Takoma Park
Neighborhood Library

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National HIV Testing Week @ Your Library

National HIV Testing Week is this June 21 - 27.  Come to any DC Public Library to find out more about what programs and services we're offering this week.  Free, rapid, confidential HIV testing will be offered at 5 different libraries. The closest testing location to Takoma Park will be the Shepherd Park branch.  They're testing Saturday, June 26 from 11:00 - 3:00. It only takes 20 minutes to get your free test results - so if you don't know your status, please take the test.

Summer Reading Program Kickoff

Join us tomorrow, Saturday, June 5 from 1 - 3 pm for a family Summer Reading Kick Off!  To celebrate our water theme, we're having a library luau.  Come try out the limbo contest, or join a conga line through the stacks!  There will be crafts, snacks, games, and a chance to register for summer reading and find out about our summer reading programs this year.  All ages welcome.

Cool Off with Summer Reading

The 2010 Summer Reading Program starts June 1st at DC Public Library.  The theme for children and youth ages birth - 14 is Make a Splash!  The theme for teens ages 12 – 17 is Make Waves.  To enhance our water theme we have a variety of library programs and special performances.  Along with our regular story times and arts and crafts we will be having a luau kick-off party for all ages, movie nights, guest storytellers, a National Opera performance, a gardening program, and living classrooms. 

"Three Men in a Boat"

To Say Nothing of the Dog

Thanks to a patron, I came across a lovely little gem of a book this month, entitled Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. Published in 1889, this short, humorous novel has never been out of print. It is narrated by J, and concerns a trip he takes on the river with his two friends George and Harris, and his dog.  Nothing much happens during their excursion, but small events get exaggerated, and often provide an impetus to recall past events and give opinions – think of it as a precursor to Seinfeld. 

Big Read a Big Success at Takoma Park Library

The Takoma Park Library had three great programs this week as part of the Big Read. On Monday, Coolidge High School juniors acted out scenes from the book, A Lesson Before Dying. I picked the scenes beforehand and spoke to the students about acting them out. Their English teacher then took over and coached them to complete the project as part of their semester grade.

Lighten Up with These Teen Reads

There's a lot of great young adult (YA) literature out there, but anyone who reads YA novels knows that, for the most part, they're pretty heavy.  Most YA novels include at least one of the following elements: a teen's parent is dead, or not around, and she's depressed, or dying, or her brother is, or her best friend just died, and/or tried to commit suicide, and she's also starving herself and just witnessed a school shooting. 

"Remarkable Creatures" by Tracy Chevalier

Can you imagine what people thought the first time a huge dinosaur fossil was pulled from the earth?

We're One Year Old!

It's hard for us to believe it, but it's been one year since the Takoma Park branch reopened with a beautiful new look!  We've gotten a great response from patrons who love the renovation, and we're busier than ever.  Come celebrate our one year anniversary with us on Tuesday, March 9 from 5-7 pm.  The first 25 adult and youth patrons to arrive will receive free library bags with giveaways.  Listen to a reading of Library Mouse and then make your own easy paper book.

Sharing the Love

Staff Recommendations

As February ends, we're reflecting on books, movies and music we love at Takoma Park. Our staff share here some of their favorites to see if they inspire you to check out something new or remind you of an old "love." Young Adult Librarian, Heather Petsche, recommends:

"Great Black Women"

A Lecture by C. R. Gibbs

Join us Saturday, February 20 for a lecture by noted author, scholar, and historian C. R. Gibbs.  He will be discussing the topic "Great Black Women" as part of the DC Public Library's Black History Month Lecture Series.

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