November is Native American Heritage Month

American Indian Code Talkers
American Indian Museum
Eiteljorg Fellowship for Native American Fine Art
Native American Heritage Month
Native Now
Poarch Band of Creek Indians
We Shall Remain

Banned Books Week

Banned Book Week at Amnesty International
Banned Book Week on Facebook
Banned Book Week on Google Books
Banned Book Week on MySpace
Banned Book Week at NPR
Banned Books Online

September 22nd is Hobbit Day! :O)

Hobbit Day commemorates the birthday of the hobbits Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit andThe Lord of the Rings. Bilbo was born on September 22^nd in the year 2890 and Frodo was born on September 22^nd in the year 2968. The week which includes Hobbit Day is known as Tolkien Week. Please visit the library if you are interested in learning more about J. R. R. Tolkien or reading any of his works.

September 17th is Constitution Day!

We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our prosperity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Celebrate Constitution Day

Constituting America

Constitution Day

Constitutional Amendments

National Constitution Center

Naturalization Test

Online Constitution

We the People Contest

Library Reopens!

After an entire year of using a classroom as temporary quarters, the library has finally reopened its newly renovated facility. Spacious, inviting, and comfortable are just a few of the many ways to describe the new library space. There are more study carrels, expanded shelving, improved seating, numerous areas for group study, a state of the art classroom, etc. If you have not yet seen the finished product, please stop by the library. We are certain that you will be amazed!

Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15th, Independence Day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, & Nicaragua, marks the beginning of the national celebration of HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. If one considers Hispanic contributions in the areas of literature, art, music, film, dance, language, cuisine, fashion, and so forth, it would be hard to overstate their tremendous cultural influence. For further exploration of this rich heritage, please visit the following links:

· Florida’s Hispanic Heritage

· Hispanic Heritage in the Americas

· Hispanic Heritage Month at the Smithsonian

· Hoy en la historia / Today in History

· Legislative History of Hispanic Heritage Month

· Library of Congress Hispanic Heritage Exhibit

· PBS Programming for Hispanic Heritage Month

· Smithsonian Latino Center

· Twenty Frequently Asked Questions about Hispanics

News from around the Globe!

• BBC (Great Britain)
• Deccan Herald (India)
• Der Spiegel (Germany)
• Hola (Spain)
• Jerusalem Post (Israel)
• Maclean's (Canada)
• Mail & Guardian (South Africa)
• El País (Spain)
• Paris Match (France)
• Pravda (Russia)
• Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)

Talk like Shakespeare Day!

Friday April 23rd is Talk Like Shakespeare Day, observed annually to honor the birth of the great bard. For great ideas on how to celebrate Talk Like Shakespeare Day, please visit http://www.talklikeshakespeare.org/.

Brewton Area Earth Day Observance

EARTH DAY: The Greater Brewton Area Chamber of Commerce along with the cities of Brewton and East Brewton would like to invite you to participate in our Earth Day Clean Up set for Saturday, April 24, 2010. The Jay Road Landfill will be open between 7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., free of charge, for residents to dispose of electronics (please note that television and computer components will cost $7 per item) and trash only, no household garbage or chemicals. The City of East Brewton will have their trash truck available for East Brewton residents; call 867-7998 for pickup. Here is a list of how to dispose of certain items:

Automobile Batteries: Advance Auto Parts, Auto Zone, and O’Reilly Auto Parts all located on Douglas Avenue.

Automobile Oil: Advance Auto Parts, Auto Zone and O’Reilly Auto Parts

Old Appliances: You may take these to the Jay Road Landfill, free of charge, during Earth Day Cleanup, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., including television and computer components, which will cost $7 per item to dispose of. RESIDENTS ONLY!

Dumpsters will be located in various locations: Burnt Corn Creek Park, College Drive in Alco, parking lot behind the old Wal-Mart building and the corner of Sowell Rd and Liles Blvd.

Tires: Put in dumpsters in various locations, RESIDENTS ONLY!

We appreciate the efforts of each individual that is dedicated to helping keep our environment clean. Thank you for your support. If you need additional information, call the Greater Brewton Area Chamber of Commerce, 867-3224 or East Brewton City Hall, 867-6092. Residents only, no businesses or commercial organizations please.

Sponsored by:
The Brewton City Council’s Earth Day Committee
The Greater Brewton Area Chamber of Commerce

April 22 is Earth Day!

To help create a greener future, please visit the following sites:

• Earth Day Network
• Earth from Above
• Earth Island Institute
• Earth Site
• Ebsco's GreenFile
• The Nature Conservancy
• The Rainforest Site
• We Earth
• Worldwatch Institute

Amnesty during National Library Week!

To help celebrate National Library Week, the library staff will waive all overdue fines between now and Friday, April 16. Please take advantage of this opportunity, especially if you have overdue DVDs.

April is National Poetry Month

Our National Poetry Month celebration this year will culminate with the observance of Poem in your Pocket Day on the 29th. The idea is simple: select a poem you love during National Poetry Month then carry it with you to share with co-workers, family, and friends on the 29th of April. Poems from pockets will be unfolded throughout the day with events in parks, libraries, schools, workplaces, and bookstores.

• Subscribe to Poem a Day and receive a new poem each day during April: http://www.poets.org/


• Pocket-sized poems from the Academy of American Poets: http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/409


• New York City’s Poem in your Pocket page: http://www.nyc.gov/html/poem/

March is Women's History Month

This year’s NWHP theme is Writing Women back into History. To explore the many historical contributions of women, please visit the following links:

• National Women's History Project Blog
• Women’s History on the History Channel
• Women's History Quiz
• Women's History Timeline

We also recommend the following title: When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present by Gail Collins. (HQ 1421 .C64 2009)

Image from http://www.marciaweberartobjects.com/; used with permission.

Photographs by Robert Radin

“This Beautiful World,” a traveling art exhibition on display in the Fine Arts Center, features works by Los Angeles-based photographer Robert Radin. Thirty pieces of his photograph collection will be on display beginning February 11th with a premier showing at 6 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend. The exhibit will remain open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through February 19th. A special thanks to Susan Chapman and Jerry Simmons for securing and displaying the work.

African American History Month

African American Art
African American Mosaic
African American Writers
African Americans at War
Black Facts Online
Black History Hotlist
Black History Pages
Black History Resources
Ethnic News Watch
From Slavery to Freedom
Guide to Black History
Museum of the African Diaspora
National Geographic's Underground Railroad
Reflections in Black
Speak to My Heart
Underground Railroad Experience

Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The third Monday in January is set aside to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., perhaps the most important figure in the history of Civil Rights in the United States. Strongly influenced by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. King advocated the use of nonviolent means to end racial segregation. He organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957 and led the 1963 March on Washington. He was also instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, effectively outlawing discrimination in public accommodations, facilities, and employment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964 and died four years later at the hands of an assassin on April 4, 1968.