January 13, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Donna Scott-Martin

(301) 699-3500, ext. 6152

donna.scott-martin@pgcmls.info

PGCMLS Foundation Announces Additional Board of Directors Members

Largo, MD – The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) Foundation is proud to announce the addition of four members to its Board of Directors, each serving four-year terms. These distinguished community leaders, Richard Bell, Colin Byrd, David Goldberger, and Christine Turner Jackson, bring a shared commitment to the importance of the services offered by the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System. Reestablished in 2020, the PGCMLS Foundation supports the essential work of the Library System’s 19 branches located throughout the county.Board Chair Linda Washington Douglas remarked, “We are so pleased to channel their talent, expertise, and time into furthering the mission of the PGCMLS Foundation. I truly welcome them and look forward to working with them to raise funding for our libraries.” 

The PGCMLS Foundation is raising money to support many programs and services provided by the Library. This includes expanding the D.R.E.A.M. Lab, the digital resources makerspace at Fairmount Heights Branch Library, continuing the “Authors for Truth: Social Justice and Equality” speaker series, supporting the Summer @ Your Library program, and assisting the library in meeting the daily needs of staff and library customers. 

About our New Board Members

Richard Bell – Member

Richard Bell is a scholar, writer, and professor at the University of Maryland in the Department of History. His research focuses on the history and culture of the United States between 1750 and 1877. His recent book is “Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home.” Bell received his doctoral degree from Harvard University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Cambridge. He lives in University Park, MD, with his wife and two daughters.

Colin Byrd – Member

Colin Byrd serves as the mayor of Greenbelt, Maryland and is the youngest person to hold that position. Growing up, he fell in love with everything Greenbelt – the parades, the theater, the Community Center, the pool, the parks, the library, the people and so much more. He has served on the Greenbelt City Council since 2017. Byrd is an alumnus of the University of Maryland, College Park where he studied sociology. In December 2020, Byrd announced that he is running for the U.S. Congress in Maryland’s 5th congressional district.

David Goldberger – Member

David Goldberger is a retired attorney and law professor who has argued two times before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1980, he joined the Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University after serving as legal and legislative director of the Illinois Division of the American Civil Liberties Union. Prior to working at the ACLU, Professor Goldberger was a staff attorney for the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago, specializing in law reform litigation. While in practice, he represented clients in a wide range of civil liberties cases, many involving First Amendment issues. Professor Goldberger served on the board of trustees for the Worthington Public Library in Ohio from 2009 to 2015. He currently resides in Maryland with his wife, Abigail Harding, a retired middle school and high school teacher.

Christine Turner Jackson – Member

Christine Turner Jackson is an author, administrator, and educator. What began as an interest about her father's childhood playing baseball in 1950s Washington, DC, blossomed into her first children's book called "Pitch Black." Turner Jackson earned her bachelor's degree from the George Washington University. After teaching elementary school, she began her 25-year career with the U.S. Department of Education. Married to Tim Jackson, they reside in Prince George’s County and have two young adult children, Tim II and Monet.

About the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System Foundation  

The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) Foundation provides critical philanthropic support to the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System. It strengthens the Library’s capacity to innovate, adapt to change, and ensure our libraries remain a vital resource for all in Prince George’s County now and in the future. Our libraries are more than a place to find books; they are spaces–both physical and online–to empower individuals, strengthen families, and make our county a better place.

About the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System

The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) helps customers discover and define opportunities that shape their lives. The Library serves the 915,000+ residents of Prince George’s County, Maryland through 19 branch libraries, a 24/7 online library, and pop-up services throughout the community. PGCMLS is a responsive and trusted community-driven organization. Programs, services, and outreach activities serve booklovers, immigrants and refugees, job seekers, children, young professionals, seniors, and families alike. The Books from Birth and Ready 2 Read programs make the Library the primary source of early literacy education and Kindergarten readiness programs in the County.

PGCMLS’ robust online offerings include curated content collections for kids, teens, educators, Spanish speakers, and more. Special programs include the D.R.E.A.M. Lab, STEM Pals, and 3D printing, which offer teens and lifelong learners with opportunities to learn cutting-edge technology and STEM skills for job readiness or personal enrichment. The Laurel Branch Library received the 2018 AIA/ALA Library Building Award and was designated the best new public building in Maryland.