Open The Pod Bay Doors HAL

Classic Movie Night
6:00 p.m.

Tonight at Watha T. we'll be honoring the late Arthur C. Clarke by screening the film version of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Scientists discover a strange object out by one of the moons of Jupiter. They're not quite sure what it is. Just a big, black monolith of some sort. The spaceship's computer HAL starts to go a little haywire, and astronaut Dave Bowman starts seeing some really strange stuff. What's going on?

Classic Movie Night happens on the final Wednesday of the month.
May's classic movie: A Streetcar Named Desire.

Iron Man

If you're as big of a comic book geek as I am you're bursting with excitement about the release of the new Iron Man Movie this weekend! I remember when I was a kid, waking up really early in the morning to watch Iron Man cartoons on tv. Iron Man was my favorite.

At Watha T. we've got the original Iron man stories available in the Marvel Essential titles line, and some of the latest Iron Man and Avengers trade paperback editions as well.

Stop by and check it out!

This Week at Watha T.

Good Morning Neighbors!

Welcome to another exciting week of programming and events at the Watha T. Daniel Library. Here's what we have in store:

Monday 4/28

4:00 p.m.: Doctor Who: The Aliens of London

(part 1 of 2, part 2 presented on May 5)

Wednesday 4/30

10:00 a.m.: Picture Book Time for 3-5 year olds

7:00 p.m.: Adult Book Club: discussing "Gargantuan" by Maggie Estep

7:00 p.m.: Classic Movie Night: 2001 A Space Odyssey

Thursday 5/1

3:30-5:00 p.m.: Summer Reading Kickoff Party

Hope to see you there!

Bike Racks at WTD

The most commonly requested feature since we opened our doors in October of last year has been to have a bike rack installed. Well, you'll be happy to know that this month it came through and we now have an 8 slot bike rack in front of the branch!

I think this is the happiest news since we got the video projector.

Hi! I'm Tracy

Hi! I'm Tracy the Children's Librarian at the Watha T. Daniel Library. I have not been with DCPL for that long and also new to DC. I moved here about a month ago from New Jersey, where I had worked as a Children's Librarian for the past two years.

Currently I'm working on spreading the word about the Summer Reading Program starting next week! There is Catch the Reading Bug for kids and Metamorphosis for teens! There will be something for everyone. Movies! Crafts! Discussions! Games! & Much much more! I'm extremely psyched for it to get started. For more info come into the branch I'm also doing Summer Reading Programs over in Georgetown too.

There are story times at Watha T. Daniel every Wednesday at 10 am and at the Lutheran Church on P Street and Wisconsin NW in Georgetown every Tuesday at 10:45 am.

Right now I'm reading The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart. It's the pre-published sequel to The Mysterious Benedict Society. It's really great! & I'm listening to Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks. I'm so addicted to audiobooks!

Greetings from David

Hello,

My name is David, and I am one of the Library Associates here at Watha T. Daniel. It's been fun working here since October and getting to know the Shaw neighborhood.

One of the projects I work on is the Young Adult Book Club. Attendance of the club hasn't quite taken off yet, but I hope that it will. I am especially interested in reading the May book which is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It's been a while since I've read it, and I am curious to know how it will strike me. Come over and read it with us.

Oh, and the picture here is me next to a boat that I built with a couple of friends. I lived in Maine for a year and built boats.

Ciao,
David

Hi, I'm Eric

Hey there everybody! I've been posting on here like crazy, but I haven't introduced myself. I'm Eric Riley, and I'm the Senior Librarian here at the Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Interim Library. I've been a professional librarian for over five years, and have worked in libraries for about 12 years.

I'm one of the people who buys comics, graphic novels, manga and anime for the library. If you ever want to talk about comics or anime, come and talk to me!

Currently I'm reading: "Gargantuan" by Maggie Estep, "All shall be well" by Todd Wodicka, "The Ring" by Koji Suzuki, and "Essential Doctor Strange v. 3."

Currently I'm watching: Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who Season 4, Noein, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and I'm waiting for Code Geass to air on Adult Swim this weekend.

Catch The Reading Bug

Summer is right around the corner and so is the DCPL Summer Reading Program: Catch the Reading Bug! The kickoff date is next Thursday, May 1st! There are giveaways when you register and prizes for the books you read, listen to or have read to you! Stay tuned for all the programs, presenters, activities and games!

Hi, I'm Casey!

Happy Spring everyone! I just wanted to introduce myself so we're not strangers. My name is Casey, here's a pic of me on stage, which is where I am when I'm not at the WTD Library.
You can hear one of my bands HERE. But enough about that... I'm good with computers and would be happy to help you with your computer woes. Please ask me if you have any questions.
Best,
Casey

Gargantuan

Adult Book Club
4/30 7:00 p.m.

Due to the Emancipation Day holiday our adult book club evening had to be shifted to the end of the last wednesday of the month. This month's selection is "Gargantuan" by Maggie Estep.

Ruby's life is nothing if not complicated: she's spending a lot of her time worrying about a jocky named Attila Johnson; a good-hearted Teamster with a bad back; a neighbor who is suspicious of anything that moves; one very fat cat who craves raw meat; a missing FBI agent; an underused piano; a few fine horses--and the sure knowledge that somehow, somewhere there is a killer among them.

Personally I fell in love with Maggie Estep in the 90's when I saw her on the MTV slam poetry shows. I bought her first poetry album "No More Mister Nice Girl" more than once, because I wore out the tape so I bought the CD. Her voice and her vision of quirky New York life are just something that I couldn't help but love. Her poetry is raw, excessive, clever and unique, and this book is no different.

Doctor Who: Mondays at 4:00

For those who don't know it, I am a HUGE fan of Doctor Who. And I'm happy to be sharing my passion for the good Doctor with the folks who come to Watha T. Daniel. Every monday at 4:00 we're screening an episode from Series 1 of the new Doctor Who starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper.

Today's episode is The Unquiet Dead. The Doctor and Rose travel back in time to 1869 in Cardiff. There they meet the famous writer Charles Dickens who is performing a live stage reading of A Christmas Carol, when they themselves are attacked by ghosts! But are they really ghosts? Are the dead really coming back to life? Or is it something else entirely?

Next week: The Aliens of London. It's part 1 of 2. Big green slimy aliens secretly take over the British Government and they want to destroy the earth! It's totally awesome!

Young Adult Book Club: Today at 3:30

Kindred
by Octavia Butler

Doubleday, 1979

Kindred is the story of Dana, a modern African-American woman, who, for unknown reasons, is pulled through space and time back to the Maryland plantation where her family was held as slaves. Her purpose, to save the life of the master's son, who is in fact her very own ancestor.

Dana's journeys, and yes this happens more than once, are filled with danger, suffering, and difficult choices. By saving the life of this man who abuses and destroys her family is she condoning his behavior? If she doesn't bring her ancestors together she may cease to exist.

This is a thrilling and heartbreaking book, and there will be LOTS to talk about.

Our Young Adult book club meets on the third thursday of every month at 3:30.

Next month's book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Emancipation Day

Tomorrow, April 16th, is Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia. In honor of this holiday DC Government agencies, including the DC Public Libraries will be closed. Watha T. Daniel will reopen to the public on Thursday April 17th at 9:30 a.m.

In the spirit of the holiday, take a look at these original pages of the Emancipation Proclamation hosted at the National Archives.