Drop By and Ask Questions, Share Ideas, or Just Say Hi!

Celebrate National Week of Making with tools and projects from the Library’s Maker Movement. 

We’re proud of our national tradition of tinkering, inventing, and entrepreneurship – and we aim to create opportunities for Arlingtonians to participate in this tradition.

Check out the Maker display at Central Library this week, and don’t miss our demonstrations on 3D printing, electronic circuits, crafts, and more.

Visit us online any time to learn more about the Library’s Maker Movement and our new Design Stations. Then check out our book lists on Adobe software, Arduinos, bike repair, life hacking, Raspbery Pi and more.

 

Central Library Demonstration schedule:

• Monday, June 20, 4-7 p.m. – 3D printing
• Tuesday, June 21, 10 a.m-12 p.m. – Circuits
• Tuesday, June 21, 1-3 p.m. – 3D printing
• Wednesday, June 22, 3-4:30 p.m. – Upcycle T-Shirts
• Thursday, June 23, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. – Button making
• Thursday, June 23, 6-7 p.m. – Upcycle bike crafts

Come Imagine, Create, and Share with Us!

 

Westover Branch Library will remain open during remediation for water damages and repairs to prevent further damage.

During inspections of the building envelop, leakage was noted at the upper level windows and the display windows adjacent to the entrance. The County has contracted a qualified window installer to remove and properly install the upper level windows and display case to fix the problems identified by a building envelop consultant.

• Repairs begin in mid-July. The work is expected to be completed by late September October, but weather is always a consideration.
• The work crew will start at 7 a.m. and work to 6 p.m.
• Safety is a primary consideration. The scope of work will require us to install overhead protection at the main entrance to protect Library customers from the work occurring.
• At all times all material for this project will be secured in a fenced off area adjacent to Washington Blvd.
• Inside the Library, temporary walls will be constructed to prevent dust and mitigate noise as different areas are worked on.
• Maintaining and preserving furnishings, technology and art at Westover is important. All materials will either be relocated or stored securely. In particular, the Tiffany stained glass windows will be stored in a safe location on-site. Book collections will be relocated to another part of the building and will be accessible for browsing.
• The Library expects to remain open during the entire project. There may be a times when the work is noisy and we will work hard to keep it to the minimum.
• Arlington Public Schools programs hosted in the Reed School should not be impacted. There have been some leak issues involving windows on the Reed School side of the facility and Arlington Public Schools has been working to remedy that situation on a separate schedule.
• The Library is very involved at every step of the way. We welcome your feedback and will post updates on the Westover Branch Library page.

Thank you for your patience and understanding while the repairs are underway. It is our goal to preserve this beautiful space so we can serve the community well. Please share and distribute this information to your communities.

 

The County Board adopted the FY 2017 budget on April 19, 2016.

We want to make sure our Library patrons are well-informed of changes to some Library fines included in the adopted budget.

As of July 1, 2016, the daily fine for all overdue items will be $0.30 per day. 

Inter-library loan items are the only exception. Daily fines for inter-library loan will remain at $1 per day.

• Any overdue materials returned through June 30, 2016 will be charged under the old fine structure.
• Any overdue materials returned on July 1, 2016 or after will be charged under the new fine structure.

The library website will reflect the new fines beginning July 1.

A copy of this message was emailed to all account holder with an email address registered with Arlington County’s Department of Libraries, who have used their library account at least once in the past year.

 

Created by Children in the Harvey Hall After-School Program

Installed May – June, 2016

 

Trail Tales is a partnership between Arlington Public Library and the Department of Parks and Recreation. 

The Trail Tales’ squirrel logo was designed by Arlington student Annabella.

 

 

 

Magnetism, Electricity and Sound

2016’s program introduces rising 2nd – 6th graders to the physical science behind magnetism, electricity and sound through fun, hands-on activities.

Registration starts Saturday, June 4.

 

Sessions will take place at Central Library, Aurora Hills Branch Library, Cherrydale Branch Library, Shirlington Branch Library, and Westover Branch Library.

 

GSK Science in the Summer™ is a fun and free science education program sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline and administered by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which introduces students to the wonderful and fascinating world of science.

 

On May 27, 2016, we held a party at Central Library to welcome newcomers to Arlington.

Attendees of our English Conversation Classes and ESL students from Arlington”s Adult Education (REEP) program brought their families and joined international Library staff and volunteers for an evening of great food, entertainment, and getting to know one another better.

 

Folks came from all over the world, including the Middle East, Africa, Asia, India, China, Japan, South America, Central America, Mexico and Europe.

 

We hope this will be only the first of many similar events!

 

Metro repairs promise to make commuting especially stressful for workers in Arlington and the surrounding area over the coming year.

 

For Teleworkers who can’t work at home, or commuters who can’t travel all the way to work, the Library offers:

• Free WiFi
• Black and white copy machines
• Black and white and color printing
• Design Stations with Adobe software at Central Library
• Small group meeting rooms at Central Library, Columbia Pike Branch Library and Westover Branch Library
• Bike racks at all library locations, for folks who go car-free

 

Learn more about Metro SafeTrack, how it will affect Arlington County, and your transportation options.

 

Artifacts from the Arlington Historical Society

On exhibit at the Aurora Hills Branch Library, May – June 2016

As part of Aurora Hill’s 90th birthday celebration, Mark Benbow, museum director of the Arlington Historical Society, presents a display of historical mementos and trivia highlighting Arlington in the 1920s when the Aurora Hills branch was founded.

 

Stop by to check out the interactive exhibit, and test your knowledge of Arlington County history!

 

It’s Birthday Month at Aurora Hills!

On Saturday, May 14, the Aurora Hills Branch Library celebrated 90 years of service to the community with a bang-up birthday bash.

Festivities included a beautiful vanilla cake (with a delicious layer of vanilla pudding), popsicles from the Dairy Godmother (owner Liz Smith signed up for her very first library card at the Aurora Hills branch when she was a little girl), and a crowd-pleasing performance / dance lesson by vintage dance troupe Fidgety Feet, who energized the crowd and got them dancing to the Charleston – the signature step of the 1920s.

And our friends at Arlington Car Free Diet added to the excitement with balloons and birthday hats, which party-goers young and old donned for the occasion.

The celebration continues through the end of June, with a display of historical mementos and trivia highlighting Arlington in the 1920s when the Aurora Hills branch was founded, presented by Mark Benbow, museum director of the Arlington Historical Society. Stop by to check out the interactive exhibit, and test your knowledge of Arlington County history.

 

Here’s to another 90 years!

 

In Case You Missed It…

On Saturday, May 7, Cherrydale Branch Library hosted a very special Mother’s Day Tea! 

Check out all the fun:

A big thank you to House of Steep for providing us with tea and lavender cookies.