Teens and their adults enjoy a Beyond Words class at HCLS Miller Branch.
by Megan B.
You may already know and love Beyond Words, our monthly program that kicked off in January 2024 at HCLS Miller Branch, created especially for adults and teens with developmental and intellectual disabilities. As Peg Prentice, the visionary behind the program and Instructor and Research Specialist at Miller, puts it: “Beyond Words is not just a class; it’s an invitation to celebrate the joy of discovery and the magic of shared experiences while creating personal connection and growth.” And clearly, the community agrees! Thanks to amazing support and lots of happy participants, Beyond Words now runs monthly at the East Columbia, Central, and Savage branches too.
After seeing the joy and connection that Beyond Words has brought to adults and teens, and recognizing a real need for similar inclusive fun for younger kids, Peg and the awesome Miller team got to work on something extra special.
Introducing…Beyond Words Junior! This exciting new class is just for children ages 6–11 with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Each month will bring a fresh, engaging theme to spark imaginations and create lasting memories. Beyond Words Junior is all about fun, friendship, and celebrating every child for exactly who they are.
Fantasy & Fairy Tales! Wednesday, September 3 | 6 – 7 pm HCLS Miller Branch Explore a world of whimsical wonder…think castles, dragons, magical creatures, and maybe even a sprinkle of fairy dust. Ages 6-11 with adult.
Mark your calendars and get ready for an unforgettable adventure! Register here.
Megan B. is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS Miller Branch. She is constantly curious and loves to learn new things.
Howard County Library System is thrilled to showcase a selection of student artwork at HCLS Miller Branch as part of the “Every Voice Matters” traveling exhibit—the first stop on a statewide tour running through August.
This powerful display celebrates inclusion, creativity, and the unique voices of students from across Maryland. This year’s theme, “Every Voice Matters,” echoes the fundamental belief that every individual has a unique perspective and contributes meaningfully to their school communities. More than 125 students from across the state submitted entries. Artwork was selected for recognition based on inclusive messaging, use of medium, and alignment with the contest theme. Special congratulations to this year’s first place winners in the elementary and high school categories—both from Howard County: Ananya K (Veterans Elementary School) and Annabel M (Glenelg High School).
The “Together We’re Better” program has been promoting meaningful inclusion in Maryland schools for more than 20 years. In addition to the diversity celebration toolkit and school assemblies, the Artwork and Drawing Contests allow elementary, middle, and high school students in Maryland to show their creative sides through artwork promoting acceptance and appreciation of the diverse abilities and talents of all classmates. The pen and ink drawings created by high school students are being transformed into pages of a Children’s Coloring Book, to be published later this spring and made available at public venues, including libraries.
The artwork on display at HCLS Miller Branch represents a sampling of this year’s entries, as part of the 2024-2025 “Together We’re Better” Inclusive Education Campaign Artwork and Drawing Contests, a long-running annual program from The Arc Maryland in partnership with the Maryland State Department of Education, the Maryland Department of Disabilities, and the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council.
In Partnership with The Arc of Howard County
The Arc Maryland is the largest statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the rights and quality of life of persons with I/DD and their families. They do this through public policy, advocacy, public awareness, and training and membership support. The Arc Maryland is a membership-based organization of 8,000 members. Their local network of chapters provides a wide range of human services and other supports to people with I/DD and their family members, including individual and public policy advocacy, residential, educational, and vocational services, employment, family supports and early intervention that promote people with I/DD to participate and be included in their communities.
We invite you to visit the display at HCLS Miller Branch to experience these extraordinary student artworks and reflect on how we can all help build inclusive communities—where every voice truly matters. HCLS is grateful to Natalie (Dohner) Brooks, Director of Education Initiatives and Partnerships at The Arc Maryland, for organizing and installing this insightful exhibit celebrating inclusion, creativity, and the unique voices of students from across Maryland.
To learn more about the “Together We’re Better” inclusive education campaign , visit The Arc Maryland’s website: https://thearcmd.org/programs/twb/.
Nancy T. is an instructor and research specialist and the display coordinator at Miller Branch. When she’s not in the branch, you’ll find her in the swimming pool, sitting with her cat, or out walking in the fresh air.
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.
With respect to racism, tell us about a time in the last six months you had an experience and thought “things have got to change.”
All of us have a story to tell, and we’d like to hear yours!
HCLS wants to provide community engagement and education that advances equity and connects people to opportunities to make a difference.
We invite you to join us at one of two virtual gatherings to hear and share stories related to racial equity. Please bring your experiences and insights, listening ears, and an open mind and heart.
We are excited that through this event, you will have two options to make your story part of something bigger: You can share your story with the library’s new collection of stories about local racial experiences. You also can share your stories and experiences with the County Council’s Racial Equity Task Force.
The Task Force is developing recommendations for the County Council about legislations that can advance equity. Stories shared with them will be official testimony for the Task Force to consider as it does its work.
These events are previews of additional story gathering efforts the library will launch this spring.
Thursday, Feb 18 | 7 pm | Register Saturday, Feb 20 | 1 pm | Register
Katie is the Community Education and Engagement Manager for HCLS. She loves people, the big questions, the woods, and chocolate.
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