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!
In mid-February, the Accokeek Branch Library, PGCMLS Library Associates James Phelps and Storm Carman-Hanks delighted preschoolers from the Colin Powell Academy with a shape-themed storytime program. James read “Apples and Robins” by Lucie Félix, Storm read “Circle, Square, Moose” by Kelly Bingham, and together with the visiting preschoolers they assembled rocketships using bits of paper cut into color-coded shapes.
It was the first time hosting a class visit like this for James, who ended up amazed at how engaged the kids were throughout the morning. “It was amazing!” he says. “The kids were a bit rambunctious, but so interested in what was going on, and so sharp at answering questions.”
James particularly liked seeing how wowed they were at the way the cutouts in “Apples and Robins” revealed new objects and animals each time he turned the page, and how thoughtful and creative they were in putting together their rocketships. Some of the kids were Accokkeek Branch Library regulars, which was also fun — as was seeing the spark for kids who weren’t library regulars as they saw what the branch had to offer, and started imagining what it would be like to come back outside of class.
Coming Soon...
In the lead-up to this year’s National Library Week (April 20-April 24), several PGCMLS branches asked community members to share what they love about the library through a variety of “Love Your Library” programs.
At the Beltsville Branch Library, Library Associate Arianna Gomez and Librarian Darlene Reyes facilitated a fun hands-on “Ready 2 Read: Art” program for the branch’s regular Thursday morning storytime group.
Inspired by regular customer requests for bags to carry home their library books, Arianna designed this “decorate-your-own tote” project to get kids creatively engaged in something both fun and practical. “Plus, doing the art gives the kids time to socialize, which is a really important part of the ‘Ready 2 Read: Art’ storytime programs,” says Arianna.
Darlene facilitated the program, and was able to see the kids’ creative engagement firsthand. One typically quiet storytime regular even called her over several times to ask specific questions, which Darlene was particularly struck by. “I feel like he’s been finding his voice more recently,” Darlene said, “and this program helped with that.”
After the program, Darlene saw one caretaker taking a photo of her three girls posing with their creations. “You could just see on their faces how proud they were!”
Across January and February, PGCMLS joined public libraries from across Maryland to participate in Career Success Month, an annual statewide initiative created and developed by the Maryland State Library Agency’s Workforce, Career and Business Community of Practice that is co-chaired by PGCMLS Staff Development Coordinator Jaleen Marbury-Walker.
Career Success Month — which was designed to showcase the central role that libraries play in strengthening the workforce and supporting customers in navigating their career journeys — always has a strong showing at the Beltsville Branch Library’s Life Lab, a space dedicated to job readiness and career development programming. During this year’s Career Success Month, the Life Lab hosted nine workforce-related programs, including one-off workshops introducing customers to digital Library resources like LinkedIn Learning and Brainfuse JobNow, a “KEYS 2 Elevation” career readiness series for teens and young adults, a “Grant Writing 101” coaching session, and even an opportunity to get a new LinkedIn headshot photo snapped by Life Lab staff.
“That experience is always nice,” says PGCMLS Public Specialist Yassin Kargbo, who leads the branch’s Life Lab programming and brings this program back every year. The photo shoot is set up in a secluded space just behind the information desk that doubles perfectly as a studio, and registration always fills up. “Most are coming in for a fresh look — they’re ready for the new year, and want to take advantage of this great thing the Library is doing.”
The Life Lab’s career support programming continues throughout the year, and includes a semiannual “Networking and Social Mixer” that invites local jobseekers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners to gather at the library for an afternoon of networking and connection-building. At the last session, held in late March, Yassin was gratified to see two participants start to make plans to collaborate on a website.
“It’s like a speed-networking thing,” he says. “You have to be adaptable, versatile, and ready to use the room and orchestrate what’s there.”
For more information about upcoming workforce development and job readiness programs at the Library, check out the PGCMLS calendar.
In the lead up to this year’s National Library Week (April 20-April 24), several PGCMLS branches asked community members to share what they love about the library through a variety of “Love Your Library” programs.
At the Bladensburg Branch Library, staff invited customers to write why they love the library on colorful paper hearts. The community was so taken by this invitation that staff eventually had to commandeer the information desk to accommodate the overflow. By the end of the month, more than 160 hearts encircled nearly the entire service area!
“It was an extraordinarily well-received invitation,” says Bladensburg Branch Library Associate Bob Walsh. “Most people seemed to mention books, [including] some along the lines of, I didn’t really like to read, but you’ve inspired me to do so!”
Other themes in the mix include an appreciation for Libby, access to free printing, peace and quiet, the beautiful building, and the kind and helpful branch staff.
In line with the community’s sense of humor, Bob also enjoyed seeing the heart that read, We love the library because six-seven! “It’s of-a-piece with the brick outside [that] reads Bricky McBrickface,” Bob says appreciatively.
In February, the Bladensburg Branch Library hosted its milestone tenth whole-grade field trip from Bladensburg Elementary School, following eight outings in the 2024-2025 school year, and a ninth in January.
“The visits pay off, because they do recognize us again when we’re over at the school,” says Bladensburg Branch Library Associate Traci Perkins, whose role during the field trips is to introduce students to the Library’s digital resources, starting with PebbleGo. “You walk down the halls and they’re like, hi, I was at XYZ field trip, it was great! I get so blown away by how smart they are — they’re just really bright, and so eager to talk and participate.”
Adds Bladensburg Branch Librarian Debra Capponi: “Their memory of the library is not something that we can create by telling them about the library [at a school outreach event]. They’ve experienced it themselves!”
Bladensburg branch staff also spent time this winter hosting sixteen local Brownies from Girl Scout Troop 22029 for an after-hours research workshop to learn how to use PGCMLS’ digital resources to search for the subjects of their “Women Change Agents” project.
Debra credits the success of these large-scale field trips to the creative participation not just of Bladensburg branch staff, but of volunteers from other nearby branches, who come out to Bladensburg specifically to assist in these events — underscoring the fact that PGCMLS isn’t just a collection of 19 individual branches, but instead a truly county-wide system.
“Extra hands help, and [it’s] an opportunity to create something with colleagues [you] don’t get to work with every day,” says Debra. “I know how fortunate I am to have colleagues that support these efforts!”
For the modern public library, makerspaces are a perennially popular offering. Large-scale creative technology like 3D printers and pens, Cricut die-cut machines, laser engravers, and professional audiovisual equipment and software are out of reach for the casual user. By making them freely accessible with the use of a library card, libraries like PGCMLS can open pathways of creativity and discovery to customers of all ages, backgrounds, skill levels, and economic means.
The makerspaces at two PGCMLS branch libraries have seen fun milestones this spring. At the Bowie Branch Library, grant funding allowed the library to hire Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) student Marcus Witherspoon as a temporary sound engineer for the Teen Zone’s in-progress recording studio.
“There are students who make music outside of here, so for them, being able to be clear on a more professional mic and try to get their vision through without having to pay for hours of professional studio time, it’s just so cool,” Marcus says. “That I’m able to help further their ideas is just amazing.”
In late March, the Fairmount Heights Branch Library hosted Delegate Derrick Coley, the newly appointed delegate for Maryland General Assembly District 24. A lifelong customer of PGCMLS, it was Delegate Coley himself who made the suggestion to hold his first meeting with PGCMLS staff at one of his district’s branches.
Familiar with makerspaces from his past work at Bowie State University, the Delegate was especially excited to tour the branch’s DREAM Lab. Fairmount Heights Branch Public Services Specialist JD Weber, who leads programming for the DREAM Lab, presented the Delegate with a 3D-printed state house business card holder.
Later that same day, the DREAM Lab also celebrated a major milestone, welcoming in its 500th visitor since the space was renovated. The customer, Jasir Bey, came to the makerspace to use Adobe Premier to add images to videos to a project he was working on to instruct students in learning Tamazight, an ancient Moroccan language.
Video of Bey talking about this project can be found here. To learn more about visiting the DREAM Lab, check out the PGCMLS website!
In early January, the Glenarden Branch Library opened its doors early to welcome nearly one hundred 5th-graders from Judge Sylvania Woods Elementary for a special school field trip.
They had been preparing for this visit for a couple of months, says Gidae Campbell (Public Services Specialist III, GL), ever since one of the school’s counselors, Kim Williams, reached out in August about the possibility of such an undertaking.
“It was a real chance for us to get creative,” says Gidae of the excitement the invitation provoked from the Glenarden branch staff. “This was the first time as a team that we got to work together on developing a program like this, separate from system-wide initiatives like Summer Prince George’s.”
The months between August and January were well used, with the whole team contributing to preparations for the students’ visit. It was organized around a station model that included a presentation about PGCMLS resources and Glenarden programs, a tour of the branch building, and a much-loved bookmark-making station.
“Overall the visit was a huge success,” says Gidae. “The kids were adamant about searching the shelves to find books they liked, and talking about the things they like to read. They had lots of great questions, and were able to answer the questions we asked them throughout the tour to make the visit more engaging.” Gidae also reports that while some of the students who came were recognizable as established “library kids,” many more ended the visit with shouts of “we’ll be back later today!”
“It was reassuring to know we made some real connections with them,” says Gidae. “I am highly proud of the Glenarden team for pulling this off.”
Coming Soon...
PGCMLS is proud to partner with the Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights on a number of social justice-oriented initiatives, including a four-part “Youth Leadership Academy” that is designed to introduce teens and young adults to basic social justice concepts and give them the tools needed to identify things like misinformation and human trafficking in their everyday lives.
Co-developed and piloted by PGCMLS staff members from the Bladensburg and Glenarden branch libraries, the “Youth Leadership Academy” program made its way to the Hillcrest Heights Branch Library this spring, as part of that team’s 2026 goal to elevate their offerings for teens and “emerging adults” (up to age 22) in the Hillcrest Heights community.
The first week of the “Youth Leadership Academy” program focuses on introducing teens to social justice as a concept, challenging them to think through what they would want to see changed in their community. The Hillcrest Heights Branch Library’s inaugural offering of this session saw just two teens participate, but as session co-developer Gidae Campbell notes, a small cohort of engaged participants can be exactly right for this kind of program.
“Both of the teens who came to that first session were really interactive,” says Gidae, who came over from his regular post at the Glenarden Branch Library that day to lead the program’s opening session at Hillcrest Heights. Gidae reports that they were particularly engaged with thinking about the different places they wanted to see change in their community, like better, more affordable housing for their folks; better, healthier food options in the neighborhood; and combatting homophobia. “They had a lot of great questions regarding making a difference and being active,” says Gidae.
Hillcrest Heights branch staff are taking lessons from this first run of the “Youth Academy Program” to iterate and grow participation for a second round. Watch the PGCMLS calendar for updates about the next series!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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!"
