North Portland Library breaks ground
On May 19, Multnomah County Library broke ground on one of its most historic building projects, North Portland Library.
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Q&A with Nanea Woods, Prose Before Bros book club founder
Nanea Woods was born and raised in Portland, and is the founder of Prose Before Bros, a book club for and by women of color.
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Delta Park Powwow 50th Anniversary
The Indigenous team at the library focuses on connecting with the community. This is the first year the library is tabling at the Delta Park Powwow. The team will be giving away books, helping people get library cards, and creating a bridge between the Native community and the library.
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Juneteenth at the library: History and ways to celebrate with family
The first Juneteenth in Portland was led by Clara Peoples in 1945.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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March Mathness
This March, kids can learn how math can be fun by participating in March Mathness!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The library’s Black Cultural Library Advocates
"BCLA team members are committed to making and maintaining community connections, creating a safe space, and highlighting Black culture through displays and programming.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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New Ukrainian library collection
The library is adding a new selection of Ukrainian materials to its collection!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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