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Letter Writing Week is here - how better to spend an hour inside, when it's so cold outside! Warm someone else up with a personal letter to someone you care about. You can even get books about letter writing from the library! #LetterWritingWeek #SCLRecs #LetterWriting
The first Black performer to win the Academy Award for best actor, for ''Lilies of the Field,'' he once said he felt ''as if I were representing 15, 18 million people with every move I made.'' Sidney Poitier, whose portrayal of resolute heroes in films like ''To Sir With Love,'' ''In the Heat of the Night'' and ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' established him as Hollywood's first Black matinee idol and helped open the door for Black actors in the film industry, died on Thursday night at his home in Los Angeles. He was 94.
(Grimes, William. "Sidney Poitier, 94, Pioneering Black Oscar Winner, Dies." New York Times, 8 Jan. 2022, p. A1(L). Gale In Context: Biography) #SidneyPoitier #RIPSidneyPoitier #SCLRecs
Desmond Tutu, 1931-2021, was an archbishop in the South African Anglican church who helped dismantle the racist system of apartheid and then served as the leader of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to document apartheid's worst abuses and crimes. Balancing clear-eyed assessments of social injustice with a passionate commitment to nonviolence, Archbishop Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. Read more about the wisdom and courage of Desmond Tutu in these books, available through your library. #SCLRecs #DesmondTutu #RIPDesmondTutu #DesmondTutuRIP
Joan Didion proved herself one of the most acute observers of and commentators on American life in the latter half of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first century. Her novels, along with her essays, gave laconic voice to the disillusionment and pessimism that is the other face of the radicalism of the 1960s. (St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture Online. Gale.)
#SCLRecs #JoanDidion #JoanDidionRIP #RIPJoanDidion
Writer, professor, and social critic bell hooks was undeniably one of the most successful "cross-over" academics of the late twentieth century. Her name, as well as the criticisms of racism and sexism that she penned, were central to many academic discussions, and they were also read widely outside of the educational arena. On December 15, 2021, hooks died at her home in Berea, Kentucky; she was 69. ("bell hooks." Contemporary Black Biography, Gale.) #bellhooks #ripbellhooks #SCLRecs
Anne Rice wrote best-selling novels that combined horror with sensuality in lavish historical settings. Ever popular, remind yourself why by picking up a book of hers at the library. #AnneRice #SCLRecs
Check out these books for podcast fans! #SCLRecs
Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance/Resilience: a day to honor lives lost to anti-trans hate, but also to do our part to support and celebrate our trans siblings, friends, relatives and/or selves who are still with us. To learn more about the Trans Day of Resilience project, visit https://tdor.co/ #SCLRecs #TDOR
Obsessed with the movie? Try these readalikes! #SCLRecs #Dune #DuneMovie #SCLRecs
Veteran’s Day is the day we remember the service and sacrifices made by veterans. Swipe to see books that to honor those who have served in the U.S. military. #SCLrecs #VeteransDay
November is Transgender Awareness Month, a time to honor, celebrate, and advocate for our transgender and gender diverse community.
#TransgenderAwarenessMonth #SCLRecs
November is Transgender Awareness Month, a time to honor, celebrate, and advocate for our transgender and gender diverse community.
#TransgenderAwarenessMonth #SCLRecs
For quirky murder mysteries like Hulu's Only Murders In The Building, get these books from your favorite library location! #SCLRecs #OnlyMurdersInTheBuilding
If you loved the Fear Street books or movies, try these read-alikes!
#FearStreet #SCLRecs
Are you curious about becoming a vegetarian? What is a vegetarian or vegan anyway? Want to expand your cooking skills or become more familiar with different foods? Are you looking for healthy food choices? Check out these titles, and more, to help yourself and the planet! #VegetarianMionth #SCLRecs
September is Mushroom Month! We put together a list of books in our catalog - just click and reserve to learn about fabulous fungi! Link in bio. #MushroomMonth #SeptemberIsMushroomMonth #MushroomMonth2021 #SCLRecs
On September 17, the United States honors those who were either taken prisoner or went missing during wartime. Learn more with these books, available through the Springfield City Library. #SCLRecs
Rapper, film actor, and poet Tupac "Amaru" Shakur, also known as "2Pac," was one of the most influential and successful rappers of the 1990s. Shakur was shot and killed on September 13, 1996. Years after his death Shakur has become a legend, and his legacy keeps growing, not only through his music, poetry, and film but also through the growing body of literature published about his life and work. Listen, read, and watch about his life and legacy. #SCLRecs
There is a movement in this country to not only reform our criminal justice system, but also to transform it completely. Supporters of transformative justice argue that prisons should be abolished and that the prevention of crimes--and justice for those who have been harmed by them--should occur within each affected community. To learn more about reforming and transforming criminal justice, check out these books, available through your library. #SCLRecs #CriminalJustuceReform #JusticeReform
Do your tweens have questions about 9/11, with all the emphasis in the news for the 20th anniversary? Grab some books recommended by our children's librarian to help talk about the event. #SCLrecs
What’s hot and round and cheesy all over? CHEESE PIZZA! Whether you’re looking for a dinner option that your kids will eat, or just an excuse to eat more cheese, today we encourage you to celebrate Cheese Pizza Day by making a pizza or having a pizza and movie night. Mangia! #CheesePizzaDay #Hoopla #Kanopy #Yum #PizzaParty #SCLRecs
The United Nations has declared August 23 International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition. Today we honor the men and women who resisted enslavement and fought for abolition, and those who continue work of liberation by and for the descendants of enslaved people. Swipe to learn more by checking out these books and more at the Springfield City Library. #SCLReads #slavery #abolition #SlaveRevolts #Liberation #SCLRecs
The world has been living under the threat of nuclear annihilation since August of 1945, when the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Yet, even the peacetime uses of radioactive elements can pose serious risks to humans, animals, and plants. Read more about the destructiveness of nuclear weapons and the dangers of nuclear power in these books, available through curbside pickup. #SCLRecs
Wealthy, politically powerful, yet assailed by an outsize number of tragedies and human problems, the Kennedy family has long fascinated the world. Learn more about this influential Massachusetts clan by exploring these books. #SCLRecs
Are you a big fan of the Great British Bake-Off? (Our social media manager is a FANATIC, not just a fan!) If so, pick up one or more of these at your favorite library location! #GBBO #GBBOBooks #SCLrecs
It’s National Book Lovers Day! We invite you to celebrate by reading to a child, starting reading that book that’s been on your “to read” list for years, gift a book to someone, or choose a book about books from this curated reading list that includes fiction and nonfiction titles. Happy reading! #NationalBookLoversDay #BookLover #Reading #Bookworm #SCLRecs
MTV premiered on Aug 1, 1981, adding a visual medium to music. Celebrate MTV’s 40 years by checking out some of our music books. #MTV #MTV40years #SCLRecs
Fans of Ted Lasso will enjoy these sweet and funny books! #TedLasso #SCLRecs
Paperback books have the same great stories you love, in a small and portable format! Tuck one in your pocket to read in line at the grocery store! Take a stack to the beach! #PaperbackBookDay #Paperbacks #SCLRecs
Today is the day to lift up the power of friendship - in families, communities, and among cultures and countries. The United Nations created this day in 2011 to inspire us to create peace through friendship. #Friendship #UnitedNations #IntlDayOfFriendship #SCLRecs
Former President Barack Obama recently released his summer reading list - request these titles in ebook and e-audio format through OverDrive, or hold for pickup at one of our open branch libraries!
#SCLRecs
Floyd Cooper, "an award-winning illustrator and author of children's books whose mission to offer candid and positive images of Black history included subjects ranging from Frederick Douglass and the civil rights movement to Venus and Serena Williams," died July 16. Get books written and/or illustrated by him at you local library. #SCLRecs
Because of systemic racism, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color do not have equal access to mental health care in the United States. In addition, racism causes BIPOC people to experience extra stress in every area of life, including employment, housing, criminal justice, and education. Learn more about the effects of racism on mental health by reading these books, available through curbside pickup.#SCLRecs
Pandemic Service Updates
Three Library Branches to Provide At-Home Rapid Covid-19 Testing Kits for Springfield Residents
The city will distribute another 25,000 at-home testing kits at several locations, including three library branches, starting Tuesday, January 18, 2022.
Springfield City Library Temporarily Reduces Hours and Limits Services
Beginning January 4th, 2022, library patrons may enter their local library to pick up their materials but all in-person programming is suspended, including computer access and usage.
Central Library Building Reopens; All 9 Springfield City Library Locations Resume Regular Schedule
Beginning Tuesday, September 7th 2021, the Central Library will open its doors to the community after 17 long months. Branch libraries will also resume operating full schedules on that date.
Increasing Community Internet Access: Introducing Hotspots
The Library will circulate internet hotspots for those in the community that do not have internet access at home.
Apply for A Library Card Online
Apply for a Springfield City Library Card online.
Library News
Three Library Branches to Provide At-Home Rapid Covid-19 Testing Kits for Springfield Residents
The city will distribute another 25,000 at-home testing kits at several locations, including three library branches, starting Tuesday, January 18, 2022.
Free at-home COVID-19 testing kits available for Springfield residents (WWLP)
WWLP interviewed people at Central Library on the first day of handing out rapid home covid test kits to Springfield residents.
Poetry Workshops, Performance At Springfield City Library: Apply Now For Master Class With Poet Laureate Magdalena Gómez
Applications are now open for women, teen girls, and women-identified people interested in an introduction to writing and performing inviting, exciting, and inspiring poetry. Join this master class with Springfield’s Poet Laureate, Magdalena Gómez.
Family Roots In Old Neighborhood Bring Gift To New Library (WAMC)
In recognition of the gift, the library named the children’s reading room in honor of William and Patricia White. This brings the $2 million campaign up to $1.6 million.
Brightwood Library in Springfield offering up 20 books for youngsters to read during Hispanic Heritage Month (Masslive)
Connecting with culture can be done through food and music and family traditions, but it can also be done through literature.