What are the opening hours?

Monday 10am - 5pm Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 5pm

American Library - Memorial to the 2nd Air Division, USAAF

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American Library - Memorial to the 2nd Air Division, USAAF

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A living war memorial & public library in Norwich, UK. The best way to get in touch is to email [email protected] .

To find out more about our events and to book tickets for free talks, books groups and workshops visit our EventBrite page www.americanlibrary.eventbrite.com .

30/10/2026

🎃🎨 Pumpkin Painting at the American Library 🎨🎃

We loved welcoming over 50 adults and children to the American Library for an afternoon of creativity, colour, and autumn fun!

Did you know? The American Halloween pumpkin tradition began with Irish immigrants, who adapted the old Celtic practice of carving turnips linked to the legend of Stingy Jack when they discovered that North American pumpkins were larger and easier to decorate.

For those interested in the history behind Halloween traditions, we recommend Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night by Nicholas Rogers. 📚

Thank you to everyone who joined us and shared their amazing pumpkin creations! 🎃🍂

26/10/2026

Check out the latest post on the American Library Substack to get an introduction to the new American Scholar and her current book recommendations from our collection!

https://americanlibrary.substack.com/p/meet-the-new-american-scholar-merediths

24/10/2026

The American Library is very pleased to announce that we are moving the American Library blog to Substack.

What does that mean for you? Not much will change, but you will need to pop over to our new site and enter your email address in to get set up to recieve emails when we post new articles, information about library events, videos, or podcast episodes.

Come check out the latest article by our American Scholar.

https://americanlibrary.substack.com/

22/10/2026

What a fantastic evening at the American Library last night! 📚✨

Due to an unexpected venue change, we were delighted to welcome Black Futures into our space, and we couldn't have been more pleased to host such an inspiring event. The evening brought together food, music, culture and conversation, celebrating African and Caribbean heritage and looking ahead to positive futures within our communities. Special guest Salah El Nagar shared his remarkable journey, poetry and reflections, while guests enjoyed food provided by The Zainab Project and music from Tonia Ayo Mihill.

A huge thank you to innate creates, hosts Tonia Mihill and Amy Nomvula, and everyone who attended and contributed to such a warm, welcoming and thought-provoking evening.

We love seeing the library used as a space for community, culture and connection, and we're grateful to have played a small part in this special event.

21/10/2026

It's not too late to book your place on the Tuna Canyon Detention Station talks taking place this Saturday the 24th of October at 5:30 pm in our meeting room. Follow this link to book a place and to avoid disappointment https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2001173371424?aff=oddtdtcreator

20/10/2026

John Stevens asked that we help to promote an exhibition of his aviation art (originals and prints) to raise funds for Attlebridge Heritage Centre. The event will take place on

Sunday 1 November 10-15:00.

Admission is free and tea and coffees available!

19/10/2026

On this very day 82 years ago, 22-year-old B-24 Bomber pilot John R. (Bob) Hanzlik was asked to fill in a ‘capture card’ addressed to his parents in Pennsylvania informing them he was a prisoner of war in Germany. After being interrogated and treated for burn wounds, he would later be transported to Stalag Luft III, an officers’ prison camp for aviators where he was held until 1945. It’s uncertain when his parents would have received this post card since POW letters often took as many as 12 weeks to reach their destinations.
You can read more fascinating correspondence from Bob and learn about his wartime experience in "Memoir of a World War II B-24 Bomber Pilot: The Story In His Own Words." His letters and those of others in our collection are the latest topic of our book group, WWII Lives, which meets again on 14 November from 11am-12.30pm. If you’d like to collect a book to read before the next session, ask for details at the AML desk or send an email to [email protected] Attn: Toby and Rachael.

📚Memoir of a World War II B-24 Bomber Pilot: The Story in His Own Words by Lieutenant John R. “Bob” Hanzlik
What: WWII Lives Book Group
When: 14 November, 2026 11am-12:30pm
Where: americanlibrary.uk

09/10/2026

We are very excited to be hosting the Tuna Canyon Detention Station traveling exhibition. Please come during opening hours (10am -5pm Mon- Friday and 9-5 on Saturday) to learn of the trials and tribulations of the nearly 2,500 Japanese, German and Italian detainees that were interned from 16 December 1941 to late October 1943. For more information about our special opening and closing events, go to our Eventbrite page https://bit.ly/4ieBJ6H

06/10/2026

On any day between 1942 and 1945 you could find as many as 50,000 American service personnel stationed within 30 miles of the City of Norwich. While here they lived full lives, visiting pubs and local landmarks, going to the cinema and the theatre, playing sports, getting to know the locals, even falling in love, in addition to giving their all for the war effort. Most of these stories don't appear in a Google search, but they remain interesting and vital to our understanding of what life in wartime was like.

Our new World War II Lives book club will dive head-first into the American Library's holdings and archives to learn about some of these men and women in depth. We will encounter stories full of camaraderie, bravery, grit, humanity, joy, and great sadness told through contemporary accounts, memoirs, letters, and biographies. At the end of the year, we will have created a compendium of information cards to share, making the individual stories we hold more accessible to the world than before.

Join us for a welcome session in the American Library meeting room from 11am-12.30pm this Saturday, 10 October, to learn about the book club and begin your exploration of the countless stories that evoke a sense of awe and gratitude to this great generation who came before us.

💍Wedding of Violet Burrell and Cpl. Cecil Bund, MC 376/455 053

03/10/2026

We are coming upon the 82nd Anniversary of the 6th October Mission targetingHamburg. The photos were are of the 44th BG taking off from Shipdham and the flight path that they followed. Mercifully no aircraft were lost, but Lt Appelin, a navigator stated he "never saw so much flak in my life" adding on the return that "I guess we were lucky as hell"

The 44th managed to bring all planes home, allbeit with some damage.

📷 Images: MC 371/80, USF 1/1, Photograph of aircraft and mission map

Address

American Library, Norfolk And Norwich Millennium Library, The Forum, Millennium Plain
Norwich
NR21AW

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm

Website

https://linktr.ee/americanlibrary

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