Skip to main content Skip to survey

Find the latest news and updates from the library. If you are a reporter working on a news story, please contact the library's public information officer, George Williams via email at George.Williams2@dc.gov or by phone at (202) 727-1184.

Type

Commuter Picks: The People on My Bus Go Read, Read, Read!

Commuters I meet on my way to work tell me about their favorite books. If they're in the DC library catalog, I promise to read them. This blog presents five exceptional books that I probably would have missed if I hadn't tapped the love of reading that surrounds me every day on my way to work at the library. I hope this is the first of many Commuter Picks blogs. And if you see me on the Metro or bus, let’s talk!

Books Celebrating Diwali

Diwali, also spelled Divali, is one of the major religious festivals in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, lasting for five days from the 13th day of the dark half of the lunar month Ashvina to the second day of the light half of the lunar month Karttika. Celebrated by more than 800 million people around the world, the word Diwali is Sanskrit and it means "row of lights."

Great Reads for Civic Season

Did you know there is a Civic Season? Led by museums and libraries around the country, Civic Season is two weeks every year devoted to programs and events the build our civic skills between the Fourth of July and Juneteenth. Whether you are attending a Civic Season event or not, take a look at our list of books about democracy, voting, and U.S. history.

Pesto Inspired Pasta Cookbooks

Pesto the Penguin, the largest penguin chick the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium in Australia has ever had, has taken the internet by storm. Weighing in at more than 50 pounds, he is larger than his parents, Tango and Hudson combined and is currently eating more than 25 fish a day! If all this talk of pesto has been making you as hungry as Pesto himself, we have just the reading list you might be looking for. Check out these great books on pasta and add a little more pesto to your dinner routine!

Cathartic Horror (and Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Days)

It used to feel strange to me that people liked horror, liked anything that made them uncomfortable. There are still many things that I’m unwilling to read, even as a librarian and even as someone who tries to read pretty broadly. But I can enjoy it now and even appreciate it as a vital part of storytelling tradition. The below book suggestions and thoughts are a suggested entry point to appreciating October's Scary Reads.

Five Great Children’s Books for Labor Day

Labor Day is Sept. 2 this year. We don’t have the literally explosive labor movement that existed when the federal holiday began 130 years ago, but we hear echoes of many of the same social tensions. Below I mention some classics in the DCPL collection that honor America’s workers and spotlight five great books about work for children.