Glencarlyn Library’s 101st Birthday

Alert

HOLIDAY: All Library Locations Closed Sunday, April 20 for Easter. More Info

Alert

ALERT: Maintenance and Upgrades at Central Library More Info

Arlington Public Library

Glencarlyn Library’s 101st Birthday

A group of eight people stands together on a small stage in front of large windows, smiling at the camera. They hold two framed items—one is a historical document with maps and text, and the other is a framed portrait of a bearded man. Colorful blue, green, and yellow balloons decorate the space above them, celebrating Glencarlyn Library's 101st birthday.
A group of eight people stands together on a small stage in front of large windows, smiling at the camera. They hold two framed items—one is a historical document with maps and text, and the other is a framed portrait of a bearded man. Colorful blue, green, and yellow balloons decorate the space above them, celebrating Glencarlyn Library's 101st birthday.
A rectangular cake with green icing trim and blue lettering reads “Happy Centennial Glencarlyn Library!” The cake features an edible print of a cozy library scene with bookshelves, a reading chair, and a sign that says "Library."
A group of people looks at historical displays set up on easels inside the library. A woman with curly hair and glasses closely examines a board, while another person points to an item of interest. Colorful balloons are in the background.
An elderly woman with white hair and a navy cardigan guides a group of children through a hands-on activity at a table covered in art supplies. Bookshelves filled with books line the walls in the background.
Two people in light blue shirts with name tags browse a historical display at the library. One of them holds a plate with cake, while the other smiles in conversation. The library's wooden bookshelves and large arched windows are visible in the background.
A woman with long silver hair presents the decorated library centennial cake to a group of children. Behind them, adults in matching blue shirts, some with cameras, stand near a table with refreshments.
A woman in a "Glencarlyn Library 101 Years" T-shirt helps a young girl with a crafting project. The table is covered in supplies, including yarn, scissors, and colored paper. The girl smiles as they work together.
A group of attendees, including senior citizens and younger visitors, sits on folding chairs in the library, listening to a speaker with a white beard and a red Hawaiian shirt. The library's bookshelves and historical displays are in the background.
A colorful display board with the title "I ❤️ Glencarlyn Library Because..." is covered with handwritten notes on bright paper, expressing appreciation for the library. Markers and blank sheets of paper sit on a table below for additional contributions.

Opened in the fall of 1923, Glencarlyn Library celebrated its 101st birthday with a rededication and all-ages celebration on September 21, 2024.

Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey, Arlington Public Library Deputy Director Anne Gable, Glencarlyn Civic Association President Brandon Hemel and Glencarlyn Library Centennial Celebration Chair Julie Lee all celebrated the library's storied century as a hub for nearby communities.

Patrons shared heartfelt stories—sometimes spanning generations—of what this library, community and milestone mean to them.

Willa

"I've never seen so many books before in my life!"

Glencarlyn's first page

"I think that the love of the library is so important to an individual, and particularly to young people and to children, that I would hope that all of them could have that close experience that I did."

Julie Lee

"Glencarlyn Library is so very important to me because it has been a part of my family for generations."

Colleen Lunsford and Órla Lunsford

"Thank you to the librarians who keep those books on the shelves and give us suggestions about what to read."

"Thank you, library, for all the books you let me borrow!"

Adriana & Maxine Backus

"Everywhere you look in the community, you realize that Glencarlyn is what it is because, at some point, somebody cared a lot."

Barbara McMichael

"Back then, in the middle of the library, they had these big boxes that stuck out, and they were full of cards. And they held something that we learned was called the Dewey Decimal System."

Lynn Green Robinson

"We moved into this neighborhood in 1958, and this library was a little white house. It was my favorite place on the face of the earth."

Marie Wilson

"As a child, our family came to the library once a week at least. And sometimes, if we were really bored, we asked to come more than once a week because we would have read all the books that we took home the weekend before."

J Vic Funderburk

Infamous FBI agent-turned-Russian asset Robert Hanssen "would come in and pick up a post and sit at one of the tables, holding the newspaper in such a way that it appeared that he was reading it... It became increasingly obvious that he was not reading it!"

Susan Walsh

"Our experience of this library really shaped who we became. We love books, and we want to share that."



Download the Library App