Arlington Public Library

Director's Blog

Director’s Message: An Update on the Future of Libraries

Thank you to all who participated in the Arlington Public Library’s Future of Libraries engagement project this past spring. Your commitment to strengthening the role of libraries in our community was gratifying for me and the staff.

Three Arlington Public Library employees smile outside of Shirlington Library, holding "Be part of shaping the future of Arlington Public Library" pamphlets and standing next to a "Community Voices Day" sign.

Arlington Public Library, working with Accenture, engaged the community to develop 12 future state scenario concepts of potential library experiences, services and interactions. Community members had many opportunities to prioritize and give input on the concepts. Read more about the process.

Results

Screenshot of the Arlington Future of Libraries survey, featuring language about the feedback form and concepts along with a headline "Be part of shaping the future of the public library.

3495 community members completed the digital questionnaire.

Community members participating in a feedback event with discussions and ideas written on sticky notes with markers

More than 200 community members participated at some point in the process in person.

A patron views two Future of Libraries concept posters on the glass wall inside Shirlington Library.

The community helped create 12 concepts. All received some support in the survey and during in-person conversations.

Below is how the community answered when asked whether a particular experience, service or interaction would have a positive impact in their neighborhood.

Read the Full Survey Report

What Comes Next

While elements of every scenario will shape the library staff’s work moving forward, Library leadership with the help of Accenture looked at the results and settled on high-priority concepts using the following framing questions:

  • What is the level of community support?
  • Is the concept a role Arlington Public Library uniquely fills? If not, who are the other County partners involved in this area and how can we support them?
  • Is the concept a match for something we already do well and can easily expand on?

With these guiding principles in mind, we settled on three areas of focus.

Kids Zone

Arlington Public Library will work toward establishing a dedicated early literacy-focused zone focused on our youngest population (0- to 5-year-olds) and their families and caregivers. This would be an expansion and full realization of our current popular Arlingtown offering, which serves more than 500 patrons per week across all locations. Kids Zone will be a unique destination in Arlington. In the coming year, the library hopes to embark on a formal study to determine an appropriate site and potential budget.

Children sitting and reading in a colorful play area with toys and hanging signs that say "Play" and "Read."
Sketch of younger patrons chatting on beanbag chairs with books and laptops.

Student Union and Career Compass

Starting initially as a service concept and less of a place, the library will continue to think innovatively about how to serve teens and be a place for teens to gather. Investments made by the County Board in FY 2025 will allow Central and Westover libraries to continue to flourish as teen gathering spots after school. While Arlington Employment Center and Arlington Public Schools along with other County partners will remain the leaders in these areas, Arlington Public Library will place an emphasis on teens to prepare them for college, the work force or military service.

Student Union and Career Compass

Starting initially as a service concept and less of a place, the library will continue to think innovatively about how to serve teens and be a place for teens to gather. Investments made by the County Board in FY 2025 will allow Central and Westover libraries to continue to flourish as teen gathering spots after school. While Arlington Employment Center and Arlington Public Schools along with other County partners will remain the leaders in these areas, Arlington Public Library will place an emphasis on teens to prepare them for college, the work force or military service.

Sketch of younger patrons chatting on beanbag chairs with books and laptops.

Strengthening the Library as a Third Space

Libraries are safe spaces—not your school or work, not your home, but a third creative space to belong, to grow and to connect with others. We already are this place to many people. Over the next year we will evaluate our spaces with an eye toward offering this to as many community members as possible.

Sketch of diverse patrons chatting in a cozy sitting area, with bookshelves, more patrons, and a movie screening event visible in the background.

Libraries have been and will continue to be key supporters of the public good.

Onward!

Signatue of Library Director Diane Kresh.

Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library

Director’s Message: Still Reading What You Want—Whenever. However. Forever.

Still Reading What You Want—Whenever. However. Forever. 

The data is in: Arlington residents love to read. 

Arlington Public Library completed one of our most successful Summer Reading Programs ever with 9,617 registered readers and an 80% completion rate (a 21% increase from 2023). Thank you to all who participated.

A library poster with text "Join Summer Reading. Read books, win prizes." and a child reading in the background.

And that's not all:

📲 Circulation topped 1.5 million in Overdrive/Libby in FY24, a significant 39% increase over the previous year.

📈 Patrons placed more than 1.2 million holds, a 20% increase over the previous year.

📚 Arlington Public Library purchased 7,200+ additional print copies of items because of high patron print holds.

🙋‍♀️ We had a 110% increase in form-based book recommendation requests.

🛒 Our librarians received 4,826 patron suggestions for purchase, a 33% increase over the previous year.

🔃 The Library did a refresh project for the Detention Center collection, during which we purchased 1,200+ new items for their collection.

🧩 Our board games and puzzles collection, a great way to encourage fun and social interaction, circulated 7,500+ times.

In recognition of Banned Books Week, Sept. 22–28, the Library hosted a bookmark contest. The theme? What freedom to read and libraries mean to you.

Not surprisingly, imaginative submissions flowed from all age groups. We received hundreds of submissions, and 30 winners were selected.

Composite of four bookmark designs for the 2024 Freedom to Read competition.

Winning entries are being professionally printed and distributed at all library locations during Banned Books Week. Stop by a library and collect your favorites. And congratulations to all participants.

For many, it was a chance to link creativity with personal values and our community ideal of an informed citizenry. One teen said, “This [bookmark contest] gave me the confidence to start competing in other art competitions!"

Let's think about that for a second. "Gave me the confidence..." Isn't that what libraries do each day?

Audience applauds a guitar-playing teen at Columbia Pike Library's Open Mic Night
Columbia Pike Library's recent Open Mic Night event.

Through free diverse collections, programs, on-site experts, empathetic staff and inviting third spaces, each day we encourage Arlington residents to learn new things, face personal and professional challenges, find outlets for their creative interests and grow both as individuals and as members of our community. It is a labor of love and never gets old.

Thank you for reading, growing and for supporting us at Arlington Public Library.

Signatue of Library Director Diane Kresh.

Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library

Happy Centennial James Baldwin! 

"We’re in a moment that requires much of us.
To use Frederick Douglass’s words, ‘We will not be saved by the captain, but by the crew.’”
—Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr., Arlington Reads, Mar. 7, 2024 

This year, Arlington Public Library commemorated the work of James Baldwin, the renowned American writer, social critic and civil rights activist, who was born 100 years ago today, August 2, in Harlem, New York.

His body of work has had a profound impact on contemporary American identity and his words continue to hold America to account on its promises of equality and justice.

A black and white photo of James Baldwin.
Photo credit: Photo of James Baldwin by Rob Croes/Anefo.

In “The Fire Next Time,” published in 1963, Baldwin writes:

"Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. I use the word ‘love’ here not merely in the personal sense but as a state of being, or a state of grace—not in the infantile American sense of being made happy but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth."

Baldwin's powerful words remain as urgent and relevant today as when they were written.

The library began its celebration of Baldwin with a community read of “The Fire Next Time” and we are delighted to report more than 600 patrons checked it out. Professor Keith Clark, Distinguished Professor of English and African American Studies at George Mason University, provided context and background before the community discussion started.

Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr., author of “Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and its Urgent Lessons for our Own,” was our series opener and his remarks set the tone for many provocative conversations we held throughout the spring with each Arlington Reads author: Anna Malaika Tubbs, Jesmyn Ward and George M. Johnson.

Before the evening program, Dr. Glaude visited the Arlington County Detention Facility Library as a special guest.

Sixteen residents in the Community Readiness Unit of the Detention Facility read his book. Dr. Glaude opened by quoting Baldwin, "Hope is invented every day." An inmate asked him, "Was there a time you felt broken?"

Dr. Glaude’s responses echoed Baldwin in both their realistic grasp of our times and the challenges that often keep us from giving rise to our better angels.

“…in order for us to understand what we’ve been called to do, we have to understand that the world conspires to make us small. The world conspires to force us to be comfortable in our narrow silos, to be comfortable with the illusions and the fantasies that secure us in our innocence. The world conspires to make us mean-spirited and selfish and greedy and unloving.

And if that’s true, then the question we have to ask ourselves over and over again is, 'Will we be complicit?' …Our country is asking of us something that we must respond to. We contain multitudes, and we must act like it because we are the only salvation the nation has.”

The institution of the public library answers Dr. Glaude's call to action by being open to all, respectful of differences and committed to freedom of thoughts and beliefs.

Let's together honor Baldwin's vision of community by sharing, caring and listening to one another.

Signatue of Library Director Diane Kresh.

Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library

Pride Month and My 50th Anniversary Working in Libraries

This June, Pride Month turns 25 and I celebrate my 50th year working in libraries.

Libraries have changed a lot in 50 years. When I began my life’s work in 1974, there were no computers, no internet, no social media and no Alexa to wake me up in the morning.

Gone are the card catalogs with file drawers filled with index cards. Now eBooks enable us to read anywhere, at any time.

What has not changed? Our commitment to serve the public good by promoting your freedom to read and to be whoever you want to be within our safe and welcoming spaces.

Photo of Library Director Diane Kresh.

As a gay woman library director, Pride Month is important to me.

Why? Libraries are third places—not your home, not your office or school—places where all can belong and simply be. Places where continuous learning and self-discovery are limitless and community connections are made stronger.

The concept of Pride Month is rooted in the Stonewall Riots, a series of protests for LGBTQIA+ liberation that began on June 28, 1969.

These riots are considered a pivotal moment in the community’s modern human rights movement. The first Pride marches were held in 1970, and the traditions of Pride month continue: honoring and cultivating the courage, dignity and self-worth of LGBTQIA+ people at all stages of their life’s journey.

📚 Check out my book list, curated for Pride Month.
🌈 Join us for events celebrating Pride Month.
💕 Come hang out at any of our libraries and make it your "third place."

Photo of Central Library with Pride banner.

Happy Reading. Happy Pride. 📚🌈

Signatue of Library Director Diane Kresh.

Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library

Director’s Message for National Library Week

Libraries: Where You Belong

Diane Kresh stands in her office doorway wearing an Arlington Public Library t-shirt. Pictures from across her career are pinned to the doorway.

This is a special year for me: my 50th year working in libraries.

When I began working at the Library of Congress in 1974, there were no computers, no Internet, no social media, no Alexa to wake me up in the morning, no telework, no eAudiobooks.

Then the nation was a couple of years past the enactment of Title IX which has made possible the careers of outstanding women athletes. More than 12 million people tuned in to watch the rematch between Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes and Angel Reese's LSU Tigers — a new record for a women's college basketball game. (Sports and books have been some of my favorite pastimes.)

Over the past 50 years, libraries also have undergone significant change.

The outside of Central Library framed by plants and cherry blossoms, with banner text reading "Read whatever you want. Whenever. However."
The entrance of Central Library as captured this spring.

The replacement of the manually generated catalog card with machine-readable data was a major disruption. An essential resource for nearly 200 years, the passing of the venerable card catalog made way for online cataloging of library collections, now available on an app on your phone.

In 1990, the American Library Association implemented a policy to ensure equal access to information for all persons by recommending removing barriers like fees and overdue charges. Arlington Public Library eliminated fines and fees for overdue books in July 2020.

Banned Books Week was established by the American Library Association in 1992 in response to a surge in book bans in libraries and schools. In the U.S. today, book bans and challenges have risen at an unprecedented rate. Especially affected are books written by LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC authors. Arlington Public Library became a Book Sanctuary in September 2023.

From the beginning of my career, I have stood up for intellectual freedom. I believe books change lives and connect us to the world. Books and what they teach create more opportunities for us, our community and the world. Books and their stories promote tolerance, acceptance and understanding.

And I can’t say it often enough, libraries are more than books. They are “third places,” not home, not school or work. They are community hubs that connect people to information and connect people to people. For young people, librarians are “third” adults – not teachers or parents – trusted adults who will listen with compassion and without judgment.

A child jumps double dutch in a children's event at Aurora Hills library.
A recent Double Dutch Double Feature event at Aurora Hills Library.

For older adults, we offer a variety of programs to make connections (like book clubs, mindfulness practices and chair yoga) and learn new things (such as digital preservation, knitting and foreign languages). And the list goes on …

I have devoted 50 years of my life to what I still believe is essential, affirming work. Libraries are central players for the public good. Libraries are places of belonging. Libraries are free. Libraries are open to all.

Join us this week to celebrate books, those who write them and those who make them available to you.

Signatue of Library Director Diane Kresh.

Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library

Director’s Message: New Year. Same Resolution.

Read Whatever You Want. Whenever. However.

This year marks 50 years I have worked in libraries. I entered this sacred profession on June 3, 1974 and have never once regretted my decision not to go to Law School (Sorry, Mom).

Books have been my life’s work. Reading them. Sharing them. Reflecting on them. And as library director, making them available to all.

I was first awestruck by the power of language while reading Edna Ferber’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "So Big," in my late teens. The book wasn’t on any reading list of mine; I likely just picked it up from Westover Library, possibly helped by the librarian who often recommended books to me.

It’s a coming-of-age story (a favorite genre of mine) and features a young woman, Selina Peake De Jong, who decides to become a schoolteacher in a Midwestern farming community. As Selina travels by train to her new home, she looks out the window and beholds the majesty of the fields, shimmering in brilliant color and light as the train hurtles past.

The description took my breath away, filled as it was with anticipation of new beginnings, as was I on the cusp of adulthood.

I grabbed an envelope and wrote down the words, memorializing the moment when I matured from reader to READER. A thrilling realization of the strength of language and stories to guide me both deeper into and out of myself.

No doubt many of you have had that same experience. It’s a wonderful feeling, isn’t it?

I reconnected with Selina at the October Friends of the Arlington Public Library (FOAL) book sale when I found and bought a copy of "So Big." The years have not lessened the appreciation I have for what she and Ms. Ferber have done for me.

I am no longer the young woman on the brink of adulthood. I have traveled many thousands of miles and experienced profound joy, deep sorrow and everything in between. And through it all, I have found meaning, solace, and courage in the books I have opened whether shared by friends and family, touted in reviews or simply stumbled upon. What a wonderful life and one I am grateful for each day.

My 2023 reading year was a year of discovery—debut authors or authors new to me; final chapters with beloved characters; several dips into classics overlooked by me; an occasional dip into the zeitgeist; wider reading of LGBTQIA+ authors and authors of color; some mysteries, some memoirs, some magic and a couple of books starring librarians. Of course.

For those of you looking for suggestions, here’s my list.

2023 Goodreads Reading List

'Tis the season for resolution-making. If you are looking to sustain a reading habit or create one anew, we have some helpful tips to share:

  • Try an eAudiobook. As I write this message, I've listened to 48 hours of Barbra Streisand's amazing 970-page memoir "My Name is Barbra." I've loved every minute of it.
  • Find a book buddy. I have two: my son Matt and my dear friend Deb. We talk and trade books among the three of us and keep the spirit of reading strong.
  • Frequent our FOAL bookstores, each purchase supports the library. Find your version of "So Big," the book that made you a reader.
  • Join a library book club or the Winter Reading Challenge.
  • Join the library in reading one of Baldwin’s best-known works—"The Fire Next Time"—during February and then participate in a community discussion of this pivotal work on Feb. 29. The library will have unlimited eAudiobook copies of this work available, along with a few of Baldwin's others, from January through March.
  • Bonus tip: do not worry about finishing every book you pick up. There are plenty more out there. Life is too short to spend time on doing something you don’t enjoy. And that’s true for most things, including reading.

Here’s hoping you find something good to read—whatever, whenever and however.

Signatue of Library Director Diane Kresh.

Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library

Too Cool for Yule: #16

For most of the years I have worked with Arlington Public Library, I have created a seasonal playlist known as “Don’t Touch that Dial,” or recently, “Too Cool for Yule.”

This tradition is personal. Every year, it brings memories of the thousands of hours I’ve spent over the years making playlists for friends, siblings, and work colleagues. Now, I mostly create playlists for myself. And with the addition of Spotify and iTunes, it’s easy.  No more waiting on my favorite radio station to play my favorite song and record it on a cassette tape. Remember those days?

Just like a great book or film, a great playlist captures the spirit of a person.  My favorite playlists are ones that feature bits of edginess, elegance, humor, and hope. I enjoyed curating this list. Happy listening!

 

Listen on Spotify

A few liner notes about the selections:

My top pick is “My Favorite Things” by the late Tony Bennett. Always one of my favorite songs made more so by Bennett’s silky-smooth baritone.

Musicians who have left us, The Band’s Robbie Robertson (represented by the Staple Singers' glorious rendering of “The Weight”), Sinéad O’Connor and Bennett may be gone, but will never be forgotten.

Taylor Swift and Britney Spears are having huge cultural moments.

It’s the 50th anniversary of the birth of Hip Hop.

And if you make it all the way to the end, here’s a bonus track.

As 2023 winds down, we hope you will take a moment to relax, gather with family or friends, grab your favorite beverage and give a listen to this edition of “Too Cool for Yule 2023.” Be inspired to sing along or dance. And please share some of your seasonal favorites with us. They just might end up on next year’s list.

From all of us at Arlington Public Library, we wish you and yours a joyful season’s end and a peaceful new year.

Always Free. Always Open. Always Listening.

Diane Kresh
Director
Arlington Public Library

Signatue of Library Director Diane Kresh.

Director’s Message: Read What You Want. Whenever. However.

On Sept. 26, Arlington County took a stand for the banned! The County Board issued a Resolution in support of libraries and declared our libraries to be “book sanctuaries.” This comes as we recognize Banned Books Week (Oct. 1-7) and celebrate the freedom to read.

Earlier this week, I was interviewed by Jenn White, host of NPR’s 1A, on the topic of banned books. It was both a thrilling and humbling experience to be in conversation with a 16-year-old student who organizes a banned books club for teens and author Carl Hiaasen.

However, the majority of daily news stories regarding books and accessibility are not encouraging.  

From Jan. 1 to Aug. 31, 2023, the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom documented challenges to 1,915 unique titles, a 20% increase from the same reporting period in 2022. And 2022 saw the highest number of attempted book bans since the ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago. Not a record to be proud of.

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Perhaps not surprisingly, banned and challenged books are often stories about people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community or other marginalized groups.

Everyone has a story. Stories foster empathy and connect us to others. And they can provide lifesaving insights and context for anyone questioning: “Who am I? How do I relate to the world around me?”

In September for National Library Card Sign-up Month, Arlington Public Library welcomed more than 3,750 new patrons and renewed library cardholders.

This week, Arlington Public Library joins libraries (3,000 and counting) across North America committed to collecting and protecting endangered books, making those books broadly accessible, hosting talks and events and educating others on the history of book banning and burning.

Arlington Reads with "Maus" author Art Spiegelman. Photo by Daniel Rosenbaum.
Arlington Reads with "Maus" author Art Spiegelman. Photo by Daniel Rosenbaum.

So, what can you do?

Please stand with me and the Arlington Public Library staff in support of the freedom to read what you want—whenever, however.

Signatue of Library Director Diane Kresh.

Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library

Director’s Message: Libraries for All

Library Director Diane Kresh speaking during the ceremony.

Library Director Diane Kresh speaking during the U.S. Naturalization Ceremony at Central Library. Photo by Christopher George.

On August 24, 2023, Arlington Public Library had the privilege of hosting a U.S. Naturalization Ceremony.

As a local government department, we were asked by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to be the location where 50 people, representing over 30 countries, would become new American citizens.

It was an awe-inspiring experience, and it reminded me how libraries are for all.

  • Libraries provide free and unrestricted access to information, for all.
  • Libraries create safe spaces to celebrate our collective and varied cultures, for all.
  • Libraries are the center of the community, and we welcome all, whether you are a citizen or not.

50 people, representing over 30 countries, participated in the U.S. Naturalization Ceremony. Photos by Christopher George.

The library is a place of new beginnings and possibilities for these 50 new Americans who were sworn in yesterday, for our diverse Arlington community (of which 22.5% are foreign born), and for future generations of New Americans arriving to Arlington. We even offer classes to prepare for the United States Citizenship Exam.

Rita Dove, former Poet Laureate of the Library of Congress, has said, "Libraries are where it all begins." And it's true. Let’s think about that for a minute in the context of what it means to be a citizen.

Becoming a citizen means being granted certain rights and responsibilities in exchange for active engagement in community life and governance, at both the local, state and national level.

Citizenship is a weighty responsibility. One that requires patience and diligence. This Country’s form of representational government depends on the active engagement of all citizens.

And that’s where we come in. Libraries, especially public libraries, were founded on the belief that the public has a right to know.

Arlington Public Library welcomes all who enter our doors.

September is “Library Card Sign-up Month.” Please join us with our vital work in the community by finding a way to help someone get a new library card.

With libraries, the possibilities are endless and communities are stronger.

Libraries for all.

Signatue of Library Director Diane Kresh.

Diane KreshDirector, Arlington Public Library

Director’s Message: Summer is a Time to Read for Fun. Seriously.

Diane Kresh stands at a podium with her hands raised.

Diane Kresh warms up an Arlington Reads audience. Photo by Daniel Rosenbaum.

Public libraries across the nation are in the heat of Summer Reading Programs and Arlington Public Library is, too. We believe summer reading is for everyone—and if you have not yet signed up, you can do it now. Join the 5,673 who have already registered and you too can earn Washington Nationals tickets, a free book and more.

The New York Times recently reported on the “new, low test scores for 13-year-olds,” the lowest level in decades. “The percentage of 13-year-olds who reported reading for fun has also declined. Last fall, 31 percent said they ‘never or hardly ever’ read for fun, compared to 22 percent in 2012.”

Not good news.

What is good news? This is a problem that can be fixed. One book, one reader at a time.

Patrons at the Friends of the Arlington Public Library Book Sale. Photos by Christopher George.

The benefits of reading are well documented: reading increases creativity and imagination; reading together builds strong family and community bonds; reading expands one’s vocabulary and promotes and enhances critical thinking skills; reading teaches all of us, and especially young people, about the complex world we live in. And I haven’t even mentioned the health benefits which include reducing stress and anxiety and even countering mental decline.

One of the joys in my life is reading.

And not just reading itself, but sharing and talking about what I am reading with others: friends, coworkers, patrons. And with print, eReaders and eAudiobooks, one can read pretty much anywhere at any time—on family trips in the car, commuting to work on the bus or subway, in a book club, at a coffee shop or on a comfy couch. And if you can’t find something to read, we are here to help with suggestions for every taste and reading level through our website, new app and book displays throughout our library locations.

Let’s read, share, and then read some more. Let’s make a habit of reading for fun. It’s a habit you’ll never want to break.

Always open. Always free. Always reading.

Signatue of Library Director Diane Kresh.

Diane KreshDirector, Arlington Public Library



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