Important Library Stuff

Winter Reading starts on January 1! Get a head start on tips (and many, many book recs) for summiting the challenge from Kristen Burnham and Amanda Thompson on this month's episode.

Cheers and bon appétit! Discover cooking, baking, and mixology resources at the library with Dumfries Library's Kelly Goff and Central Library's Wendy Weldon.

Are you ready to take your reading to the next level? Prince William Public Libraries invites students in grades K–12 to “Level Up Your Reading,” a gamified reading challenge to track minutes, earn prizes, and work your way toward a grand prize drawing! Learn all about it from librarians Kristen Burnham and Heather Wallace. 

Thank you to our Level Up sponsors, Amazon and individual donors. 

With our Summer Reading program theme, Color Our World, we've embraced the arts this year! But did you know there are always opportunities to create and appreciate art in our libraries? Joining your host, Emily Bickers, is Manassas City Library manager Lena Gonzalez Berrios, Central Library librarian Rachel Rivero, and our special guest: muralist Nick Zimbro. We discuss how to get creative in the library and Nick's 150-foot mural that he just completed on the side of Central Library.

Summer Scares is back and hungry for more at PWPL this month! Hear from 2025’s Summer Scares Spokesperson and #1 New York Times best-selling author Kendare Blake after chatting with librarians Matt and Rosanne about all things horror at PWPL this month.

Get ready to fill your TBR with book recommendations for all ages from Kristen and Ginger as we discuss this year's Summer Reading Program: Color Our World.

Thank you to Amazon for being our Naming Sponsor for our third consecutive summer and thank you to our Platinum Sponsor, Bricks & Minifigs Woodbridge, who donated a gift card for a free LEGO minifigure to everyone who completes Summer Reading. See all sponsors and sign up starting June 16 at pwcva.gov/summerreading.

Books can take you on a journey without leaving your chair, but they also make great companions for road trips! Learn about all the resources PWPL has to make your summer road trips entertaining, what our Mobile Library is up to with Outreach Library Technician Christina Trotter, and also how Prince William County’s Department of Transportation supports your travels by car, bike, and foot with Senior Communications Analyst Gretchen Johnson. 

U.S. Passport Services have returned to select libraries at PWPL! Hear all about it from Julia and Natalie. Check out our website and travel.state.gov to download forms, double check your documentation and needed payments, and to make an appointment.

Stuck in a reading rut? Or just want to branch out and discover something new? Hear how Kirk and Shannon pick the books they read and learn about all the resources the library has to help you discover your next favorite read.

Our special guest this epsiode is Jennifer Patterson, who became Prince William Public Libraries’ Director in September of last year. From what she envisions for the future of PWPL to her favorite snack – with a lot of book discussion in between – learn all about Jennifer!