between 5:30 and 8:30 to make your tray!

This workshop is hosted by the CCC Club, a zero-dues, zero-commitment, zero-experience-necessary student organization that hosts cool events like this every week! To get notified of upcoming workshops when they drop and unlock other benefits like reimbursable ren faire/convention tickets, cosplay books, foam and sewing patterns, one-on-one “tutoring” on how to cosplay, consider joining the CCC Club! 

Learn more about the CCC Club and don’t forget to join the Membership Mailing List! 

4. UVA Library Reading Challenge Book Discussion: Anne Rice’s “Violin”

Painting 'Saint Sebastian' by Guido Reni, depicting a figure with arms bound above their head, pierced by arrows, against a dark cloudy sky and leafy background.Come join our reading group on Zoom as we discuss September’s book, “Violin,” written by Anne Rice. 

In 2025, the UVA Library Reading Group is reading Gothic literature written by women authors, beginning with some of the first Gothic novels written in the 18th century, then moving chronologically to end with contemporary 21st-century Gothic fiction. 

Want to join us? You can follow the full challenge or read just a few works that pique your interest. There are two ways to participate:

Join the Facebook group to follow and participate in the conversation.
OR, join our email list! We will send content to your inbox in one convenient monthly email.

5.  Pen & Pencil Case Workshop

Three colorful pencil cases with geometric patterns, displayed on a wooden surface.Drop in any time between 12–1:30 p.m. to make a pencil case with zipper!

Show up to class in style with your very own custom-made pencil case. 

You’ll also learn the basics of sewing!

All materials are provided and no experience needed.