Summer Reading Sign-up

Woodridge Librarian Jennifer

Cavallero poses with an excited
Summer Reading participant
dressed up as Spiderman to
celebrate this years theme, Every
Hero has a Story.

Executive Directors
Report
DC Public Library

July 22, 2015

Summer Reading Kick Off

Clifford the Big Red Dog, DCPS
Chancellor Kaya Henderson and
others pose with excited students
from Nalle Elementary at the
Summer Learning Kickoff.

Fringe Music in the

Library presents Batal
All-women percussion band
Batal entertain library patrons
under the loggia at MLK Library
with drumming and educational
information about the afroBrazilian origins of their band and
musical style.

Document # 8.1
Board of Library
Trustees Meeting
July 22, 2015

Looking Back
Summer Reading 2015
On June 2 Mayor Bowser visited Northwest One Neighborhood Library to kick off DCPLs
Summer Reading Program. The Mayor announced a three-year commitment to the
Summer Reading program from the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation worth
$750,000. She joined Washington Nationals analyst and 1986 World Series MVP Ray Knight
to talk and read to 40 third graders from the Walker Jones Education Campus. Joining
us were DCPL Board President Gregory McCarthy; DCPL Foundation Board member Sara
Cormeny; Carol Rasco, President of Reading is Fundamental; and Judy Lerner, Principal
Owner of the Washington Nationals.

Our City Festival

Thanks in large part to the great work of the Library Foundation, the Our City
Festival was a huge success, with strong audience turnout and quality programming
throughout the city. The weekend featured a film festival at the Goethe-Institut and
four performances at the MLK Library. More than 200 people came to MLK on Friday,
June 6, to hear Feedel Band perform while Ethiopian immigrants shared their stories of
life in the District. Saturday afternoons event, Aqua4: di(Visions of Washington Water)
showcased a beautiful installation that involved video projection and black and white
photos of several waterways in D.C. On Saturday night, the MLK Library hosted its first
outdoor dance event with 4/4: Hand Dancing + House Music. The festival concluded
Sunday afternoon with a moving performance in which members of Free Minds recited
powerful poetry against an instrumental backdrop. This program received a standing
ovation in addition to an outpouring of positive feedback.

Diversity Training
DCPL engaged the IVY Planning Group, a Maryland based consulting firm, to
provide diversity training for all staff. The purpose of the training is to develop
an awareness and sensitivity for diversity and inclusion to provide a supportive
forum in which diversity challenges and opportunities can be discussed.
The IVY group customized its training based on preparatory interviews it
conducted with DCPL staff and the response has been very positive. Much
of the feedback has highlighted the importance of the training especially in
light of the changing demographics of the city and the need for the Library to
facilitate candid conversations among its staff.

July 6 - August 14

July 23

September 2

Google Maker Camp

HPRB Concept Review

Presentation

Board Committee Meetings

Google Maker Camp is a free, 6-week

online and in-person summer camp
for young Makers interested in DIY,
creating, crafting, hacking, tinkering,
and learning. Children and Teen
Librarians will work with campers
on science related experiments, fun
step-by-step projects on various
STEAM topics and facilitate virtual
field trips.
Learn more about Google Maker
Camp at Makercamp.com

The D.C. Public Library has submitted

an updated concept design for the
modernized Martin Luther King,
Jr. Memorial Library to the Historic
Preservation Review Board (HPRB).
MLK architects will discuss proposed
changes to the landmark especially
as those changes address feedback
received from preliminary meetings
with HPRB staff. By the end of
the calendar year DCPL hopes to
complete the regulatory approval
process that governs the renovation
of landmarked buildings.
The meeting will be held at 441 4th
St. NW, Room 200-South.

September 5

September 12

National Book Festival

STAR Family Festival

The Library of Congress National

Book Festival will take place Saturday,
September 5, at the Washington
Convention Center. In addition to
celebrating the 15th anniversary of
the festival, the Library of Congress is
celebrating the 200th anniversary of
its acquisition of Thomas Jeffersons
personal library. The theme of the
festival I cannot live without
books is taken from a letter that
Jefferson wrote to John Adams in
1815.

The Finance, Facilities, and Program

Oversight committees will meet at
6pm at the MLK Library.

Upcoming

Events

DC Public Library employees will

be on hand in the Pavilion of the
States on with giveaways and a wide
selection of suggested books that
relate to life in Washington, D.C.

DCPL will show families all the ways

they can help preschool children
build their vocabularies, fall in
love with reading and develop the
skills needed for school -- beyond
just books -- at the STAR (Sing, Talk
and Read) Family Festival. Festival
activities will include: workshops for
parents to support early learning;
fun activities, crafts and games for
children; free childrens books; live
entertainment; safety, health and
education resources for children;
and more.

September 26-27

September 27-October 3

September 30

Crafty Bastards

Banned Books Week

Board Meeting

The Creative Class will have a booth

at this years Crafty Bastards, located
at Union Market! Visitors can join DC
Public Library staff from 10 am 5 pm
for craft tutorials, sign up for a library
card, check out crafty materials, and
learn about free maker programs at
the library.

Every year, the DC Public Library

joins hundreds of libraries and
bookstores around the country in
drawing attention to the problem
of censorship by mounting displays
of challenged books and hosting a
variety of events. We are currently
planning a variety of events to
celebrate Banned Books Week 2015.

This meeting will take place in

the Dream Lab at the MLK Library
at 6 pm. Find the complete 2015
schedule and past documents at
dclibrary.org/about/boardoftrustees

Find more information about

Crafty Bastards at
washingtoncitypaper.com/
craftybastards

Program updates will be posted at

dclibrary.org/BannedBooks

September 15-October 15
Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates
the histories, cultures, and
contributions of American citizens
of Hispanic descent.
Find out more about the
scheduled programs, events and
recommended reads at
dclibrary.org/hispanicheritage

Looking Ahead
Cleveland Park Library Renovation
In September, DCPL and its design-build team of Gilbane / Perkins Eastman will head back to Cleveland
Park Library for a community meeting focused on design concepts for the new branch. The Library
will make a presentation on how the existing branch is used, especially in comparison to neighboring
libraries like Tenley and Mount Pleasant. That presentation will inform the preliminary program that we
will also share with the community. As the most heavily trafficked library in the DCPL system (even in
its un-renovated state) the branch poses unique challenges and opportunities from the perspective
of modernization. How do we maximize the amount of space that can be used by the community
for studying, for childrens programs, for assembly, while maintaining robust access to collections and
technology? This central question will be addressed as we continue to seek community input throughout
the rebuild process.

Uncensored
Opening Night
Last week, the DC Public Library
Foundation sent out the Save
the Date for 2015s Uncensored
Opening Party on Friday,
September 25.
The second
annual fundraiser is once again
shaping up to be a fantastic party
the Foundation has secured
six top D.C. bars including our
neighbor, Zaytinya, and one of
Travel & Leisures Best Bars in
America, Jack Rose to serve
banned-book-inspired cocktails
at, and will showcase three live
musical acts, each representing
a different genre of music. We
have already confirmed Baby
Bry Bry & the Apologists to
provide energetic pop-punk
entertainment. We cannot wait to
top last years celebration.