LibraryRunner

When we began to put together our display for LGBTQIA+ History Month we discovered that many well known children's authors and illustrators were queer. And because so many of the images are iconic and nostalgic we thought it was time for another library zine. Designed to look like an artist's notebook, I Wonder If We Are Brave: Queer Authors of Magical Children’s Literature, includes short biographies and plenty of visuals from some of the most beloved children's authors and illustrators. These include Arnold Lobel, Louisa May Alcott, Maurice Sendak and more. Drop by the library to pick up a copy of the zine in print. We also have a corresponding display with many of the books referenced in the zine. An accessible version of the zine can be viewed online. The zine was written by Jean Ping and designed by Rachel Arteaga.

Maybe you haven't been to the public library in a while.  Now you can use the online resources without going in and getting a library card!  Sign up for an e-card online, and get complete access to all online resources.  The public library offers different services than Butte College does, including:

• Streaming video with the Hoopla collection, featuring TV shows and movies.
• Audiobooks!
• Fun e-books for checkout.
• Libros electrónicos y audiolibros en español y para niños.
• Some different databases, including the JobNow/VetNow service to help with job searching and veteran support.

Try out the public library's e-resources and start getting your entertainment (and job help!) for free now.

September 27 - October 3 is Banned Books Week, when the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.  And it's not just about books; it's about censorship and the free exchange of ideas in all forms.

The Library has put together some materials for Banned Books Week -- click here to:

• Read about the top ten most-challenged books of 2019, and the issue that most of them have in common.
• Find news stories about book challenges or bans in the US, and all kinds of censorship around the world.
• Understand why people challenge or ban books, and why it's important to resist censorship.
• Find fun activities!
• And, of course, read challenged or banned books -- accessible with a click of your mouse.

“Books and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance and ignorance.”

— Lyndon B. Johnson

Reader and fans of comics and graphic novels, rejoice!  Califa, a state library consortium, has partnered with Bibliolabs to launch enki California Digital Library, a free ebook library available to every person in California.  There are children's books, graphic novels, all kinds of books, freely accessible on your web browser.

• You don't need a library card
• There is no wait
• if you are physically in the state of California, you have access!

This collection uses geolocation to provide access to anyone in California.  The library includes several thousand  ebooks from leading publishers, and several hundred award-winning indie books.   Visit https://enki.biblioboard.com to start reading!  You can access fifteen themed collections on the Curations page. 

Stay tuned -- on July 30, the Virtual Library Comics Convention will launch.   The event is being developed in collaboration with CoMIXgraphicCON, and will include interactive sessions with authors and artists, as well as librarians discussing publishing programs at public libraries.