Saturday and Sunday King Memorial Dedication programs have been canceled in anticipation of Hurricane Irene.
Starting August 22, the DC Public Library commemorates the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Dedication with a series of events and exhibits. Share your King stories on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Tweet your stories, share your thoughts and follow the Library's events using #KingStories. Upload your video story now.
The DC Public Library will hold the July Board of Library Trustees Meeting at the Palisades Neighborhood Library, located at 4901 V St. NW. The meeting will be on July 27th at 6 pm
The Board of Trustees of the library is comprised of nine unpaid District residents from wards around the city. Congress established a Board of Library Trustees to set policy for the library. The Mayor appoints board members. They are confirmed by the D.C. City Council for a maximum of two five-year terms.
Board of Library Trustees meetings are open to the public and are generally held on the fourth Wednesday every other month at Library locations throughout the system.
Mayor Gray and the city's education leaders visited the Deanwood Neighborhood Library today to launch the next phase of the “One City Summer Fun … Something for Everyone” initiative, “READ and LEARN this Summer.” This component of the comprehensive summer program encourages residents to take advantage of educational programs that cover everything from summer reading for children to adult literacy.
Students who don’t read over the summer or participate in literacy-related activities like museum visits lose, on average, the equivalent of up to one month’s worth of classroom instruction. Students from low-income or disadvantaged backgrounds can lose two months’ worth. And adults who struggle with reading are unable to qualify for many entry-level or career track jobs.
The New Anacostia Neighborhood Library, located at 1800 Good Hope Rd., S.E., was awarded an Honorable Mention in Library Journal magazine’s inaugural list of New Landmark Libraries. The library is 1 of 20 libraries nationwide recognized in the Spring 2011 issue of Library Journal, a national publication
“I am thrilled that the Anacostia Library has been honored by Library Journal, said Ginnie Cooper, chief librarian for the District of Columbia. “It shows that the Library’s transformation is changing how users and colleagues around the country view us.”
The Landmark Libraries project highlights groundbreaking public library buildings and establishes a set of standards to strengthen the capacity of communities to design and build excellent public libraries.
People who suffer sudden cardiac arrest at District libraries now have access to Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) at all locations thanks to a partnership between the Federation of Friends of DC Public Library, Mended Hearts, Inc. and The George Washington University Cheney Cardiovascular Institute.
“Sudden cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, at any time,” said Ginnie Cooper, chief librarian for the District of Columbia. “Thanks to this generous donation, the library and its staff are ready to assist should the need arise.”
On May 6, Mayor Vincent C. Gray was joined by Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper, Council Member Yvette Alexander, Council Member Muriel Bowser and the National Council of Negro Women's Vice Chair Dr. Thelma Daley to celebrate renaming the Benning Neighborhood Library in honor of the late civil rights leader Dr. Dorothy Height. A photograph of Height will be a permanent fixture in the Library.
"Today, it is my pleasure to publicly thank Dr. Height for her leadership and to say that her legacy lives on through the many people who use this and every library in the District," says Mayor Gray.
"Because libraries address many of the causes that Dr. Height considered important, it is fitting that a library bears her name," said Ginnie Cooper.
If the Federal government shutdown takes effect Friday, April 8, at midnight, the DC Public Library will close all locations as well as cancel community meetings and library programs. However, late fines will not accrue on checked-out books, CDs and DVDs.
Because Congress approves the District’s budget, the city is treated as a federal agency. As a result, the library will not be able to operate during the government shutdown. Libraries would be closed beginning Saturday, April 9, until Congress reaches an agreement. If a shutdown occurs, only limited library personnel will be permitted to work. The essential personnel would include select library police and facilities staff.
Joined by Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper, federal leaders and job seekers, Mayor Vincent C. Gray reopened the Petworth Neighborhood Library this morning and emphasized the DC Public Library’s role in workforce development.
"Reducing unemployment in the District requires residents to have the training and the educational requirements that employers seek," said Mayor Gray. “For many in the District, neighborhood libraries are the best locations to develop the skills needed to be more marketable candidates.”
"The library's staff, collections and computers are here to help people find a job, change careers, or learn more about skills employers need," said Ginnie Cooper. "Workforce development is a citywide effort and the library is happy to help residents use the information learned and the technology available at their library to find work."
The West End Library will open at noon on Fri., February 25 because of emergency maintenance work