Himmelfarb Library's building will be closed during the Winter Break starting at 6:00pm on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. Our holiday hours are as follows:
The AFI European Union Film Showcase is in its 38th year. This year, film selections include festival winners, box office hits, and debut works by new directors, as well as many official Oscar® submissions. Schedule here.
Get fired up for the holiday season with a parade of decorated boats sailing along the Washington Channel. Events begin at 5 pm with ornament decorating, holiday karaoke, s'mores, and more. The parade begins at 7 pm, and concludes with a fireworks display at 8 pm.
This annual event features a live musical performance by military bands, hot latkes and doughnuts, free dreidels and menorah kits, as well as the lighting of a giant menorah to kick off the first night of Chanukah. General admission tickets are free but must be ordered in advance.
Musical group Gerdan plays traditional Ukrainian music, and this performance will highlight the rich tapestry of Ukrainian holiday traditions through music, song and dance.
Visiting a botanical garden in the winter? Of course! The Gotelli Dwarf and Slow-Growing Conifer Collection at the National Arboretum is one of the most extensive in the world. Perfect to enjoy with snow on the ground, or to wander through on a crisp winter day.
The 2025 Fall Colors Photo Contest drew 42 amazing entries across all of Himmelfarb Library's constituent groups: SMHS, School of Nursing, and the Milken Institute School of Public Health. Our judges, Laura Abate and Valerie Bowles from Himmelfarb, and MD students Nick Van Dyke and Eleanor Ball, had their work cut out for them!
2025 Fall Colors Photo Contest winner: Radiance, photo by Vania Ballesteros Prieto, Horvath Lab staff member, SMHS
The contest winner was Radiance, by Vania Ballesteros Prieto, who is a staff member at SMHS. See below for an interview with Vania!
Second place winner in the 2025 Fall Colors Photo Contest: Fall Reflections, photo by Rana Rahman, MD student, SMHS.Second place winner in the 2025 Fall Colors Photo Contest: Creekside Serenity, photo by Adam Herath, BSPH student, Milken Institute School of Public Health.
Two photos tied for second place: Fall Reflections, by MD student Rana Rahman, and Creekside Serenity, by BSPH student Adam Herath.
There were many beautiful photo entries, all of which are in the online gallery. Additionally, a print display of all photo entries is currently up at the library.
The Rotation asked Vania a few questions:
Can you share your GW journey? Did you study here? How long have you worked here?
I first came to the university in fall 2023 to pursue the MS program in Bioinformatics and Molecular Biochemistry. I successfully graduated in May of this year and have been a very happy part of the Horvath Lab team since then.
How long have you been taking photographs, and what are your favorite subjects?
I started taking photographs with a digital camera when I was young, initially just as a hobby. My favorite subjects are close-up pictures of flowers and small animals. I enjoy uncovering the small details that are often hard to see at first glance.
What can you tell us about how you got that winning shot?
I found a couple of trees with incredibly beautiful red and orange foliage near my house. I stood directly underneath them, and the afternoon sun lit the backs of the leaves making the colors more vibrant. This backlighting also allowed me to capture the veins of the leaves. I especially like how the close-up angle abstracts the location, leaving the surroundings open to the viewer's imagination.
How did you hear about the Fall Colors Photo Contest?
The Fall Colors Photo Contest was a topic of discussion in the lab. An email with the details was shared with all lab members, and I decided to participate.
I am intrigued that you entered the contest just two minutes before the entry form was deactivated! Tell us more about that?
I was planning to submit the picture earlier but my phone ran out of storage, which made every app (including the photos app) crash instantly upon opening. It was a frantic process of repeatedly opening the photos app, deleting one picture, having the app crash, and repeating the cycle. I finally managed to free up just enough storage to submit the entry two minutes before the form closed. Talk about lucky!
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Vania stopped by Himmelfarb and got to meet some of the members of the Healthy Living @ Himmelfarb Committee, which has been in existence since 2012 and has as its goal creating ways for our community prioritize wellbeing and support healthy eating, exercise, and stress reduction. The committee has been running the Fall Colors and Spring Blossoms photo contests since 2023, along with other events such as beading workshops and the popular Basketball Toss contest, which raises funds for the GW Healing Clinic.
Vania Ballesteros Prieto, second from left, with members of Himmelfarb's Healthy Living Committee (L-R) Lonnie Williams, Deborah Wassertzug, and Valerie Bowles.2025 Fall Colors Photo Contest winner Vania Ballesteros Prieto posts in front of the photo display of entries to this edition of the contest.
Do you work in a research lab? Do you think the sciences and the humanities have more in common than most people think? Then you should submit to the 2025 Art of Science contest here at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
The competition is open to GW SMHS medical students, graduate students, and postdocs. Submissions should reflect original research here at SMHS, and each person can submit one image. If your work is selected as a winner, you can win a cash prize. Previous winners have also had their work displayed in Ross Hall and Himmelfarb Library.
One of the District’s most popular neighborhoods showcases some of DC’s best musical talent. Adams Morgan Fall PorchFest will feature nearly 100 artists playing an array of genres, including classic rock, funk, go-go, rap, reggae, bluegrass, classical, and pop. Twenty porches, business patios and parks, as well as the closed 18th Street, will become stages for the day, drawing music-lovers from around the region into the tree-lined streets and small businesses of Adams Morgan.
Location: National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Ave, SW, Washington, DC 20560
Cost: Free
The National Museum of Asian Art surveys ancient times to the present in a stunning exhibit that displays works that beautifully speak to the diversity of Korea’s artistic legacy across the world. Once private treasures are now public, depicting the evolution of innovation, shifts in style, and technology.
Location: 2700 F St., NW, Washington, DC 20566 in the Justice Forum at the REACH.
Cost: Free
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight captures the childhood of eight-year-old Bobo on her family farm in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) at the end of the Zimbabwean War for independence in 1980.
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th & G Streets, NW, Washington, DC 20004
Cost: Free
Celebrate the grand reopening of the African American Civil War Museum (which is supported by the African American Civil War Memorial) with two days of events. The DC institution will debut its new home (part of the redevelopment of the Grimke School) with a dedication of its new Lincoln statue (depicting the 16th President signing the Emancipation Proclamation), a trail march, a public ribbon-cutting, a happy hour, a Reading of the Names, and more.
Location: various monuments, memorials, and special programming
Cost: Free
Many of the monuments and memorials in the nation’s capital honor service members, shedding light on the immense sacrifices that the U.S. Armed Forces have made to protect this country. Any time of year, but especially on Veterans Day, choose from a collection of monuments, memorials, and special programming to celebrate and honor those who served.
Location: 1500 Block of 19th Street NW, Washington, DC
Cost: Free
30-plus small businesses with artisanal goods, boutique brands, worldwide handcrafts, and unique gift items, plus festive decor, local performers, and beloved holiday treats.
Location: F Street between 7th and 9th Streets NW, Washington, DC
Cost: Free
This year's edition of the DowntownDC Holiday Market will occupy the street and sidewalk on F Street between 7th and 9th Streets, NW. Now in its 21st year, its bright lights bring Penn Quarter and Chinatown to life, providing a holiday spark to the neighborhood. The spacious, open-air village is free and open to the public, kicking off the season just ahead of Thanksgiving (closed on Thanksgiving Day) and closing just before Christmas.
Location: Smithsonian’s National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008
Cost: $6
Join the thousands of visitors who make ZooLights, powered by Pepco, a part of their annual holiday tradition. The event includes live music performances, tasty winter treats, and plenty of opportunities for holiday shopping. Environmentally friendly LED lights and dozens of glowing animal lanterns transform the Smithsonian's National Zoo into a winter wonderland. Note that timed passes are required. Admission is just $6.
Location: U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20001
Cost: Free
Trade in your dreams of a white Christmas for something even better – a green Christmas. At this year's Season's Greenings exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden, displays will feature not only holiday lights, but thousands of poinsettias, unbelievable plant-based sculptures, a circuit of model trains, and pollinators galore. Tickets are not required. This year's theme? Dinosaurs. The Botanic Garden will stay open late on Dec. 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, and Jan. 1. It is closed on Dec. 25.
Location: Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC
Cost: Free but RSVP required
Join us for one of the largest Chanukah holiday markets in the city! Shop handmade goods from independent artists and food vendors – we’ll have everything from holiday cards to jewelry to baked goods. It’s Etsy IRL! In addition to our vendors, we will also have hot beverages and snacks for sale.
October 2025 National Physical Therapy Month campaign from the American Physical Therapy Association
Every October, we turn our thoughts to Physical Therapy, in observance of National Physical Therapy Month. This year, the organization representing physical therapists in the United States, the American Physical Therapy Association, has as the theme for this month, PT for Future Me, a campaign aimed at educating consumers about the role of physical therapy in promoting improved movement and independence (PT For Future Me: An APTA ChoosePT Campaign, 2025). The PT for Future Me Patient Toolkit gives consumers a sense of how PT can exert positive effects across the lifespan, from childhood through older adulthood (PT for Future Me Patient Toolkit, n.d.). The website also includes a PT finder tool, which covers all 50 states and Washington, DC.
GW is home to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, and also houses PT residency programs in neurology, orthopaedics, and pediatrics. Check out the PT program's news page for the latest updates from the program and its graduates, including this October 2025 article on pro bono PT clinics being established by a DPT alumnus, Dominic DiPrinzio. Dr. DiPrinzio is working to increase access to PT by making services available free of charge, via partnerships with medical professionals across disciplines, as well as institutions (Cohen, 2025).
A PubMed search shows that physical therapy touches on every specialty and discipline within medicine. Before October ends, take some time to examine recent publications in your area of expertise, then consider how physical therapy might help the patients you work with, and how you can partner with a PT to help your patients achieve lifelong mobility and wellness.
When was the last time you got outside? If the answer is "summer," we strongly recommend you get up from your desk and head outside! Fall is here. Enjoy a seasonal beverage, breathe in the crisp air, and while you're at it, take a photo of the beautiful colors of autumn! Himmelfarb Library's Fall Colors Photo Contest opens today!
Enter your best photo for the chance to win a fabulous PRIZE. All digital photos submitted will be showcased in the online 2025 Himmelfarb Fall Colors Photo Gallery, and prints will be displayed in Himmelfarb Library.
Photo submission dates: Monday, October 13, 2025 – Sunday, November 9, 2025.
Who may enter: GW students, residents, faculty and staff affiliated with the School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Milken Institute School of Public Health, and School of Nursing.
Limit 1 entry per person. Subsequent submissions by the same person will not be entered into the contest.
Contest photo must be original and taken by the submitter in 2025.
Submitted photos will be displayed in online and print galleries with the photographer's name and photo title.
By submitting an entry, each contestant agrees to the above rules of the contest.
Judging:
Photo entries will be judged based on creativity, originality, and overall artistic impact. One winner will be chosen by a prior contest winner and members of the Healthy Living @ Himmelfarb Committee.
*Himmelfarb Library reserves the right to cancel the contest or modify rules at its discretion. Himmelfarb Library reserves the right to reject any entrant whose entry appears off-topic or violates the rules.
Baker RE, Mahmud AS, Miller IF, et al. Infectious disease in an era of global change. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2022;20(4):193-205. doi:10.1038/s41579-021-00639-z
Barr, I.G., Subbarao, K. Implications of the apparent extinction of B/Yamagata-lineage human influenza viruses. npj Vaccines9, 219 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-024-01010-y
Location: National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560
Cost: Free
A new exhibit at the National Museum of American History reveals the 80-year history of lowriding culture and community-building through a display of photographs, posters, car club clothing, trophies, a pinstripe tool kit, and much more. The unique, vibrant, and bilingual exhibition dives deep into how the Lowrider tradition has become a source of pride in Mexican American communities and a way of combating discrimination.
Location: The Wharf, 760 Maine Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024
Cost: Free
Don a dirndl or lederhosen and make your way to The Wharf for its free annual Oktoberfest celebration. The Wiener 500 Dachshund Dash kicks off the festivities, followed by a stein-hoisting championship and Polka on the Pier, which includes a free polka dance class, live music, and a best-dressed contest.
Location: National Gallery of Art East Building, 4th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20565
Cost: Free
The East Building of the National Gallery of Art hosts another edition of one of the museum’s most popular events. Strike a Pose emphasizes the Gallery’s newest exhibit, Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985, with a delirious celebration of self-expression, fashion, and photography. Wear your favorite outfit inspired by looks from the ‘50s through the ‘80s, step into the photobooth, experiment with photography via on-site artmaking, and take advantage of a rare opportunity to visit the West Building after-hours to check out the exhibit.
Due to high demand, passes to National Gallery Nights are distributed through a free lottery system. Lottery open: Monday, September 29, 10:00 a.m. — Thursday, October 2, 12:00 p.m.
Location: National Gallery of Art, 4th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20565
Cost: Free
A collection that spans 100 years of Black creativity comes to the National Gallery of Art’s East Building Mezzanine thanks to Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson. The largest group of objects by Black artists to enter the museum’s collection at one time includes 175 works. These range from lyrical abstractions to intricate sculptures to well-known paintings. Featured artists include Jacob Lawrence, Archibald Motley, Vivian Browne, Mildred Thompson, Alison Saar, and many others.
Location: 1309 5th Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Cost: Free
Union Market District brings back its electric outdoor go-kart racetrack, this time with the backdrop of a full festival weekend of live entertainment, food, and family activities daily. Races are ticketed and 15 minutes each, open to all skill levels (58" or taller), and just as fun to watch. On Oct. 11, electronic duo Louis The Child headlines a block party on 5th Street, presented by Nü Androids. Ticket holders are invited to access F1 Arcade’s sim racing for free, and all are welcome to Songbyrd’s 10th-anniversary block party on Oct. 12.
Location: 1250 New York Ave. NW Washington, DC 20005
Cost: Free
The photography-based work of Tawny Chatmon receives a glorious tribute at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The exhibition will debut pieces from Chatmon’s latest series, which also incorporate audio narrative, embroidery, film, and assemblage. Selections from Chatmon’s acclaimed previous work will also be on display.
Location: The Line DC, 1770 Euclid Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Cost: Free
The 12th Annual Apple Festival brings neighbors and visitors together to celebrate the season with heirloom apple varieties from the Adams Morgan Farmers’ Market and a spirited apple pie-baking contest judged by local food personalities. Guests can sample apples, cheer on the bakers and purchase slices of freshly made pies. Proceeds support the Sitar Arts Center, a local nonprofit that provides arts education to young people.
Location: Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 3rd Street and 6th Street
Cost: Free
The community-organized Turkish Festival fills Pennsylvania Avenue with special art and photo exhibits, folk dancers and concerts ranging from Turkish rock to folk. There will also be Turkish coffee and tea demos and a bazaar touting food and artisanal goods.
Location: National Gallery of Art, 6th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20565
Cost: Free
The National Gallery of Art hosts a monumental tribute to the work of Black artists from around the world. Photography and the Black Arts Movement spans four decades and features roughly 150 pieces by more than 100 artists, including luminaries such as Gordon Parks, Carrie Mae Weems, Frank Stewart, Billy Abernathy, David C. Driskell, Lorna Simpson, and many more.
Location: Capital Jewish Museum 575 3rd St. NW Washington, DC 20001
Cost: $12 Adults, $10 Ages 65+ & Students w/Valid ID, Free Ages 12 & Younger, Free for Members
This landmark exhibition is the first of its kind to explore DC history, Jewish history, and LGBTQ+ history together, drawing from the Museum’s robust LGBTQ+ archive. Immerse yourself in historical and contemporary photography, artifacts, and oral histories. Learn about legal milestones, far-ranging protests, changes in religious spaces, and vibrant cultural life. Saturday, October 4, 2pm – 7pm
As a child, I was always thrilled when my parents told me we’d be making a trip to our local library. From a young age, I was a massive bookworm, and going to the library meant adding even more texts to my already completed summer reading challenge. Holding a stack of books as high as I could carry (a restriction placed on me by my mother who knew I’d max out the allowed loans if allowed to use a bag), I’d stride up to the check out counter and wait impatiently for the librarian to finish stamping each book so we could go to the car and I could get started reading from my literary horde. More than one passerby remarked that I was going to grow up to be one of two professions: a librarian or a teacher.
As everyone can see now, I eventually settled into the role of a librarian. And while my position here allows me access to a variety of great books and online resources, I still made a point to get a public library card upon moving to the area.
September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month. While you don’t need to sign up for a card to use Himmelfarb’s services (your GWid does that for you), I’d highly recommend that you consider picking up a DC Public Library card while you study here. Residents of the District itself are eligible for a card, as are residents of nearby counties in Maryland and Virginia.
But why sign up for a public library card? While Himmelfarb can offer plenty of material for your academic pursuits, the public library offers resources such as job coaching, crafting classes, and even streaming music. The DC Public Library system also offers events which can vary from classes to game and book clubs. You can also get online access to magazines and newspapers.
There are multiple different DC library locations, the closest being the West End Neighborhood Library. I recently took a trip there and found a nice open space with plenty of room to study, work, talk with friends, and even grab a coffee at an attached cafe. DVDs were available for checkout, a great alternative to signing up for four different streaming services to find one movie. A puzzle for the community to complete was situated by the entrance, similar to the puzzle we offer here at Himmelfarb. The new book shelf showed all the latest editions and best of all, informed me that a mystery novel I read last winter was in fact a series, with the latest installment sitting on the shelf.
How do you sign up for a DC Public Library card? You can fill out a form online or in person. After that, you have 90 days to bring a current picture ID and proof of current address to any library location to validate your card. Once you’ve gone through those steps, you’ll have a permanent card.
So next time you need a study break or just want to study somewhere new, take a quick walk over to the DC Public Library and sign up. Meanwhile, I’ll be here with my new mystery novel, enjoying another stellar find from our friendly public library.
