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Teens Collaborate to Create Unique Wall Art

This spring, students at four different Arlington Community Centers designed and built pieces of a new sculpture for the Teen area at the Shirlington Branch Library.

Each group worked separately, without knowing what their peers were working on.

Yet when the letters were installed  together for the first time at Shirlington, they formed a fantastic whole! See more photos on flickr.

 

Everyone at Shirlington is delighted by the hard work and devoted artistic efforts of the students at the Gunston Community Center, the Langston-Brown Community Center, the Lubber Run Community Center and the Walter Reed Community Center.

Thank you!

 

 

Go Inside North Korea This Month

It may be the most mysterious and brutal place on Earth.

North Korea, the regime created following World War II, remains a totalitarian dictatorship controlled by one family holding nuclear weapons and hundreds of thousands of political prisoners locked away.

Never far from the headlines, North Korea’s future grew even more clouded with Kim Jong-un’s sudden rise last December following the death of his father.

Malnutrition across the country is the norm, while the cult of personality now focuses on a 29-year-old, Kim Jong-un, the youngest head of state in the world.

 

This month, Arlington Public Library presents two critically acclaimed authors who have recently pulled back some of the heavy veil that hangs over the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”

 

June 14
Friends of Arlington Public Library feature author Adam Johnson, whose novel The Orphan Master’s Son, opens a window to everyday life under the North Korean propaganda machine.
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June 20 
PBS Frontline correspondent Blaine Harden discusses the story of Shin Dong-hyuk, the only person to escape North Korea after being born and bred inside one of its horrific slave labor camps. Escape from Camp 14 is currently on the New York Times bestseller list.
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Arlington Public Library takes you inside North Korea this June to explore the volatility of a nation lost to time and fear.

 

 

 

 

Our Back Pages: Swillers Music

Serving as both a location to find the latest recorded music and a popular gathering spot, Swillers Music is still fondly remembered by longtime Arlington residents. 

Known over the years as Swillers Music, Swillers Music Center, or just Swillers, the store’s location in Clarendon at 1206 N. Hartford St. helped it become a magnet for residents looking for phonograph records of all genres. Turntables, televisions, radios, and related accessories were also kept in stock for the customer’s convenience.

Priding themselves on adding new merchandise on a near daily basis, many local residents found themselves visiting Swillers regularly, enjoying each other’s company, making new friends, or just passing the time. All of this seems quite fitting for a family owned business overseen by president Milton Swiller, vice president Anna Swiller, and treasurer Sydney Swiller.

The first listing for Swillers in an Arlington County directory appeared in 1948, while the last entry is from 1961.

 What About You?

 Do you have any recollections about Swillers Music?  If you do, please share in our comments section. Thanks.

 

 

 

 

Take a Stroll Through Cherrydale May 26

Get a Taste of Cherrydale – take a stroll, meet neighbors, and explore the neighborhood!

When: Saturday May 26, 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Pick up a Taste of Cherrydale card at the Cherrydale Branch Library on Saturday, May 26. Then follow the self-guided walking tour to neighborhood stores and restaurants to enjoy all kinds of samples and demonstrations.

The walking tour will take about an hour, so start early.

Get your card stamped at the listed stops, then return it to the Cherrydale Library before 5:00 p.m., and you’ll receive a special prize!

Participants will also be entered to win a $50 gift card from Lebanese Taverna.

Special thanks to our Taste of Cherrydale partners:
Arrowine – Barston’s Child’s Play – Cassatt’s – Billy’s Cheesesteaks – The Cherrydale Citizens Association – Company Flowers – Crisp and Juicy– House of Steep – Lebanese Taverna – Starbucks – Subway – Sun and Moon Yoga – Pasha Café – Pastries by Randolph – YMCA of Arlington.

 

Puppies and People Paws-to-Read at Westover

The dogs get to relax, while the kids read and smile…

Check out our fun photos from a recent Paws-to-Read session at the Westover Branch Library:

 

Learn more about out Paws-to-Read program, and how to sign your child up for reading practice with a carefree canine.

 

 

[Filled] People from All Over the World Call Arlington Home…

And some need your help to improve their English language skills!

 

Volunteer Opportunity: English Language Conversation Group Leader

Volunteer at the Central Library as a conversation partner for a non-native English speaker, during regularly scheduled English Conversation group meetings. Volunteers should have an interest in meeting people from other cultures, and the ability to engage people in a pleasant, welcoming and encouraging manner.

  • When: The group meets on Saturday mornings, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
  • Required Qualifications: The ability to speak English clearly and correctly. Commitment to a regular schedule. Ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Second language is a plus.

No prior experience necessary – training will be provided.

Visit the Library’s volunteer page to learn more, or fill out an online application.

 

Late April in the Vegetable Garden

Have you started your spring planting?

On Saturday, April 21, volunteers gathered at Central Library to work the AFAC Plot Against Hunger vegetable garden. They weeded, harvested the remaining lettuce, removed the cold frames, planted onions, and trimmed the oregano.

This last weekend, our garden volunteers returned, and planted onions and leeks – check out some of the fruits (or vegetables) of their labor:

Volunteer: Share the Joy of Books with Children at Shirlington

Do you love babies, toddlers, and books?

The children’s library at the Shirlington Branch Library is looking for volunteers to help her set up the room for story time, clean up afterwards and act as security at the door during programs to help keep children from wandering.

Volunteers should be dependable, enjoy children, and firm enough to turn people away at the door when storytime is full, or to ask them to leave if neccessary. Passing a background check is required.

When: Monday and/or Friday mornings 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. January through June.

Interested? Visit the Library’s volunteer page to learn more, and and to fill out an online application.

 

Columbia Pike Reopens June 5

Continuing structural upgrades at Arlington Public School’s Career Center building will force the Columbia Pike Branch Library to be closed May 15 – June 4. 

Work including complete replacement of heating and air-conditioning ducts and ceiling tiles means the library must be kept sealed for construction with no access to building or collection for public and staff.

The Library is taking a number of steps to reduce, as much as possible, inconveniences related to the branch closure:

  • Beginning April 24, all non-DVD items checked out from Columbia Pike will, as a courtesy, be due back on June 13
  • Beginning May 8, all DVDs checked out from Columbia Pike will, as a courtesy, be due back on June 13
  • Holds will continue to be processed at Columbia Pike until May 4 at 5 p.m.
  • After May 4, holds for Columbia Pike will be processed and made available on the Central Library holds shelves
  • Holds can be designated for delivery to any public library location in Arlington
  • An external book drop will be maintained outside Columbia Pike and materials will be checked in regularly
  • All Arlington Public Library locations accept returns from any site in the system

The Library appreciates the patience and understanding Columbia Pike users have shown during the ongoing work on the Career Center.

A new heating/cooling system, new windows and new doors combined with the recently installed new carpeting, reconfigured service desks and cozy redone storytime room will make using the branch an even better experience than before.



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