Spring is springing and signs are everywhere. The cherry blossom trees outside my office windows bloomed pink, turned brown and now are on their way to green.
The Central Library tennis courts are packed each afternoon with student players, the gardens have been mulched (like old books, a smell I love), and daffodils, from Lady Bird Johnson Park off the George Washington Parkway to my backyard, are standing tall, trumpeting renewal and rebirth.
April is one of the Library’s busiest months. The Friends of the Arlington Public Library's Spring Book Sale starts today through April 6.
We celebrate National Arab American Heritage Month with books sharing the rich heritage and culture of many of our Arlington coworkers, neighbors and friends. A favorite author of mine is Moroccan American novelist Laila Lalami whose latest book “Dream Hotel” I am in the middle of reading. I interviewed Lalami a few years ago about her mystery/thriller “The Other Americans,” a National Book Award finalist.
April is National Poetry Month, and we are taking a moment to salute outgoing poet laureate Courtney LeBlanc who has been a faithful and inspiring friend of the library during her tenure. Courtney’s latest book, “Her Dark Everything’ comes out this month.
Earth Day turns 55 on April 22 and we will host a series of programs including “Fix Nearly Anything,” making mini terrariums and garden talks. And The Truck will be on the road again joining Langston Boulevard Alliance's Earth Day Every Day celebration.
National Library Week is April 6-12 and we cap off the week with the Human Library. Check out a human book and learn what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes. This is our third time hosting this event and our book collection offers varied and compelling “reads.”
The FY26 Budget for Arlington County is adopted this month. Thank you to the many patrons of the Library who contacted the County Board during the budget process.
We are humbled by the many kind comments we received and by the love you give us each day by checking out books, attending one or more of the 5000+ programs we offer annually, booking rooms for scout meetings, tax assistance, and book clubs, transferring family photographs to digital media in the Shop, volunteering and helping us make Arlington the community we are proud to call home.
There is a lot happening in our community and in our world and much of it is stressful. With wellness programs, resume writing and budgeting workshops and many others, we have devoted space, time and resources to assist federal employees who either have lost, or are concerned about losing, their jobs. For however long we are needed, we will be there to support federal workers and their families.
You can count on us to present facts and multiple perspectives, preserve your stories, be an active third place where everyone is welcome and can be in community with one another. And stand tall.
Like the daffodils.
Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library
*In celebration of National Poetry Month, enjoy my inspiration for this message: Robert Herrick’s poem “To Daffodils.”
As the gatherer of community resources and information, Career Compass would be the connective fiber between Arlingtonians and their next career step—big or small, paid or unpaid. Career Compass reflects the library's role in how Arlingtonians think about investing in themselves and their career over the long term, especially serving those who may not otherwise have access to career counseling services.
Arlington Public Library would curate a Student Union space for teens age 13-19 across Arlington to conduct everything from academic activities such as tutoring, homework and test prep to casual activities like gaming, reading and playing with new technology—plus organized opportunities to promote civic and community engagement. The space itself will celebrate and reflect the academic and creative expressions of Arlington teens by working closely with Arlington Public Schools (APS) and other community organizations to gather and catalogue student artwork, academic reports and DIY projects.
The Kids Zone would be a dedicated literacy area where kids (ages 0 to 5) can be kids—making noise and creative messes encouraged! Having kids space that is a mix between storytime, an arts-and-crafts room and a playground could promote early literacy learning for kids in a highly interactive and social way. The Kids Zone could also support caretakers in finding spaces that would allow their kids to unapologetically act their age and support their caretaking needs.
Arlington Public Library would be the best Third Place Space—a social space outside work and home—where residents of all ages could feel a part of the community, find their people, experience serendipitous interactions and conduct passive activities like lounging and browsing. This space would allow library patrons to foster community engagement through events including workshops, book clubs and movie nights organized by the library and other organizations.
As our local communities become more internationally-oriented, Citizens of the World would be Arlington’s portal to the globe. This program would connect residents to holistic local and international opportunities to build multi-lingual skills, learn about cultures and increase appreciation for our community’s diversity.
Convertible Kit-Carts take the idea of a "library cart" to a new level. The Kit-Carts would be portable, adaptable stations used by County staff to bring innovative library services into non-library spaces such as malls, hospital lobbies or community plazas. This concept would offer customized services and resources specifically designed for certain spaces.
Arlington has one of the highest populations of remote workers in the nation. Remote Work Space would build utilities that are attractive to remote workers—from lendable technology and tools to co-working tables and phone call booths—and could make Arlington Public Library the best destination for this segment of our community.
"My Library Does What?" would bring the library on the road via a mobile truck to reach residents in their neighborhoods and challenge their perception of what the library offers. The library truck will have nontraditional branding, which will allow residents to rediscover what the library could mean to them.
Whether it's encouraging people to meet for the first time or supporting connection between those with similar interests, the library would become a 21st-century version of Arlington's Town Square by encouraging community-building beyond scheduled library program time. A digital platform could provide community-based content and groups to join, real-time tracking of events and security and moderation.
Appetite for Learning would be a hands-on curriculum that builds skills in nutrition, cooking and sustainability through various community engagements. This would provide high-value, continuous learning opportunities for all, improve nutritional and environmental outcomes and embrace Arlington’s multicultural community.
Borrow an Expert would connect patrons with an expert for popular community needs as well as niche topics and hobbies. From technology support to everything about Taylor Swift, residents could book time with an expert or sign up to share their own knowledge with the community. Arlingtonians would have access to specialized resources and build community bonds through knowledge-sharing.
Community Collective would create opportunities for people from all walks of life—from Arlington newcomers to longtime residents—to meet, build bonds, share stories and create multigenerational communities. From cozy coffee meet-ups to lively park picnics, Arlingtonians would get to know their neighbors and engage in dialogue on various life topics in a safe space.
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.
Join us for 
Come hang out at any of our libraries and make it your "third place."
