Saturday, Feb 11 10 am – 6 pm HCLS Miller Branch For all ages. Register here to receive an email reminder.
In honor of Black History Month, the Charm City Dolling Club of Maryland celebrates its 25th anniversary with As We See Ourselves, an exhibit in appreciation of Black dolls. The exhibit, on display during February at Miller Branch, includes dolls made from a wide array of media such as wood, polymer clay, cloth, porcelain, vinyl, and gourds. Marty Bass from WJZ-TV talked to the club members about the exhibit.
The exhibit kicks off with an all-day educational and informative event that celebrates the history of dolls, Black dolls, and the people who love them. Members of Charm City Dolling Club of Maryland, a member of the United Federation of Doll Clubs (UFDC), will be available to guide and answer questions.
Charm City Dolling Club’s story begins in the early 1990s, when doll collecting was the second-most popular hobby in the United States behind stamp collecting. It was an exciting time to be a doll lover! There were doll auctions, doll-making classes, shows, and more. Charm City Dolling Club (CCDC) educates the public on doll history, with a special focus on Black dolls.
Storyteller and keynote speaker Janice Curtis Greene in costume as Harriet Tubman.
The club meets on the second Saturday of each month, September through May. They are always looking for new members interested in being educated about dolls and are willing to educate others about dolls. To request a membership application or get more information, email Don Wilson, Membership Committee Chair, at donrwilson@aol.com.
Visit www.ufdc.org to learn more about the United Federation of Doll Clubs.
Speakers include: Keynote Speaker: Janice Curtis Greene, storyteller, American Griot, and Artist in Residence at the Reginald Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture. Deborah Butler Johnson, collector and recognized authority on Black dolls. Barbara Stone, past president of the UFDC. Goldie Wilson, doll artist, historian, and author.
February calls us, as a society, to reflect and honor the contributions of Black Americans who made our country. The late, great Carter G. Woodson is considered the father of Black History Month. Woodson is the second African American to earn a Ph.D., after Edward Alexander Bouchet earned one in physics from Yale in 1876. The fight for equality, justice, and humanity for African Americans has always been a topic of discussion.
In the past century, Blacks have had to overcome Jim Crow laws. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Supreme Court cases to desegregate schools helped to change American culture. Thurgood Marshall and a team of NAACP attorneys fought against the “separate but equal” doctrine in Brown vs Board of Education. Signed by Lyndon B. Johnson, the Voting Rights Act strengthened the right to vote that had been granted to Black men with the 15th Amendment. All women had to wait for the 19th Amendment to grant suffrage.
To celebrate Black History, consider a visit to the Equity Resource Center at HCLS Central Branch, which has a great selection of books, movies, and audio materials that showcase many groups. Some classic titles that celebrate Black culture and contributions include James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talkand The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Consider watching films, such as Selma, that tell the story of Civil Rights leaders and a collective group of individuals, who fought for the right to vote.
Black History Month is a time of reflection, healing, and celebration. In February, take the opportunity to learn about Black culture and history through classes, books, and films.
Art Wars! Black History Month Edition Tue Feb 7 6:30 – 8 pm HCLS Miller Branch Ages 11-18. Registration required, drop-in if space permits. Create artwork in 40 mins! Learn a little about prominent African American artists, then use that inspiration. Enter the Art War contest for a chance to win a prize, or just create and enjoy! Materials provided.
Wiki Edit-a-Thon: A Celebration of Black Authors and Artists Thu Feb 9 5:30 – 8:30 pm Online For adults. Register. Edit Wikipedia pages of Black authors and artists whose works are found in our library collection. The evening is dedicated to collaborating on research, writing, and editing relevant Wikipedia pages. Participants check pages and cite sources as they work.
Black History of Howard County Sat Feb 11 1 – 2:30 pm HCLS Savage Branch Ages 14-18 and adults. Register. Learn about the history of African Americans in Howard County and the town of Savage, as collected in History of Blacks in Howard County, Maryland: Oral History, Schooling, and Contemporary Issues. Hear about particular players in local history and learn why Howard County is the way it is today, with historical and personal perspective from Deborah Costley, local historian and genealogist. Share any experiences brought up as part of our Brave Voices, Brave Choices project.
African Experience Tour Wed Feb 15 4:30 – 5:30 pm & 7 – 8 pm HCLS Miller Branch Ages 8-11. 60 min. Ticket required. Tickets available at the children’s desk 15 minutes before class. Learn about the diversity of African culture through hands-on exploration of artwork, videos, and discussion, facilitated by Doris Ligon, director and co-founder of the African Art Museum of Maryland.
Brandon is a Customer Service Specialist at HCLS Central Branch who loves reading, football, and taking nice long walks around his neighborhood.
Do you hope to hear exclamations about your new business from everyone you meet? Would you like to give a concrete structure to your passion project? We have all the tools and resources to answer your questions and concerns through a series of programs presented by experts during Career Success Month, which runs through the middle of February.
To learn about the steps necessary to put your business vision into action, enroll in our virtual workshop Documentation 101: How to Form Your Business. We cover the primary steps to forming your business within Maryland, including the details you need to consider to ensure regulatory and legal compliance. Vanessa Bright speaks from her two decades of experience re-engineering non-profit organizations, setting up systems, and creating opportunities for success.
Along with business documentation, you need to have vital legal protection for your brand, invention, design, and artistic or literary work, as well as avoid infringement or violations. Supervisory Patent Attorney Leigh Callander discusses trademark law and how this differs from patents and copyrights in Trademark Law: The Basics.
Ley de propietario – inquilino: conoce tus derechos y responsabilidades (Landlord-Tenant Law: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities). Paula Lino, voluntaria de la Oficina de Protección al Consumidor del condado de Howard, brindará un taller informativo sobre los derechos y responsabilidades del inquilino.
Hosted by libraries throughout Maryland, Career Success Month provides library customers with guidance from experts on a wide range of business and job advancement topics, as well as help in navigating everyday life while pursuing career goals. Classes include Lawyer in the Library, Trademark Law, Goal Setting for Success, and more. A complete list of events can be found on the Maryland Libraries Together webpage through the Maryland State Library Agency website.
Rohini is the Adult Curriculum Specialist with HCLS. She loves literature and rainy days.
Over the last few years, there’s been a growing interest in board games and puzzles. This likely started due to the stay-at-home orders at the beginning of the pandemic. In the years following, their popularity has continued. Board games provide an engaging experience with friends and family, shared through competition or collaboration, while puzzles also offer solo and group fun. Working on a puzzle can be meditative, and it provides a great way to de-stress while engaging the mind. Ever since completing my first 1,000-piece puzzle a few years ago, puzzles have been my favorite way to unwind after work.
If you’re a puzzle or board game fanatic, you won’t want to miss the Community Puzzle & Board Game Swap happening at HCLS Central Branch on Sunday, January 29 from 1:30 – 3:30 pm. The swap is the perfect time to trade any games or puzzles that you no longer need for something new to you. Puzzles and games need to include all their pieces.
To participate, bring any gently used board games or puzzles that you would like to swap. When you arrive, you can trade your items with other attendees or with any donated items. Feel free to share your best gaming and puzzling tips with other attendees and learn about upcoming puzzle- and game-related events at HCLS. In addition to swapping, you can learn about all of the free eResources available through HCLS that you can use while puzzling and gaming.
Donations of gently used board games and puzzles will be accepted if you are not interested in swapping anything. You may bring donations to HCLS Central Branch. These donations will be available for swappers on January 29.
Emily is an Instructor & Research Specialist at the Central Branch. She enjoys puzzling, reading, listening to music, and re-watching old seasons of Survivor.
“Reading is not really my thing. I don’t come to the library.” My customer told me this as he waited for me to find a book that he needed for his school project. He was honest with me about his preferences. He was only at the library because his teacher made him come.
“Do you like music?” I asked him.
“Oh yes. I love music.” He replied enthusiastically.
“WHAT? You can do karaoke in a library?” He was incredulous.
The idea of library being a quiet place filled with books is a thing of the past. To quote Paula Poundstone, libraries have truly become, “raucous clubhouses for free speech, controversy, and community.” And we love to celebrate our diverse community every chance we get. Our community speaks so many different languages. It makes us smile as we walk around our library and hear the plethora of languages being spoken around us. We thought, why not celebrate all these different languages and bring everyone together for an evening of music? After all, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow did say that “music is the universal language of humanity.”
Join us on Thursday, January 26 at 7 pm for World Language Karaoke at Miller Branch to sing songs in the language that you prefer, INCLUDING ENGLISH.
When you register, please tell us the song or songs that you are going to sing in the ‘Special Notes’ field, so we can create a playlist before the class and keep it ready for you to belt it out!
Piyali is an instructor and research specialist at HCLS Miller Branch, where she co-facilitates Global Reads and facilitates Light But Not Fluffy (starting in March 2023!) and keeps the hope alive that someday she will reach the bottom of her to-read list.
Welcome to Howard County Library System’s World Languages Collection!
Howard County is a diverse and multi-ethnic community where the population comes from a myriad of countries across the globe. The vibrant, multiracial population makes our county an exciting place to be. With the growth of these demographics, HCLS began to enlarge its World Languages collection, consisting of print literature and DVDs, to support the reading and viewing needs of all residents.
Presently, the print collection consists of many languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Russian, Spanish, and several Indian languages such as Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Urdu. The World Languages DVD collection consists of languages ranging from Albanian to Zulu. Many of the DVDs have English subtitles, so non-speakers of the language can appreciate and enjoy movies and documentaries from countries around the world.
In addition to the physical World Languages DVD collection, we offer streaming video options through the Kanopy and Hoopla platforms. You just need a library card!
We invite you to visit our branches to borrow and enjoy our World Languages print and DVD collections, or visit us at hclibrary.org to access the streaming platforms. Happy reading and watching!
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with these upcoming events:
Lunar New Year: What Animal Are You? Mon, Jan 23 all day HCLS Glenwood Branch Family; all ages. Drop In. Celebrate Lunar New Year at the Glenwood Branch! Are you a lion? An ox? A rabbit? Find out what animal matches your birth year, then decorate a paper animal to join others in this self-directed community art project. Visit our classes and events page here for more information.
Dim Sum of Crafts Mon, Jan 23 11 am – 12:30 pm & 2 – 3:30 pm HCLS Miller Branch Ages 4 & up. Drop In. Allow 30 minutes. Celebrate the Lunar New Year with a variety of crafts. For more information, visit our classes and events page here for the first sessions and here for the second session.
Mon, Jan 23 2 – 3 pm HCLS Savage Branch Ages 3 & up. Ticketed. Allow 30 minutes.
Visit our classes and events page here for more information.
Mai-Leng Ong is the Senior Materials Specialist at Howard County Library System. She holds a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.
Try new recipes, new techniques, and new cookbooks in the New Year!
The New Year brings new resolutions, fresh starts, and the perfect time to try new things. This year, while you are still getting into a brand new routine, here are a few cookbooks to use as inspiration.
Dinner in One: Exceptional & Easy One-Pan Meals, for example, is great for folks who are trying to keep things simple but aren’t willing to sacrifice on flavor. Melissa Clark makes sure most, if not all, are ready within the hour. For those who are into the chemistry of cooking, J. Kenji López-Alt has come out with one of the most comprehensive texts on using woks in your kitchen. The lessons in The Wok: Recipes and Techniques extend beyond just the wok, with tips and tricks for knife skills and how to brighten up any dinner.
For those who have decided to take up home-made bread-making and baking as their resolution this year, The Best of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: Favorite Recipes from Bread In 5 keeps things both exciting and reasonable in the midst of everyone’s busy lives. This book has been touted as the “only one a baker needs,” and it’s still the best place to start for novices looking to get their foot in the door.
While last year was big for board-style meals and decoration (with charcuterie, butter boards, and hummus boards trending on social media), America’s Test Kitchen provided a perfect introduction and inspiration for making boards at home. Boards: Stylish Spreads for Casual Gatheringsis incredible inspiration for grazing tables and an easy way to feed guests when hosting, while keeping the actual work of preparing food to a minimum.
In the spirit of including new recipes in your repertoire, we invite you to join us on February 22 at the Savage Branch for the first of our Recipe Exchanges! We discuss our favorites, learn and borrow from others in the community, and then look specifically at the evolution of African American cuisine and soul food.
Cookbook Corner Wed, Jan 18; 7 – 8 pm HCLS East Columbia Branch For adults. Register here. Explore various culinary cuisines/chefs of the world. A new cuisine/chef every month.
Recipe Exchange: Black Chefs and African American Cuisine Wed, Feb 22; 7 – 8 pm HCLS Savage Branch For adults. Do you want to learn more about Black chefs and the history of African American cuisine to find out where your favorite soul food dish originated? Indulge your culinary curiosity at the first of our recipe exchanges. See our events calendar for more information.
Thursday, Jan 19 6:30 – 7:30 pm online Registration and more information at bit.ly/hclsfinney
Turn your passion into profit! If you have ever dreamed about starting a business, you need to know about Kathryn Finney. She encourages you to not wait for the system to let you in. Her new book,Build the D*mn Thing, is the essential guide to knowing, breaking, remaking, and building your own rules of entrepreneurship.
She explains how to build a business from the ground up, from developing a business plan to finding investors, growing a team, and refining a product.
Finney, an investor and startup champion, is the founder and managing general partner of Genius Guild, a Chicago-based venture fund that invests in scalable businesses led by Black founders using innovation to build and promote healthy communities. Build The D*mn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business if You’re Not a Rich White Guy made the Wall Street Journal bestsellers list in its first week of release.
In partnership with Columbia Inspired magazine and The 3rd, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, co-created, community of Women of Color entrepreneurs.
Are you ready to stir up your creative juices, push your comfort zone, and generate some innovation in your life?
Experts agree: creativity is in all of us. It’s something you can boost and develop at any age. The ways we encourage creativity in children — with open-ended exploration, unstructured time, stories and story-telling, and playful experiences — are strategies available to all of us.
But where to begin? It may feel risky to commit to an unfamiliar activity and expensive to invest in all the necessary equipment and supplies. Don’t worry – just look to your library! Not only are our buildings filled with books about everything under the sun (including how to be creative), but HCLS also offers instructors, speakers, experiences, tools, facilities, and spaces that alleviate the cost of trying something new.
You might start by changing your environment. Make your imagination soar by putting a Picasso on your wall or streaming music you’ve never heard before. At our Central and Glenwood branches, you can borrow new, inspiring art every six weeks, then attend art classes at the Elkridge DIY center to create a personal masterpiece. Borrow a ukulele, then join a jam session of the Savage Ukes or use a recording booth at Glenwood to stretch those creative muscles even further. Once you are inspired by the masters, you may find it easier to produce something yourself.
If your imagination produces more than your home equipment can support, come to HCLS for maker tools and machinery. At Elkridge Branch’s DIY Center you might borrow a sewing and embroidery machine and create beautiful textiles. At Glenwood Branch’s Makerspace, access a 3D printer and laser cutter engraver, or just play around with building toys like LEGOS, K’nex, and planks. If you get inspiration from sharing with others, you can join fellow makers at a Pins and Needle Arts class at Central Branch or Miller Branch, where conversation fuels creativity and learning.
Young creators can get inspired at the library, too! Borrow some puppets from the HCLS toy collection to retell familiar stories and produce original tales. Visit the Glenwood Branch Builders Barn, where children enter a material-rich space to explore, discover, and create. Check out the children’s and teen’s class schedules to find art, engineering, music, and technology offerings to feed every kind of passion.
Happy Creative New Year!
Papermaking Lab! Monday, January 9, 6 – 7:30 pm HCLS Miller Branch Ages 11-18. DECLUTTER then CREATE! Shred, blend, and mix to transform those old notebooks and paper into beautiful new papers! (We’ll have recycled paper, too). Experiment by adding seeds for plantable paper or denim scrap. Come back during the Wednesday Wellness class (drop-in, no registration required) on Wednesday, January 11 from 4 – 5 pm to turn your paper into a gratitude journal.
Registration suggested, drop-ins allowed if space permits. Register here.
Get to “Snow” the Laser Cutter Engraver Wednesday, January 11, 6 – 8 pm HCLS Glenwood Branch Step up your craftiness with the Makerspace! Using the laser cutter engraver, create custom snowflakes. Learn the basics of Adobe Illustrator, then send your project to be cut. Absolute beginners welcome; all materials supplied.
Ages 11 and up welcome; any participant under 18 years of age must have a parent/guardian present. Register here.
Artapalooza! Wednesday, January 18, 2 – 4 pm HCLS Miller Branch Ages 11-18. Spend your early dismissal day creating! Let your creativity soar in an open studio art space. We provide the supplies, you bring the imagination.
Registration preferred, drop-ins allowed if space permits. Register here (registration opens Monday, January 11 at 2 pm).
Goal Setting With Vision Boards Wednesday, January 18, 1 – 3 pm HCLS Savage Branch Ages 11-18. Start 2023 off right with some personal goal setting. We discuss and share different areas we’d like to improve in as well as areas that we are doing well in, then create vision boards.
Drop-in.
Ingenious Inventions! Wednesday, January 25, 7 – 7:45 pm HCLS Miller Branch Ages 6-10. Don’t let history be a mystery – learn about some inventions. Includes stories, activities, and a craft.
Ticket required. Tickets available at the children’s desk 15 minutes before class.
Slime Cafe Monday, January 23, 3:30 – 4:15 pm HCLS Central Branch Ages 6-10. Read a yucky story and learn how to combine different ingredients with a basic slime recipe to create your own unique slimes. Materials provided (unscented shampoo, corn starch, and food coloring). Dress for mess.
Registration required. Register here (registration opens Monday, January 16 at 3:30 pm).
Thank you! We appreciate our readers and subscribers who have followed Chapter Chats through another year. We share a wide variety of posts with you, from Winter Reading selections to upcoming author events to a tremendous selection of reviews – fiction and nonfiction, for adults, teens, and children.
Here are some of the most-viewed posts of the year:
You may have wondered about one of the most challenged books (according to ALA), and Ash Baker provided a wonderful look at Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe.
CHAPTER CHATS 