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by Claire, Anderson-Foothill Branch  Join us for a period equity workshop led by Teen Squad member Iman, and in collaboration with the nonprofit Too Little Children, where you will learn how to sew reusable maxi-pads for girls and women in impoverished areas around the world. This one-time program strives to promote healthy and informative discussions on period education and equality, while helping to bring about positive change in the form of reusable maxi pad donations. Additionally, Anderson Foothill will be accepting any other period products to be donated to the Highland High Pantry and The VOA, in order to continue the fight to end period poverty. This event will be hosted in person and we hope you will join us on Saturday, June 18th at 11:00am the at Anderson Foothill Branch to learn about period equity and sew some reusable period products that will be delivered to girls in need in Pakistan this summer.
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by Lexi, Day-Riverside Branch  The Day-Riverside Branch ended their “Year of Zines” with a contest! Artists were instructed to design a zine detailing their ideas on how to build a better future, (because we are plumb out of ideas).  Our winning teen Emily, a past Teen Squad Volunteer, made this fabulous zine about Menstrual Equity! We are so proud of and inspired by her work, which details the effects of Period Product waste, the steps to self-production and the consequences of period poverty.     Her zine discusses the danger of undereducation, when it comes to menstruation, and details the physical dangers of inadequate access to period products.   Emily’s better future definitely sounds brighter, and she has inspired us to investigate ways we, as a Library branch, can contribute to ending period poverty! by Rebecca, Main Library  UPDATE: This event has been cancelled. Please join us March 12th for a panel about Environmental Activism. Hosted in collaboration with YouthCity Government and the Mayor’s Office, Teens Talk is a virtual panel series where local students present and lead discussions about the important social issues that affect our communities. We strive to promote honest conversations between teens and adults by giving teens a platform to share their ideas with peers, parents, teachers, and legislators. Our January panel event will be on the topic of Immigration and Refugee Experiences and facilitated by the International Rescue Committee’s Speaker’s Bureau member Yusuf Maung. Are you a teen interested in speaking on this panel? There’s still time to apply! This event will be hosted virtually and we hope you will join us on Saturday, January 22 at 2pm on Zoom. Zoom meeting information can be found on our calendar event here. by Saia, Glendale Branch  Growing up I did not see many characters in books or graphic novels that looked like me or had experiences like me. I never thought anything about why that was because it was normal to read the same narrative. The same narrative that I read was not representative of the world that I was a part of. My world contained many different faces, skin colors, abilities, sexualities, genders, styles, beliefs, religions, perspectives, classes, languages, and traditions. Due to what I was feeling and experiencing in my own life, I craved to see these things in the literature and media that I consumed. Now that I am older I strive to find books, movies, and graphic novels that give an honest representation of human stories and experiences. Representation matters because it centers the stories that are not heard or pushed to the wayside. When all voices and all stories do not get a chance to be heard and felt by other people it creates false assumptions and stereotypes. This in turn creates fear and divides us. This is why representation is so important. It is an act of re-centering humanity, ultimately leading to compassion and understanding. It is an act of empowerment by validating the experiences of those who are oppressed. For me personally, seeing characters who look like me and have similar experiences as me, helps me to remember that I am not alone in this world-that has made all the difference. I have created a list of graphic novels that center individuals and stories that represent people of differing abilities, color, queerness, religions, as well as refugee experiences. All titles center those who are Teens or Young Adults. There are only 10 titles that I could fit into this blog post and each of the summaries I have taken from the publisher. If you like the title given on this list, go ahead and click directly on it. This will take you to our catalog and you can check it out using your library card. The list given is in no way a total representation of how people see and identify themselves. I encourage you, the reader, to create your own list. What would you include? Remember, representation is important but take the time to ask yourself, Why does it matter to you?
by Amrita, Anderson-Foothill Teen Squad  We've put together a booklist of books for activism! These book categories contain various topics that aren't very popular in young adult book sections, so we're giving them a spotlight. Each category has two sub sections, one for non-fiction and one for fiction, so there should be something for everyone. Hope you like it!      Many of these titles are available to check out from The City Library. Search our catalog here. And click here for a printable version of the booklist. by Becca, Main Library  With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s an important time to learn more about the indigenous people of the United States, understand what exactly we are celebrating during this holiday (did you know some Native Americans refer to Thanksgiving as a Day of Mourning?), and challenge some of our long-held beliefs about the history of the United States. Here are some simple ways you can celebrate Native American Heritage Month this year and learn more about the indigenous people of the United States:
 Share with us in the comments what you plan to do to celebrate Native American Heritage Month this year. Did you learn anything new from the resources above? We’d love to hear from you! |
