Can't believe #WTOP just ran a report that, if I understand it correctly, implies only harm to communities & homeowners from #AI & #Data centers is the ugly bldgs they're in.

Nope.

It's how they gobble up #electricity & #water, raising their scarcity & costs for everyone else.

#PersonaNonGrata

#Amazon is determined to use #AI for everything
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/infotech.html#10

#WTOP’s Top #Local Headlines for March 12
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/us-cities.html#119a

How to watch #Michigan high school boys state semifinals
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/etc-states.html#22

#Google Play adds free game trials and a dedicated #PC
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/infotech.html#32

Why #Wi-Fi 7 Actually Matters for Everyday #Homes
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/infotech.html#55

#Haiti nominates Le Nouvelliste archives for #UNESCO
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/world-capitals.html#PortAuPrince

I wrote off #ChatGPT's voice mode, then found 7 ways
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/infotech.html#11

#California should resurrect an old strategy to jumpstart
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/etc-states.html#5

Carlson more anti-Trump than #Democrats
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/breaking-news.html#6

#WTOP’s Top #Local Headlines for March 10
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/us-cities.html#119a

Centuries-Old #Huizhou Folk Customs, a Rural Heritage
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/etc.html#Indonesia

Prime #Video subscribers can add Mubi to their streaming
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/infotech.html#38

Premier Burt Attends NearCon #Tech Conference
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/health.html#2

5 takeaways as hundreds line up for #Townie #Homes in
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/etc-states.html#22

#Türkiye says shot down 2nd missile fired from #Iran
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/world-capitals.html#Ankara

#WTOP’s Top #Local Headlines for March 9
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/us-cities.html#119a

#Ireland High Court rules out stay in Coimisiún
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/ireland.html#DublinNews

#Crypto doesn’t belong in #AI portfolio as it’s ‘a different
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/markets.html#17

#WTOP’s Top #Local Headlines for March 5
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/us-cities.html#119a

I Made Claude, Gemini and #ChatGPT Build the Same App
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/infotech.html#17

Preparing Your #Finances for Emergencies and Disasters
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/etc.html#Rwanda

U #Louisville Students Protest School’s Partnership
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/politics.html#28

#Azerbaijan struck by #Iranian drone attack
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/news.html#6

#New#BerkshireHathaway #CEO still talks with
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/business.html#6

#CristianoRonaldo’s £61m private jet leaves #SaudiArabia
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/world-capitals.html#Riyadh

#European #Parliament considers invitation to Reza Pahlavi
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/etc-continents.html#Europe

#WTOP’s Top #Local Headlines for March 3
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/us-cities.html#119a

#Americans warned to flee #MiddleEast
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/cities.html#1a

#Microsoft reportedly eyes E7 tier to make #AI agents
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/infotech.html#43

What if #Iran’s Repressive Islamic Theocratic #Government
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/politics.html#22

#Homeschooled by Stefan Merrill #Block review
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/infotech.html#10

#Autocracy is rising in the west But the global south
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html#3

#Weber recalls 32 million wire-bristle grill brushes
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/us-capitals.html#Concord

#Iran, #US restart talks after a break
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/world-capitals.html#Tehran

More than 100 redaction errors in the #Epstein files
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/youtube.html#51

#WTOP’s Top #Local Headlines for Feb 26
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/us-cities.html#119a

Preserving 135 years of media at the Library of Congress Packard Campus – WTOP News

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Home » Matt About Town » Preserving 135 years of…

Preserving 135 years of media at the Library of Congress Packard Campus

By Matt Kaufax | [email protected]

February 10, 2026, 4:59 AM

Preserving 135 years of media at the Library of Congress Packard Campus

Imagine you had access to the original reels of film for your favorite movies of all time.

It’s better than streaming; it’s the world’s largest physical media collection, and it’s located right in the D.C. area.

In today’s episode of “Matt About Town,” we’re heading to Culpeper, Virginia, for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the Library of Congress Packard Campus.

Also known as the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, the state-of-the-art 45-acre campus with mountain views is dedicated to collecting, preserving and providing access to the United States’ history and culture through 135-plus years of media.

The facility is a staggering achievement to media preservation, with one of its largest wings housing over 144,000 nitrate film reels in a storage vault. Built into the side of a hill, it comprises 124 individual climate-controlled pods (to prevent nitrate fires) and the largest collection of original studio negatives from giants like Paramount, Universal, Disney, Columbia Pictures, and more.

But it isn’t just movies.

The 415,000-square-foot space at Packard, complete with 90 miles of shelving, is also home to the most comprehensive repository of television programs, radio broadcasts, archival news footage, and other sound recordings in the world.

If all of this isn’t fascinating enough, you might also be surprised to learn that this facility didn’t start operating until 2007. When the original building in Culpeper was first constructed in 1969 during an era of Cold War nuclear paranoia, it was built as a cash vault by the Federal Reserve.

In the event of a nuclear disaster, the building was supposed to replenish the money supply of the entire Eastern Seaboard. There were even dormitories for up to 300 people to live inside the walls.

It was only after American corporate giant Hewlett Packard’s co-founder, David Packard, acquired the building from the government in the 1990s — then renovated and donated it back through his philanthropic organization — that the building transitioned into to what it is today.

In the coming weeks, we’re going to take you through our extensive exploration of Packard, giving you an in-depth look at what staff here are doing to preserve — and make available to the public — generations of history.

At Packard, they’re not just preserving films and media. They’re preserving the living proof of the very fabric of America, democracy, and the highs and lows all laid bare for the historical record.

Tune in every Tuesday and Thursday through March 10 on “Matt About Town” for episodes exploring every nook and cranny here. This all-access tour is one you won’t see anywhere else! Learn more about the Library of Congress’ Audio-Visual Conservation program online.

Hear “Matt About Town” first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM! If you have a story idea you’d like Matt to cover, email him or chat with him on Instagram and TikTok. Check out all “Matt About Town” episodes here! Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Preserving 135 years of media at the Library of Congress Packard Campus – WTOP News

Books the DC Public Library recommends for Black History Month – WTOP News

Home » Washington, DC News » Books the DC Public…

Books the DC Public Library recommends for Black History Month

Mike Murillo | [email protected]

February 9, 2026, 4:49 AM

The DC Public Library’s book recommendations by Black authors

Throughout February, WTOP is celebrating Black History Month. Join us on-air and online as we bring you the stories, people and places that make up our diverse community. 

As Black History Month continues, the D.C. Public Library said reading is one of the most meaningful ways to understand the voices, history and creativity of Black communities.

Maryann James‑Daley, director of library services for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, is sharing a range of books for adults, teens and kids that she says help readers connect more deeply with Black stories and experiences.

James‑Daley says one of her top go‑to recommendations is the work of Octavia Butler.

“For Black History Month, she has a collection of short stories called ‘Bloodchild.’ And so, I think that’s a good recommendation for people to get a sense of her and to become familiar with her work. And it’s a nice, quick read.”

She also points readers to a deeply local history book written by one of the library’s own.

“’The NAACP in Washington, DC’ by Derek Gray, who actually is an archivist here at the library, and he wrote a book that digs into the rich history of the local NAACP, and showed how it quickly became a leading organization in the country.”

Gray told WTOP his book looks back at the early years of the NAACP in D.C., which quickly became a leading opponent of President Woodrow Wilson’s move to segregate federal offices.

He said that over the decades, the organization balanced between more aggressive activism and cautious, conservative strategies as it worked to fight Jim Crow discrimination.

For those drawn to immersive fiction, James‑Daley said N.K. Jemisin’s award‑winning “The Broken Earth Trilogy” fits the bill.

“It’s very immersive. You read one book, you’re going to want to read the rest of them,” she said.

In the children’s section, James‑Daley says there are several strong options available at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, starting with engaging picture books, among them “Big Tune: Rise of the Dancehall Prince.”

“It’s about a kid who connects with this community and his joy of dance hall music and dancing in fun.”

Another pick is Nnedi Okorafor’s “Binti” series, which follows a young woman who leaves her tight‑knit Himba community to attend a top university in space and ends up caught in an alien conflict she never asked for.

She said nonfiction can be just as powerful for young readers.

“’Young, Gifted and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past and Present’ and that’s by Jamia Wilson. And so it gives nice little snapshots of 52 icons of color from the past and present.”

James‑Daley also emphasizes why representation matters in children’s literature.

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“It is important for kids to see themselves in the books that they read.”

For middle‑grade readers, she highlights a title that connects with earlier library exhibits on Black travel, “Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America.”

It “digs into the green book and the roots of Black travel, it’s a great book for kids to delve into,” she said. The book, she adds, “delves into the intricacies of Black travel. It (looks into) the origin of the green book and how the green book really shaped Black people’s travel lives.”

When asked about what she’s reading right now, she said it is “The Personal Librarian.”

“It’s a historical fiction book based on a real-life woman who was a librarian, personal librarian, in the early to mid-1900s and she had to deal with crossing the color line and passing as white in order to grow in her profession.”

The library encourages families and readers of all ages to explore these recommendations and more throughout February.

‘Continue/Read Original Article Here: Books the DC Public Library recommends for Black History Month – WTOP News