Black History Month

February is Black History Month and it's important to remember to try to branch out and include topics beyond the expected. This year, I put up one for Rosa Parks' birthday. I always include juvenile materials. Beyond children, they are often filled with pictures and can be more accessible to adults with low literacy skills. 

The second one up this month is about African American food and cooking. Included are cookbooks and biographies/autobiographies of black chefs. When this one empties out, I will pick another topic. Thinking up displays like this is a good way to check the diversity of your collection in areas like cooking and food.


Resources to help you include:

https://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/ -The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum have created a site with information.

African American History Month - Library of Congress

Florida Black History - Check to see if your state has a similar site. You can use their essay prompts to host your own contest. 

Celebrating Black History Month - Smithsonian - National Museum of African American History and Culture. 

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Book display set up for International Holocaust Remembrance Day which was January 27. I used materials related to Auschwitz because the date reflects the day the camp was liberated. 

Including an online guide or printed list of places where patrons can explore more information would be a great addition to this display. Most Holocaust museums/memorials have places on their websites with online educational materials.

If your local community is hosting any events, you can include information about that as well. Relationships can be built starting with just promoting another non-profit's events.

Other resources: 
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 

Yad Vashem - World Holocaust Remembrance Center

Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (UK)

Florida Holocaust Museum

Auschwitz-Berkenau Memorial and Museum