Largo, Maryland – The Prince George’s County Memorial Library (PGCMLS) invites the community to celebrate the 10th birthday of the South Bowie Branch Library on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, from 12 - 8 pm. The South Bowie Branch Library has provided the local community with a state-of-the-art facility to enjoy lifelong learning, access to services, internet, and technology, and engaging programming for all ages. The 10th birthday celebration will feature a special appearance by Pulitzer Prize-winner Leonard Pitts Jr at 6 pm. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Bowie resident, author, and syndicated columnist will speak on a topic entitled “Think Again: The Library’s Role in a Misinformation Age.” The family-friendly celebration includes storytime, music, dancing, finger plays, flannel boards, and, of course, birthday treats. Registration for the celebration is encouraged and available at pgcmls.info/events.

“We are so excited to celebrate ten years of this amazing branch. When we opened it in 2012, we were proud to offer  several new features that we later incorporated into other branches: our first fireplace, our first drive-up window, our first computer training lab and our first vending cafe. The children’s area, ‘Discovery Glen’ with its life-size oak tree, is a favorite with so many families,” stated Michael B. Gannon, Acting Co-Chief Executive Officer.

Residents from the Pointer Ridge, Collington Manor, Mitchellville, and other  communities in and around the CIty of Bowie advocated for more than a decade to have their own neighborhood library branch, due to the distance from the existing Bowie Branch Library. In 2012 the new South Bowie Branch Library opened and has served the interests and needs of tens of thousands of Prince Georgians.

About Leonard Pitts Jr.

Leonard Pitts Jr. was born and raised in southern California. He was awarded a degree in English from the University of Southern California at 19, having entered school at 15 in a special honors program. In a career that spans 46 years, Pitts has worked as a columnist, a college professor, a radio producer, and a lecturer. But those are just the job titles. If you ask him what he does–what he is–he’ll tell you now what he would have told you then. He is a writer. Millions of readers are glad that he is. In addition to winning a Pulitzer Prize for commentary, Pitts has won multiple awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, and the American Society of Newspaper Editors. Twice each week, millions of newspaper readers around the country seek out his rich and uncommonly resonant voice. For 27 years, he and his wife have called Bowie their home.   

Graphics Package

About the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System

The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) helps customers discover and define opportunities that shape their lives. The Library serves the 967,000+ residents of Prince George’s County, Maryland through 19 branch libraries, a 24/7 online library, and pop-up services throughout the community. PGCMLS is a responsive and trusted community-driven organization. Programs, services, and outreach activities serve book lovers, immigrants and refugees, job seekers, children, young professionals, seniors, and families alike. PGCMLS is the recipient of the 2021 Urban Libraries Council Top Innovator Award for Workforce and Economic Development. Learn more at pgcmls.info/about-us.