Tag dancing

Three traditional Chinese performers, playing an instrument, dancing, and singing.

Global Neighbors Series: Lunar New Year

madammommy 1 Comment
Paper cut image of a panda.

The staff here at the Miller branch have had such fun highlighting the cultures of the different countries from which many of our community members come through our Global Neighbors Series. Not only have we put in a lot of work to display the different traditions of the countries we have spotlighted but our wonderful community members have volunteered their time and talents as well to exhibit their cultures by performing their traditional dances, music, martial arts, recitation, and crafts for us. Through the Global Neighbors series, our community has had the chance to peek into our neighbors’ lives and celebrate our diversity. We believe the more we know about each other’s cultures, the better we understand each other to create a more cohesive community. 

 We learned about Korea in May, about India in October and we will get a glimpse of the rich cultural heritage of China as we celebrate Lunar New Year with one of the largest demographics in Howard County. Howard County Library System is partnering with Chinese Parent Association of Howard County (CAPA) to bring to you traditional Chinese music and dance, senior choir, Peking Opera, tai chi, wushu (another form of Chinese martial art), Chinese calligraphy, and Chinese paper craft.

We invite you to join us on February 3 at 2 pm at Miller Branch to enjoy the performances by our community members and celebrate Lunar New Year in Global Neighbors Series – China.

Register for the event. Registration is preferred, not required. 

Global Neighbors Series – India

madammommy 1 Comment
A set of six portraits, with Team Kheyal Khushi in script.

“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.” Mahatma Gandhi 

In Howard County, we are blessed to live in a community where our neighbors come from various parts of the world. They bring their culture, food, and traditions to enrich our lives and expand our horizons. We, at Howard County Library System, celebrate our diversity and highlight the rich culture and art of the countries where our neighbors come from to foster better understanding of each other and create a more cohesive community. 

Join us in celebrating the contributions of one of Howard County’s largest demographics, India, on Sunday, October 29 from 2 to 4 pm at Miller Branch. India is indeed a land of diversity. With 22 recognized languages, innumerable dialects, vastly different and unique cultures and traditions in 28 states, it is not easy to encompass the rich diversity of India in a mere two hours. We provide a glimpse of the arts from a few regions of India to whet your appetite to explore more. We invite you to enjoy traditional Indian music, Indian regional dances, dhak (Indian drum), recitation, Bollywood dance, Indian classical dance and henna application. 

Registration is preferred, not required.  

Black background filled with flashes reads: Get ready for the POP-arazzi. You're invited to Evening in the Stacks. In the corner, a glamorous woman with a silk scarf peers over her sunglasses.

Evening in the Stacks Goes Pop!

Kristen B. Leave a comment
Black background filled with flashes reads: Get ready for the POP-arazzi. You're invited to Evening in the Stacks. In the corner, a glamorous woman with a silk scarf peers over her sunglasses.

by Kristen B.

It’s a great event! And I don’t say that only because I work for the library. I have often suspected that Evening in the Stacks is so much fun for two main reasons: 1. everyone has a little cabin fever by the end of February, and 2. there’s an element of breaking the rules by partying inside a library building. Even if, in reality, the library is rarely a hushed, quiet place.

This year, we’re celebrating all things pop culture – it’s gonna be iconic! DJ Kopec, the official DJ of the Baltimore Ravens, keeps the party going on the dance floor. You can choose to play some Pop Quiz Trivia to start the evening, testing your knowledge of what’s current. Food and beverages will be as tasty as always – with Taharka Brothers serving ice cream for dessert!

Tickets are on sale now for this annual fundraiser taking place on Saturday, February 25 from 7 – 11 pm at HCLS East Columbia Branch. Proceeds benefit Battle of the Books, an academic competition for fifth graders happening again this year at Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Consider joining us – for a great party and to do some good in the community. Hope to see you there!

Looking fly and having fun on the dance floor.
Evening in the Stacks: Across Africa, held at HCLS East Columbia Branch in 2022.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball in season (but not all at the same time).