THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN’S REPORT

LIBRARY NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

SEPTEMBER 23, 2009

1. THE JOY OF READING TO BABIES

Did you know that singing to infants is a way to prepare them for reading? Over 50
staff members, mostly those who work with children, took early literacy training this
summer with Saroj Ghoting, a nationally respected expert. Ms. Ghoting demonstrated
why and how Library staff should instruct parents and caregivers about the
importance of singing, talking, and reading to their babies and toddlers. Eleven
neighborhood libraries will conduct 6-week series on Saturdays and evenings for
parents called “STAR: Sing, Talk and Read—Learning Parties (or Breakfast Clubs)
for Parents and Their Tots.” Generous private donations will fund the series at eight
libraries. Participants will receive free books and other early learning tools.

2. LEARNING TO SPEAK FARSI AT DCPL

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library teamed up with the Global Language
Network, a nonprofit language services provider, for a summer pilot program that
offered free foreign language courses to D.C. residents. For two hours a week, those
who were interested could learn Farsi, Spanish, or Russian, taught by volunteers. The
pilot program is being evaluated to determine whether the classes will be continued.

3. WATHA T. DANIEL/SHAW AND SEATON ELEMENTARY MEET IN CYBERSPACE

The manager of Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Interim Library, Eric Riley, and the librarian
at Seaton Elementary School, Pat Kyle, worked with four of the school’s students to
develop a Wikipedia page for the Shaw neighborhood’s Shiloh Baptist Church. On
July 30th, Eric and the students used Skype to teleconference with Pat Kyle while she
made a presentation about the project to an audience at the Building Learning
Communities Project in Boston. The students were also able to share their
experiences of working on the project at their neighborhood library with the audience
of educators.

4. LAMOND-RIGGS REACHES OUT TO YOUNG FATHERS

Stephen Lilienthal, Librarian at Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library, met with teen
fathers who attend a class at the Brentwood Recreation Center sponsored by the
Youth Technology Institute. He emphasized the importance of reading to children and
the wide variety of books that are available to children of all ages. He also talked
about the ways to do personally useful research, such as job searches and how to
write a resume.

5. DCPL JOINS PARKS AND RECREATION TO HOST END-OF-SUMMER BASH

A city-wide, end-of-summer/back-to-school celebration drew hundreds of teens to the
Riggs LaSalle Recreation Center on August 14th. The event was planned by DCPL’s
Summer Youth Employment Program Teens and the Teens of Distinction. The
evening’s MC was DCPL’s Trauvello Stevenson. Program highlights were “Project
Runway,” a competition to design Library t-shirts, and an open mic for singers, poets,

Document #7
Board of Library Trustees Meeting
September 23, 2009
 and others. Prizes were awarded. Several DCPL staff were there all evening to help.
No one was ready to leave when the program officially ended at 10 PM!

6. “INSIDE-OUTSIDE” MLK’S POPULAR LIBRARY

The Popular Library Division at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library makes the
most of its first floor, highly visible location to attract passers-by. But the Pop Library
staff decided to get out there themselves once a week. Every Wednesday from May
through September, from noon to 2 PM, the staff sets up a table at the corner of 9th
and G to greet people on their lunch hours, register new customers for library cards,
and promote their upcoming programs. The Pop Library staff also promotes the
Tuesday evening film series that typically draws 40-70 viewers.

7. MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
I was invited to talk on the Kojo Nnamdi Show in August. Mr. Nnamdi was interested
in the general impact of the recession on DCPL, and in the Library’s successes,
including the increase in circulation and the new buildings scheduled to open next
year. On September 15th, I appeared on the Fox News morning show to talk about
Homework Help, databases, and books designed to help children of all ages perform
well in school. I was televised in the new Teen Space at MLK, which allowed
viewers to see the first room created at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library for
Young Adults, along with its many computers and great collection.

8. NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES DISTRIBUTE FREE SUMMER MEALS

Washington Highlands and Capitol View Neighborhood Libraries hosted meal
distributions this summer. Free breakfast and lunch, provided by the Department of
Parks and Recreation, were served each day. At Washington Highlands, about 2,700
meals were distributed during June, July, and August. At Capitol View, the number
was approximately 3,470 meals. Children are the principal recipients in this program,
but disabled adults are also eligible if they meet specific requirements.

9. MRS. THURGOOD MARSHALL VISITS SOUTHWEST LIBRARY

Southwest Neighborhood Library welcomed Mrs. Thurgood Marshall this summer.
Mrs. Marshall stopped by to see the display that honored her late husband. She
generously gave the library a candy dish with the Supreme Court crest that had been
in Justice Marshall’s office. Members of the three-week Teen Camp Library program
at Southwest were present to meet Mrs. Marshall. (The Camp Library program
averaged 120 teens each day!)

10. DCPL GIVEN HIGH MARKS BY THE OFFICE OF UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS

The Office of Unified Communications is the city agency that oversees all other city
agencies with regard to business customer service performance. Key determinants of
their evaluation are staff responsiveness to letters, phone calls, e-mails, and face-to-
face contact with the public. The Library was ranked fourth, with a score of 4.955 out
of a possible 5 for the third quarter of 2009!

Document #7
Board of Library Trustees Meeting
September 23, 2009
 11. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!
If you’ve never seen a “rain garden,” you’ll find one opposite the front door of the
Chevy Chase Neighborhood Library. The garden was installed under the auspices of
FORCE—Friends of Rock Creek’s Environment—and is a demonstration project of
the District Department of the Environment’s RiverSmart Homes program. The
Department is encouraging property owners to install rain gardens to capture rainfall
so it soaks into the ground, rather than becoming polluted run-off that enters drains
that dump into Rock Creek. Chevy Chase Library had a display on how to create your
own rain garden.

12. TEENS OF DISTINCTION GRADUATE!

Thirty-four senior Teens of Distinction graduated on August 3rd. Board president John
Hill and Board member Kelley Smith attended. The Federation of Friends provided
funds for food for the graduates, their families and friends, and DCPL staff, all of
whom came to celebrate.

Document #7
Board of Library Trustees Meeting
September 23, 2009