Hey, HEY, hey! We’ve reached the final Friday of February and I have a recap of what’s happening in the Hall of Books, aka Southeast Steuben County Library. Sponsoring Black History Month events with the SUNY Corning Community College Diversity Center has kept us engaged and focused on positive change. There were weekly online programs including special guest speakers, student moderators, local movers and shakers, and our community members engaging in conversation on the unique platform of Zoom. Meeting UK based glass artist Chris Day, athlete/author/activist Etan Thomas, and UK based Kanneh-Mason family of musicians provided opportunities to engage with global voices in a socially distanced way. I find that although we are socially separate in space, this virtual meetup setting we have grown accustomed to is really an amazing tool of Unity. In “Regular Times,” most of our schedules would find resistance to attending these meetings in-person, but the luxury of internet connection and digital devices allows for a greater chance of community connection than ever before. The programming wizard behind this magic is Babatunde Ayanfodun, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Assistant at the college. He stated his goal with these events is to “re-educate and reorient our consciousness.” I completely agree with that mission and look forward to extending these conversations on equity and inclusion throughout the year.

After wonderfully deep-dive conversations with Chris Day and Etan Thomas, I found pure delight in the sound of Live Music being played for our ears from “Across the Pond.” The Kanneh-Masons’ music soothed my spirit and made me realize that what I truly miss in this pandemic is the chance to see musicians perform on stage, feel their music in my pulse, and share the energy of the experience with complete strangers who decide to gather for the pure enjoyment that music brings. I found my toes tapping and goosebumps rising to particular notes from the violin and piano. I reveled in the mastery these kind souls shared with us in the small community of Corning, New York. If the online, virtual events are getting you down, I highly recommend a little musical entertainment to soothe your savage soul.

Filomena Jack was our guest-host for Maker Monday and lead a Book Lover’s Creativity Class. Watch the video recording of her class on our YouTube channel. You might find a selection of other treats. Perhaps you’ll feel inclined to hit the Subscribe button and show a little Library Love. Follow Filomena Jack Studio for more crafty tutorials. Remember to register for her next Maker Monday takeover. It will be a unique virtual class using markers as “water color” to paint an all over floral design.

If you step inside the library building, grab a Take and Make kit from Filomena Jack Studio before they are gone. These kits are a wonderful way to get crafty on your own schedule. All you need to add to this kit is a pair of scissors and a pencil to make your own experimental books! Share your projects in the comments or tag us on social using #CreationStation

Library Advocacy Day is Today. How do you show Love for your Library? This annual campaign is critical to maintain the funding libraries need to provide quality services to their constituents. We asked our patrons to send in their Love Letters to Albany. Are you willing to be a Library Superhero? What is the value of your public library to you and your family? How does your public library impact your life? If you love your library, like we do, you have a part to play in Advocacy Day. Making your voice heard is what helps #FundLIbraries It takes less than two minutes to send your message supporting New York’s Libraries.

Brian Hildreth, the director of our library system, showed his Library Love today. The annual bus trip our Library Super Heroes usually embark upon looked very different this year as a virtual rally. Whether you were part of the action this afternoon, remember that Advocacy does not end today. Support of equal rights, racial equanimity, diversity, and inclusion are still a part of the agenda. While we near the end of Black History Month and look towards the spring, our library will continue to advocate for our patrons. We hope you will return the respect.

That’s a wrap for this stationary moment. I’ll check you on the flip side!

February is Black History Month and we are celebrating by sponsoring several events hosted by our friends at SUNY Corning Community College and the Katherine P. Douglas Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We welcome you to a conversation with glass artist, Chris Day on Tuesday, February 9 at noon.

Chris Day fuses glass, ceramics, and metal to explore Black history and personal identity. He will discuss how the legacy of slavery, the under-representation of Black artists, and his mixed heritage shape his work. Joining us as guest moderators will be Susie Silbert, Curator of Postwar & Contemporary Glass at the Corning Museum of Glass, and Jessica Smith, SUNY CCC student.

Gain some personal insight from athlete and author, Etan Thomas on Tuesday, February 16 at 6pm. Join us for a presentation and discussion with former Syracuse University and NBA player Etan Thomas. Etan will speak to our community about the black athlete, their activism, and the impact on social change. Etan is a major voice in the conversation of social justice and it will be a pleasure for our students, local youth, and all community members to hear from him, how he pivoted from Syracuse Orange and NBA basketball player to an activist, writer, speaker. Joining us as a guest moderator will be Sky Moss, SUNY CCC Professor.

Enjoy a performance and discussion with members of the Kanneh-Mason family on Wednesday, February 24 at 2pm. Younger sisters Jeneba on the piano and Aminata on violin will perform a few songs then join us for a discussion with their mom, Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason. Joining us as a guest moderator will be Benita Eldridge, Assistant Principal at Elmira High School.

The Southeast Steuben County Library will present a two-day event focusing on the film, Alice’s Ordinary People. Alice’s Ordinary People is a documentary about Alice Tregay, an unsung heroine of the Civil Rights Movement. Her remarkable story spans the historic marches of Dr. King through the election of Barack Obama, and her great contribution in the field of politics is the thread which connects the two. On Monday, February 15 at 7pm, the Library will show the film via Zoom. On Tuesday, February 16 at 7pm, there will be a live talk and discussion led by the filmmaker, Craig Dudnick.

Get your body moving on Thursday, February 25 at 6pm with Afrobeat Fit. Afrobeat Fit is a high intensity cardio workout where music and movement derive from the late and great artist and influencers of Africa. Afrobeat Fit “Sweat Sessions” are always inclusive to all and rooted in love!

In Celebrating Cultures Through Cooking, Chefs Andy and Nogaye will demonstrate the preparation of “thiou” and ingredient baskets can be purchased for $35 prior to the event through an online registration. Once purchased, baskets will be available for pick-up at the customer service desk at Wegmans Corning. Guests are invited to prepare their own “thiou” at their home, while the chefs create the demonstration. Professor Moss will moderate the demonstration with questions and answers, facts, and information.

There is so much to pack in this month. This listing is just a sip of the options we have to offer from the Library and our community partners. Zip around these links and broaden your perspective.

That’s a wrap for this stationary moment. I’ll check you on the flip side!