Updates this month at the Library
General Updates
The Summer Reading Program has come to a close, and the BHPL staff would like to thank each and every one of you for participating this year! We hope to see you all again next year, and at more fun activities this fall!
The Library will close on September 6th and 7th in observance of Staff Furlough Days. Hours will resume as normal on Monday, September 9th.
The Library will close on September 2nd in observance of Labor Day. Hours will resume as normal on Tuesday, September 3rd.
Fall hours will go into effect after Labor Day, Tuesday, September 3rd. For the full detail on hours, please refer to the image below.
The Library is now a Covid at-home test dispensary. You can request one (1) free kit per visit at the Adult or Junior Department front desks. There is a one (1) kit per patron per visit limitation.
The library now has a monthly AAA walk-ins. If you or someone you know who qualifies for AAA would like to talk to them, the first walk-in is on September 11 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM.
New! Community Partner Spotlight
Meet Christopher Momany, a proud member of the Dialogue on Race and Faith team, and library friend!
Welcome to our new blog segment, the community partner spotlight, where we celebrate the work and lives of community members doing great things inside and outside the library! This month, we celebrate library friend and partner, Chris Momany, who is a member of the Dialogue on Race and Faith group.
Earlier this year, we hosted Mr. Momany and his team at the library, where they spoke about the discovery of a journal chronicling the Christian faith and its position on slavery–and about the book on the subject, Awakening to Justice: Faithful Voices from the Abolitionist Past.
But, before Mr. Momany joined the Dialogue on Race and Faith team, his first amazing achievement was learning to read, right here at the Benton Harbor Public Library, right after the building was opened in 1968! His fascination with the Library GOAT led him to read and learn about the story of Icarus, also a statue and staple of the building.
He also attended Sterne Brunson School on Columbus Ave, and developed among a multiracial community of young people, learning life-long lessons that gave rise to his work for racial justice.
To learn more on the works Mr. Momany and his team collaborated on, follow any of these links below.
And thank you, Chris, for being an amazing Friend of the Library!
Listen to the podcast here: https://podcast.umc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/utm-ep-53-momany2.mp3
Learn more about the Awakening to Justice Project: https://www.awakeningtojustice.com/
View the inspirational film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM--L2rwm4U
Departmental Updates
Junior Department-
New Displays in the YA Department:
National Hispanic Heritage Month
Celebrate Hispanic history, culture, and contributions to the country with us this month; pick up a fiction title from this display and dive into an amazing and diverse heritage! This display will be up until September 30th
Fall is here!
Take a stroll, drink a pumpkin spice latte, and curl up with the changing season with these cozy fiction picks! This display will be up until September 30th
Banned Books
Dare to defy book bans with YOUR library. Take a stand against censorship, and check out one of the unfortunate many banned and/or challenged titles this month. This display will be up until September 30th
New Displays in the Children Department:
Seasonal Display - Fall
Find your favorite fall reads with these cute picture books. This display will be up all season long.
National Hispanic Heritage Month
Learn about the beautiful Hispanic culture this month with these fiction and nonfiction picks! This display will be up until September 30th
Constitution Day - September 17
Learn about the rules that help keep the country going–and how, sometimes, change is needed. Grab a nonfiction title from this display and expand your knowledge! This display will be up until September 30th
Banned Books
This display will be up until March 31st
National Library Card Signup Month; Make your own library card sleeve!
Help us celebrate you getting a library card this month (or, if you already have one, celebrate your reading passion!) by making a sleeve for your very own library card! And on the Passive Pillar, leave a book recommendation that could help encourage a new reader! This passive program will be up until September 30th
Adult Department-
New Displays in the Adult Department:
Banned Books!
Join the Banned and check out some of these thought-provoking books
Authors Born in September Display: Kristin Hannah, Luanne Rice, James McBride, Geraldine Brooks, William Golding, Stephen King, Roald Dahl, William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Knowles, Melissa De La Cruz, T.S. Eliot, and H.G. Wells
Other displays include Autumn Books and National Hispanic Heritage books of interest
Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month and Constitution Day, along with Fall, featuring topical crossword and word search for you to take home. We also will have some pocket Constitutions for you to take
Upcoming Programs and Event Dates
Adult Department-
Frequent Movie Flyer Club: Get a punch card from our staff, and after 7 checkouts you get to check out a rental movie for free!!
Find the Apple raffle: Find the Apple and get a ticket in our raffle for a $10 gift card. Enter daily!
Grown Up Movie in the Adult Department, September 9 from 4-6 p.m. featuring “Madame Web” and it’s FREE!
Junior/Family Department-
Make your own library card sleeve! - All month long
Make a personalized sleeve for your library card, and leave a book recommendation for the next aspiring reader!
Family Night with Krasl - September 11th
Have fun and make an amazing craft with the whole family. Held in the Auditorium. Running from 5-6:30PM.
Wake Up, Shake Up Storytime - Coming back in October
Running from TBD
Family Night - Coming back in October
Running from TBD
Coloring Club - Coming back in October
Running from TBD
Teen Craft - Coming back in October
Running from TBD
All ages gaming - Coming back in October
Running from TBD
For any more information on these programs, please contact the library. As always, if you have any ideas for library activities, talk to a staff member!
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