{"id":36042,"date":"2020-07-31T09:20:04","date_gmt":"2020-07-31T13:20:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.foresthillsconnection.com\/?p=36042"},"modified":"2020-07-31T09:19:44","modified_gmt":"2020-07-31T13:19:44","slug":"you-might-get-a-charge-out-of-this-van-ness-history-lesson-from-a-washingtoniana-librarian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.foresthillsconnection.com\/news\/you-might-get-a-charge-out-of-this-van-ness-history-lesson-from-a-washingtoniana-librarian\/","title":{"rendered":"You might get a “charge” out of this Van Ness history lesson from a Washingtoniana librarian"},"content":{"rendered":"

The DC Public Library’s Washingtoniana collection needed a temporary home during the renovation of Martin Luther King Library. And for a little more than a year, Van Ness provided one. Washingtoniana moved out of its UDC Law School digs at 4340 Connecticut Avenue when DCPL’s lease expired early this year. And in a recent newsletter, it said, “Thank you, Van Ness.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Washingtoniana newsletter caption: “A view of the Van Ness interim location, empty after having moved our collections out of the space”<\/p><\/div>\n

We opened the doors to our Van Ness interim location<\/span> in September 2018<\/a>, and offered reference services during the modernization of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. We ended service this past spring and have officially packed up our collections in preparation for the move back to our home base. Thank you to everyone who stopped by with your research questions and curiosity. Stay tuned for more information on our newly renovated space and the fall opening.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Shortly after Washingtoniana moved into its temporary location, one of the special collections librarians took a walk around the neighborhood and was inspired to use the collection’s resources to dig into something he found outside ZIPS Dry Cleaners: “a section of wrought iron railing painted battleship gray.” ”<\/p>\n

“Radiating out from a centered vertically-oriented opening were lightning bolts that culminated in sunbursts,” Jerry McCoy wrote in a Facebook post for Washingtoniana<\/a>. “‘This is old and there has to be a story behind it,’ I surmised.”<\/p>\n