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Making American Girl History

Arlington Public Library introduces four new ambassadors to the worlds of literature, history and imagination.

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American Girl Dolls “Cécile Rey,” “Marie-Grace Gardner,” Molly McIntire” and “Julie Albright,” along with their books.

Thanks to the support of the Friends of the Library (which funds all Library programs) and just in time for Women’s History Month, these four American Girl dolls will add an extra presence to stories of old and new in Arlington.

Meet the Author

Author Valerie Tripp  will discuss the creative process and the joys of writing the American Girl Books, on April 4 at the Cherrydale Branch Library. Ms. Tripp’s books will be available for purchase and signing. Feel free to bring your own copies.

Borrow an American Girl

Just like the American Girl books that have long captivated young Arlington library readers, the dolls themselves can be now be borrowed from the Library!

The Dolls can be:

  • Placed on hold, borrowed and taken home for one week
  • Picked-up and returned at the Youth Services desk at Central/Circulation Desk at each branch library

Each doll comes with a special travel pack that includes the book of her life story, set during a compelling time: 

Along with each girl’s first book, the doll kits also feature an exclusive guide created by the Library’s Virginia Room depicting life in Arlington during each doll’s era. And to tell future history, there’s a special journal to record and preserve each doll’s homebound adventures with new friends. The Virginia Room is also creating a historic display for the dolls at Central Library.

Meet the American Girl Dolls

Get to know these new Library ambassadors at three special debut parties featuring history-themed games, crafts, stories and more:

 

 

Learn more in the American Girl FAQ and about the American Girl Lending Program.

 

 

Suzannah Pays Her Fines

8 Year Old Practices Math Skills and Civic Responsibility

Suzannah arrived at the Shirlington Branch Library determined  to pay her late fine.

So she emptied all the change out of her new yellow purse, and with the help of Shirlington librarian Mary, figured out exactly how much money was needed.

Paying Fine at Shirlington

 

Well done, Suzannah! And may all your future library books be returned on time.

 

Kids Create Cover Art at Central Library

Painting and Perspective

As part of our celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Caldecott Medal, we invited artist Melanie Kehoss to visit Central Library’s after school Kids Club on Wednesday, February 20.

Kids Club painting

Inspired by previous Caldecott winner Flotsam by David Wiesner, the kids played with perspective, making small things huge and big things tiny  to design their own picture book covers. Then, using watercolors and black and white crayons, they made their creations come to life.

Check out their beautiful work!

 

Melanie Kehoss is an art instructor with Arlington Arts Center and has work featured in AAC’s INTERWOVEN. Art.Craft.Design., on exhibit January 18 – March 24, 2013.

 

Find more Kids Events, recommended books, reading tips, and more on our Kids Page.

 

 

 

Reading: A Family Affair – March 2 in Falls Church

Celebrate literacy through storytelling, puppetry, music, dance, and more!

Clifford RAFA photo

Families and children are invited to the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia’s 7th annual Reading: A Family Affair.

The event is open to families with children of all ages. And every child that participates gets to take home a free book!

  • Saturday, March 2 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
  • James Lee Community Center at 2855 Annadale Rd., in Falls Church

Suggested donation for admission:  $5 per family, to benefit the Literacy Council’s Student Scholarship Fund.

Authors and Performers scheduled to appear include Kaydee Puppets, Zurii Conroy, Tom Lilly/The One Step MagiCompany, the Kalavaridhi Dance Company and Groovy Nate, Lulu Delacre, Jane Dorfman, and Emily Gleichenhaus, plus Oh Susannah!, Rainbow Entertainment and The Goodlife Theater!

A staff member from the Library will also be on hand – if you see her, say hello!

 

Arlington Reads 2013

Exploring the Newcomer’s Story

Arlington Reads 2013

One of the most heralded young novelists of his generation and a Pulitzer Prize winner will be on-hand guides as Arlington Reads 2013 goes “Out of Bounds: The Immigrant Experience.”

This spring Arlington Public Library’s annual one-theme, one-community initiative will look at two powerful works of fiction that echo with the searing isolation, loneliness and hope felt by millions who have gone searching far from home as migrants to America.

 

The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears

Dinaw Mengestu came to the United States from Ethiopia at the age of two. His first novel, The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears, tells the story of an Ethiopian survivor escaping communist revolution only to struggle for acceptance behind the counter of a shabby Washington grocery store.

The New York Time says Mengestu has created a “great African novel, a great Washington novel and a great American novel.” He is the winner of a 2012 MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” fellowship and has been named a top author under 40 by the New Yorker and the National Book Award Foundation. Mengestu’s journalism has appeared in Harper’s, Rolling Stone and the Wall Street Journal.

 

 

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Dominican immigrant Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao weaves shifting narration and a tragic family backstory with the longings of a fatherless, overweight teen transplanted in New Jersey with only science fiction as an escape.

A best-selling first novel, “Oscar Wao” won Díaz the Pulitzer Prize in 2007. Time magazine called it the best novel of the year, “a massive, heaving, sparking tragicomedy.” Díaz is another 2012 MacArthur fellowship winner and a 2012 National Book Award finalist.

 

 

Arlington Reads is made possible through the generous support of the Friends of the Arlington Public Library.

Do you have an immigrant story to tell? Please share in our comments section.

 

What Went Up Came Down, 1997

1960s Courthouse Demolished Sixteen Years Ago

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At 7 a.m. on Feb. 23, 1997, the shell of the old Arlington County Courthouse came down in an impressive, yet controlled, implosion. Located across the street from the current courthouse and correctional center, the building was opened in 1960 with great fanfare, as it was a vast improvement over the original courthouse from 1898. However, the 1960 building had lots of asbestos and no sprinkler or fire alarm system, and a major fire in 1990 was its death knell. The county completed the current courthouse building in 1995, and the 1960 building was used by the fire department for training exercises until its demolition. The area is now a parking lot.

This series of photographs by County Photographer Deborah Ernst give a dramatic view of the implosion and the rubble it left behind.

 

Celebrate Croatia at Central Feb. 26: Ambassador Paro, Food and Music!

Arlington Public Library welcomes the Croatian ambassador to the United States, Joško Paro, on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m. at Central Library. He’ll discuss his nation’s unique role in Europe as a cultural crossroads between East and West. croatia flag

Plus there will be Croatian food treats for all, cultural displays and live music performances.

His visit is the latest gesture in a friendship that began with the Library, on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, hosting Croatian information professionals for extended visits. That was followed last year by Library Director Diane Kresh’s speaking tour of several Croatian library and information sites.

Now the Library is proud to feature a wide-reaching selection of books on Croatian art, literature, business and language.

Explore Croatia through this fine collection and hear Ambassador Paro at Central on Feb. 26. Let the Library be your passport.

New Film Looks at DC Punk Landmark

Doc Features Images from Library’s 2012 DC Punk Exhibition

On Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 at 9 p.m., Maryland Public Television will premier a new documentary about “The Bayou: DC’s Killer Joint.” 

The filmmakers used several images from DSI Archives including these two, which were featured last year in our DC Punk exhibit:

Want to see more? Visit our DC Punk collection on flickr.

 

Watch the trailer, and read more about the film:

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/31277659[/vimeo]

 

“What do baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle and Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant have in common? Both were thrown out of The Bayou.

A decade since the last lusty notes stroked the irreverent, iconic Georgetown music hall, tales and echoes linger. Metro Teleproductions Inc. has gathered them in full and has begun post-production on an 80-minute documentary titled The Bayou: DC’s Killer Joint.

From murder to redemption, from jazz to rock and roll, from striptease to Kiss, from Mister T to misadventure, from business-as-usual to anything-goes, the documentary, like The Bayou itself, will arouse the senses.

The Georgetown club, once an after-hours joint called The Hideaway, had been shuttered and left for dead after a late-night mob hit in 1953. Renamed and resuscitated by new owners Vince and Tony Tramonte and, for a time, partner Mike Munley, The Bayou would become Washington’s bedrock music hall, offering a heady mix of national and regional stars of varied genres.”

Read more on “The Bayou: DC’s Killer Joint” website.

 

 

Famous Book Lover Visits Aurora Hills

Has a passion for returned library materials.

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Aurora Hills received a Valentine’s Day visit from famous book lover Rudy Valentino.

When asked, Mr. Valentino said he welcomed returned library materials with open arms because,

“I have a true love of knowledge.”

 

 

 

 

What are We Reading this February?

Ever wondering what your favorite library staff members check out?

Here are the books we’re curling up with this week:

 

Jennie is reading…


The Lure of the Dead
by Joseph Delaney

 

 

 

 

 

Karen is reading…


The Girl Who Fell to Earth
by Sophia Al-Maria

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tim is currently reading…


A Voyage Long and Strange
by Tony Horwitz

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are you reading this week?
Check out our previous reads!

 

 



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