Category HCLS News

The Equity Resource Center at the Miller Branch, with a sign and podium for the ribbon cutting ceremony and bookshelves and the "Undesign the Red Line" exhibit in the background.

Black History Month: Equity Resource Center

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The Equity Resource Center at the Miller Branch, with a sign and podium for the ribbon cutting ceremony and bookshelves and the "Undesign the Red Line" exhibit in the background.
Equity Resource Center at HCLS Central Branch.

by Emily B.

Did you know that Central Branch is home to Howard County Library System’s newest special collection? The Equity Resource Center (ERC) debuted in September 2021 with more than 9,000 items, offering a diverse and inclusive collection of adult, children, and teen materials spanning many formats and topics.

The idea for the Equity Resource Center first came about during the COVID-19 pandemic and the murder of George Floyd. Community members wanted a place to come together to learn and heal, a place where they could see themselves and their stories represented and have the opportunity to learn about those different from them. Director of Collection Development Vera Davies explains that the Equity Resource Center and its collection were established “to support self-directed education and exhibits, facilitated and unfacilitated classes and conversations, and as a space for the community to identify, document, and share local issues and concerns.”

Some of the titles offered at the collection’s launch were recommended by members of HCLS’ Racial Equity Alliance. As the collection continues to grow, HCLS selectors choose materials that fall within a broad and inclusive scope that includes key themes like ableism, LGBTQIA+, the history of race and racism in the United States and Maryland, and more.

Dr. Kelly Clark, HCLS’ Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Officer, has big ideas for the future of the Equity Resource Center. In addition to continuing to host exhibits and equity programs, Dr. Clark hopes to develop and introduce bundles with self-guided curricula. These bundles would feature various ERC materials – a book, movie, and music CD – alongside a study guide with reflection questions, activities, and suggestions on how to engage your friends and family in what you learn.

Dr. Clark hopes that the ERC “will grow to be a coveted community resource as Howard County residents continue to grapple with tough contemporary issues of equity, inclusion, and belonging.” Whether you want to research, learn, or celebrate, the Equity Resource Center has something for you.
Visit HCLS Central Branch to check out the collection in person or browse the collection online.

Emily is an Instructor & Research Specialist at the Central Branch. She enjoys puzzling, reading, listening to music, and re-watching old seasons of Survivor.

Signs advertising a 3D printer and laser cutter engraver, with examples of projects created by them on the shelves beneath, including keepsake ornaments and 3D printed flowers.

Expressing Your Creativity

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by Sahana C.

With the start of the new year comes the chance to start afresh, to explore new interests or hone old skills, and to follow through on resolutions that allow you to unlock your creativity. What better place to get inspired than the library? Across our branches, we’ve got innovative technology and tools to make your creative visions come to life. From the Makerspace at Glenwood Branch to the DIY Education Center at Elkridge Branch all the way to the A/V Lab at Savage Branch, there’s plenty to inspire your imagination.

Signs advertising a 3D printer and laser cutter engraver, with examples of projects created by them on the shelves beneath, including keepsake ornaments and 3D printed flowers.
Creations from the Makerspace at HCLS Glenwood Branch.

The Makerspace at Glenwood is a one-stop shop for all things design. With tinker bins, there’s opportunity for crafting and inventing in all sorts of innovative ways. The 3D printer is a professional grade machine and with a Glowforge, Cricut, large-format printer, a digital memory station, and a recording booth, there’s plenty to explore. The Makerspace area serves people ages eight and up, but for younger folks, the Builder’s Barn is a great place to bring designs into life. While some of the Makerspace products have associated costs for materials, you can design from start to finish. You can take Makerspace classes at Glenwood Branch. If you don’t have time to make your project, though, the Maker-To-Order system allows for HCLS staff to print or cut your fully designed files.

The photograph centers the customer service desk at the Elkridge branch's makerspace, with a wheelbarrow, ladders, and an array of books and tools to the left and behind, and a dolly and other equipment to the right.
The DIY Education Center at HCLS Elkridge Branch.

The DIY Education Center boasts a vast collection of tools for all ages, ranging from baking, biking, camping, crafts, gardening, or home improvement. The instructors are always excited to help those interested in engaging with the available tools at DIY classes held at Elkridge. The DIY Education Center even has a studio, a “mess-friendly” classroom, and a workspace. To borrow from the DIY collection, you must have a DIY library card, available to those 21 and older, who live, work, or attend school in Maryland.

Library customers stand outside a recording booth, which contains a microphone and a set of headphones draped over the mic stand.
Recording booth in the A/V Lab at HCLS Savage Branch.

The A/V Lab at Savage Branch also boasts a recording booth and 3D printer. During regular A/V Lab hours, a staff member can answer basic questions about the computer software. You can use the instruments in place, and as always, classes cans help familiarize you with each tool. Schedule a one-on-one appointment at the Savage Branch & STEM Education Center page on hclibrary.org.
If you want to find out more about how to unlock your creativity at the library this year, check out our classes, and visit us at the Makerspace, the DIY Education Center, or the A/V Lab.

Craft Works
For adults. Register here.
Let your creativity shine in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Each month, learn about different art media and explore new techniques.
Classic Book Flowers
Tue Feb 8 2-3:30 pm Central Branch.

A/V Lab
For teens and adults. Registration preferred here.
Drop-in to use the equipment in the A/V Studio. Record and mix music or create and edit movies with the help of a HiTech instructor. Walk-ins welcome.
Every Wednesday 5 – 7 pm Savage Branch.

Book Earrings and Charms
For teens & adults. Register here.
Make unique jewelry inspired by your favorite books.
Tue Feb 27 7 – 8:30 pm Elkridge Branch.

Sahana is an Instructor and Research Specialist at the Savage Branch. They enjoy adding books to their “want to read” list despite having a mountain of books waiting for them already.

The word "flower" in large block forms, in water color hues. A rose sits in the red O. It reads A Flower-full Evening in the Stacks, Howard County Library System

Evening in the Stacks and Branch Raffles

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A Flower-full Evening in the Stacks
February 24, 2024 | 7 – 11 pm
HCLS East Columbia Branch
hclibrary.org/stacks

Tickets on sale now! January 10: $100
February 1: $125 for one/$225 for two

Entice your senses at this lush affair filled with dreamy enjoyment and delight. Refresh at the open bar, bloom on the dance floor with DJ Bugatti, and enjoy a bouquet of activities with our Flower-full Mart and photo ops.

  • Entertainment features dancers and drummers, including Stepping Stones Performers.
  • Gourmet cuisine by Rouge Catering
  • Libations by The Wine Bin and Sobar
  • Cocktail attire (floral touches welcome), black tie optional

This year’s proceeds benefit HCLS’ early childhood initiatives that help our community’s budding learners grow.

Friends & Foundation of HCLS Branch Raffles

Raffle tickets are $5 each and you can win any of these prizes:

  • Six branch community baskets with donations from area businesses.
  • Two tickets to Evening in the Stacks on February 24 (in branch sales only)
  • Grand prize: PS5 gaming console 

Last day to purchase raffle tickets is February 21. Winners will be drawn by February 26 and notified by email.

The Miller Branch raffle basket containing a variety of gift cards, treats, and Cat in the Hat and Thing One and Thing Two stuffed toys. The baskets are tied up with cellophane and red ribbon and are resting on the Miller Branch checkout counter with the raffle ticket boxes in front of them.
HCLS Miller Branch’s raffle basket.
A woman and her small white dog sit atop a VW camper/bus, with a lake behind them.

2023 is in the books!

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Thank you! 2023 was Chapter Chats’ best year yet, with more than 25,000 views – not exactly Taylor Swift numbers, but we have still plenty of anti-heroes for you to root for (Booth by Karen Joy Fowler, for one).

We shared a wide variety of reviews and library news with you, including an entire week for National Library Week in April. The blog spent the year promoting all the library has to offer.

Booker owl in a hot air balloon, which is striped white and green with the Hi circle in blue.

Here are some of the most-viewed posts of the year for classes and events:

And here were the most-viewed book reviews:

A Black woman with natural hair holds her arms apart in front her her with red glowing around the top and a blue around the bottom, against a dark background.

Maybe you missed these recommendations:

And still, the most viewed post since Chapter Chats began in 2020: How to Bypass the News Paywall with Your Library Card.

We hope you’ll stick with us as we head into 2024! Happy New Year!

View of a line of stacks at the library, with books displayed atop.

National Book Month

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Light blue banner with pink and yellow dots that reads National Book Month, with a row of books.

by Julie F.
As the leaves turn color, autumn breezes swirl, and school starts once again, readers everywhere can look forward to activities and festivities for National Book Month in October. A celebration that focuses on the importance of reading, writing, and literature, National Book Month was established in 2003 by the National Book Foundation (NBF). Their mission honors the best literature published in the United States, expanding its audience and ensuring that books have a prominent place in our culture.

The National Book Foundation is guided by the following core beliefs:

  • Books are essential to a thriving cultural landscape.
  • Books and literature provide a depth of engagement that helps to protect, stimulate, and promote discourse.
  • Books and literature are for everyone, everywhere.

The NBF vision is for books and literature to remain at the center of our vibrant national conversation. Their awards and additional programs encourage existing readers and build new and diverse audiences for books and literature.

Each National Book Month, NBF honors the best authors and books through the annual National Book Awards, with finalists announced each October. The awards, first presented in 1950, honor the best Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature published each year. Judges are recruited and selected by the NBF and include 25 distinguished writers, translators, critics, librarians, and booksellers, a panel of five for each category. The NBF also presents a Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, awarded to a writer whose lifetime service and body of work has enriched American literary heritage. There is also a Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community, presented to an individual for increasing access to and expanding the audience for books and reading.

You can browse National Book Award winners and nominees at www.nationalbook.org/national-book-awards/years. The website also includes video clips of the award winners’ acceptance speeches at the annual November ceremonies. Many of these authors, from Flannery O’Connor and Ralph Ellison to Louise Erdrich and Jesmyn Ward and many more, have written books that stand the test of time and are found in our catalog and libraries and bookstores worldwide. To continue the celebration, stop by any branch and ask your librarian for their favorite recommendations from the National Book Awards lists!

Julie is an instructor and research specialist at HCLS Miller Branch who finds her work as co-editor of Chapter Chats very rewarding. She loves gardening, birds, crime fiction, all kinds of music, and the great outdoors. Julie facilitates the Bas Bleu and Spies, Lies, and Alibis book discussion groups at Miller.

A child poses in front of pages from the Janey Monarch Seed StoryWalk.

StoryWalk© in the Enchanted Garden

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By Erica C.

A child poses in front of pages from the Janey Monarch Seed StoryWalk.

Visit the Enchanted Garden to discover the amazing journey of the fall Monarch butterfly migration. Now through the end of September, visitors can enjoy a self-guided StoryWalk© in the HCLS Miller Branch Enchanted Garden. The story, Janey Monarch Seed, written by local author Julie Dunlap, is a tale of a girl who is determined to make a difference for the imperiled Monarch butterflies by planting seeds of milkweeds from Texas to Quebec. 

A monarch butterfly in the Miller Branch Enchanted Garden, with marigolds in the foreground and black-eyed Susans in the background.

This story is a lively introduction to monarch biology and ecology that illustrates how our role as active stewards can benefit the natural world we all inhabit. Alongside the tale, sidebars add further details to engage and expand children’s fascination with butterflies and other pollinators. The  StoryWalk© concludes in the Enchanted Garden’s Monarch Waystation, an area of the garden abundant with the caterpillars’ host plant, milkweed. Look closely, as you may find caterpillars munching on leaves or forming their chrysalis. 

A monarch butterfly lands on tall plants near the Enchanted Garden fence.

The  StoryWalk© Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. This particular StoryWalk© was brought together by Cheryl Farfaras of the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area.

A series of pages from the Janey Monarch Seed StoryWalk in the Enchanted Garden.

Erica C. is in her dream role as the Enchanted Garden Instructor at the Miller Library. When she’s not tending to the garden, you can find her cycling along the C & O Canal, experimenting with new recipes from around the world, or curled up with her coffee and a good read.

Red cover shows the silhouetted back of a woman with her hair up, her shirt and hair are covered in squares of textures and patterns.

Bauder Lecture Series: Nadia Owusu

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Red cover shows the silhouetted back of a woman with her hair up, her shirt and hair are covered in squares of textures and patterns.

For adults. Registration required.

Thu, Sep 21 | 6 – 7 pm
Howard Community College
Monteabaro Recital Hall (free parking available)
10901 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia

Join us for the annual Bauder Lecture at Howard Community College, featuring acclaimed author Nadia Owusu.

Nadia Owusu is a Brooklyn-based writer and urbanist. Her memoir, Aftershocks, was selected as a best book of 2021 by more than a dozen publications, including Time, Vogue, Esquire, and the BBC, and has been translated into five languages. It was a New York Times Editors’ Choice pick, named one of Barack Obama’s favorite books of the year, and selected by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai for her Literati book club.

From the Publishers Weekly review:
The biracial daughter of an Armenian mother and Ghanaian father, Owusu’s early life was fractured by her parents’ divorce and multiple moves necessitated by her father’s U.N. career. Living in Rome at age seven, she was visited by her long-absent mother on the day a catastrophic quake hit Armenia, seeding an obsession with earthquakes “and the ways we try to understand the size and scale of impending disaster.”

Nadia Owusu is the winner of a Whiting Award in nonfiction and has received fellowships from Yaddo and Art Omi. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Orion, Granta, The Paris Review Daily, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Bon Appétit, and Travel + Leisure. She teaches creative writing at Columbia University and at the Mountainview MFA program at Southern New Hampshire University, and she is the Director of Storytelling at Frontline Solutions, a consulting firm supporting social-change organizations.

Tope Folarin, a Nigerian-American writer based in Washington, D.C., will be introducing Ms. Owusu and moderating the discussion. He serves as Director of the Institute for Policy Studies and the Lannan Visiting Lecturer in Creative Writing at Georgetown University. He is the recipient of the Caine Prize for African Writing, the Whiting Award for Fiction, and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, among other awards. He was educated at Morehouse College and the University of Oxford, where he earned two master’s degrees as a Rhodes Scholar. His debut novel, A Particular Kind of Black Man, was published by Simon & Schuster.

The Bauder Lecture by Howard Community College is made possible by a generous grant from Dr. Lillian Bauder, a community leader and Columbia resident. Howard Community College will present an annual endowed author lecture known as The Bauder Lecture, and the chosen book will be celebrated with two student awards. Known as the Don Bauder Awards, any Howard Community College student who has read the featured book is eligible to respond and reflect on the book in an essay or other creative format. The awards honor the memory of Don Bauder, late husband of Dr. Lillian Bauder and a champion of civil rights and social justice causes.  

Aftershocks was selected by the Howard County Book Connection committee as its choice for the 2023–2024 academic year. The Howard County Book Connection is a partnership of Howard Community College and the Howard County Poetry and Literature Society (HoCoPoLitSo). Visit the Howard County Book Connection web page for additional information.

Aftershocks is available from HCLS in print, large print, e-book, and e-audiobook formats. HoCoPoLitSo will also have copies available for purchase at the event.

In partnership with Howard Community College and HoCoPoLitSo.

A teen sits in the biography isles reading at the Miller Branch during a summer reading adventures teen after-hours event.

Feeling Curious? Take the Curiosity Challenge!

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A teen sits in the biography isles reading at the Miller Branch during a summer reading adventures teen after-hours event.

by Emily B.

Have you embarked on your Summer Reading Adventure yet? If not, head to any HCLS branch to begin your Summer Reading Adventure or participate online through ReadSquared. There are Summer Reading games and prizes for all ages. Visit hclibrary.org/summer/ for all the details on this year’s Summer Reading Adventures.

One of the fun challenges this year for all ages is the Curiosity Challenge. To partake in this challenge, simply read a book on any topic you’re curious about. No matter your interests, we can help you find a book to satisfy your curiosities!

Here are some books to spark your curiosity:

Science: With a wide range of science-related topics covered in these books, you’re sure to learn something new and you might even find additional topics to explore!

The Highlights Book of How: Discover the Science of How the World Works by Libby Romero (CHILDRENS 500R)

Science Superstars: 30 Brilliant Women Who Changed the World by Jennifer Calvert (509.2C)

The Science of Science Fiction by Matthew Brenden Wood (TEEN 500W)

What If? 2: Additional Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe (500M)

Entertainment: Learn more about the games, movies, and TV shows you love with behind-the-scenes photos and stories and retrospective analyses.

What is Nintendo? by Gina Shaw (CHILDRENS 338.761S)

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Handbook by Matt Jones (CHILDRENS 791.4572J)

Gamer Girls: 25 Women Who Built the Video Game Industry by Mary Kenney, illustrated by Salini Perera (TEEN 794.8092K)

Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made by Jason Schreier (794.8S)

Best. Movie. Year. Ever.: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen by Brian Raftery (791.4309R)

History: Learn the incredible story of World War II Resistance leader Virginia Hall. A Maryland-native, Hall’s work with espionage, reconnaissance, and sabotage were instrumental in the eventual defeat of the Axis powers.

Agent Most Wanted: The Never-Before-Told Story of the Most Dangerous Spy of World War II by Sonia Purnell (CHILDRENS B GOILLOT P)

Code Name Badass: The True Story of Virginia Hall by Heather Demetrios (TEEN 940.5486D)

A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell (940.5486P)

Be part of HCLS’ Summer Reading Adventures.

Emily is an Instructor & Research Specialist at the Central Branch. She enjoys puzzling, reading, listening to music, and re-watching old seasons of Survivor.

a collage of the five winning bookmarks from last week.

Bring Your Art Skills: Bookmark Contest 2023

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A collage of the five winning bookmarks from 2022.
2022 HCLS winning bookmarks

We want to see what you can imagine! Draw anything that you love and want to share that uses the given space in interesting ways, and maybe brings a smile to someone’s face. There are no required themes. Our contest runs from May 31 through July 31. Winning bookmarks will be available at all HCLS branches in the fall.

All children in grades K – 12 who live or attend school (or homeschool) in Howard County may enter.

One winner in each category (five total) will be chosen to be printed:
Kindergarten & Grade 1, Grades 2 & 3, Grades 4 & 5, Grades 6 – 8, and Grades 9 – 12

Forms are available at HCLS branches and printable on demand from hclibrary.org.

Some tips include:

Please don’t trace or use copyrighted images (such as from favorite TV shows, movies, or books) or include computer- or AI-generated art. If you include words, check for correct spelling and legibility. Keep text away from edges. In fact, keep all important design details away from the line around the box.

Consider what medium works best for you. Sparkle crayons, gel pens, and neon colors don’t reproduce well and probably won’t be chosen. Make sure that your design is well defined, not sketchy or pale.

Dear adults: This contest is for students, please don’t “help” with anything other than the form.

Best of luck! We look forward to seeing the results of your artistry, creativity, and imagination.

The photograph depicts a hand outstretched against a background of fluffy, bright red material. A rainbow of primary colors is painted on the hand, with the outline of a heart overlaid in black.

Full of Pride

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The photograph depicts a hand outstretched against a background of fluffy, bright red material. A rainbow of primary colors is painted on the hand, with the outline of a heart overlaid in black.
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

by Jessica S.

Happy Pride, y’all! Since 1970s first Pride march in New York City on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, LGBTQ+ community members and allies have turned an incident of brutality and discrimination into an annual celebration that honors the past and works toward a more inclusive and equitable future. Whether you fit somewhere under the LGBTQ+ umbrella or are a supportive ally, we’ve got you!

When you aren’t sure where to start, you can begin with the Rainbow Reads booklists for adults, teens, and kids that are curated by our instructors to make sure everyone is represented. You’re bound to find a title or two that makes you feel seen or opens a window on a different life experience, building empathy and understanding.

Now that you’ve read some new titles, the best way to cement your thoughts is to talk about them with some like-minded souls. Although all our book discussion groups are inclusive and new attendees are always welcome, Central Branch has a perfect fit for LGBTQ+ adults and allies with Reads of Acceptance. Join this group to talk about titles of interest in a safe space for social support, personal growth, and intergenerational learning.

If self-direction is more your jam, the Equity Resource Center housed at Central Branch is a great place for you to spend some time browsing our large collection of titles on LGBTQ+ topics, race, religion, and more. Safely explore the many treasures in this collection and hang out to read – without having to spend a dime. Even if you don’t visit the ERC, library branches are a safe space to chill, read, work on schoolwork, use a computer, or meet up with friends – all are welcome here!

Sometimes we’d all rather celebrate Pride from the comfort of home, and you don’t have to leave the house if you have a library card in hand. OverDrive (and its app, Libby) provides access to e-books, e-audiobooks, and magazines including Out, The Advocate, Gay Times, and Transliving International. The Netflix of libraries, Kanopy offers streaming movies like Oscar-winner Moonlight (2016), Filipino horror-comedy Remington and the Curse of the Zombadings (2013), or the uplifting coming-of-age drama Hearts Beat Loud (2018).

Look for us at Howard County Pride, which takes place in October! And if you are interested in celebrating Pride with something a bit more low-key than a march that still gets you out of the house, check out upcoming library classes and events.

Author Works: Tonee Moll
For adults. Register here.
Tonee Moll reads from and discusses their award-winning book of poetry, You Cannot Save Here, this work is queer, it’s punk, and it uses cultural allusion to address how we live our lives when it feels like the world is ending.
Sat, Jun 17 | 3 – 4 pm
Savage Branch

Films that Connect Us
For adults. Register here.
How do films shape and connect us? Join our film discussion. Please watch the film prior to the discussion date. The film for June is And Then We Danced (available on Kanopy).
Mon, Jun 5 | 4 – 5 pm
online

Pride Button Making
Ages 11-18 and adults. Register here.
Celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride month by creating your own rainbow or pronoun buttons to wear or share. In this class, you learn about the different types of pride flags, learn about pronouns, and make a rainbow or pronoun button.
Sat, Jun 17 | 1 – 2:30 pm
Savage Branch

Stick to Being You – Creating Pride Stickers with the Cricut
Teens and adults. Register here.
Celebrate Pride Month at the Glenwood Branch + Makerspace and learn how to create custom stickers with the Cricut maker.
Wed, Jun 21 | 6 – 8 pm
Glenwood Brabch

Rainbow Pride
Ages 8-11. Ticketed.
Celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride month with related reads, activities, and a rainbow craft!
Wed, Jun 14 | 2 – 2:45 pm | Central Branch
Thu, Jun 15 | 2 – 2:45 pm | Elkridge Brach
Wed, Jun 21 | 2 – 2:45 pm | Savage Branch

Craft Pop-Up Shop: Rainbow Pride Edition
Ages 4 and up. Allow 15 minutes. Drop in.
Pop-in and make a rainbow craft!
Mon, Jun 12 | 3 – 4:30 pm
Miller Branch

Films with Humans: Moonlight
For adults. Register here.
Watch a film about humans, since all great stories involve great characters, followed by a discussion with fellow humans. The movie is available on DVD and via Kanopy. Watch the movie at the library on June 29 or view it in advance.
Thu, Jun 29 | 6 – 8:30 pm
Elkridge Branch

Jessica is an Instructor & Research Specialist at HCLS Savage Branch. She likes comics, anime, all things science fiction, and horror movies. She’s currently learning about 3D Printing and AI.