{"id":21219,"date":"2019-06-16T12:01:08","date_gmt":"2019-06-16T16:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/?p=21219"},"modified":"2019-06-16T07:36:08","modified_gmt":"2019-06-16T11:36:08","slug":"alaac19-books-about-washington-d-c-reading-to-charm-delight-and-ponder-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/2019\/06\/alaac19-books-about-washington-d-c-reading-to-charm-delight-and-ponder-on\/","title":{"rendered":"#alaac19 Books about Washington D.C.: Reading to Charm, Delight, and Ponder On"},"content":{"rendered":"

The grandeur of the architecture touches you as a visitor to Washington D.C. when strolling down Pennsylvania Avenue.\u00a0 Is it the gracefulness of the U.S. Capitol building dome designed and constructed during Abraham Lincoln\u2019s presidency \u2013 or something more?\u00a0 Is it the inspiration of the White House, National Art Gallery East Building, and the National Archives \u2013 or something more?<\/p>\n

A captivating blend of enterprise, excellence, and goodness fills the air drawing you to explore our national treasures.\u00a0 How can you be prepared to soak in this grandeur?\u00a0 Can this legacy and history of the United States be captured in a short list of suggested books?\u00a0 Can a few books capture the essence of the importance of Washington D.C. as the nation\u2019s capital?\u00a0 \u00a0Probably not, but we can prepare you to not miss out on the essence of D.C.<\/p>\n

ALSC Local Arrangements<\/a> \u2013 Eboni Njoki, committee chair, and members, Kristen Bodvin, Paula Langsam, Marge Loch-Wouters, Kathie Meizner, Diana Price, Dorothy Stoltz, and Jamie L. Watson \u2013 have been exploring D.C. to offer suggestions for not-to-be-missed tourist sites, restaurants, and getting around during the ALA Annual Conference.\u00a0 In addition \u2013 being librarians \u2013 we offer a short list of not-to-be-missed books to ponder on before, during, and after your trip to D.C.\u00a0 Join your colleagues and all the people who come from across the United States \u2013 and beyond \u2013 to explore D.C. and link to the history, culture, and creativity of the country.<\/p>\n

America’s Greatest Library: An Illustrated History of the Library of Congress<\/em> by John Y. Cole (GILES, 2018)<\/p>\n

\"Cover<\/a>With a forward by Carla D. Hayden, Librarian of Congress, America\u2019s Greatest Library<\/em> highlights the best of America\u2019s literary, cultural, and innovative works \u2013 \u201cwelcomed and forever preserved\u201d at the Library of Congress (LOC).\u00a0 The collection holds over 168 million items from books and microfilm to audio and moving pictures.\u00a0 Cole takes the reader through the expansion of the LOC as a library for the U.S. Congress during1800 \u2013 1897, to the nation\u2019s library, 1898 \u2013 1959, to a world renowned resource, 1960 \u2013 2016. \u00a0Learn about women\u2019s contributions to children\u2019s literature in the1800s and early 1900s.\u00a0 Rare Books and Special Children’s Collections by American Women at LOC<\/a>\u00a0 Plan a visit to enjoy the special exhibition through July 29, 2019 on Baseball Americana at LOC<\/a><\/p>\n

Awesome Adventures at the Smithsonian: The Official Kids Guide to the Smithsonian Institution<\/em> by Emily B. Korrell (Smithsonian Books, 2013) Ages 8 \u2013 12<\/p>\n

\"Cover<\/a>Korrell demonstrates why the Smithsonian with its 19 museums, zoo, and 137 million objects magnetically draws twenty-five million visitors each year.\u00a0 Focusing on three key museums \u2013 The National Air and Space Museum, The National Museum of Natural History, and The National Museum of American History \u2013 this interactive guide encourages readers to be explorers, scientists, and historians and features photos, information nuggets, questions, games, and more.\u00a0 Learn about a five-story dollhouse donated in 1951 to the Museum of American History by Faith Bradford (1880\u20131970), a Washington D.C. librarian, who as a young girl in Virginia began collecting all things miniature and spent the rest of her life accumulating and constructing over 1,300 miniatures that fill the dollhouse\u2019s 23 intricately detailed rooms. Dolls’ House Exhibition National Museum of American History<\/a> \u00a0Discover the ingenuity behind the technology of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing at the National Air and Space Museum.\u00a0 Celebrate Apollo 50<\/a><\/p>\n

A History Lover’s Guide to Washington, D.C.: Designed for Democracy<\/em> by Alison Fortier (The History Press, 2014)<\/p>\n

\"Cover<\/a>This entertaining and engaging guide fosters understanding of well-known and not-so-well-known figures, places, and efforts that shaped Washington D.C.\u00a0 Learn about where Abraham Lincoln stood to watch the ongoing construction of the Capitol building\u2019s dome during the Civil War to demonstrate the strength of the Union.\u00a0 Find out who Alexander Shepherd was and his role in the 1870s to beautify the city by burying sewer lines, paving streets, and planting thousands of trees. Discover why Frederick Douglass felt it was important to move to D.C.\u00a0\u00a0 Visit DC History and Culture<\/a><\/p>\n

Washington, D.C.: 1861-1962 (Black America Series)<\/em> by Tracey Gold Bennett (Arcadia Publishing, 2006) and Washington, D.C.: 1963-2006<\/em> (Black America Series) by Tracey Gold Bennett (Arcadia Publishing, 2007)<\/p>\n

These illustrated and historical companion guides document the role of black Americans in the nation\u2019s capital, 1861 \u2013 2006.\u00a0 Photographs chronicle the journey of how African Americans helped to break down barriers of race and class \u2013 from the Civil War to the struggle of the civil rights era to triumphs of African Americans \u2013 in the most politically powerful city in the United States.\u00a0 Learn about Mary McLeod Bethune\u2019s role as a national advisor to president Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the betterment of black Americans during the 1930s and 1940s.\u00a0 Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site<\/a>\u00a0 Stand on the step of the Lincoln Memorial overlooking 200,000 people converged on the mall in 1963 as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers his call for the country to change its policy of institutional discrimination.\u00a0 Learn more at the National Museum of African American History and Culture<\/a><\/p>\n