New Books, Authors Richard Rothstein and Matthew Desmond, Truck and Bus Day

Arlington County VA Government sent this bulletin at 05/01/2018 07:24 PM EDT

May 2018

All Library Locations will be closed Monday, May 28.

Arlington Reads 2018

Arlington Reads brings people together to talk about books and the important topics of our time.

Habitats for Inhumanity

Our 2018 Arlington Reads series features an investigative journalist, a Princeton sociologist turned urban ethnographer and a leading authority on housing policy — each telling stories of people’s hopes, dreams and losses in the imminent face of eviction, segregation and inhumane living conditions.

Featured Arlington Reads Events in May:

Thursday, May 3 - Richard Rothstein

As a leading authority on housing policy and the author of “The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America” (2017), Rothstein argues that residential racial segregation in the U.S. is not the result of decisions by private institutions or individuals but the direct result of racially explicit government laws and policies ― including discriminatory zoning ― at the local, state, and federal levels.

Meet the author and get your book signed.

Richard Rothstein's Arlington Reads appearance will also be broadcast live on the Library's FB page.

Thursday, May 17 - Matthew Desmond

Princeton sociologist, MacArthur "Genius,” and 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” Desmond takes readers into the poorest neighborhoods of Milwaukee and tells the stories of eight families who struggle to keep a roof over their heads as they face extreme poverty, eviction and economic exploitation.

Meet the author and get your book signed.

Learn more about Arlington Reads on the Library website.

Star Wars Night

Friday, May 4, 5:30-9 p.m.

May The Fourth Be With You!

Join us for Star Wars themed crafts and activities, followed by a showing of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" at 7 p.m.

Crafts and activities are aimed at families with children.

Learn more on the Library calendar.

Truck and Bus Day at Columbia Pike

Saturday, May 19, 9 -11 a.m.

Children of all ages are invited to come and see (and even touch) all sorts of vehicles including construction trucks, fire trucks, a recycling truck, an ART bus, and more!

Presented in partnership with Arlington Transit, Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Fire Department, and many more.

Learn more on the Library calendar.

From the History Vault: Margarite Syphax

The Center for Local History's new online exhibit — Women's Work: Stories of Persistence and Influence — highlights the life and career of Arlington entrepreneur Margarite Syphax.

From the 1950s into the 1970s, Margarite Syphax flourished as an influential African-American entrepreneur and businesswoman in Arlington County.

Through decades of hard work, Margarite and her husband, William T. Syphax, changed the housing landscape of Arlington as their engineering, management, and construction business grew to become one of the top 100 African-American led firms in the country during the early 1970s.

Learn more about the Women's Work exhibit on the Library website.