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Winter Edition 2025-2026
The Library Check-in is a newsletter that shares news, event highlights, and happenings from across the Prince George's County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS). This page showcases the programs and initiatives from across every one of the system’s 20 locations that made this past spring unforgettable.
General features from the Spring 2025 edition of the newsletter can be found here.
To stay up to date on all things relevant to the Library, be sure to follow us on social media (@PGCMLS), or by clicking the social icons in the footer of the webpage. Thank you for being a part of this wonderful community — dive in and enjoy!
Accokeek
At the Accokeek Branch Library, Geology Rocks!
As part of TeenTober and Maryland STEM Fest celebrations in early October, PGCMLS Library Associate Storm Carman put together a fun “STEM Lab: Geology” program at the Accokeek Branch Library.
Using a kit Storm ordered specifically for the program, participants were invited to practice the scientific method through hands-on tests of a wide variety of rocks, minerals, and even coprolite (fossilized dung). These tests included the use of a flashlight to measure luster, nails and glass to judge hardness, black and white plates to do streak tests, and a kitchen scale and water-filled yogurt cup to measure gravity.
The kids loved investigating the different properties of every individual rock, Storm reports — and they especially enjoyed the creative challenge of describing the precise color and luster for each. Many participants were also fascinated by the piece of pumice in the kit, and the fact that it is literally a “lava rock.” To their amazement, Storm told them that in some places like Oregon, you can drive past whole lava fields!
Baden
Fall Programs to Be Thankful for at the Baden Branch Library
Throughout the fall, the Baden Branch Library played host to a variety of engaging and educational programs that left both Baden branch staff and the wider Baden community feeling grateful.
In October, the branch hosted a turkey-themed “Ready 2 Read” storytime using a Wildlife Education Trunk from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, as part of the Library’s system-wide MD STEM Fest celebrations. In November, the branch hosted a hands-on educational program about “The Science of Native Life,” organized in collaboration with staff from Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum. Kids of all ages came out in droves for both programs, and had a lot of fun learning about turkey calls, wigwam construction methods, and how to draw using natural materials like charcoal and clay.
The highlight for the community throughout the season, though, was the “Baden Gratitude Tree,” which customers were invited to hang leaves with handwritten notes of gratitude on in the lead-up to Thanksgiving.
“I know it’s really simple, but that tree started from nothing, and by mid-November it was almost starting to tip over!” says Baden Public Services Specialist Tiffany Dickerson. She notes that it was especially fun for Baden branch staff to see repeat customers come back to add new gratitude leaves and to see the “foliage” continue to grow.
“The tree showed how the Baden community felt [so many] things to feel grateful for,” says Tiffany.
Beltsville
“¡Puro Ritmo!” Presentation Brings Salsa and the Smithsonian to the Beltsville Branch Library
Last fall, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL) collaborated with PGCMLS to bring a special sneak preview of their upcoming “¡Puro Ritmo!” exhibition as part of the museum’s local community engagement program.
Scheduled to open at the NMAL later this spring, the bilingual “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa” exhibition explores how Afro-Cuban music evolved into a signature sound in the United States, tracing the roots and rise of salsa music through nearly 300 objects. For their special “Del Museo a la Biblioteca” (“From the Museum to the Library”) presentation at the Beltsville Branch Library, NMAL’s Natalia Febo and Gabriela Rios-Villegas shared an interactive slideshow previewing the exhibit, which highlighted all kinds of artists, from Tito Puente to more local legends, and even included a fun “Build Your Own Celia Cruz Shoe” activity.
“This was a wonderful opportunity to share with the community the highlights of influential musicians who made significant contributions to music,” says NMAL Community Engagement and Volunteer Program Manager Natalia Febo. “Attendees were eager to dance, so we taught them some basic salsa steps. We were excited to learn that, after the presentation, two attendees decided to join the volunteer program!”
Attendance at the “¡Puro Ritmo!” presentation was high, with everyone leaving in good spirits. “Muchísimas gracias por organizar la presentación anoche / Thank you so much for organizing the presentation yesterday evening,” wrote one participant after the event. “Me alegra ver actividades como esta que promueven el valor cultural y la riqueza de la gente que compone el condado de Prince George’s County / I am pleased to see activities like this that promote the rich cultural values and heritage of the people who make up Prince George’s County.”
Bladensburg
With Native Habitat Installation, Bladensburg Branch Library Deepens Roots in Community
Over the course of the past year, an exciting partnership has blossomed between the Cheverly-based Community Native Planting Project (CNPP) and the Bladensburg Branch Library.
Situated along the densely packed MD202/MD450 corridor, the Bladensburg Branch Library is perhaps a surprising site for a collaboration centered around native planting — but that’s the point of the partnership.
“Our goal was to enhance and augment what’s already here, and combine that with library programming to introduce more climate change and native planting education,” says CNPP President Diane Beedle. “When [our grant funders] came out to see the site, they were just gushing over how great the space is. There’s [not only] an immediate environmental advantage to everything we’re doing with this project, but also an [outreach] impact that is additive and compounding.”
This impact is already being felt in the Bladensburg community. Over the summer, while branch staff were collaborating with CNPP on the design of two new native plant habitats for the branch parking lot, Bladensburg Public Services Specialist Norman Lezama was so inspired by what he was learning that he requested one of CNPP’s official lawn consultations. Once he started implementing the changes CNPP suggested, removing invasive species to replace them with native ones, his neighbor asked for more information, and started making the same changes!
Then, on an early Saturday morning in late October, a crowd of thirty-four volunteers came together for a “STEM Fun: We’re Creating a Native Plant Habitat!” program. The helping hands in attendance ranged from absolute beginners to gardening buffs, with the experts giving tips and tricks to the novices, and everyone learning new things about native plants together.
Bladensburg Branch Librarian Debra Capponi was also delighted to use the program as an opportunity to bring attendees who traveled from other parts of the county on a tour of the branch, which was recently awarded LEED Gold certification. “The Bladensburg branch building is so beautiful,” Debra says, “we always love showing it off!”
Bowie
“Teen Zone” Grows at the Bowie Branch Library, Expanding Opportunities for Bowie Teens
Throughout the fall, the Bowie Branch Library — which is located next to Bowie High School (BHS), and serves as a safe hangout for BHS teens after school — was hard at work updating and expanding their “Teen Zone” space, using grant funding awarded by the City of Bowie and administered through the PGCMLS Foundation.
The space is not yet fully renovated, but already, Bowie branch staff have been able to use its new makerspace equipment and technology — including sewing machines, 3D printers, and a new recording studio — to provide teens and young adults with valuable learning opportunities that bolster their career readiness, college preparedness, and life skills literacy.
Thanks to the growth of the “Teen Zone” programming, teens are now volunteering more regularly as homework helpers with the library’s Kids Achieve Club, and are also providing technology assistance to neighbors at the branch’s Thursday ‘Tech Help’ programs. Bowie Branch Manager Kim Day reports that one “Teen Zone” regular who graduated from BHS last spring is so invested in the space that he now comes back regularly to volunteer in the recording studio, sharing the skills he first developed at the library.
“The ‘Teen Zone’ expansion is giving our teens a safe and comfortable space to grow and learn new skills,” Kim says. “It’s an outlet for their creativity, where they are able to make music, create poetry, and just be themselves.”
Fairmount Heights
Hands-On Learning for Local Fifth Graders at the Fairmount Heights Branch Library’s DREAM Lab
This past fall, the DREAM Lab at the Fairmount Heights Branch Library hosted nineteen 5th-graders from Seabrook’s Lanham Christian School for a hands-on experience in the Lab’s makerspace and recording studio.
For this visit, the DREAM Lab’s lead coordinator, Public Services Specialist JD Weber, broke out the Glowforge laser cutter’s “scan-then-print” function for the first time. After the students created unique designs to add to the backs of the wooden badges that JD had pre-engraved with a version of their school logo, they put those designs into the Glowforge machine, and watched as JD used the scanner to tell the laser cutter what to engrave.
Bringing in school groups like this is both an opportunity for the branch to showcase its full range of resources and services, and a chance for JD to bolster his own suite of technical skills.
“Using the Glowforge for the primary part of the activity, I now know one more skill that I didn't know before,” JD says. “It’s good to assign yourself small projects that push you a little bit!”
Following that activity, the students moved into the Lab’s recording studio, where they became performers and sound engineers. After singing a few karaoke rounds of “Golden” (from “K-Pop Demon Hunters”) and “Waymaker” (contemporary gospel song), the students crowded into the engineering booth to hear their songs played back, and to learn about the mixing board’s many dials and tools.
“It was really great!” said Morgan, one of the student performers. “Especially when I saw how nice all of the equipment was, I was so excited.”
Already a big reader, Morgan was excited to learn about all of the other kinds of programs and services that PGCMLS offers. “When you’re going to a library, you think you’re just going to read books,” she shared. “But you have so much more stuff to do than just read books, especially for kids around my age!”
Glenarden
Bike Safety Programs at Glenarden and Mount Rainier a Fun Way to Salute Fall
PGCMLS is no stranger to bike safety programs — or to partnering with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), a local non-profit that seeks to build a more just and sustainable transportation system, starting with empowering more people to ride bikes.
Since hosting a landmark “Teen Safety Town Hall” at the Hyattsville Branch Library in April 2024, PGCMLS has continued to promote bike safety by providing space for WABA’s Vision Zero Youth Institute meetings at neighborhood branches, distributing printed bike safety collateral to “Teen Zones” across the library system, and partnering with WABA for a “learn-to-ride” program geared toward elementary-aged kids at the Largo-Kettering Branch Library this past summer.
This fall, Glenarden Branch Library Associate Thibault Raoult added a “Bike Maintenance Workshop and Helmet Fit Demonstration” program to the PGCMLS bike safety line-up, which he hosted at both the Glenarden and Mount Rainier branch libraries.
Developed by Thibault as part of his Library Associate Training Institute (LATI) work in Fall 2024, this program was originally designed to encourage teens in the Glenarden community to think more seriously about bikes as a safe and reliable means of independent transportation. After LATI, this led to Thibault working with WABA to design a space where teens could come not just to get their gear fixed up, but also to see the library as a place where they can access so much more than books.
“As a teen hub [at Glenarden], we’re always thinking about how to answer the question, what does the library do for me?" explains Thibault. “There's the academic and community side, of course, but there’s also wellness and spending time outdoors. If teens can come to associate the Library with that dimension of their life, that's powerful! Anytime you can get them doing something with their hands that's away from screens, that has real impact.”
Accordingly, the first program, held at Thibault’s home branch of Glenarden, was geared toward teens. The second program, which ended up also attracting families and adults, was held on October 18 at the Mount Rainier Bike Co-op, right next door to the Gateway Farmers Market’s annual “Fall Fest.”
“It’s tough to convey how festive and energetic the atmosphere was [at the festival],” Thibault says.
Greenbelt
University of Maryland Students, Greenbelt Branch Library Collaborate on Community Engagement
Community collaboration at the Greenbelt Branch Library this past fall was particularly Terps-centric, with students from the University of Maryland partnering with the branch on multiple programs and events aimed at fostering a greater connection with the Greenbelt community.
At the branch’s November “Storytime on Screen” program, which is organized in partnership with the Greenbelt Cinema, students from UMD's Infant and Child Studies Consortium tabled outside of the theater entrance. Following the “The Mild Rumpus”-themed storytime hosted by Greenbelt Library Associate Matt Hartman, the students provided families with handouts on early childhood development and learning, and encouraged people to sign up for research studies conducted at the University.
Back at the Greenbelt Branch Library, students from the University of Maryland College of Information (INFO) and Center for Archival Futures (CAFe) spent the semester working with uncatalogued materials from the branch’s Tugwell Collection. At the end of the term, these students hosted the “Greenbelt Best Friends Fest,” where community members were invited to bring their pets to the branch to record oral histories about Greenbelt pet ownership.
“I looked through some poetry books from the ’50s, and there were a lot of elementary schoolers who were writing very beautiful poems about their cats, their bunnies, their dogs,” INFO program student Shom Tiwari told a WTOP reporter who stopped by. “It’s really powerful to have that tangible connection into history, and it’s something personally that I hope to pursue after graduating.”
For anyone from Greenbelt who wasn’t able to attend on the day, there’s still a chance to contribute to the oral history project! Get in touch with branch staff to learn more.
Hillcrest Heights
An Artistic October at the Hillcrest Heights Branch Library
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month in October, the Hillcrest Heights Branch Library hosted Upper Marlboro-based artist Jesse Raudales for a “Craft and Create” acrylic painting program where participants got to explore the vibrant traditions of Día de los Muertos by putting their own spin on Raudales’ piece, “Day of the Dead.” As they painted, they were invited to learn more from Jesse about cultural symbolism, color theory, and painting techniques.
A few days later, the branch carried that painterly energy forward, bringing in local artist Ben Beauty to lead a special “Craft and Create: Teentober Bookend Painting” program.
“Ben Beauty had come into the branch with her card, and we made a connection immediately over painting and art,” says Hillcrest Heights Branch Library Associate Kaneisha Matthews, who organized the program. “As an artist, she wanted to find a way to partner with the library, and we had all these bookends we weren’t using — she was really into the idea of using those as a canvas.”
The final program ended up having a big turnout of all ages. Everyone had a great time, and got a chance to tailor the design of their bookends to their personal taste. One of the younger participants focused on a fruit theme, while another went for monsters. On the other end of the spectrum, one of the adults participating had been furloughed during the federal government shutdown, and shared with Kaneisha how participating in this class gave her a channel to get through some of that.
“It was really all about everyone’s personal expression and creativity,” says Kaneisha, who also talked up her colleague’s “dope” horse design. “Each stroke just made everyone’s day brighter. Everybody said they would come back if we did it again. 10/10, would recommend!”
Hyattsville
A Digital Skills Program for Spanish-Speaking Customers at the Hyattsville Branch Library
Since 2023, Hyattsville Branch Library Public Services Specialist Giovanna Sandoval has been running a multi-week computer skills program called “AyudaTech” for Spanish-speaking customers.
Inspired by a Spanish computer literacy program developed by one of Giovanna’s former colleagues back before the branch was renovated, “AyudaTech” helps participants go from learning how to use a mouse in Week 1 to being able to send and receive emails and watch out for misinformation by Week 7.
“Providing access to digital learning in Spanish is so important to our local community,” Giovanna says. Even though there are free public PCs at every PGCMLS branch, the keyboards, sign-on tools, and desktops all being in English still presents a basic barrier to non-native English speakers. What’s more, even if people are skilled at using their smartphones, using a desktop computer is a different skill entirely.
“All our students talk about how we live in such a digital environment, where jobs, legal forms, and just so much basic life stuff can only be accessed and submitted online,” Giovanna says. “People take this class to learn how to do all of that on their own.”
Two years in, the program is thriving. The 2025 session, which ran from September through October, saw twice as many participants as the 2023 pilot program did — a number that included some repeat students who came back to work on their “computer skills muscle memory.”
Giovanna particularly enjoys seeing her students go from basic “mouse-ercise” games at the start of the program, to being able to open the Google form she sends over email for the final exam, where they are able to fill out and submit a program feedback survey.
“It’s just really fascinating and rewarding,” she says.
“AyudaTech” will return to the Hyattsville Branch Library in 2026.
Largo-Kettering
Neighbors Gather to Observe the Moon at the Largo-Kettering Branch Library
For this year’s International Observe the Moon Night celebration, which fell in late September, the Largo-Kettering Branch Library set up an observation station on the grass alongside the branch parking lot, and invited customers of all ages to come take a closer look at our nearest celestial object.
Branch staff laid out educational materials from NASA, books about the moon from the PGCMLS collection, and cardboard-tube telescopes for closer lunar observation — although as Largo-Kettering Branch Library Associate Tamika Gaskins points out, even that level of tool isn’t necessary for amateur astronomers.
“The moon is so easy to observe with just your naked eye,” says Tamika, who co-led the program. “You can see all the craters and shadows, even from inside a city.”
Tamika reports that once they were all set up, people started walking over from the nearby neighborhood to see what was going on. Having the program right there outside the branch gave meaningful visibility to the STEM-focused activity, and brought in community members who might not otherwise have thought to check in at the library for an event like this. Families were thrilled to participate, and to learn more about our moon and night sky.
Laurel
“To Immigrants with Love,” from the Laurel Community
For Welcoming Week 2025, the Laurel Branch Library set up an interactive message board near the front desk, inviting community members to pick up a pen and write a message of welcome to their immigrant neighbors.
When PGCMLS Bilingual Program and Outreach Associate Maribel Rodriguez sent branches a list of ideas for passive Welcoming Week programming, the Laurel Branch Library team gravitated immediately towards the “To Immigrants with Love” option. They knew it would fit how their community interacts with the branch, and were excited for people to come in and see all the nice things their neighbors wrote to them.
“We ended up leaving it up longer than just Welcoming Week, since people really did love it, and kept stopping to interact with it,” says Laurel Branch Librarian Traci Montgomery. “One time, a gentleman saw it, and [was so moved that] he left to get his wife to bring her back to see it, too.”
What Traci especially loved about the display is how easy it made it for members of the community to interact without having to be in the same place at the same time — and how quickly that passive interaction translated into a wider sense of welcome and friendliness throughout the branch.
By the end, more than 32 messages of care and appreciation had been left by Laurel community members for their immigrant neighbors. Traci has those messages saved, and is already looking ahead to when the Laurel Branch Library can recreate this passive message board magic again.
Mount Rainier
Another Successful Year for the Mount Rainier Branch Library’s “Solidarity Stories” Book Club
In December, the Mount Rainier Branch Library wrapped up the second year of its “Solidarity Stories” book club for adults, organized in collaboration with the Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights (OHR). The club meets monthly at Brentwood’s miXt Food Hall, where they discuss a wide variety of thoughtfully chosen social justice-oriented titles.
“We try really hard to include a variety of voices,” says Mount Rainier Branch Librarian Caitlin Clark, who co-organizes the book club with PGCMLS Adult Services Specialist Audrey Lau, as well as OHR’s Kyla Hannington and Tiana Davis. “We aim for diversity not only in terms of who wrote each book, but also what issues are addressed.”
The group also includes a variety of genres in their annual list, and tries to limit their picks to titles with at least six copies in the PGCMLS collection. “We want to make sure people don’t have to purchase anything in order to participate,” Caitlin says.
Picks from the Fall 2025 season included “Solito,” by Javier Zamora; “Chain Gang All-Stars,” by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah; and “Yellow Bird,” by Sierra Crane Murdoch. Caitlin was especially moved by the conversation around “Solito,” which included a number of first-hand accounts of immigration experiences from club regulars.
For their December meeting, the group gathered for its annual book swap. Because a social justice-oriented book club can get heavy, this end-of-year event lets the group focus more on fun and community building.
With a second full year now under the club’s belt, Caitlin wants to send a special shout out to miXt Food Hall. Meeting at miXt has allowed club organizers to bring in a much larger cohort than would fit comfortably into the cozier Mount Rainier Branch Library space.
“MiXt is a great collaborator,” Caitlin says. “They lower their music, and change around the loft area’s table and chairs to make it a more intimate space for discussion. They have created such a great space to host this book club.”
The “Solidarity Stories” Book Club will continue for its third year in 2026, meeting at miXt on the third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm. January’s selection is “The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World,” by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
New Carrollton
A Festive End to Another Successful Year of the New Carrollton Branch Library’s “Coffee and a Classic” Series
Every other month, the New Carrollton Branch Library hosts a special “Coffee and a Classic” program that’s become a favorite of branch regulars.
Offered in various cadences at different PGCMLS branch libraries, this cozy daytime film series invites community members to get together to screen an older film — sometimes in black and white — while sharing warm beverages and good conversation. The films selected are often also available through Kanopy, the free streaming service accessible with a PGCMLS library card, which lets attendees bring recommendations home to friends and family.
Originally organized by Branch Manager Andrea Thomas when the branch opened in 2018, the bi-monthly New Carrollton series is now co-scheduled to follow the branch’s weekly Thursday morning “Pins and Needles” program. As a result, a number of “Pins and Needles” regulars are now also “Coffee and a Classic” aficionados, and have built a separate, film-centric community in that space.
Since the last screening in the program’s 2025 series fell in December, Andrea and her colleague, New Carrollton Branch Library Associate Claudia Parra-Acevedo, decided to make the event a bit more festive than normal. In addition to their usual treats of coffee, tea, and fruit, Andrea brought in homemade chili, and some of the participants brought in homebaked cookies and cakes. And for the screening itself, they chose the 1947 film “It Happened on 5th Avenue,” in which the magic of Christmas brings together the wealthy and the unhoused in a 5th Avenue mansion. The afternoon affair was a big hit!
Oxon Hill
Line Dancing Makes a Triumphant Return to the Oxon Hill Branch Library
Early last fall, a beloved weekly line dancing program returned to the Oxon Hill Branch Library after a five-year hiatus.
Led by community partner Dot Hicks, the Oxon Hill Branch Library’s line dancing program first launched in 2017, in response to community interest. It quickly became a branch hit, and ran regularly through March of 2020. Community members have been clamoring for the program to return ever since the Library returned to regular service — and in 2025, it finally did, under the program title “Get Active: Line Dancing.”
“It has been an absolute joy,” Dot says of the returned program, which once again invited community members of all ages, genders, and experience levels to come together and get active while having fun. “The community LOVES it. I love it. It’s an opportunity for [people] to exercise, to socialize, and to improve their health.”
Unsurprisingly, Dot’s favorite part of teaching line dancing at the library has been meeting the people who attend — a cohort which spans every age.
“We had one lady who came when she was pregnant, and throughout her pregnancy, she was here, line dancing” Dot shares. “Then after she had her baby, she brought them here so we could meet them!” They also had an attendee who was one hundred years old. “She didn’t line dance with us, but told us about how dancing had always been one of her favorite activities,” says Dot.
A new season of line dancing at the Oxon Hill Branch Library is already being planned for 2026.
South Bowie
A Fun Costumed Surprise at the South Bowie Branch’s October “Ready 2 Read” Program
At the South Bowie Branch Library’s October 30 “Ready 2 Read Storytime,” the two- and three-year-olds in attendance enjoyed a fun surprise.
“Do you guys know who I am?” asked South Bowie Branch Library Associate and storytime lead Brandon Adams, dressed in costume as the furry blue alien Stitch, from the Disney animated movie.
“STITCH!” the toddlers called back.
“And do you know who’s my best friend?” Brandon said next.
“LILO!” said the toddlers.
“Lilo come out in 1… 2… 3!”
At that point, South Bowie Branch Library Associate Paris Jackson leapt into the room, dressed in costume as Stitch’s human best friend.
“They went crazy for that,” says Brandon, who had followed that surprise by inviting Paris to join him in reading stories, singing songs, and leading the toddlers in fun dances. “It was incredible.”
Because the whole South Bowie Branch staff had dressed in costume that day in advance of Halloween, the “Ready 2 Read Storytime” program had included an invitation for attendees to dress up, too. Brandon and Paris were surprised by how many kids turned up in costume, and also in how excited they all were to get their own personal “photo op” not just with them as Lilo and Stitch, but also with South Bowie Branch Librarian Tamika Sanders as Cinderella.
“It was so cool to have a crossover with Paris at this storytime,” Brandon says, reflecting on the way the kids reacted to the high energy in the room. “That collaborative approach is something I look forward to doing more.”
Spauldings
Meeting the Community’s Needs with Zumba at the Spauldings Branch Library
One of the most exciting programs at the Spauldings Branch Library this past season was a pilot “Get Active: Zumba” series, run in partnership with a local community member and Zumba instructor, Sheila Archibald.
“We repeatedly hear requests from community members for more health and wellness programs,” says Spauldings Branch Librarian Precious Abujana, who notes that community health stats show a similar need for such programs. So when Archibald connected with the branch about trying out a Zumba program, Precious was ready to make it happen.
As a trial, the program ran for just a few sessions, at thirty minutes apiece. Even with the weekday scheduling, and promotion limited to in-branch only, participation was high, and enthusiasm higher.
After one session, a community member named Sonja called to share how much she had loved the class, and that she was really looking forward to the next ones. She couldn’t remember ever having a regular dance class like this at the Spauldings Branch Library, and was pleased that it gave seniors like her the opportunity to exercise and to socialize, which they often lack. “The class gave me a lot of energy, and I felt good for the rest of the day!”
Zumba will be returning to the Spauldings Branch Library in 2026.
Surratts-Clinton
The Surratts-Clinton Branch Library Brings the Community Cheer with Free Photoshoot Programs
In December, the Surratts-Clinton Branch Library hosted their second ever “Festive Family Photoshoot,” a two-day program where customers were invited to come to the branch and take fun, holiday-themed photos to share with friends and family, for free. This photoshoot followed a similarly free-to-all “Back to School Photoshoot” that the branch hosted for the community back in September.
“We did our first ‘Festive Family Photoshoot’ in 2024, for the first holiday season that the Surratts-Clinton branch was open [since renovations],” says Surratts-Clinton Public Services Specialist Shannon Young. Studio photo sessions are often cost prohibitive for most, and things like back-to-school photos are also inaccessible to homeschool families, who make up a large demographic at the Surratts-Clinton branch. Offering that kind of resource to the Clinton community, for free, was something that excited everyone on staff.
The program itself is simple: families register for a 15-minute slot during the program’s listed hours, then pose for a few photos taken by Surratts-Clinton Branch Library Associate Jess Gordon-Young. After the program, Shannon sends digital copies of the results to the families for free, and they are then able to print them out, turn them into holiday cards, or share them virtually with friends and neighbors.
The program creates such fond memories of the Library among community members, that the December photoshoot saw a lot of return customers, Shannon reports — including one homeschool student who had done the back-to-school photoshoot, who Shannon was delighted to see come back with their four-person family.
“The families appreciate that these photoshoots are free, and available right here at the branch,” Shannon says.
Upper Marlboro
An Autumn of Community Connections at the Upper Marlboro Branch Library
This autumn, the Upper Marlboro Branch Library once again partnered with their local fire department to put on a series of fun and educational programs for community members of all ages, starting with a “Touch-a-Firetruck” event for kids and families in late September. This family-focused program is one part of what has become an ongoing partnership between the Upper Marlboro Branch Library and the Prince George’s County Fire Department (PGFD).
Getting something as big as a fire truck into the branch’s small parking lot is itself a project that benefits from the support of their Main Street neighbors.
“We have a great relationship with the town and Mayor Colbert, and we work with them on events like these,” says Upper Marlboro Branch Library Associate Jordan Clay. The branch also works with its direct neighbor, M&T Bank, to open up parking for customers when the branch’s own lot is being used for a program. “There’s a real community feel in Upper Marlboro — everyone looks out for each other.”
After the PGFD truck arrived, kids were able to put on paper fire hats, hold the water hose, climb on the truck, and turn on the lights. One little girl even got to honk the horn!
Most kids in attendance were getting up close and personal with a fire truck for the first time. But as Jordan reports, one little boy who came decked out in a full firefighter uniform seemed to be a young expert.
“He had to be probably 4 years old, but he had ALL the facts!” Jordan says. “Even the fireman he was talking to was like, wow you're like a veteran!"
