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Inspiration comes in all forms.

This month, inspiration is front and center as the official theme of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Todos Somos. Todos Uno. We are all. We are one.

Continue Reading "Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month" →

June is Pride Month!

To gain a better understanding of why Pride is valued and celebrated so vibrantly, we have compiled a list of books and other resources the library has to offer.

In PART ONE we shared recommended non-fiction and suggestions for ways to help and protect members of the LGBTQA2+ community.

Today we are celebrating queer joy with Feel-Good Fiction picks.

Continue Reading "15 Books Celebrating Queer Joy" →

June is Pride Month!

To gain a better understanding of why Pride is valued and celebrated so vibrantly, we have compiled a list of books and other resources the library has to offer.

There are many different members of the LGBTQA2+ community who celebrate Pride. Some members are still facing discrimination to this day despite the reasons celebrated.

At the end of the resource list are suggestions for ways to help and protect members of the LGBTQA2+ community.

Continue Reading "Pride Month: Why We Celebrate, and How We Share Joy" →

Here are our picks to learn more about eight outstanding and inspirational women.

Continue Reading "8 Picks for Women’s History Month" →

In the library world, we say the content of books and other media provides windows and mirrors which reflect all of us, after Rudine Sims Bishop’s original 1990 article.

We do this a lot in the context of why we need diversity* in children’s and young adult books. 

We say, all children need to be able to see themselves in what they read/watch/hear (the metaphorical “mirror”, validating that they are seen, they count and matter, and are not “side characters” on earth). 

We say, children also need to read widely to explore, learn empathy, and have windows to other cultures that they are not familiar with.

This paradigm has since been broadened with the nuanced addition of prisms and more.

Clearly it’s not just children who need and benefit from diverse books.  We never stop needing mirrors and windows. 

And we cannot prescribe diversity for children if we adults aren’t open to stomaching material outside of our own comfort zones.

Continue Reading "We Never Stop Needing Windows and Mirrors" →