by Beverly Ewart
Why not celebrate Black History Month at Canton Free Library? We feature books by and about African Americans in our displays this month, but we purchase books and materials that celebrate the creativity and contributions of men and women of African descent throughout the year. Check out our collection!
- Why: A Conversation About Race written by Taye Diggs; illustrated by Shane W. Evans. Why? distills the conversations many children and adults are having about race, injustice, and anger in communities throughout our country, and gives them context that young readers can connect with. Heartfelt and deeply piercing illustrations from Shane W. Evans will leave a lasting impact on readers of any age. One that will hopefully lead to more conversations, change, and peace within our own communities and the world. ~ Publisher
- We March by Shane W. Evans. Illustrations and brief text portray the events of the 1963 march in Washington, D.C., where the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a historic speech. ~ Publisher
- Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, PhD, ABPP, Marietta Collins, PhD, and Ann Hazzard, PhD, ABPP ; illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin. After discussing the police shooting of a local Black man with their families, Emma and Josh know how to treat a new student who looks and speaks differently than his classmates. ~ Publisher
- Fast Pitch by Nic Stone. Shenice Lockwood dreams of leading the Fulton Firebirds to the U12 softball regional championship. But Shenice’s focus gets shaken when her great-uncle Jack reveals that a career-ending-and family-name-ruining-crime may have been a setup. It’s up to Shenice to discover the truth about her family’s past-and fast-before secrets take the Firebirds out of the game forever. ~ Publisher.
- Ain’t Burned all the Bright by Jason Reynolds ; illustrated by Jason Griffin. A smash up of art and text that viscerally captures what it means to not be able to breathe, and how the people and things you love most are actually the oxygen you most need. ~ Publisher.
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. The author tells of her painful childhood and adolescence, and how she grew out of a childhood fantasy that she was an enchanted white girl to self-acceptance today. ~ Publisher.
- The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. A powerful new history of the Black church in America as the Black community’s abiding rock and its fortress. ~ Publisher.
We will be closed for Presidents Day on Monday, February 21, 2022.
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS: Virtual Preschool Storytime happens Wednesdays at 10:30am. Join us!
We also invite you to check out the archive on our website to view one of the many virtual story times posted since April 2020. Scroll down the webpage for older content.
There are now new Preschool Take & Make Crafts available each week. Pick one (per child) up in the Children’s Room, or request them via curbside.
If you are finding yourself short on time, or you aren’t yet comfortable visiting the library with your little ones in person, please remember that curbside service is still very much an option! Just give us a call or send an email, and we will pack up your books, check them out, and hand them to you from the front door of CFL. Hope to see you there!
PARDON OUR DUST: Our handicap-access ramp is still closed to the public for renovation until further notice (but we are GETTING THERE!). We apologize for the inconvenience, but we think you will appreciate the improvements!
MORLEY BRANCH is open Tuesday 1pm-3pm; Wednesday 4pm-6pm; Thursday 10am-12pm. Masks are required. There is a computer available for your use, but it’s a good idea to call first to check on availability. Scheduled appointments are encouraged, but not required. Call for more details: 315-379-0066.
RENSSELAER FALLS BRANCH is open on Tuesdays from 11am – 5pm. Masks are required, and those who are under age 12 must be with an adult.
We want to hear from YOU, Rensselaer Falls community! We will be making surveys available, at the library and on-line, so you can tell us what library services are most important to you, and what additional services you might like us to provide in the future.
Call the library (315-344-4155) for additional information.
A great way to find out what’s happening at our Morley and Rensselaer Falls Branches is to check out their Facebook pages:
Morley: https://www.facebook.com/MorleyBranchLibrary
Rensselaer Falls: https://www.facebook.com/RensselaerFallsLibrary
Canton Free Library’s Hours: 9am-6pm Monday – Friday; 10am-3pm Saturday. For more CFL news, stay tuned on Facebook, Instagram, or our website. Find new additions to our collection on our website: cantonfreelibrary.org. To renew your current checkouts, login to ncls.org; you may also renew via email at canlib@ncls.org, or by calling (315) 386-3712 (choose option 1, “For curbside service” on the menu – we continue to offer curbside service for your convenience).
Check out Black History @ your library!