Arlington Public Library

News Release

New Exhibition Features Work of Former Voting Rights Activists

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Arlington Public Library has partnered with community organizations for the exhibition “From Barriers to Ballots—The Fight for Equal Voting Rights in Virginia,” to tell the stories of activists in Arlington and Northern Virginia who fought for voting rights.

At six locations in Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax, visitors can discover the stories of Annie E. Harper who hailed from the historic Black community of Gum Springs, VA; Hall’s Hill (now High View Park) activist Portia A. Haskins; and former Green Valley resident and community organizer John Robinson. Their tireless work impacted local communities in Northern Virginia and had vast implications for voting rights nationally, resulting in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on March 24, 1966, that ended the Jim Crow era poll tax in Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas.

The exhibitions will be on view during regular opening hours from Aug. 1 to Nov. 4, 2025, at Bozman Government Center, Arlington Central Library, Arlington Historical Museum, Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, Sherwood Regional Library (Aug. 1-31), and City of Fairfax Regional Library (Sept. 1-Nov. 4).

Exhibition partners include the Arlington Historical Society, the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, the League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City and the NAACP Arlington Branch.

Funding for “From Barriers to Ballots” has generously been provided by the Friends of the Arlington Public Library (FOAL).

Content for this exhibition has been provided by the Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) and the following media contributors: Arlington County Department of Voter Registration and Elections; Bethlehem Baptist Church, Gum Springs, Virginia; City of Fairfax Regional Library, Fairfax County Public Library; Library of Congress; Library of Virginia; Norman Rockwell Museum and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art.

Join the library and community partners at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 6, at Central Library for the opening reception of the exhibition to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Find more events featuring voting rights history.

Arlington County Board Declares Arlington County Libraries as Book Sanctuaries

October 1-7 is Banned Books Week 2023: "Let Freedom Read!"

On Sept. 26, Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey issued a resolution in support of libraries. It was unanimously adopted by the Board.

The resolution stated that Arlington County and Arlington Public Library are an official "book sanctuary."

Chair Dorsey declared, "Arlington County libraries as book sanctuaries, committed to protecting banned and challenged books and the right of the residents of Arlington to read the books they choose without fear of suppression.”

The resolution reaffirmed Arlington Public Library’s commitment to give a voice to people whose identities and stories have traditionally been underrepresented, such as people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community and/or persons with disabilities.

According to Library Director Diane Kresh, “This year’s Banned Books Week comes with great significance due to the increased rise in books being banned in the United States as well as in the state of Virginia.”

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.

2022 saw the highest number of attempted book bans since the ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago. The unparalleled number of reported book challenges in 2022 nearly doubled the 729 book challenges reported in 2021.

Banned Books Week (Oct. 1-7) was established in 1982 by the late Judith Krug, then director of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom, in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. For more information on this topic, visit ALA’s Banned and Challenged Books website.

How can you help celebrate Banned Books Week and the Freedom to Read?

To put a spotlight on this important national issue, ALA encourages libraries across the country to participate in Banned Books Week: "Let Freedom Read!” to promote free and open access to ideas and information and to defend each person's right to read under the First Amendment.

For more information on Banned Books Week and Arlington as a book sanctuary, visit Arlington Public Library's website.

Updated Library App Increases Access to Library Collections, Services, Events and More

Beginning May 30, 2023, Arlington County residents and Library patrons can download an updated Arlington Public Library app from the Apple App and Google Play Stores.  

The popular Library app, available for iOS and Android devices, provides streamlined access to library collections, introduces new account features, keeps track of multiple card holders, and delivers timely information about library programs, services, and location updates. 

“Our top priority is to provide the community with as many options as possible to access Library collections and services,” says Library Director Diane Kresh. 

“Our technology team is excited to deliver this important application for both Library staff and the community that they serve," said David Herlihy, Digital Innovation and Cloud Division Director for Arlington County. “This new offering highlights our commitment to provide innovative digital solutions that focus on the end users needs first and foremost, making it easier and more enjoyable to access government services.” 

A smartphone held by a patron displays the new Library app.

New Library app features include: 

  • Multiple curated reading lists 
  • Customizable user profiles 
  • User lists  
  • Book ratings and personalized recommendations 
  • Sharing options 
  • Stay updated with notifications 

Improved Library app features include:   

  • Streamlined account overview  
  • Better catalog search options with an expanded list of filters 
  • Ability to place volume holds 
  • More filtering options for events by location 
  • Improved user interface design and experience 

The Arlington County Departments of Technology Services (DTS) and Arlington Public Library have collaborated since 2017 to deliver a free and custom-tailored technology solution for Arlington residents and library patrons. It has been downloaded more than 60,000 times and its in-house development by both departments has reduced vendor-related costs. 

The Library app furthers the County’s goal of reducing barriers for residents through its digital equity efforts. Learn more about Arlington’s digital equity initiative, which strives to provide all residents with affordable, reliable access to high-speed broadband internet. 

For a full list of app features and to download the app, click here.

Search Thousands of Historic Arlington Papers Online for Free

Discover Arlington's history and browse newspaper content online from 1935 to 1978.

During the past year, Arlington Public Library’s Center for Local History (CLH) has been working with the Library of Virginia (LVA) to make five decades of Arlington research material available online.

Spanning the years from 1935 to 1978, the materials include historic articles, photos, and news clippings from four Arlington newspapers: the Columbia News, the Daily Sun, the Northern Virginia Sun and the Sun.

Previously, these publications were only available in the Center for Local History as microfilm and digital scans, which were not easily searchable.

These newspapers are a fantastic resource for historians, teachers, genealogists and anyone curious about Arlington's past through the eyes of local journalism.

“Delve deeper into your family history, find information on the transformation and growth of Arlington and discover more of its unique history,” said Arlington Public Library Director Diane Kresh.

The free news archive is 100% keyword searchable by location, date, title and issue and features a clipping feature that allows researchers to save an image or text block of an article.

To access the new source materials, visit the LVA ‘s Virginia Chronicle, which is a large online depository for historic newspapers from across the Commonwealth.

The CLH collects, preserves and shares historical documents that tell the history of Arlington County, its citizens, organizations, businesses and social issues. The CLH operates the Research Room at Central Library and the Community Archives program.



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