Rumor has it that staff at the Columbia Pike Branch Library consume more coffee than all the other branches combined.
Now we have the artwork to prove it. Please come check out Addiction part 3, a beautiful piece by local artist (and Library staff member) Alexandra Zealand.
This piece hangs in our stairwell, and looks particularly stunning at night when illuminated.
One of the recent changes at the Shirlington Branch Library is the new area we’ve created for the Young Adult collection, and our teen readers:
Find out more – and help to name our table – on the Library’s Teen page.
An exhibition of quilts created by the Reed School’s Teen Parenting students is coming to the Westover Branch Library, Wednesday, June 3, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
This will be a one-day only show, so mark your calendar, and don’t miss the quilts, dolls and other hand-crafted items made by the students of the Teen Parenting Program!
The Aurora Hills Friends of the Library Sale is having a HUGE Hardback Fiction Sale!
Starting Monday, May 10, patrons at the Aurora Hills Branch Library will find specially marked carts both in the lobby and in the reading room filled with great deals.
All hardback fiction books are $0.25 each, or 5 for $1.00
The sale will only run while supplies last, so come shop while you can!
Are you interested in WWI and WWII history? Check out the 30 vintage war posters from 1914 – 1945 at the Columbia Pike Branch Library on display to commemorate Memorial Day.
Local resident Mark Hill has generously lent the library part of his collection of original war posters from artists such as:
Norman Rockwell
James Montgomery Flagg
Howard Chandler Christy
Haskell Coffin
E. McKnight Kauffer
These posters will be on display through July 4th, 2010. If you have any questions about the collection, please contact Mark Hill at markhill11@verizon.net
During WWI, as there was no TV or radio, the primary means of garnering support for the War was through the dissemination of messages on posters placed throughout mass public areas like train stations, as well as in shops, armed forces recruiting centers and post offices. Females were often featured as the focal point in these posters, exhorting the onlooker to follow her toward victory.
During WWII, notwithstanding the presence of radio (but still no TV), the poster was still considered a primary source for “broadcasting” the wide range of support-for-the-war messages — Buy War Bonds, Keep Em Flying, Loose Lips Sinks Ships, Give Us Ammo to Strike Down the Enemy, etc.
For both Wars, often the U.S. Government enlisted the aid of then renowned artists to create posters supporting war efforts (some of which are included in this collection).
More information about WWI and WWII War posters can be found at the “A Summons to Comradeship” digital library sponsored by the the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the University of Minnesota Libraries and the Minneapolis Public Library.
Like the bank, the gas station, the supermarket and the toll road, libraries are using self-serve technology for a faster, more-efficient checkout. Central Library will join Plaza, Shirlington and Westover in using all self-serve checkout on Monday, June 7. Other branches will follow in coming months.
Staff and volunteers are ready to help patrons with the transition. But needless to say, the key is having your library card with you at the library. So if you haven’t seen your card in a while, please check your junk drawer, the glove compartment, that shelf next to the washing machine or maybe the pocket of your raincoat.
If you think your card is lost for good, replacements are available. But lines for customer service could be long at certain times so you’ll want to obtain a replacement card soon. Save time – carry your library card and you’ll be on your way.
Find out more about self service in our Self Service FAQ.
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| County Board members Chris Zimmerman and Walter Tejada |
More than 100 people enjoyed the Columbia Pike Branch Library’s Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony Saturday, May 8, exploring the traditional Ethiopian preparation of coffee.
The coffee bean was originally discovered in Kaffa, Ethiopia where it still grows wild today. Neighbors there drink coffee together, and during this traditional gathering an atmosphere of human bonding is created. Family affairs, neighborhood gossip and community events surface and are regularly discussed during the ceremony.
You can see more pictures from today’s ceremony on Flickr. Thanks to everyone who came and made this such a fun event!
We’re happy to see that new signage has been added to a popular crosswalk on busy Quincy Street north of Fairfax Drive, near Central Library.
The crosswalk serves pedestrians crossing at the ART 52/53 bus stop on the west side of Quincy Street, and those making the short walk between Central Library and the Ballston Metro Station.
In the coming weeks we’ll be opening Central Library’s nearby 10th street entrance for public use, so we’re particularly glad to see this extra safety measure in place.
The new signs remind drivers that state law requires a vehicle to yield to pedestrians within a crosswalk. From what we observed today the reminder is helping, but those looking for a more secure crossing may still want to use the crosswalks with pedestrian crossing lights at the end of the block.
Are you a local history buff? Check out Pike 200 Minutes, a new series of video shorts about the last 200 years of the Columbia Pike corridor.
Produced by Arlington Virginia Network, these are a series of one minute “looks” at Columbia Pike from 1810 – 2010.
Our favorites include:
This may look like a big pile of mulch now (it is) but soon it will be a beautiful butterfly garden – right outside the parking lot doors of the Columbia Pike Branch Library. We are very fortunate to have an enthusiastic volunteer who is committed to getting this garden built for everyone to enjoy
But we need your help! We need a name for the Butterfly Garden. Please post your suggestions in the comments, or stop in and let us hear your ideas.