Elle Cota, Spectrum Editor Richmond Public Library is a place for more than just book borrowing. Throughout the year, its programs give adults, seniors and families opportunities to learn, create and connect at no cost. In an age of instant messages, Hannah Kilgore, an adult services senior librarian at Richmond Public Library, opens the room for something slower: handwritten letters. Kilgore has hosted many events, including snail mail, a quarterly program where participants can write letters to friends and family or sign up for a pen pal. The program typically draws four or five people, many of them younger adults wanting to reclaim their time and space.  Kilgore became interested in the program after her own experiences with pen pals, including a long-distance friend she has exchanged physical mail with over the years. Handwritten correspondence offers a different experience from digital communication because it requires people to slow down and be more intentional about what they say, Kilgore said.  “I think something like sending letters or physical media is something that can preserve sort of regionalism, in a way, and then you’re sharing a piece of your home with someone else,” Kilgore said. The library gives people a space to try activities they may not have the resources or opportunity to pursue at home, Kilgore said. Richmond’s strong DIY culture makes the city a natural fit for that kind of programming, according to Kilgore. Michael McBean, arts associate at Richmond Public Library, spends half his time organizing concerts, art exhibits and film screenings. Starting this winter, the library plans to shift from monthly exhibits to seasonal ones while continuing to hold openings on First Fridays, an event in Richmond’s Arts District. “I like sort of bringing that DIY space into something that might from the outside be seen as a cultural institution,” McBean said. The library remains committed to showcasing community artists while giving artists more time in the gallery spaces, McBean said. Most concerts are held in the library’s 1930s foyer, where natural stone creates reverb and large windows fill the space with light. While the concert series has traditionally focused on classical music, McBean expanded it to include jazz, punk and experimental performances. The library partners with independent film groups such as Nowhere Cinema and Hard Light Cinema to screen films that audiences may not otherwise see in larger theaters. “It’s been cool to use the library space