Largo, MD – The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) is committed to keeping the community informed and connected to essential services. The Library, as a critical part of its mission, engages in community outreach, collaboration, and resource dissemination. PGCMLS is a community team player and focuses on creating opportunities for discovery and lifelong learning.

This winter, the Library is supporting Prince Georgians with food distribution efforts, expungement for former offenders, legal assistance for underserved populations, and multilingual tutoring support for area students. Access to free drive-up WiFi at all PGCMLS buildings, circulating WiFi hotspots, and mobile printing help bridge the digital divide in our communities.

Essential Services

The Library has teamed up with Food 4 Thought along with other community partners to provide essential services and resources to our community. A mobile food pantry will be at the New Carrollton Branch on February 27 from 11 am to 1 pm. Visit Essential Services & Resources (Distribución de recursos y servicios esenciales) for more information.

On March 3, the Library is working alongside the Pro Bono Resource Center’s Maryland Immigrant Legal Assistance Project (MILAP) to help immigrant children and families in Maryland gain access to legal assistance in English and Spanish. Call the PGCMLS Ask a Librarian telephone reference line at (240) 455-5451 (Tuesday-Friday 1-6 pm, Saturday 1-5 pm / martes-viernes 1-6 pm, sábado 1-5 pm) or sign up here to find out more about talking to a MILAP lawyer. For more information (English/Spanish), click here.

PGCMLS and Community Legal Services of Prince George’s County are collaborating to help Prince Georgians with a criminal record pursue employment and housing. A Virtual Expungement Clinic on March 6 from 10 am until 2 pm offers one-on-one consultation with pro bono attorneys who will assist customers with removing eligible offenses from their records. Register here as required.

Community Collaborations

PGCMLS with its community partners, Joe's Movement Emporium, Center for Performing Arts at Prince George's Community College, and Prince George's County Human Relations Commission present world-renowned choreographer and creative visionary Laurieann Gibson. On March 3 at 7 pm, Gibson will be in conversation with C. Lorenzo Evans III about her new book, "Dance Your Dance: 8 Steps to Unleash Your Passion and Live Your Dream." Gibson has choreographed for legendary artists like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Janet Jackson, among numerous others.

The Washington Wizards have partnered with PGCMLS to bring you the Wizards Winter Reading Challenge and Wizards Book of the Month. Storytime on Screen, courtesy of the Old Greenbelt Theatre and the Library System, helps develop the early literacy skills of our youngest customers on March 8 at 10 am (scheduled for every second and fourth Mondays of the month).

Along with the Prince George’s County Human Relations Commission, the library hosts several speaker events in March:

• Juyanne James discusses her identity as a Black woman and her book “Table Scraps and Other Essays” on March 1 at 7 pm
• Michael W. Twitty discusses American Southern cooking and his book “Rice” on March 8 at 7 pm
• Women in Faith: Diverse Voices Speak features local faith leaders in conversation about gender, identity, and religion on March 15 at 7 pm
• W. Ralph Eubanks discusses Mississippi’s world-renowned literary legacy and his book “A Place Like Mississippi” on March 25 at 7 pm
• The Elephant We Don’t See: A Diversity Dialogue returns for a discussion of “I Am Woman” by Lee Maracle on March 30 at 7 pm

Education and Employment

The Library offers an array of digital resources that include live tutors (English and Spanish) and live job interview coaches to increase opportunities for personal advancement. Brainfuse: HelpNow, JobNow, and VetNow platforms, LearningExpress Library (career test preparation, college admissions practice tests and essay writing), Gale in Context (Elementary, Middle, High School); MakeMake (Spanish-language ebooks), ABC-CLIO (American History, American Mosaic, etc.), Great Courses, and LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) are just a few of the many Online Resources at your Library. In addition, celebrate Women’s History Month in March with a visit to our Women’s History Month Hub featuring upcoming related virtual events and online resources, along with a Women's Suffrage Movement Timeline.

During the pandemic, the Library arose to the occasion with these new webpages: Temporary COVID-19 Resources, Community Resources (Recursos en la comunidad) and Small Business Resources to reach a broader segment of our community with COVID-19 updates. The Library also quickly switched gears from in-person to virtual events. In conjunction with its partners, the Library’s amazing lineup of virtual events included: Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Jason Reynolds, Bassey Ikpi, Leonard Pitts Jr., Lisa See, Philippa Gregory, Steven Rowley, Matthew Quirk, Zach Smedley, Jennifer De Leon, Natasha Trethewey, and Richard Blanco. To benefit the team, the Library generously hosted third party events of other community team players on its platforms. Also at this time, the Library teamed up with the 2019 World Series Champions, the Washington Nationals, to bring you 2020 Summer @ Your Library.

The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System makes a difference that matters for generations to come. Visit pgcmls.info to discover pathways to a better future that include wellness, workforce development, heritage hubs, access to free major newspapers, magazines, movies, music, ebooks, audiobooks, and more! We’re here to serve you at the Library.

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.

PGCMLS’ robust online offerings include curated content collections for kids, teens, educators, Spanish speakers, and more. Virtual events and outreach provide access to the Library from the comfort of home or on the go. 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 Library also provides drive-up WiFi access at all branches and mobile hotspot devices. The Library’s Laurel Branch Library received the 2018 AIA/ALA Library Building Award and was designated the best new public building in Maryland.

As a strong community partner, the Library regularly collaborates with local government agencies and non-profit organizations to provide access to essential community services and programs. Partners include the Prince George’s County Human Relations Commission, Employ Prince George’s, Prince George's County Public Schools, and Prince George’s Community College. Learn more at pgcmls.info or by visiting the Largo-Kettering Branch at 9601 Capital Lane, Largo, MD 20721. Curbside Services are available Tuesday-Friday (1-6 pm) and Saturday (1-5 pm) at 16 of the Library’s branches.