Arlington Public Library

Web Editor

The Dudley Family Home

Oh, to sled down that hill...

The Dudley Family Home stood on a hill on North Military Road - the same hill where you now find the Cherrydale Branch Library, one of Arlington’s beloved neighborhood libraries.

This photo, taken in the 1920s, comes from the Dudley Family Photographs, 1920-1950 collection. The collection contains an assortment of intimate family portraits, beach adventures, local business, and street scenes, taken mostly during the 1920s and 1930s. Examining the Dudley Family images allows viewers to step back into time and feel as though we are part of their adventures…

To learn more about The Dudley Family, Cherrydale Branch Library, Arlington’s diverse history, or to see more images like this, visit us at the Center for Local History located on the 1st floor of Central Library.

Win a Book Wednesday: “The Only Woman In The Room”

Win a Copy of "The Only Woman In the Room" by Marie Benedict

cropped photo of book cover showing a woman's face in a hat with text over her shirt, black and white with a 1950s feel

About "The Only Woman In the Room"

"Many know Hedy Lamarr as the stunningly beautiful movie star from the 1940s.  But few are aware of her marriage to an Austrian arms merchant, Friedrich Mandl, which introduced her to many key players in World War II including Mussolini.  Her beauty lent her a veil of invisibility among those powerful men.  After escaping Europe, she used the knowledge she garnered to create a frequency-hopping communications system which couldn’t be tracked or jammed.  Would her scientific invention assist in the war effort?

“The Only Woman in the Room” by Marie Benedict is for those who enjoy historical fiction and are looking for a strong female character."

Reviewed for you here by librarian Karen. Publication date is set as January 8, 2019.

Want to Win this Book?

  • Leave a comment below on Wednesday, Dec. 12, and share the name of the book you're reading this week.
  • Everyone who leaves a comment here, on Facebook OR Twitter will be entered into a random drawing (Library employees are not eligible). Please only enter in one place.
  • The winner will be contacted by email on Thursday, Dec. 13.
  • The winner can pick up their prize at the Library location of their choice.

Win a Book Wednesdays takes place twice a month. Prize books are Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) of books that will be added to the Library collection within the next month, and can already be found in the Library catalog as "on order."

ARCs are uncorrected proofs given to the Library for review purposes only, and are not for sale.

 

Chica Brunsvold: Paintings

Zooillogicals®

On exhibit at the Shirlington Branch Library, December 11, 2018 - February 5, 2019.

Paintings of brightly colored animals

Light-hearted and whimsical, Chica Brunsvold’s work adds delight and joy to the observer. Her paintings reward the viewer by including unexpected images which may not be readily apparent at first glance.

Stop by the Shirlington Library to enjoy these playful paintings featuring colorful birds and animals.

Want to buy something you see on our walls?
Artists contribute 20% of sales made during their exhibit to the Friends of the Arlington County Public Library, to help support Library programming.

 

Wakefield High School Student Posters

The students who attended Wakefield High School during the 1969/1970 school year were a busy and creative group.

From after school clubs to theater productions; from student body elections to themed dances; Wakefield students showcased their events, programs and causes with simple but effective hand silkscreened posters:

David Crist, graduate of Wakefield Class of 1970, saved and donated over 90 of these posters to the Center for Local History.

The first image above features an advertisement for “The Night Before Christmas Fashion Show" from December 1969, and was silk screened onto either poster board or construction paper. In a very era-appropriate touch, the poster highlights that “Fashions by Sears” were to be modeled at the evening’s 8:00 p.m. production.

The Center for Local History's online Community Archives includes a large number of high-resolution images of the Wakefield 1969-970 Student Posters.

Be the First to Place Holds on These New Books

10 New Books - Coming In January

You probably know that we order hundreds of new books every month... But do you know that you can place holds on them before they even arrive?

Our top picks for books on order in December include:

  • A British spy...
  • A Tunisian shopkeeper...
  • Thrilling adventures in a desert kingdom...
  • Help for folks dealing with unemployment over 55...
  • And (of course) a generous dose of true - and false - crime

Put them all on hold now!

8 New Audiobooks - Available Now

8 audiobook covers on a green background

For our eAudiobook fans, we've also highlighted eight of our favorite new downloadable audio titles, featuring:

  • Encouraging pep talks...
  • Thoughtful autobiographies...
  • Fascinating serial killers...
  • A bride of the Donner Party (could this possibly end well?)

eAudiobooks are visible in the catalog when they are added to the Library's collection, and available now for hold/checkout.

Browse Featured Books
Browse All New Books

Happy Reading!

Rita Cohen: Weavings

Blueweave

On exhibit at the Aurora Hills Branch Library, December 3, 2019 - January 31, 2019.

Rita Cohen first learned to weave from an 83-year-old woman in Ithaca, NY. Further studies came from an Aymara indian woman in Bolivia, a Norwegian woman friend/weaver, and workshops through her Guild.

Her preference is to weave “useful” objects; and her favorite part of the weaving process is the satisfaction of seeing what’s happening as a fabric develops - a huge contrast to the electronic world in which we live.

Want to buy something you see on our walls?
Artists contribute 20% of sales made during their exhibit to the Friends of the Arlington County Public Library, to help support Library programming.

 

Ivano-Frankivsk Sister City Exhibit: Holodomor Genocide

1932-1933

On exhibit at the Shirlington Branch Library, November 9 - December 10, 2018

The Arlington Sister City Association, in partnership with sister city Ivano-Frankivsk, in the Ukraine, presents an exhibit of photographs and text depicting propoganda and information about the Holodomor genocide - a man-made famine in the Ukraine that took place from 1932-1933, which killed millions of Ukrainians.

Learn more about the Arlington Sister City Association.

 

Buckingham Theater

Do you recognize the white building with columns in the right side of this photo?

It was taken by Frank Zaza in July 1973, and written on the back side are these words: "Downtown in the Buckingham district. Looking north on Glebe Road from near the intersection of Glebe with Piedmont Street. The traffic lights are at Pershing Road.” This brief yet informative description helped Center for Local History staff to identify this beloved Arlington landmark - the former Buckingham Theater - now the Buckinghams Stations Post Office.

With architectural columns and a stark-white exterior, The Buckingham Theatre opened in 1939, and quickly grew to become a recognizable feature along Glebe Road. The theater remained operational until its closure in 1986.

What about you? How do you identify your snapshots? In a digital world where photographic prints are not being as massively produced as they once were, how are you capturing the everyday stories, developmental changes, and histories of your community? How will you leave your mark for the next generation?

To learn more about Buckingham Theatre, Arlington’s diverse history, or to see more items like this one, visit us at the Center for Local History located on the 1st floor of Central Library.

Win a Book Wednesday: “The Dreamers”

Win a Copy of "The Dreamers" by Karen Thompson Walker

Cropped photo of "The Dreamers"

About "The Dreamers"

"In The Dreamers, Karen Thompson Walker’s follow-up to "The Age of Miracles," an infection is spreading through the college town of Santa Lora, California. First one girl falls asleep and can’t wake up, then the sleeping sickness spreads as more and more people fall into uninterrupted slumber. Eventually, the town is quarantined. This book follows several characters including a college student, a couple of professors and their baby, a psychiatrist, and an eleven-year-old girl through the duration. Pick this up for an intriguing read about disaster at the human level."

Reviewed for you here by librarian Michelle. Publication date is set as January 15, 2019.

Want to Win this Book?

  • Leave a comment below on Wednesday, Dec. 12, and share the name of the book you're reading this week.
  • Everyone who leaves a comment here, on Facebook OR Twitter will be entered into a random drawing (Library employees are not eligible). Please only enter in one place.
  • The winner will be contacted by email on Thursday, Dec. 13.
  • The winner can pick up their prize at the Library location of their choice.

Win a Book Wednesdays takes place twice a month. Prize books are Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) of books that will be added to the Library collection within the next month, and can already be found in the Library catalog as "on order."

ARCs are uncorrected proofs given to the Library for review purposes only, and are not for sale.

 

Register for The Winter Big Book Club: “Ides of Middlemarch”

Our Mission: To tackle reading the fairly big book, “Middlemarch” while talking about it online (and cheering each other on when necessary).

 

How to Participate

  • Register now!
  • Start reading by January 7
  • Read approximately 100 pages each week (see reading schedule)
  • Chat online about the book
  • Meetup in person during our two off weeks – if you want
  • Finish “Middlemarch” by the middle of March…

Chat About the Book Online

  • Twitter – Vent or swoon throughout the week (depending on how you’re feeling) using the #IdesOfMiddlemarch hashtag.
  • Goodreads Group – Join us Sunday nights in the Ides of Middlemarch Group to chat with your librarian hosts and fellow readers: Jennie, Megan, Pete, and Alex.

Listen to the Podcast

Download our mostly-weekly Ides of Middlemarch wrap-up podcast on your favorite podcast app, or listen on the website. Librarians Jennie, Megan, Pete and special guests will discuss the reading and ask or answer questions that come up during the Sunday discussion.

“Middlemarch” Survivors Party

Join us in person to kick back and celebrate the end our our epic reading journey. Date TBA.

Join Us!

Register now and you’ll receive a reminder email when the Big Book Club starts on January 7!

Download the Library App