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 The DC Public Library Foundation and Pepco have again teamed up with the DC Public Library for the third annual Know Your Power Contest!
Know Your Power is a contest for teen artists, writers, photographers and musicians. Starting on Monday, May 16, teens ages 13 - 19 can submit creative work on a social issue to the Know Your Power creative arts contest. To help get you inspired, we invite you to check out the amazing winning entries from 2021!
Writing | Shirley Liu
 "This is a piece about loss (of understanding, of language, of love). Ever since the Atlanta spa shooting, I have felt my relationship with my Asian features grow more tenuous. Reading through this poem helps me work through that uneasiness and fear. I believe in the importance of celebratory pieces right now because I don't think the Asian American experience should be marked by tragedy and inner turmoil -- but at the same time, I hope that writing about my own experiences will resonate with others and let them know that they are not alone in their pain or confusion."
Illustration | Jessica Delgado
 "[The theme of this piece is] societal expectations for genders or unhealthy gender norms that have been perpetuated. The idea that a man shouldn’t cry because they cannot be seen as weak or that a woman is overly emotional and exaggerating so their emotions could be seen as them being hysterical. The idea is to subvert the idea that a male can’t show their more delicate side and that women can be just as serious about the indignation they feel about a situation. This idea originated from a TED video I remember seeing about a woman being taken as too intense when they showed their anger. The male side came from experiences with friends that have explained that their parents have created this image that tears show weakness."
Photography | Sylva Murtinova
 "This series of photos depicts the decline of the once-great city of Detroit, Michigan. It provides awareness for the lack of care the government has for the city and its people. With 89% of the city’s population being composed of black and brown communities, these marginalized groups are being left to suffer in the city with a lack of opportunity or care for those that inhabit it. I would like to see this city change for the better and for the marginalized groups living there to have their lives improved for the better by being provided with government aid and greater opportunities than those they are currently being offered."
Music | Kashvi Ramani
 Click the Image to Listen. "Alone Together is a song I recently wrote but has been circulating my mind for years. I grew up with a love for performing but my passion was repressed by a call for “stability” rather than “flights of fancy.” I turned to the media for role models I could follow in the footsteps of but found none I could resonate with. There were few characters in the media who looked like me as is, and those who existed were stereotypical and objects of comic relief. Other friends of mine who were Indian American and even South Asian had similar struggles, though in different forms. The song introduces two characters, specifically a girl who has fallen victim to internalized racism and has a desire to be lighter skinned and a boy who tries to replicate the looks of puff, pale male models and has a difficult time coping when he fails. These are just a few of the many related stories across America. Alone Together calls for better representation of South Asians in the media and asks for the chance to show the beauty in being brown."
 For Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, please join the Library and the 1882 Foundation for a preview screening of Curtis Chin's short documentary Dear Corky focused on the “undisputed, unofficial Asian American photographic laureate” Corky Lee on Tuesday, May 10 at 6:30 p.m.
After the film, AAJA-DC board member Moriah Balingit will moderate a panel discussion with the filmmaker and several DMV-area photojournalists: Shuran Huang (work published in NYT, WSJ, Reuters and more), Kent Nishimura (LA Times), Francis Chung (Politico/E&E) and J.M. Giordano (work published in NPR, ProPublica, Al-Jazeera and more).
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 DC Public Library supports bicycling culture and infrastructure in Washington, D.C. by offering bike repair workshops, library-themed group rides, and bike-related programming! Each year we partner with local organizations to increase access to bicycles, promote bicycle safety, and encourage D.C. residents to get out and ride. In addition, reading and biking are fun activities for the whole family -- books and bikes are a perfect combination! You'll find hundreds of bike-related books, ebooks, and e-audiobooks in our collections.
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For Children and Families
 Determined to reignite her waning friendship with a girl who has moved two towns away, an enthusiastic fangirl hatches an ambitious plan to ride her bicycle all the way to her friend's new school.
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For Teens
 Nick just wants to replace the TV his sister accidentally broke before their foster parents find out. To repay the debt, the sixteen-year-old has to steal bikes, break them down and rebuild them to sell. But the debt and the violence keep growing. Even Nick's own beloved fixed-gear bike--the fixie he built with his dad--is up for grabs.
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For Adults
 Ride Inside shows how to apply smart and proven training concepts to indoor cycling. Riders will get expert guidance on the best ways to set up a trainer or smart trainer, how to modify outdoor workouts for indoor cycling, how to better monitor power and RPE, and how to use social online training platforms like Zwift to make training better and not worse.
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 Join the Library and the Embassy of France in the United States for a "Night of Ideas" on Wednesday, May 11 from 6:30 - 9 p.m. Night of Ideas is a worldwide event taking place in 19 US cities and more than 100 countries where people can engage with thinkers, scientists, novelists, activists, and artists around the theme Where Are We Going?, celebrating our resilience, uplifting democracy, and interrogating the path forward for a world in crisis.
The Library and Embassy will host three panel discussions moderated by Jeffrey Rosen of the National Constitution Center that will focus on various aspects of democracy in our changing world.
How Democracies Can Come Out Stronger From the Challenges They Are Facing
Caroline Fredrickson, Professor at Georgetown Law and Sophia Rosenfeld, Senior Fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice will explore the many ways in which, in their recent history, France and the United States have reinvented their institutions and overcome challenges to liberal democracy.
Our Global Institutions, Our Democratic Selves: Who Governs
Stavros Lambridinis, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States; Stuart Holliday, Meridian International Center and Rama Yade, Director of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center and Senior Fellow for the Europe Center will discuss the role of international organizations in the rebuilding of democratic institutions confronted to the rise of multiple forms of nationalism but also to a discredited model of globalization exclusively destined to promote free trade.
Common Goods: the Three Pillars of Revitalization
Laurent Dubois, Director for Academic Affairs of the Democracy Initiative at the University of Virginia; Amanda Frost, Ann Loeb Bronfman Distinguished Professor of Law and Government at American University and Gaël Giraud, Research professor at Georgetown University, will offer insights into a new grammar of democracy by exploring the themes of human rights, immigration and justice, but also of environmental rights and citizen empowerment.
The evening will also feature other offerings including special virtual reality tours and music.
 Michael Janis, co-director of the Washington Glass School, spearheaded the creation of "Green Community Gateway", a glass archway meant to mark the "symbolic entrance" to the Kenilworth/Parkside section of DC’s Ward 7. Through a series of glass "quilting bees", Washington Glass School brought together neighborhood residents, students of the high school, and the staff of the Unity Healthcare facility to make glass art that would become an integral part of the arch.
During this lecture on Saturday, May 21 at 1 p.m., Janis will talk about what it took to bring all these pieces together into a piece of public art. He will also touch on the Washington Glass School's long history of public art projects.
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This Week At the Library
See what programs are coming up this week in person and online at the Library!
Ward 1 | Mt. Pleasant Library
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Anime and Unwind - Club for Teens | Tuesday, May 10: 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Hang out with friends and watch anime! The group will decide what we watch on the large projector.
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Ward 2 | Georgetown Neighborhood Library
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One-on-One Help with Computer Basics | Tuesday, May 10: 12:00pm - 2:00pm
1-on-1 help is available for computer basics such as setting up an email account, navigating the web, social media, Zoom, accessing and downloading e-content, etc.
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Ward 3 | Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library
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Gentle Yoga with Beth Lawrence | Wednesday, May 11: 10:30am - 11:30am
Gentle yoga for adults of all ages.
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Ward 4 | Petworth Neighborhood Library
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Improv for All! | Thursday, May 12: 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Join the Petworth Neighborhood Library in partnership with the Washington Improv Theater for an introductory, high-fun, low-stress workshop designed to share the ideas and spirit of Improv!
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Ward 5 | Woodridge Neighborhood Library
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Chess for Seniors| Friday, May 13: 10:00am - 12:00pm
Senior chess players of all skill levels are encouraged to come learn and play with other chess enthusiasts. Sessions are led by an experienced chess teacher and local institution.
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Ward 6 | Southwest Neighborhood Library
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Teen Wii Club | Wednesday, May 11: 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Teens, show off your video game skills with Wii in the Southwest Neighborhood Library STEAM Lab. All skill levels welcome.
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Ward 7 | Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library
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Sound is Ready: A Conversation with Russell Williams | Wednesday, May 11: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Russell Williams, a SE DC native, is the first African American to win multiple Academy Awards in any category and the first and only African American to win consecutive awards in any category for his work in cinematic sound for the movies Glory and Dances With Wolves. He'll describe his journey from Benning Heights to Hollywood.
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Ward 8 | Bellevue (William O. Lockridge) Neighborhood Library
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Learn to Code | Wednesday, May 11: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
An introduction to web code for high school students. Learn the basics of HTML, CSS, JavaScript and
SQL.
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Find all upcoming programs in your Library or online on our calendar!
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 OverDrive Magazines are now visible and available for checkout in our online catalog and the DCPL app (Apple or Android). Previously digital magazines were only available in Libby and on the Library's OverDrive site. Now, you can search the online catalog for 4,000+ magazines with roughly 1,000 of those magazines in a language other than English.
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 On Thursday, May 12, the The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council will present a proposed Strategic Plan to reduce Gun Violence in the District. David Muhammad, director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, will go over the details of the Plan. Linda Harllee-Harper, director of the District of Columbia's Office of Gun Violence Prevention will brief attendees on the efforts underway to stop gun violence in the District. Audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions.
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