The Black Lives Matter: Community Read continues this week with The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander.

“The New Jim Crow is a stunning account of the rebirth of a caste-like system in the United States, one that has resulted in millions of African Americans locked behind bars and then relegated to a permanent second-class status—denied the very rights supposedly won in the Civil Rights Movement.

Since its publication in 2010, the book has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for more than a year; been dubbed the “secular bible of a new social movement” by numerous commentators, including Cornel West; and has led to consciousness-raising efforts in universities, churches, community centers, re-entry centers, and prisons nationwide. The New Jim Crow tells a truth our nation has been reluctant to face.

As the United States celebrates its “triumph over race” with the election of Barack Obama, the majority of black men in major urban areas are under correctional control or saddled with criminal records for life. Jim Crow laws were wiped off the books decades ago, but today an extraordinary percentage of the African American community is warehoused in prisons or trapped in a parallel social universe, denied basic civil and human rights—including the right to vote; the right to serve on juries; and the right to be free of legal discrimination in employment, housing, access to education and public benefits. Today, it is no longer socially permissible to use race explicitly as a justification for discrimination, exclusion, and social contempt. Yet as civil-rights-lawyer-turned-legal-scholar Michelle Alexander demonstrates, it is perfectly legal to discriminate against convicted criminals in nearly all the ways in which it was once legal to discriminate against African Americans. Once labeled a felon, even for a minor drug crime, the old forms of discrimination are suddenly legal again. In her words, “we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.”

Alexander shows that, by targeting black men through the War on Drugs and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control, even as it formally adheres to the principle of colorblindness.

The New Jim Crow challenges the civil rights community—and all of us—to place mass incarceration at the forefront of a new movement for racial justice in America.”

This audiobook is available for immediate download through July 15, part of an ongoing effort by Overdrive and Libby, to encourage patrons to add an anti-racism title to their summer reading.

AAPLD is proud to be part of the BLM Community Read, and hope these books, written by Black authors, spark conversations about racism, inequality and the criminal justice system.

We’ll feature a different title each week, just click here to download the title to your device. If you prefer a digital book, we have limited copies available. Place a hold here. New to Overdrive and Libby? Learn more about how to use them here.

While the protests following George Floyd’s death have paused, our country is just beginning the process of addressing systemic racism.

An important role of the library is to provide access to materials that help patrons learn about important issues. AAPLD is part of a network of libraries in the northern suburbs that will be participating in the Black Lives Matter Community Read.  Throughout July, selected anti-racism titles are available for immediate download from Overdrive and Libby.

We’ll feature a different title each week. Read on to learn more, or click the title link to download the book to your device. New to Overdrive and Libby? Learn how to use them here.

Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad is available as an ebook download through July 12.

“Based on the viral Instagram challenge that captivated participants worldwide, Me and White Supremacy takes readers on a 28-day journey of how to dismantle the privilege within themselves so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on people of color, and in turn, help other white people do better, too.

When Layla Saad began an Instagram challenge called #meandwhitesupremacy, she never predicted it would spread as widely as it did. She encouraged people to own up and share their racist behaviors, big and small. She was looking for truth, and she got it. Thousands of people participated in the challenge, and nearly 100,000 people downloaded the Me and White Supremacy Workbook.

Updated and expanded from the original workbook, Me and White Supremacy,takes the work deeper by adding more historical and cultural contexts, sharing moving stories and anecdotes, and including expanded definitions, examples, and further resources.”

Prefer the audiobook? We have that too. Click here to download.

We’ll feature these titles in future posts, so be sure to visit the AAPLD Adult Services blog or social media account next week. #BLM #CommunityRead

We’ve recently discovered ListChallange.com, an online quiz-making platform, whose users apparently are avid readers! Folks after my own heart.

Users have created lists related to various genres of books, but the lists I’ve most enjoyed are more eclectic, including this one: 1000 Books You May Have Actually Read

This comprehensive list includes the classics you read in high school or college, modern literary fiction, and talked-about popular novels like E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Gray. Genre fiction is well represented, as is non-fiction. The list includes children’s and young adult selections, in addition to adult titles.

Yes, 1000 books is a lot, but completing the quiz is fast- just click the box by each book cover. I included books I read for fun, books I read in school, those I listened to as audiobooks, had read to me as a kid (Little Women, and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe) and books I read to my own kids (lots of Dr. Seuss, Harry Potter, and Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea).

The fun is not just remembering books you loved, or loathed, but also those books you’ve meant to but read never got around to– yet.  Since summer is one of the four best seasons for reading, why not make this the year to check one or more of those books off your To Be Read list?  AAPLD cardholders can search our Virtual library collections, or reserve items in our print collection for curbside pickup. Remember, currently we can only fill holds for print and CD audio books we own.

If you aren’t yet signed up for AAPLD’s Summer Reading program just click the link. When you’ve read five books, you’ll win our 2020 Dig Deeper Summer Reading t-shirt.

Celebrate summer by digging deeper into your To Be Read list, have fun and happy reading!

June is Pride Month, and AAPLD is pleased to share books from our virtual and print collections that provide insight into the history, challenges and joys, faced by members of the LGBTQ community.

Whether you’re a member of the community, a supportive ally to a friend or family member, or if you’d just like to know more about the experiences of LGBTQ folk, past and present, real and fictional,  reading can provide valuable knowledge and perspectives.

We hope you’ll enjoy these ebook and downloadable audiobook selections from Hoopla and Overdrive, which includes fiction, memoirs, poetry, history and commentary. Click to learn more about each title. Items marked with an asterisk are also part of our print collection, and can be placed on hold by AAPLD cardholders for curbside pick-up.

Non-Fiction available through Hoopla:

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado*

City of Night by John Rechy

The Tradition by Jericho Brown

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel*

Homie by Danez Smith

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson*

 

 

Fiction available through Hoopla:

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz*

Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta*

You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat

Fiebre Tropical by Juliana Delgado Lopera

Broken People by Sam Lansky*

Boys of Alabama by Genevieve Hudson

The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickles

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson*

Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

 

Non-Fiction Available From Overdrive

Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls by T Kira Madden*

You’ll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein*

Sissy by Jacob Tobia*

Tomorrow Will Be Different by Sarah McBride*

Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby*

Boy Erased by Garrad Conley*

Fairest: A Memoir by Meredith Talusan

Here For It by R. Eric Thomas

 

Fiction Available From Overdrive

Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown

In At The Deep End by Kate Davies*

The Color Purple by Alice Walker*

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides*

The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith

The Gods of Tango by Carolina De Robertis*

All My Mother’s Lovers by Ilana Masad

Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan*

Ash by Malinda Lo*

When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri*

Call Me by Your Name by Andre Aciman*

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender*

The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police has caused a national outcry. Not only is our nation forced to confront racial disparities in policing, but also generations of systemic racism against people of color.

Reading can provide different perspectives and promote understanding, which are crucial as America searches for new approaches and solutions. AAPLD is proud to partner with our patrons as they explore the issues of racial inequality, criminal justice, education, as well as the lives and works of Black authors and historical figures.

We’ve compiled a list of ebooks and audiobooks that are available through our virtual library collections. Click the links to learn more about each title, and download them to your device. (Not sure how? Find instructions on our Virtual Library page.) Selections with an asterisk are also part of our print collection, AAPLD cardholders can place them on hold for curbside pickup.

Our Youth Services department has also compiled a list of anti-racism reads for children. Access that list here.

Try these historical accounts, memoirs, poetry and social commentaries, available in digital and/or audiobook:

Available instantly on Hoopla:

• Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi*
• The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
• So You Want to Talk About Race? by Ijeoma Oluo
• When They Call You A Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors*

 

Available digitally through Overdrive:

• White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo*
• How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi*
• Me and white supremacy by Layla F. Saad*
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X*
• Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates*
• The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson*
• The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson*
• They Can’t Kill Us All by Wesley Lowery*
• Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? By Beverly Daniel Tatum
• For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange*
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou*
•  The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Ward*
• Native Son by Richard Wright*

Prefer fiction?

• The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead*
• The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead*
• Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward*
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison*
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale-Hurston*
• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison*
• Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin*
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas*
• Dear Martin by Nic Stone*
• Monster by Walter Dean Myers*

Ready to dig deeper into a new book, and win a cool t-shirt in the process? One of our favorite summer traditions is back—welcome to AAPLD’s 2020 Summer Reading Program!

Like most things these days, this year’s summer reading looks a little different. We have a new online program called Beanstack where you can register yourself and your family, and also track your progress.

Beanstack is easy to use and convenient. One person can set up an account for an entire family, which means there’s just one user name and password to remember.  There’s also an app, available for free through your favorite app store.

Here’s how to set up an account for yourself, and add family members as readers:

1. Start at the AAPLD home page, and click the Dig Deeper Summer Reading 2020 logo. This will take you to the sign-up page.
2. Scroll down and click Register an Individual or Family
3. On the next page, Beanstack asks if you’ve used the platform before. For most AAPLD patrons the answer is no, but if you hold a card with a different library, your home library might have used it. Even so, since you haven’t used Beanstack through AAPLD before, you should still choose no, as you will need to create a new, separate account for AAPLD reading programs.
4. The next screen gives you the option to register yourself, or register a child. As the person registering, you are the account holder, and you will have the option to enter multiple readers (including yourself). Fill in the requested information.

• For a user name, we suggest using your library card number. If you don’t have a library card, use your email address.
• If you are registering adults as readers, simply use 18+ for the person’s age, “Adult” for the school they attend, and “Adult” for next years’ grade level.
• Be sure to allow the account holder to receive emails from Beanstack (that’s how you’ll be notified when you’ve won prizes), but it isn’t necessary to have separate email contact information for each reader.

 

5. If you selected Register Yourself as an account holder and reader, once you’ve entered your information, Beanstack will ask if you would like to add another reader. Select Yes to continue adding readers, and be sure to save after each one.

Tracking your progress is just a matter of logging into your account, and selecting the correct badge for the book or activity. Adults need to fulfill just 5 badges to win their Dig Deeper Summer Reading t-shirt. We’ll also be doing weekly drawings for e-gift cards throughout the summer reading program.

If you prefer to track on paper, no worries. You can download and print forms at home, or request one with your next curbside check-out.  More questions? Visit our FAQ page, give us a call or connect on chat! We’re happy to help.

We’ve notified the first winner of our Database Deep Dive Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve been playing, be sure to check your email (spam too!) for an email from aapld on Tuesday, May 26. Let us know which local merchant you would like to receive a gift card for, and we’ll get your prize out to you.

If you didn’t win this week’s drawing, there’s still one more, on Monday, June 1. We’re continuing to post questions on Twitter, but if you’ve missed a few, no worries. You can find all of the questions at the end of this post.

The answer to each question can be found in one of our databases. There’s a list of them under our Virtual Library tab, and they’re also in the handy pull-out guide in your June-July newsletter.

Time saving tip: If you have school age kids, stash the guide where you can find it on a busy school night, for when someone needs trustworthy information for a report or project that they can access from home.

Answer each question here for a chance to win a $15 e-gift card in next week’s drawing. The Scavenger Hunt is open to AAPLD cardholders only.

Good luck and thanks for diving deep!

Database Deep Dive Scavenger Hunt Questions

1. Your favorite book is The God of Spring, by Arabella Edge. Where would you find other “read-alike”?
Which book, according to the resource, will you read next?
2. For spring cleaning, you need to order a new vacuum cleaner! Where would you find information about which to buy? Using the resource, which vacuum cleaner did you decide to buy?
3. The Spring Equinox marks the beginning of our spring season. Which resource would you use to find out more about it? Can you tell us another reason the equinox is special?
4. You adore clowns and have decided that becoming a visiting clown for parties and events would be your dream job! Before you open your new business, you need to check out the local competition. Which
database would you use to find out if any new clown businesses have opened in Algonquin in the last six
months?
5. Your new boyfriend is a huge Star Wars geek. Where would you go to find all the cool virtual stuff
AAPLD’s Adult Services department is doing for Star Wars Day? What is one of the real life languages,
that Star Wars language is based on? Which data base could you use to learn to speak one of those
languages?
6. Spring is perfect time to buy a new car. You have your eye on a 2018 Ford Fusion, but you’re concerned about the number of recalls. What database would you consult to find this information? Name one of the recalls listed.
7. You’ve hired a new employee for your revolutionary kite manufacturing company. Where would you find a legal confidentiality agreement?
8. One of your goals this week is to learn to make pie crust. Where would you go to find instructions? How long is the class “how to make pie crust” with Devlin Mannie?
9. Do you have Hay Fever? Which resource would you use to find out if you do? What are the 12 symptoms of hay fever?
10. You recently planned on looking for a new accounting job. However, now might not be such a good time to do so. In the meantime, you would like to work on your math skills. What database can give you
tutorials in math and even quiz you? Which of the 8 categories includes these tests?

If you’ve been missing AAPLD’s adult programs, you’ll find a growing list of virtual program offerings on our website, under the Programs and Events tab. Most programs are presented live on Zoom and recorded for later viewing on YouTube.

Here’s a sample of what’s coming up for May, June and July.

Fitness/Wellness/Health

Feeling tired and stressed? Give one of our wellness programs a try, and enjoy a workout in the privacy of your home. Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art that combines gentle exercise and meditation. Yin Yoga focuses on connecting muscle tissue. Programs are available for all ability levels, and Chair classes are great options for seniors and those with physical limitations.

History/Current Events

Popular speaker Barry Bradford will be presenting two programs this spring. On May 17, Barry will present Political Satire, which examines political humor from the writings of Mark Twain, to Will Rogers to late night host and commentator Stephen Colbert. In June, Barry’s topic is American Royalty, and the stories of Americans who married into royal families—for better and worse.

Also in June, join Gary Wenstrup for a look at Motown Records and hitmakers Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, the Temptations and more.

In July, journalist and statistician Matt Baron will present Go Figure: Lies, and Damn Lies, about how presidential campaigns use statistics. Learn to tell fact from fiction with this informative workshop.

Registration is required and space is limited, so register today!

Better Living Through Technology

Whether it’s learning to use popular apps such as Microsoft Word or Excel, Zoom, or TV streaming devices, or tips for how to organize your digital equipment, there’s a tech class for you! Classes are on-going, and taught by AAPLD Digital Literacy Librarian, Kenny Duray. Search for classes by clicking EVENT TYPE and selecting Adult Computer Classes from the dropdown menu.

That’s not all! There’s also a number of book clubs, our geneaology interest group, other special interest groups, craft classes and more! Hop over to the Programs and Events page on our website, or check out the June and July AAPLD newsletter, arriving in homes after May 15.

Questions? Reach out through email or chat, we’re happy to help.