In this issue of the We Love Libraries News, we are pleased to announce the January 2026 We Love Libraries Grant winner is Nottoway County Public Library System in Crewe, Virginia, and the March 2026 We Love Libraries Grant winner is Lewes Public Library in Lewes, Delaware.

 

Please mark your calendars: 

January ’26 We Love Libraries Winner: Nottoway County Public Library System in Crewe, Virginia!

 

From the WLL application: 

 

“The Nottoway County Public Library is a system of three branches which serves a rural area of 315 square miles having a population of approximately 15,600. Like similar libraries in our area, our service population is both shrinking and aging, and it is primarily ‘older’ members of the community who come to us for reading materials. Many read large print exclusively, and in this majority conservative area, many of our readers ask specifically for ‘clean reads’ or cozy-type mysteries.

 

“We would use the prize money primarily to purchase large print books for our aging readers, and when it is time to deaccession them in the future, they will continue to be enjoyed by others—the books will be loaned first to the Charlotte County Library (https://cclibrary.net) and then to area assisted living facilities. Depending on interest, cost, and availability, we may also purchase materials for the Overdrive (Libby) digital catalog, thereby making them available to readers throughout our consortium.”

 

 

March ’26 We Love Libraries Winner: Lewes Public Library in Lewes, Delaware!

 

From the WLL application: 

 

“The Lewes Public Library (LPL) is an independent, nonprofit library that operates under the Delaware Library Consortium in collaboration with the Sussex County Department of Libraries. Unlike fully tax-funded libraries, LPL relies on community support. LPL must independently raise over 44% of its annual budget each year to continue offering exceptional services and programs.

 

“In 2025, the LPL unveiled a transformative Outdoor Pavilion, designed to be a vibrant hub for community interaction and cultural enrichment. This new space promises to regularly host an array of world-class performances and distinguished speakers, all free and accessible to everyone. The SINC grant will be applied directly toward performer and presenter costs in support of SummerScape.”

 

Support the Lewes Public Library: https://lewes.lib.de.us/

 

 

 

 

 

 

WLL and WLB News Editor: Gail Lukasik’s fifth mystery and first gothic historical mystery is The Darkness Surrounds Us, Her memoir, White Like Her: My Family’s Story of Race and Racial Passing, was named one of the most inspiring stories of the year by The Washington Post. She is also the author of the Leigh Girard Mystery series and the stand-alone mystery, The Lost Artist. Gail appeared in the documentary, History of Memory, which is available on Amazon Prime. Her follow up book to WLH, What They Never Told Us: True Stories of Family Secrets and Hidden Identities Revealed, was released in November 2024. Website: www.gaillukasik.com

Below is a link to search for our members' books. Search by author name, location, title, or release date.

Sisters in Crime hosts LIVE webinars each month. Webinars last 60-90 minutes depending on the topic and the audience questions! These webinars are open to all.

Looking for diverse books? For many years, SINC has curated Frankie’s List, an extensive list of crime novels by people of color and other marginalized groups. Frankie Y. Bailey, building on work by the late Eleanor Taylor Bland, began to compile a list of published Black crime writers over a decade ago. Frankie has expanded the list to include other WOC and LGBTQ+ authors. Here’s a link: https://www.sistersincrime.org/page/FrankiesList