Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library - Central Library

Priceless Gifts

Picture Books That Counter Consumer Culture

Parenting amidst a commercial culture can be stressful, especially if you value imaginative play, frugality, ecological awareness, and the development of empathy.

Shakespeare's "Henry VI" and "Richard III"

Two Kings, One Crown

William Shakespeare's "The Hollow Crown" series returns to PBS this month!

Washington Blade first issue, October 1969

The Washington Blade issues 1969-1982 now online

Digitization partnership with historic gay newspaper goes live

Digitized issues from the first decade and a half of The Washington Blade newspaper are now online in Dig DC, DC Public Library Special Collections' home for digitized materials. The collection contains digitized editions of the newspaper from 1969 to 1982 and is presented in partnership with The Blade.

D.C. History

Donald J. Trump:

An Assessment of the First 100 Days of His Presidency

Will Donald J. Trump be the president "for all Americans" as he pledged in his Victory Speech on Nov. 9, 2016? Mr. Trump's election as the nation's next President has sparked controversy. Many African Americans, Muslims and immigrants fear the prospect of a Trump administration, because of the billionaire’s campaign promises. Dismissing post-election despair, Trump's supporters believe that he will revitalize the economy and restore America's standing on the international stage.

Black History Month

No Plot? No Problem!

Staff Recommendation

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)!

Tuesday Night Movies

A weekly film series for adults at 6 p.m. in Auditorium A-5.

Don't miss these Tuesday Night Movies! November 1 Star Trek Beyond The action is non-stop in this new Star Trek entry. The Enterprise and its crew are stranded in space and face their deadly enemy Krall (Idris Elba). With Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana. Directed by Justin Lin. 122 mins, 2016. PG-13

Films

The Writer's Den Returns!

Stack your pages at this NaNoWriMo event

Drop into our pop-up writer's lounge for tea and contemplation, held weekly in Room A-10 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in November at your favorite downtown Library. Register for NaNaWriMo and get swag to keep you writing. Writing references, WiFi, and library staff will be available for your convenience so you can stack your pages towards your word count goal.

The Obama Years

An Assessment of Race Relations in the United States

Have race relations in America improved or deteriorated since Barack Obama ascended to the White House? The rash of police shooting deaths of unarmed black men has brought attention to the enduring problem of racial violence in the United States. According to data collected by the Washington Post in 2015, law enforcement officers killed 990 people, of which 258 were black. At present, there have been 703 documented deaths of which 173 were African-Americans. With several months left in the year, the number is expected to rise.

The Shaed Sisters of Washington, D.C.

Elementary School Educators

The Shaeds were a prominent family of educators and professionals in Washington, D.C. Gregory and Cenos Shaed moved from Florida to Washington, D.C. after their marriage in 1900, where Mr. Shaed became a printer with the Government Printing Office.