Articles

Displaying 26 - 50 of 61

Juneteenth at the library: History and ways to celebrate with family

The first Juneteenth in Portland was led by Clara Peoples in 1945.

Authored on:

New library spaces bring together art and community

Multnomah County Library (MCL) and Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) are teaming up to bring artwork to libraries throughout Multnomah County.

Authored on:

Library teams bring Native author to local teens & families

Multnomah County Library's Indigenous and teen services teams will welcome acclaimed Native author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Mvskoke) to two high schools.

Authored on:

Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI). Multnomah County Library will celebrate this multicultural event with the AANHPI communities.

Authored on:

Construction underway! Why multiple libraries closed at the same time

Multnomah County Library locations are undergoing construction or renovations. Thanks to a 2020 library bond measure, your libraries are getting exciting updates.

Authored on:

10 things you can get at the library for free (besides books)

Libraries are now thriving community spaces where you can meet with peers, get computer help and enjoy art programs. But did you know there are many more free things that you can do through the library?

Authored on:

Celebrate music and culture during the month-long festivities of Día

Día de los Niños y Día de los Libros (Children’s Day and Books Day), often referred to as Día, is an annual library celebration of children, literacy, culture, family and multilingualism.

Authored on:

Spring is here! Library staff share how they connect to nature

April is a month full of nature! It’s Native Plant Appreciation month, Plant Appreciation Day is on April 13 and Earth Day is April 22. This month, we asked our staff of color and culture how they connect with nature, plants, gardening and books.

Authored on:

March Mathness

This March, kids can learn how math can be fun by participating in March Mathness!

Authored on:

6 women who tell our stories

The 2023 Women’s History Month theme is “Celebrate Women Who Tell Our Stories.” We are highlighting women storytellers who work in print, radio, TV, podcasts and other media.

Authored on:

Top 5 books about Black Resistance for kids and teens

The 2023 national theme for Black History Month is “Black Resistance,” in recognition of the historic and ongoing oppression that Black and African American people have resisted.

Authored on:

Discover Black history through newspapers

Black-owned newspapers date back to before the Civil War. Even after Black people began publishing newspapers, there were areas of the country where people still communicated in secret to avoid violence and suspicion. In much of the country, Black people, especially enslaved Black people, lived under governments that made it illegal for them to read or write. 

Authored on:

The library’s Black Cultural Library Advocates

The Black Cultural Library Advocates (BCLA) are library team members who focus on strengthening the connection between the Black community and Multnomah County Library. BCLA members connect people to services they need — whether through the county or with outside organizations.

Authored on:

History of Kwanzaa at North Portland Library

The North Portland Library has been participating in community-wide Kwanzaa celebrations since 2000. Educator and community leader Joyce Harris has been a staple for Kwanzaa in Portland since the early years of celebrations, dating back to the early 1970s in someone’s home.

Authored on:

Lunar New Year of the Cat and Rabbit

All across Asia, Lunar New Year is a time of appreciation, reflection and celebration with family and friends. At Multnomah County Library, Lunar New Year is a special time for fun and engaging library programs that share the history and traditions of this celebration with the local community.

Authored on:

The Spanish library team meets people where they are

The Spanish language team collaborates with schools, community partners and nonprofits to connect with patrons in and out of the library.

Authored on:

The Indigenous team of Multnomah County Library

In 2021 the library formed an Indigenous team to provide better representation of Indigenous people in the library. The Indigenous team strives to offer multi-generational programs and better access to resources. They also create displays that value elders, youth, storytelling, tradition and activism.

Authored on:

Your Lucky Day is today!

Lucky Day books are highly anticipated books, often new releases or bestsellers, that you usually have to wait for because they are so popular. So if you’ve been waiting for a particular book, today might be your lucky day!

Authored on:

New Ukrainian library collection

The library is adding a new selection of Ukrainian materials to its collection!

Authored on:

The White Allies Handbook with Lecia Michelle

Lecia Michelle is the author of The White Allies Handbook: 4 Weeks to Join the Racial Justice Fight for Black Women. She is a librarian by trade with experience at universities and public libraries.

Authored on:

From Books to Beats

How the library promotes literacy through music

Authored on:

Be part of the Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most celebrated holidays in China, Vietnam and other Asian countries. It falls on the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese lunisolar calendar, which is sometime in mid-September, when the moon is at its fullest.

Authored on:

Teen siblings volunteering at the library

Multnomah County Library’s Summer Reading program encourages kids, teens, and families to read throughout the summer. With hundreds of kids signed up each year to participate, Summer Reading relies on youth volunteers to keep everything running smoothly.

Authored on:

Patron spotlight: Frances Spann

When Frances Spann would come into the library for technology help, she was determined to finish writing, editing and publishing her life story.

With the help of Lynnea Amend, staff technology trainer, and Andrew Nilsen, bilingual Spanish tech help coordinator, Frances Spann learned new technology skills and made two new friends.

Authored on:

Sneak a peek at the new Mobile Library!

The Mobile Library is a custom RV that is the size of a band’s tour bus! It will bring library services to neighborhoods around Multnomah County. Along with space for storytimes and programs, the Mobile Library features bookshelves to browse, computer stations, wifi access, printers with scanning and faxing abilities, AC and heat.

Authored on:

Subscribe to Articles