West End
Neighborhood Library

Takeout service available Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. Closed from 2 - 3 p.m.every day for sanitizing.

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In a Different Place

Travelogues both real and imagined

As the weather finally begins to cool in D.C. and the rhythm of the school year finally settles in, it can be a great time to think back (or forward) about the summer. If I can't be on the road myself, reading books of journeys both real and imagined help me evoke those feelings of adventure once more.

Haiku contest winners

In honor of National Asian Pacific Heritage month in May, the West End Library hosted a Haiku Contest for all ages. One winner from the adult, teen and child categories were chosen. Patrons were invited to write a haiku about their love of books, stories, the library, or anything in DC and submit in person at the branch. Prize-winners took home library swag and had their poem posted in the library and on the DC Public Library website!

Crafting

Shakespeare Society: NEW DATES

Please note: The last two readings, dates, and locations of the Shakespeare Society have changed to the following: Tuesday, July 16 | Macbeth Discussion location: West End Neighborhood Library, 2301 L St NW Tuesday, August 20 | Titus Andronicus Discussion location: Ris, 2275 L St NW Both discussions will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. For more information, please contact My Nguyen at my.nguyen@dc.gov

2019 Haiku Poetry Contest

The competition was stiff, thank you all for your submissions. Here are the winners of our 2019 Haiku Contest in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: Shiek is the bee's knees Well, though she's not the strongest Shulk is my back up - Jayer Joubert, age 12, child

Asian/Pacific Islander Month

We've Got Magic To Do

American musical theater inside and out

Here in Washington, we’re starting to get into the summer: the 90 degree weather, the building humidity and the drawing call to the beach. The transition from spring to summer, however, reminds me of my favorite awards show of the season: the annual Tony Award ceremony. As you take your last opportunity to review the season’s cast recordings, catch up on show highlights online and make your award predictions, why not pick up a book about this incredible art form?

Kindness and Community

Building Empathetic and Kind Readers through Picture Books

The world always needs a dose of kindness. In these books, ordered from books appropriate for babies and toddlers to older elementary school children, explore how being kind, including others and learning about other people can make our world a better place.

Read It, Cook Eat, Eat It

Pairing Novels with Cookbooks

There is always something eminently enticing about a description of food. A good author brings you right into the kitchen or dining table as they conjure the smell, taste and experience of a good meal. For me, reading about food makes me want to drop everything and experience it myself. Here are three fabulous novels paired with three fabulous cookbooks that’ll take you from your reading nook and straight into your kitchen!

The Shakespeare Society

Please note: The last two readings, dates, and locations of the Shakespeare Society have changed to the following: Tuesday, July 16 | Macbeth Discussion location: West End Neighborhood Library, 2301 L St NW Tuesday, August 20 | Titus Andronicus Discussion location: Ris DC, 2275 L St NW For more information, please contact My Nguyen at my.nguyen@dc.gov

The Plato Project

West End Neighborhood Library's Plato Project aims to read and discuss a variety of Platonic dialogues. This is a discussion-based group and there is no preferred translation. The West End Neighborhood Library's adult services librarian will facilitate these discussions. We meet on the first Tuesday* of every month until Oct. 1, 2019. The full reading list is as follows: *In observance of New Year's Day, which falls on a Tuesday, we will meet for January's discussion on January 8. Dec. 4 | The Apology

Dialogue With Neighbors

A Community Conversation Series

Please join us across the city for a three-part structured community dialogue in June 2018. Each dialogue will build on the previous one. And while some may not be able to attend all three dialogues, we are hoping for a core group to be part of all three dialogues so the conversation can deepen over the three weeks. Refreshments will be served at all dialogue sessions.

Adults

Pages

Ori Soltes Lecture Series: Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague

Wednesday, May 19, 2021, 6:30 pm

Join us for a lecture on Brooks's Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague. Please see library staff for assistance with the reading materials, which are available upon request. All gatherings are from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. While the branch is currently closed for in-person discussions, we continue to meet virtually. Please email my.nguyen@dc.gov for additional details. About the Series

The Intimidating Book Club: Moby Dick

Tuesday, May 25, 2021, 6:00 pm

Please come to this meeting having read the following volumes of Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Chapters 46-69 Note: While the branch is currently closed for in-person discussions, we continue to meet virtually. Please email my.nguyen@dc.gov for additional details. Overview of The Intimidating Book Club

Shifting the Spotlight Drama Book Club

Thursday, June 10, 2021, 7:30 pm

Join the library on April 15 for the first session of Shifting the Spotlight Drama Book Club! The book club, a partnership between the DC Public Library and Theatre Prometheus, is a place to read and discuss great plays that are too often excluded from the modern American stage, especially those by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) playwrights. For the first session, we will be reading Toussaint Louverture: The Story of the Only Successful Slave Revolt in History, a play by the Trinidadian historian and playwright C. L. R. James that follows the events of the Haitian Revolution.

Shakespeare Society: The Comedy of Errors

Tuesday, June 15, 2021, 6:30 pm

Please join us for a discussion on The Comedy of Errors. While the branch is currently closed for in-person discussions, we continue to meet virtually. Please email my.nguyen@dc.gov for additional details. The Shakespeare Society is a monthly Shakespeare reading and discussion group. Series 3 will focus on Shakespeare's comedies; the full reading list for Series 3 is as follows:

The Intimidating Book Club: Moby Dick

Tuesday, June 22, 2021, 6:30 pm

Please come to this meeting having read the following volumes of Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Chapters 70-93 Note: While the branch is currently closed for in-person discussions, we continue to meet virtually. Please email my.nguyen@dc.gov for additional details. Overview of The Intimidating Book Club

Shakespeare Society: Love's Labours Lost

Tuesday, July 20, 2021, 6:30 pm

Please join us for a discussion on Love's Labour's Lost. While the branch is currently closed for in-person discussions, we continue to meet virtually. Please email my.nguyen@dc.gov for additional details.

The Intimidating Book Club: Moby Dick

Tuesday, July 27, 2021, 6:30 pm

Please come to this meeting having read the following volumes of Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Chapters 94-Epilogue Note: While the branch is currently closed for in-person discussions, we continue to meet virtually. Please email my.nguyen@dc.gov for additional details. Overview of The Intimidating Book Club

Shakespeare Society: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Tuesday, August 17, 2021, 6:30 pm

Please join us for a discussion on A Midsummer Night's Dream. While the branch is currently closed for in-person discussions, we continue to meet virtually. Please email my.nguyen@dc.gov for additional details.

Shakespeare Society: The Merry Wives of Windsor

Tuesday, September 21, 2021, 6:30 pm

Please join us for a discussion on The Merry Wives of Windsor. While the branch is currently closed for in-person discussions, we continue to meet virtually. Please email my.nguyen@dc.gov for additional details.

Shakespeare Society: Much Ado About Nothing

Tuesday, October 19, 2021, 6:30 pm

Please join us for a discussion on Much Ado About Nothing. While the branch is currently closed for in-person discussions, we continue to meet virtually. Please email my.nguyen@dc.gov for additional details.