Arlington Public Library

Web Editor

Walker Chapel

 

Home to one of the earliest church congregations in Arlington County, the unique history of Walker Chapel is that of both change and tradition.

Located at the present address of 4102 North Glebe Road, the original Walker Chapel was built in 1871, six years after the end of the Civil War, and only a year after the end of Arlington County’s occupation by the Union Army. Initially a junior church of the Mount Olivet Circuit, the chapel was situated on land donated by Robert and James Walker, whose father David Walker was buried in the adjacent Walker (Family) Grave Yard. The original building was a single room frame structure with a small belfry and basement, seated near the upper part of the graveyard. A new church was built at the opposite end of the cemetery in 1903, with further additions taking place in 1952 and 1954, including the construction of an education and administrative building. The original chapel continued to be used for Sunday School classes prior to its demolition in 1930. The photograph above was taken in August, 1996, before the extensive renovations of 1999; the result is the stately white brick church that stands today.

What about you? Have you been to Walker Chapel? We’d love to hear from you.

Talking Books for the Blind Information Sessions – March 14, 17


Eighty years ago this March, Congress established the National Library Service to lend talking books to the blind and physically handicapped free of charge.

Although the program has evolved with technology from longplaying records to digital downloads, it remains built upon a network of public libraries to supply special audio books and magazines to those who aren’t able to read print. As a supporting lender in this unique program, Arlington Public Library makes available thousands of recorded titles and players especially designed for easy, reliable use. Materials can be obtained in person or through the mail.

Next week staff at Central Library will offer a Talking Books “Information Station.” Potential Talking Books users, their families and friends can test the latest digital players, explore a list of titles, ask questions and obtain an application.

The “Information Station” will be available:

  • Monday, March 14, from 5- 8 p.m.
  • Thursday, March 17, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

The Talking Books program is just one more way that Arlington Public Library builds connections to information and the joy of reading. For more information on Talking Book, call 703-228-6333.

Discoveries in the Stacks: Biographies


Discoveries in the Stacks is the Westover Branch Library’s occasional exploration of our collection, delving into areas that you may not have visited.

This month we stroll down the Biography aisle. Fascinating stories await you…where often truth is more daring than fiction.

March is women’s history month, so we start with amazing women:

  • Nightingales: The Extraordinary Upbringing and Curious Life of Miss Florence Nightingale, by Gillian Gill. Florence Nightingale is a woman who very well might have been one of the first reformers of Britain’s health-care, and most of us know her as a “saint” in the early delivery of medicine. Gill delivers a comprehensive look at this Victorian-era icon.B NIGHTIN F
  • Cherie Blair: Speaking for myself, by Cherie Blair. An accomplished woman in her own right as a successful lawyer, Blair recounts her life in the limelight along side Prime Minister Tony Blair while navigating family life with young children in 10 Downing Street, and her own career. B BLAIR C
  • Rage for Fame: The Ascent of Clare Booth Luce, by Sylvia Jukes Morris. A rags to riches story full of ambition and intelligence. Luce is at once a politician, playwright and social seductress. B LUCE
  • Paula Deen: It Ain’t All About the Cookin’, Paula Deen. Cooking wizard, Paula Deen, tells all…from her charmed southern childhood, through a rough marriage and on to The Lady & Sons restaurant, and her own television show. B DEEN P
  • Wishful Drinking, by Carrie Fisher. Taking her one-woman show, of the same name, Fisher recounts her life with wit and humor…from Hollywood celebrity parents to Princess Leia and being a cultural icon at the age of 19 through mental illness and a scattered life. B FISHER C
  • In Spite of Myself: a Memoir, by Christopher Plummer. Plummer delivers a cleverly-written and witty account of his days as a stage and screen actor. B PLUMMER C
  • Alfred Hitchcock: a Life in Darkness and Light, by Patrick McGilligan. This definitive biography details Hitchcock as a comprehensive film craftsman, dedicated romantic, constant trickster and devoted husband. B HITCHCO A

We’ll see you next time in another part of the stacks!

Wednesday Games at Westover

 
Stop in at the Westover Branch Library on the first Wednesdays of each month to play board games, card games and Wii. 

We play from 2:30 – 5:00 p.m. – bring you family, friends and neighbors! 

All ages are welcome, and no registration is required.

Women's History Month Resources


Why celebrate Women’s History? Because women are half of our story. The Women’s National History Project states that:

“Recognizing the achievements of women in all facets of life – science, community, government, literature, art, sports, medicine – has a huge impact on the development of self-respect and new opportunities for girls and young women.”

Explore Women’s History through books, on the web and with local organizations:

Teen Tech Week – March 6-12

Teen Tech Week is a national initiative aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults, to help teens become competent and ethical users of technologies.

During Teen Tech Week, we offer events that encourage teens to use libraries’ nonprint resources for education and recreation, give them the opportunity to share their knowledge, and introduce them to librarians who are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology. Learn more all week on TATAL, the Teen blog.

This year’s Teen Tech Week activities include:

Teen Gaming – Swing by the library and try to beat your friends and our librarians at games like “Wii Sports Resort” and “Super Smash Brothers.”

Got a Gadget – Do you have a gadget that you’re unsure how to use? A digital camera that won’t upload photos? An Ipod that’s been sitting in its box for a year? We have teen tech experts who are here to help you solve your gadget woes! Please bring your device and any manuals you have.

Checkmate! Try to Beat the Computer! – Chess, Checkers and Chat  Practice with other teens on a non-virtual board and then try your hand beating the computer!

"How Do You Participate?" – Teen Book Give Away

If you’ve been in the Young Adult room at Central Library recently, we hope you noticed the unusual set of posters hanging around the room.

They were given to us by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit Service and offer a glimpse into the exhibit “Choosing to Participate” which is at the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. through June 17. The creators of the exhibit hope it will be a “catalyst for conversation about the importance of participation in our community, nation, and world.

Think about it, how engaged are you? How do you choose to participate? 
Teens who respond on the TATAL blog win a free book:

All Work and No Play

In 1949, Arlington established a formal Department of Recreation for the rapidly growing and developing county. However, the classes, clubs, and activities sponsored by the department mirrored the school system and were segregated. In 1950, a formal "Negro Recreation Section" was created "with a special emphasis on sports." Its director was Ernest E. Johnson, who was a central figure for African-Americans in Arlington who wished to participate in the Department's programs.

Johnson expanded the Negro Recreation Section to include classes for children in not only a variety of sports, but dance, theater, and music (including accordion classes), and community events like teen beauty pageants and parades. He was forward-thinking, documenting many of these activities in the early to mid-1950s with professional photographs; a collection of 78 of these images are held in the Community Archives. Johnson oversaw the development of Jennie Dean field and a new recreation center at Hoffman-Boston on S. Queen St. This center later became known as the Carver Center. Johnson's activities stretched beyond the Department of Recreation. He was the leader of Arlington's first African-American Cub Scout Pack (#589), chartered in April of 1952.

For the 1962-1963 fiscal year, the Negro Recreation Section was quietly changed to the Carver Section, with Johnson still as its supervisor. In 1964, the Negro Recreation Section disappeared in a department reorganization; Johnson became Supervisor of the Centers Section, overseeing "teen clubs, free classes, and meetings of non-Department sponsored clubs in the centers." With no fanfare at all, the county's Department of Recreation had become desegregated and Johnson was integrated into the department's existing administration.

Ernest Johnson continued to serve Arlington County, and on May 8, 1982, Arlington celebrated Ernest E. Johnson Day with a parade that ran from the Walter Reed Recreation Center to the Carver Recreation Center, a softball game that afternoon, a senior tea and a testimonial dinner that evening. A photograph from the event, showing Johnson (center) and his wife Mignon (left) is shown above. Johnson died in December 1992, after a life to service to the people of Arlington; his work let Arlington play.

What About You?

What are your memories of Arlington's Department of Recreation: classes, clubs, parks, and fields? We want to hear from you!

March Films at Shirlington

Did you enjoy The Black Swan? Join us for three great films about theatre and dance at the Shirlington Branch Library this month:

“Kiss Me Kate”  – Tuesday March 1, 6:30 p.m.
The film adaptation of Cole Porter’s stage hit version of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” Includes the songs “So in Love,” “Too Darn Hot” and “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.”
Directed by George Sidney and starring Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson. Not rated, 109 minutes. [1953]

“The Red Shoes” – Tuesday March 15, 6:30 p.m.
A story about a ballet performance of Hans Christian Andersen’s dark fairy tale, with a ballerina torn between her love for a ballet director and a composer.
Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Not rated, 133 minutes. [1948]

“Being Julia” – Tuesday March 22, 6:30 p.m.
A story of the London stage in the 1930s based on a tale by W. Somerset Maugham. Reigning diva Julia Lambert’s success and fame grow suddenly wearisome as she reaches middle age. She falls for a young American who breaks her heart, leading to a plot of revenge.
Starring Annette Bening and Jeremy Irons. Rated R, 104 minutes. [2004]

Book Suggestions from Real Kids!

Roark, one of our all-time favorite library patrons, and a 5th grader at Jamestown Elementary School, is back with some great suggestions for middle grade readers and above.

Check out Roark’s books, comments, and ratings (5 stars is tops) on From Tots To Tweens: 



Download the Library App