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New April Releases

It’s time to pack your books for spring break! 📗🌸🌷

Peak bloom has officially ended, baseball is underway and whether you’re going to the beach or staying on your couch, it’s time to pack your books for spring break. Luckily, there are some great books out this month to choose from!

Picture it: Miami, 1980s. Four beloved sitcom characters have to solve a murder after Dorothy’s date is found face-down in cheesecake. "Murder by Cheesecake" by Rachel Ekstrom Courage captures the beloved Golden Girls in this cozy mystery series opener.

"The Amalfi Curse" by Sarah Penner features a coven of witches who protect the coast from pirates. When one tries to run away with a sailor, she’s kidnapped by a shipping magnate who wants her power. Two hundred years later, an underwater archaeologist searching for treasure instead finds family secrets and deep magic in this lush and atmospheric tale.

Parenting is hard, even more so when you’re disabled. "Unfit Parent" by Jessica Slice exposes the challenges from trying to find accessible baby equipment to fighting a system that sees disabled parents as fundamentally "unfit." Slice's own experiences and those from other disabled parents demonstrate how the creativity and skill needed to navigate an unjust system can make everyone a better parent.

In early 1944, the German Army marched on Budapest, by summer, they were being bombed by Allied forces, and at the end of the year, the Red Army had the city under siege. The city swirled with spies and refugees, soldiers, everyday people, aristocrats and cabaret singers, before descending into unimaginable carnage, destruction, hate and anarchy. With newly uncovered sources and survivor interviews, "The Last Days of Budapest" by Adam LeBor recreates life in the city during the war.

In "The Pecan Sheller" by Lupe Ruiz-Flores, Petra dreams of college, but after her father suddenly dies, the thirteen-year-old drops out of school and gets a job shelling pecans to make enough money for her family to survive. Faced with terrible conditions and threatened cuts to already meager wages, Petra must decide if she wants to risk her job to join a strike in this middle grade novel based on the 1937’s six-week pecan sheller's strike in San Antonio.

Candace Fleming’s gripping and immersive "Death in the Jungle" introduces teen readers to Jim Jones, the People’s Temple and the tragic murder-suicide of 918 people in the Guyanese jungle. This deeply researched and thoughtful account not only shows what happened, but how and pays particular attention to the stories of the victims and survivors of the families.

Place Your Holds Now!

Celebrate Earth Day With These Great Book Lists.

Find practical guides to living with less waste, sewing techniques for transforming old clothes and how to reduce chemical pollution.

Sustainable Living

Learn about migratory birds, animals from the Kalahari Desert and the geological foundations of the earth with these audio books.

Listening to Nature

Director’s Message: To Daffodils!*

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.

A cluster of white daffodils with bright yellow and orange centers in full bloom outside Central Library. The flowers are framed by fresh green leaves, with the library building and budding spring trees visible in the background.
A cluster of daffodils in front of Central Library.

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.

Arlington Reads with Laila Lalami presented April 22, 2021.

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.

Arlington Public Library’s turquoise and white library truck parked at National Night Out in Green Valley. A group of library staff and community members chat and smile at a table covered with library materials and giveaway items. The tablecloth displays the Arlington Public Library logo and the slogan "Everyone Has a Story."
The Truck at National Night Out in Green Valley on August 1, 2023.

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.”

A Human Library patron speaks with a "book" at Central Library on April 13, 2024.

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.

A smiling librarian offers assistance at Central Library's upstairs information desk.
A librarian offers assistance at Central Library's upstairs information desk.

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.

A Federal Employee & Contractor Town Hall at Central Library on March 6, 2025.

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.

Signatue of Library Director Diane Kresh.

Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library

*In celebration of National Poetry Month, enjoy my inspiration for this message: Robert Herrick’s poem “To Daffodils.” 

Glencarlyn Library’s 101st Birthday

Opened in the fall of 1923, Glencarlyn Library celebrated its 101st birthday with a rededication and all-ages celebration on September 21, 2024.

Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey, Arlington Public Library Deputy Director Anne Gable, Glencarlyn Civic Association President Brandon Hemel and Glencarlyn Library Centennial Celebration Chair Julie Lee all celebrated the library's storied century as a hub for nearby communities.

Patrons shared heartfelt stories—sometimes spanning generations—of what this library, community and milestone mean to them.

Willa

"I've never seen so many books before in my life!"

Mary Florance Benn

"I think that the love of the library is so important to an individual, and particularly to young people and to children, that I would hope that all of them could have that close experience that I did."

Julie Lee

"Glencarlyn Library is so very important to me because it has been a part of my family for generations."

Colleen Lunsford and Órla Lunsford

"Thank you to the librarians who keep those books on the shelves and give us suggestions about what to read."

"Thank you, library, for all the books you let me borrow!"

Adriana & Maxine Backus

"Everywhere you look in the community, you realize that Glencarlyn is what it is because, at some point, somebody cared a lot."

Barbara McMichael

"Back then, in the middle of the library, they had these big boxes that stuck out, and they were full of cards. And they held something that we learned was called the Dewey Decimal System."

Lynn Green Robinson

"We moved into this neighborhood in 1958, and this library was a little white house. It was my favorite place on the face of the earth."

Marie Wilson

"As a child, our family came to the library once a week at least. And sometimes, if we were really bored, we asked to come more than once a week because we would have read all the books that we took home the weekend before."

J Vic Funderburk

Infamous FBI agent-turned-Russian asset Robert Hanssen "would come in and pick up a post and sit at one of the tables, holding the newspaper in such a way that it appeared that he was reading it... It became increasingly obvious that he was not reading it!"

Susan Walsh

"Our experience of this library really shaped who we became. We love books, and we want to share that."

Director’s Message: Celebration of All Women

March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation and honors the contributions of women to our nation’s history.

Photos of Ellen M. Bozman, Margaret Elizabeth Pfohl Campbell, Mary Marshall, Dorothy Hamm and Evelyn Reid Syphax.
From left to right: Ellen M. Bozman, Margaret Elizabeth Pfohl Campbell, Mary Marshall, Dorothy Hamm and Evelyn Reid Syphax.

Our community of Arlington has been enriched by the work of women leaders and activists, whose impact has been felt in civil rights, education, government and human services, and whose names grace our public buildings and spaces: Ellen M. Bozman, Margaret Elizabeth Pfohl Campbell, Mary Marshall, Dorothy Hamm and Evelyn Reid Syphax.

We have been similarly honored to be home for giants of the music industry and note the recent passing of Green Valley resident, the incomparable Roberta Flack.

American singer and pianist Roberta Flack (1973).

The Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery and the Military Women’s Memorial remind us that women have served in the military with courage and distinction.

Arlington government and leadership is committed to work toward a gender equal world, free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world where people live openly and authentically and where difference is appreciated

Photo of participants interacting with vendors during the 2024 Women's Maker Fair at Central Library.
Participants interacting with vendors during the 2024 Women's Maker Fair at Central Library.

Every day, librarians and volunteers at Arlington Public Library open our doors to welcome patrons and community members of all backgrounds. Libraries are third places where all can belong and simply be in community with one another. Places where continuous learning and self-discovery are limitless, and connections with our neighbors are strengthened.

However you identify, be it as a member of the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC community, immigrant or New American—we serve everyone. And we do so through books, library spaces and free programs generously sponsored by the Friends of the Arlington Library (FOAL).

As we commemorate Women's History Month, I am proud Arlington Public Library provides welcoming, inclusive spaces to celebrate and support our collective and varied identities and cultures.

Thank you for your support of Arlington Public Library and for helping us be all we can be for everyone.

Signatue of Library Director Diane Kresh.

Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library

PS: If you are a reader, here’s a gift (Diane's 2025 Picks) for Women's History Month from me to you.

New March Releases

March is here and that means another month of new book 📖 releases!

Find out how a teen discovers that her family is in the mafia, get inside the brains of four senior assassins who solve a murder and learn how the community of Batavia, New York fought corporate greed to save their minor league baseball team.

Good Stab is a Blackfeet vampire seeking revenge for the atrocities committed against his people. "The Buffalo Hunter Hunter" by Stephen Graham Jones layers narratives over a century, combining historical events with chilling horror while examining themes of identity, guilt and survival.

Retired assassins Billie, Helen, Mary Alice and Natalie are once again pulled back into the game. "Kills Well with Others," Deanna Raybourn’s exhilarating and darkly funny sequel to "Killers of a Certain Age," uncovers a revenge plot tied to a decades-old mission stretching back to WWII.

When Major League Baseball eliminated 42 minor league teams in 2020, the community of Batavia, New York didn’t let go of their beloved Muckdogs without a fight. They revived the team as a summer league for college players and in "Homestand," journalist Will Bardenwerper captures the eccentric fans, passionate locals and the bittersweet clash between corporate greed and grassroots love for the game in small town America.

Historian and herbalist Charlotte Taylor Fryar uses the Potomac River as a lens to explore America’s racial and colonial past, highlighting gentrification, environmental degradation and systemic inequality. "Potomac Fever" is both a love letter to the river and a sharp critique of American myth.

Middle-grade readers will be drawn to "Whale Eyes," a memoir by James Robinson, illustrated by Brian Rea. The interactive visuals and imaginative design—with changing fonts and words traveling across the page requiring the book to be physically turned on its side and upside down—portray Robinson’s life with strabismus, a condition that affects eye alignment and perception.

Teen readers will be swept up in the action-packed enemies-to-lovers mafia romance, "In the Company of Killers" by Elora Cook. When Tasha’s father and sister are murdered, she discovers that she’s inherited control of New York’s most powerful mob family, but to find the killer, she must team up with Leo, her former best friend and heir to a rival family.

Place Your Holds Now!

More Book Lists to Explore

Diane's 2025 Picks
Recent Irish Fiction

The Friendly Cab Company

In 1947, Ralph Collins started a cab company to help his neighbors get around under Jim Crow segregation. It was one of the longest-running businesses in Green Valley.

Ralph Collins walking with his wife, Cornelia in the 1940s.

Ralph Collins with his wife Cornelia, ca. 1940s. From WETA’s Boundary Stones.

There were plenty of ways to get around Arlington in the 1940s. By then, streetcars had given way to bus routes and taxi cabs. As automobile ownership increased, so did commuter culture and the rise of numerous highways such as Shirley Highway (I-395 today).

But it was not so easy for Black Arlingtonians to get where they needed to go. Under Jim Crow, they were discriminated against on public transit and barred from using white taxi services. Segregation ruled every aspect of public life, from restaurants to barber shops and recreation centers.

Even access to medical care was separate and unequal. Arlington Hospital (now Virginia Medical Center) had segregated wards, and services to Black patients were limited. The maternity ward would not offer care to Black mothers, who were expected to travel to hospitals in Washington, D.C., or Alexandria to give birth.

For Black Arlingtonians, traveling that far in a medical emergency was difficult, especially since many could not afford cars of their own.

In 1947, Ralph Delaware Collins (1896–1951) of Green Valley founded Friendly Cab Company to help address this urgent need. It began as a shuttle service, transporting neighbors to and from medical appointments. Over time, Friendly Cab expanded into a full-service taxicab company and a cherished community institution.

Friendly Cab driver Granderson O. Bollock.

Friendly Cab driver Granderson O. Bollock. From RG 338: The Personal Papers of Birdie and Mable Alston, 1905-2019.

The company’s first taxis were Chryslers and many of the drivers were off-duty Black firemen. One early driver for Friendly Cab was Granderson O. Bullock (1910-2003). He worked as a milkman before becoming a part-time driver. He also worked for The Peyton Funeral Home and later, the U.S. postal service.

Friendly Cab gained a reputation for going above and beyond in their service to the community. In a Northern Virginia Sun article from 1965, Alice Kennard, who suffered from multiple sclerosis, praised the drivers of Friendly Cab Company for always getting her to her treatments, even if that meant "the driver picked her up and carried her to the cab.”

A newspaper clip from the Northern Virginia Sun about the Friendly Cab Company.

“Life in a Wheelchair Temporary, She Says,” by Virginia Warren. Northern Virginia Sun, vol. 28, no. 207, June 4, 1965.

After Ralph Collins' death in 1951, his brother Doug took over the company. William Collins, Sr. inherited the business and ran it until the mid-1990s, when he passed it along to William Collins, Jr., who managed it with help from Charles Collins and, later, Darryl Collins.

A newspaper clip of Ralph D. Collins' obituary in 1951.

Ralph D. Collins’ obituary, 1951. Source.

In an interview, Darryl remembered the day he decided to take over the family business. At his father’s funeral, longtime community leader Dr. Alfred Taylor stood up to speak on the man’s life and legacy. He then looked directly at Darryl and his siblings and said, “Do not let this business go away.”

Darryl knew then and there that the Friendly Cab Company was too important to let go. He continued to run the business with his sister, Vicky. Over the years, they turned down multiple offers to purchase the company, resolving instead to help Friendly Cab meet the community’s changing needs.

Facing increasing competition from rideshare services like Uber and Lyft, the Friendly Cab Company recently ceased operations. According to the Arlington County Register of Historic Places, it was one of the longest-running businesses in Nauck history.

Sources:

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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Share Your Story

Director’s Message: Know Your Rights

Know Your Rights: A guide to resources

Library Director Diane Kresh and Takis Karantonis welcome a new citizen at the U.S. Naturalization Ceremony at Central Library, Aug. 24, 2023.

While writing this message, I am reminded of children's television icon Fred Rogers famously saying, "Look for the helpers." A comforting thought to offer young people in times of crisis and uncertainty. Mr. Rogers taught us there are always people who step up to help—whether they are first responders, volunteers or everyday people offering kindness and comfort and with that, a hope things will get better.

Libraries have a proud history of providing free resources and education to immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees. Arlington Public Library is committed to informing the community about individual rights and providing trustworthy and relevant resources when they are needed most.

50 people, representing over 30 countries, participated in the U.S. Naturalization Ceremony. 

Immigrants, regardless of their immigration status, have rights as cited in the U.S. Constitution.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has information about one's rights as an immigrant. United We Dream provides information about what to do if one has an encounter with an immigration official.

Resources to learn more about rights, the official path to citizenship and free legal and social services can be found on our website.

In addition, the library has eCollections for immigrants, refugees and new citizens.

Please share these resources within your networks and stay tuned for updates. Arlington Public Library is here to help.

Signatue of Library Director Diane Kresh.

Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library

Announcing the Wedding Contest Winners

And the winners are…

Love, libraries, and lifelong commitment—Katie Lettie & Vincent Bauer’s story is one for the books! After more than a decade together (sometimes on opposite coasts, sometimes an ocean apart), these two built a life full of love, literature and culinary adventures! But when it came to choosing a wedding venue, nothing felt quite right… until now.

Arlington is where they finally put down roots together, where they found their community, and now, where they’ll say “I do.” And who better to announce their big news than Bridgerton author and Arlington Reads guest Julia Quinn?

Thank you to all the couples who entered. You made our committee’s job VERY challenging!

Learn more about this year's Arlington Reads theme, "Share the Love," and stay tuned to hear more from Katie & Vincent. Mark your calendar for their big day July 12, 2025.

Know Your Rights: The library is here to help.

Public libraries are trusted sources for accurate and well-researched information. Libraries have a long history of providing free resources and education to immigrants and refugees. Arlington Public Library is committed to educating the community about individual rights and providing relevant resources when you need them most.

Immigrants have rights. Regardless of your immigration status, you have guaranteed rights under the Constitution. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has information about your rights as an immigrant, and how to express them. United We Dream provides information about what to do if you have an encounter with an immigration officer.

Arlington County has a commitment to strengthening trust with the immigrant community. Additional resources for immigrants can be found on the County’s website.

There are many resources to learn about your rights, as well as information about the official path to citizenship.

The library has compiled additional free legal and social services resources for immigrants that can be found on the library’s website as well as eCollections for Immigrants, Refugees, and New Citizens.

In addition, Arlington Public Library is committed to protecting the privacy of all information about patron requests for service, materials, loan transactions, online sites and resources accessed.

Confidentiality of customer records is protected under state law: Virginia Code § 2.2-3705.7. The Library will comply with all proper judicial process (government order to produce documents or information) authenticated by the County Attorney, while preserving customer confidentiality to the extent allowed by law. Additional details about the library’s privacy policy are on our website.

The American Library Association details the relationship between libraries and immigration enforcement.

Please stay tuned for updates.

New February Releases

Our Hearts ❤️ Are In The Books 📖

This year, we’re sending valentines to our favorite authors and book characters. Whether they make us laugh, cry, think or all of the above, they ensure our hearts will always be between the pages.

The Ethiopian government banned "Oromay" days after it was released in 1983. Author Baalu Girma disappeared mere months later, widely believed to be murdered by the regime in retaliation for this powerful anti-war novel. Set against the Red Star Campaign against Eritrean insurgents, a journalist grows increasingly disillusioned while navigating propaganda, war and personal turmoil. Translated from Amharic by David Degusta and Mesfin Felleke Yirgu, it’s now available in English for the first time.

In Molly O’Neill’s "Greenteeth," a lake monster, a witch and a goblin go on a quest to fight a malevolent force threatening their home. Steeped in British folklore and Arthurian legend, this rich fantasy mixes eerie magic, adventure and found family. Perfect for fans of mythic quests.

In "You Didn’t Hear This From Me," Kelsey McKinney, the host of the Normal Gossip podcast examines the role gossip plays in human connection. Using personal stories, research and pop culture from Gilgamesh to The Real Housewives, she explores the good and bad sides of talking about others behind their back.

"Waste Wars" is a hard-hitting exposé of the global waste trade and uncovers how the affluent nations of the Global North offload their trash onto poorer countries under the guise of recycling. From toxic shipbreaking in Turkey to hazardous e-waste processing in Ghana, Alexander Clapp looks at the dark underbelly of consumerism and its devastating consequences.

The middle grade graphic novel "Crumble" follows Emily, who can bake her emotions into desserts. Her family of bakers have one cardinal rule–never bake a bad feeling. But after the devastating loss of her aunt, Emily bakes her grief with widespread unintended consequences. Written by Meredith McClaren and illustrated by Andrea Ball, this is a poignant look at grief, magic and healing.

Teen readers will want to check out the swashbuckling fantasy "Capitana" by Cassandra James. When the Queen is kidnapped by pirates, Cadet Ximena sees her chance to prove her loyalty and become a Cazadoro, a pirate hunter. But her journey, complete with rivalries, high-stakes action and a slow-burning romance with her competitor challenges everything she thought she knew.

Place Your Holds Now!

More Book Lists to Explore

Best recent Black Fiction
Best recent romance






















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