The library will be closed on Saturday, July 4 in honor of Independence Day commemorating the success of the not-so-peaceful protestors who won our independence. Please watch this page and  our Facebook page for updates regarding our curbside service. We hope the library will be open  for limited browsing in a matter of a few weeks.

METRO's Anti-racism Book Club
Monday, June 29, 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Recent events have more than demonstrated that our city, our state, and our country have a lot of work to do to ensure that basic freedoms extend to all. It's imperative that everyone shoulders part of the work toward creating a better reality for all marginalized groups.
We're hosting our first Anti-racism Book Club Meeting on Monday, June 29 at 4:00pm. We will be reading So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo.
Our book club will focus on guided discussion questions and will take place in breakout rooms so that everyone has a chance to share.
Please note that this meeting will be limited to 30 people.
Register here.

“Reading and Talking about Race: An Intro to ALA’s Great Stories Club (Part 1: Deeper Than Our Skins)"

A free webinar from ALA’s Public Programs Office / ProgrammingLibrarian.org Tuesday, June 30 3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. Central Time Registration required: https://programminglibrarian.org/learn/reading-and-talking-about-race-intro-ala%E2%80%99s-great-stories-club-part-1-deeper-our-skins This webinar will consider the following titles: "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates, "The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano" by Sonia Manzano, "Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices," edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale, "The Shadow Hero" by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by Sonny Liew, "Mother of the Sea" by Zetta Elliott, "Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A." by Luis J. Rodriguez

Here is a resource for FREE anti-racist training available through June 30. Check it out.

https://www.driep.org/anti-racism-training

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HAVE A PROUD AND HAPPY JUNETEENTH! 5
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CELEBRATE SAFELY
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Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Join the Juneteenth Yard Sign Campaign Yard Sign Campaign From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society.  General Order Number 3 One of General Granger’s first orders of business was to read to the people of Texas, General Order Number 3 which began most significantly with: "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer." The celebrations that followed the reading of the proclamation by General Gordon Granger began a tradition that has lasted for one hundred and fifty five years, and today is hosted in cities across America and beyond. The JUNETEENTH.com website is dedicated to this celebration and to those who tirelessly contribute to its continued existence and growth. For information regarding this website, contact us via email or call: 504 242-4691

Here is a link to the School Library Journal's list of antiracist resources for all ages.
http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2020/06/02/antiracist-resources-and-reads-lists-for-all-ages/
Please make use of this critically important information.