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Shaun Howard

Summer Reading 2025: Share the Love with Your Library

Post Published: June 2, 2025

Photo of performer Talewise with two young participants presenting the program "Adventure of the Lost Treasure." The text and graphic on top of the photo says 2025 Summer Reading, June 1 to September 1, "Share the Love."

Arlington Public Library kicks off its annual Summer Reading program with fun events at select locations on June 6 and 7! Readers of all ages can complete the challenge to earn prizes and participate in dozens of free events all summer long.

Register in the Arlington Public Library app today or pick up a paper reading log at any library location to record your reading. Read for 30 days to earn terrific prizes, including:

📚 A free book OR a coupon for one free book from any Friends of the Library bookstore

⚾ A voucher for two free tickets to select Washington Nationals games

Read for an extra 10 days and fulfill one of the following challenges to become a Super Reader:

  • Visit the library to add the title of a book you read this summer to our "Heart Wall."
  • Do something helpful for your family member, neighbor, or community.
  • Write a letter to a family member, friend, neighbor or community helper to share your thoughts.

Super Readers are entered into a weekly prize drawing from July 11 – September 5. Win prizes featuring local sports teams, ice cream shops and more! The sooner you become a super reader, the sooner you become eligible to win weekly prizes!

For every person who completes Summer Reading, the Friends of Arlington Library will also donate $1 to Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

Remember, you only need to read for any 30 days starting on June 1 to win prizes—even just a few minutes per day counts! You can also "backdate" in the app or reading log to give yourself credit for any days you might forget to mark.

Learn More about Summer Reading

Celebrate Summer Reading at Multiple Locations!

Three children at Glencarlyn Library playing with various balloons.

Share the Love of Summer Reading by joining us at our Summer Reading Kickoffs at multiple libraries on June 6 and 7!  Sign up for the program, enjoy crafts, games, prizes and frozen treats while supplies last.

Summer Reading Kickoffs

Summer Reading is made possible through the generosity of the Friends of the Arlington Public Library and the Washington Nationals.

June 2, 2025 by Shaun Howard

Director’s Message: The Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden

Post Published: May 12, 2025

The Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden: an appreciation

Dr. Carla Hayden was sworn in as the 14th Librarian of Congress in 2016. Appointed by Barack Obama in the final days of his presidency, she was the first woman and first African American to lead this storied institution—which I was fortunate to call “home” for more than 30 years.

Arlington Public Library staff meeting with Dr. Hayden.
Arlington Public Library staff meet with Dr. Hayden in the Librarian's Ceremonial Office in the Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress, November 2, 2022. (L-R): Katherine Chiriboga, Anneliesa Alprin, Brittany Veland, Jennifer Odlum, Diane Kresh, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.

Carla Hayden is of the people and for the people. She has used her years of public librarianship in Chicago and Baltimore to open wide the doors of the “people’s library.” Her championing of literacy, popular culture and freedom of speech is her proud legacy.

Dr. Carla Hayden yelling into a microphone at a Washington Nationals game.
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden delivers the "Play Ball!" announcement for Library Night at Washington Nationals Park, August 20, 2024. Photo by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress.

Short in stature, tall in spirit, she is unwavering in her belief that libraries are for everyone. She was President of the American Library Association (ALA) when the Patriot Act was moving through Congress and fought to preserve the sanctity of library borrowing records.

Dr. Carla Hayden in a purple jacket at the Library of Congress Main Reading Room.
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden in the Library's Main Reading Room, September 1, 2020. Photo by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress.

Dr. Hayden was fired by the current administration via email on Thursday, May 8, one year before her 10-year term was to end.

Thank you for your service, Dr. Hayden. Our nation’s libraries owe you a debt of gratitude.

Signatue of Library Director Diane Kresh.

Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library

May 12, 2025 by Shaun Howard

Appreciating Arlington Educator Katherine Mosley Ross

Post Published: May 8, 2025

This Teacher Appreciation Week, we’re showing our appreciation for Arlington educator Katherine Mosley Ross.

A photo of Katherine Ross with a white garment on her head, a white dress and white pearls around her neck.

Katherine Ross, date unknown. From her funeral program, 2003.

Katherine Mosley (Woodson) Ross was born on May 19, 1905, in Lynchburg, Virginia. She was the first child born to William Edward Mosley, a blacksmith who owned a shop in what was then known as Hell’s Bottom and Emma Isabel Mosley, a housewife who briefly worked for the government during World War I.

Shortly after Ross’ birth, William and Emma built a home at 909 S. Scott St., where they lived for the rest of their lives. The house is still standing, directly next door to St. John’s Baptist Church, which was built in 1907.

Ross’ elementary education began at St. John’s Baptist Church School. By the time she entered the fourth grade, the church school had closed, and she began attending what was known as the “new Jefferson School,” a 4-room schoolhouse built on land purchased from the South Arlington Cemetery Corporation in 1914.

The “old” Jefferson School was the first public elementary school for Black students in Arlington, established in 1870.

The main building of the Hoffman-Boston Junior High School formerly known as the Jefferson School in black and white and a medium size two storied building.

The main building of the Hoffman-Boston Junior High School (formerly the Jefferson School), a segregated school built in 1915 with an addition added in 1931, at 1415 S. Queen Street. The building is currently part of the Hoffman-Boston Elementary School campus. From RG 32.

While Ross was a student at Jefferson, Fletcher Kemp began his long tenure as superintendent. He became known for his vigorous efforts to reform the school system. In an oral history interview, Ross cited Superintendent Kemp as someone who encouraged and inspired her to pursue a career in teaching.

[Kemp] said, "I want you to go over there to Dunbar or Armstrong and go further and come back here and teach in my school.” And I knew he was talking to me, he looked right at me, and he said, "I expect you to come back and teach in my school."

Then, you know, you didn't answer. But I smiled, and I just said, well I was going to do it. I was going to do it anyway, but I was going to do it. And I knew he meant for me to come back and teach in Arlington County Public Schools.

Ross would go on to do just that. After graduating from Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. (there were no Black high schools in Arlington at that time), she enrolled in the Minors Teacher College at Georgia Avenue and Harvard Street.

Every morning, Ross would have to leave her house at 7 a.m., take a trolley from Arlington to Pennsylvania Avenue and hop on a streetcar to get to school. She was forced to ride in the back of the trolley.

As far back as I can remember, my father used to tell me that there was a law ... and that law said that there was a difference between white and Black. But the minute he said that, he said, “but the law is wrong.”

He said, “there isn't any difference. So far as brains, you have just as much brains as anybody. But the law says: This is why you have to sit in the back of the trolley. This is why you can't go to some places in Washington D.C.” Well, there wasn't any place in Arlington to go, so it didn't make too much difference. But if there was a restaurant or whatever in Arlington, I couldn't have gone to it anyway.

But he insisted on telling me that the law was wrong. “But it's the law, so I don't want you to get hurt...But remember that regardless of what you have to do, it is wrong. And one of these days, it's going to change.” Well, it was a little difficult, but I believed what he said.

So, when I rode on the trolley, I knew I had to sit in the back. But I knew that was the worst place in the world, I shouldn't have to be there.

After graduating from teaching school, Ross applied for a job with the Arlington County Public School system. Kemp hired her and appointed her to teach first and second grade at Langston School. She held that post for four years before marrying her first husband.

At the time, married women were not permitted to teach in Arlington, so, she left and didn’t return to teach at Arlington Public Schools until 1937. In the meantime, she earned her bachelor's degree while continuing to teach in North Carolina and Campbell County, Virginia.

A young black girl performing a dance, standing on her toes.

Girl performing dance on toe shoes at Langston School, 1955. From PG 218.

When Ross returned to Arlington, she was appointed to the new Hoffman-Boston High School – the first Black high school in the county, established at the former Jefferson School, where she had found her inspiration to teach two decades prior.

Despite the efforts of the teachers, the resources that students had access to were inadequate compared to the white high schools. Ross and others were known to send their students to libraries in D.C. to supplement their education, since the Hoffman-Boston Library was lacking.

Black students eating lunch with each other at Hoffman-Boston High School.

Lunch time at Hoffman-Boston High School. From RG 307.

In 1941, with the U.S. joining the war effort, the Pentagon was built, displacing the Black families who lived in what was known as Queen City. Most relocated to Green Valley, causing the student population to skyrocket at the local Kemper Elementary School (later renamed Drew Elementary School).

Superintendent Kemp called upon Ross to be a leader to the teachers at Kemper. She helped them make the best of their strained resources and contend with squeezing a full day’s curriculum into half-day shifts, which allowed them to teach as many students as possible.

A two-story building used for schooling.

The second Kemper School building, built in 1893 for Black students in the Green Valley/Nauck neighborhood. The building was replaced in 1945 and is now the Charles R. Drew Elementary School at 3500 23rd Street. From RG 32.

When Arlington Public Schools desegregated in 1959, Drew Elementary began to receive its first white students. Around this time, Ross became an assistant principal, supervising grades three through six. She oversaw the integration of the first white teacher, Ms. Hopkins, into a previously all-Black school.

Ross continued to teach at Drew until her retirement in 1970, after a 45-year career.

In addition to her career as a lifelong educator, Ross was a proud member of St. John’s Baptist Church for over 85 years. She devoted her time and leadership to the senior choir, trustee board, vacation Bible school and Sunday school. Her legacy to the church and community is the Katherine Mosley Ross Scholarship Fund, inspired by her loving dedication to education.

Sources:

  • Arlington Public Library Oral History Project, Katherine M. Ross interview, 1987.
  • Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, “Remembering The Jefferson School and Mr. Edward Hoffman,” September 2023.
  • Charlie Clark Center for Local History, “The Story of Arlington Public School Desegregation” (blog post), January 2018.
  • Charlie Clark Center for Local History, “The Jefferson School" (blog post), September 2019.
  • Funeral program, “Service of Triumph for Katherine Mosley (Woodson) Ross, December 17, 2003.”
  • Ophelia Braden Taylor, “Public Education for Negroes in Arlington County, Virginia, from 1870 to 1950,” Dissertation, June 1951 (Project DAPS).

Help Build Arlington's Community History

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) collects, preserves and shares resources that illustrate Arlington County’s history, diversity and communities. Learn how you can play an active role in documenting Arlington's history by donating physical and/or digital materials for the Center for Local History’s permanent collection.

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May 8, 2025 by Shaun Howard

Naomi Lipsky: Quilling, gilding and Judaic Art

Post Published: April 30, 2025

Cherrydale Library, May 2 - August 2025

a photo with flowers surrounding a gold background.

Naomi Lipsky:

Ever since she was a little fairy princess girl, Naomi loved to make things, with paper, scissors, and glue, or fabric, or paint or clay, or whatever hands could do. However, she also wanted to save the world. To that end, she earned a PhD in biochemistry and embarked on a satisfying career in research. At the same time, she continued to develop her skills in decorative and needle arts. When the creation of her artwork became more meaningful to her than her research, she made the decision to retire from science and become a professional decorative artist. ​
​
She is best known for her work with quilling, an antique art in which paper strips are shaped and applied as ornaments, but she works with gold leaf, collage, and gouache, as well. Her main body of work consists of Judaic ritual art and liturgical illustrations. She does all her own matting and framing. Naomi’s award-winning work has been exhibited in a variety of museums and galleries, and featured in art books and other publications. 

Learn More About Art Exhibits at the Library

April 30, 2025 by Shaun Howard

Lea Go: BOhK: It’s more than just good fortune

Post Published: April 29, 2025

Glencarlyn Library, May 5 - June 5, 2025

a recycled bag with a korean word and colors on it.

Lea Go:

KOREAN BOHK (복) and BOHK JUMEONI (복주머니)​

The Korean word Bohk is frequently translated in English as good fortune or good luck, but it has a much more complex meaning: it means positive energy of the universe. It is anything and everything that positive energy could bring you - good luck, good fortune, happiness, good health, blessings, you name it.  So, although it can be used anytime of a year, you will hear every Korean saying it around the lunar new year day in a new year’s wish to each other "Sae-Hae- Bohk- Mahni-Ba-Deu-Se-Yo," meaning "I wish you a year full of lots of Bohk (which will help all your wishes come true).” People also carry with them or gift others a Bohk Jumeoni - a drawstring pouch with the word Bohk embroidered on it - wishing for a good year ahead.​

When I started working on my Bohk series, my family and I were going through some hard times. The work was my way of affirmation, meditation, self-care, and support seeking. Art is healing. My work heals me. And I hope for a chance to share my work with others and to help heal them. 

Learn More About Art Exhibits at the Library

April 29, 2025 by Shaun Howard

Jose Quinonez: Acrylic Paintings

Post Published: April 29, 2025

Aurora Hills Library, May 5 - August 23, 2025

Various Patterns and colors in a painting.

Jose Quinonez

Jose Quinonez, with no formal training in art, states that he “started my creations as a therapy to recover from an accident that required eleven surgeries to rebuild his left jawbone. I found that getting immersed in these creations kept my mind free of the pain and gave joy to continue my journey”. He only uses acrylic as my medium for expressing his creations. He often paints on stretched canvas, but from time to time, he has been known to upcycle abandoned materials as "canvases" for new creations -- from abandoned pieces of plywood to an old butcher's board (and even his wife's old metal filing cabinet!)

Jose describes himself - with some accuracy - as a primitive cubista painter. Through his paintings, he tries to capture both the vitality and images of traditional Guatemalan life as well as the tragic reality of the past day nation. Their straight lines, geometric patterns, and brilliant colors are inspired by the patterns used in traditional Mayan textiles. The juxtaposition of colors in my paintings creates an almost textured quality so that at times one is tempted to reach out and feel the woven pattern I am creating. His creations with the feature-less faces cry out for both an end to the suffering and for justice for the indigenous peoples of Latin America.

He paints to give expression to the joys, rhythms, and meanings he finds in life, in community, and in nature. He weaves in the colors, patterns, textures, and symbols of Latin American indigenous communities to honor their experiences of joy and of horror, of connection and of fragmentation, of exploitation and of belonging.

Learn More About Art Exhibits at the Library

April 29, 2025 by Shaun Howard

Keeley Rae: Prismatic Motion

Post Published: April 29, 2025

Central Library, May 6 - August 28, 2025

a woman in an orange dress who twirled around.

Keeley Rae:

In Keeley Rae’s exhibit, “Prismatic Motion,” she diverges from the subdued stillness and soft palettes of figure models by capturing the vibrant and celebratory motions of life. The subjects of her paintings twist, tumble, and float through space with elegance and strength. Keeley hopes her exhibit will serve as a joyous gathering space, where viewers can share in the wonder of life’s exuberant motions.

Learn More About Art Exhibits at the Library

April 29, 2025 by Shaun Howard

Studio Pause Artist’s Collective: Columbia Pike’s Community

Post Published: April 29, 2025

Columbia Pike Library, May 13 - August 2025

A woman who is painted in green, yellow and blue smiling with bright colors in the background.

Studio Pause 

This is a collection of art showcasing the local and diverse stories and experiences unique Columbia Pike residents. It presents the richness of culture, experience, and talent that our community has to offer.

Learn More About Art Exhibits at the Library

April 29, 2025 by Shaun Howard

Lena Baker: Canyon Lights

Post Published: April 29, 2025

Westover Library, May - August 2025

A painting with orange, pink and dark red colors representing a cannon.

Lena Baker

Lena Baker, a self-taught oil painter based in Alexandria, Virginia, explores the quiet complexity of natural surfaces in her Textures series. Featuring three paintings of Antelope Canyon and one of a weathered wood slab, the series captures the intricate patterns shaped by time, erosion, and organic decay. These works reflect Baker’s fascination with the intersection of realism and abstraction, where recognizable forms give way to deeper meditations on impermanence and resilience. ​

​Born in 1986 in the former Soviet Union, Baker draws on a diverse artistic background that includes animal studies, portraits, and landscapes. Her evolution as an artist is marked by a growing focus on materiality and detail. In Textures, she invites viewers to pause and look closely—at the delicate grain of wood, the undulating sandstone, the marks left by nature’s slow transformation. Through layered color and meticulous brushwork, Baker gives voice to surfaces that often go unnoticed. The Texture series stands as a quiet tribute to the natural world’s ability to tell stories—not through words, but through form, pattern, and texture. ​

Learn More About Art Exhibits at the Library

April 29, 2025 by Shaun Howard

Jon Milstein: Life Into Art

Post Published: April 29, 2025

Courthouse Library, May 6 - August 2025

a painting of a parked car with snow on the street with a clear sidewalk.

Jon Milstein

I'm increasingly aware of the pace of change in our world and I'm interested in using watercolor to capture the look and feel of today. The Teslas, strip malls, and smart phones that populate our day to day lives will one day seem quaint. I think I'm trying to document this place and time in a way that acknowledges that things are moving so quickly but I want to hold on and do it in traditional medium.

Artistically, I've always needed (and found) one outlet or another and enjoyed drawing while growing up in Northern Virginia in the 80s and 90s. For several years I mostly scratched my creative itch doing improv comedy, but I've made the executive decision to pivot back to the visual arts. What I think improv and watercolor have in common is that both work best when you let go and stop trying to control the scene-I can only try to react.

Learn More About Art Exhibits at the Library

April 29, 2025 by Shaun Howard

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