The September Project in the news

Last week, The September Project received a nice write-up in American Libraries, the magazine of the American Library Association (ALA). The article’s author, Greg Landgraf, did an excellent job highlighting the diversity of September Project events.

To show the range of events, Landgraf mentions an academic library (O’Grady Library at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington), a public library (Goffstown Public Library in Goffstown, New Hampshire), and a school library (at Country Day School in Huntsville, Alabama). The article also spotlights the ALA’s own event, a reading of the Qur’an on its front steps on September 11.

As an educator, I really enjoyed learning more about O’Grady Library’s September Project event which explored the controversy surrounding the nearby Olympia Food Co-op’s decision to boycott Israeli products (on a local scale) and the related issues surrounding the Israeli/Palestinian conflict (on a global scale). Professors Irina Gendelman and Nathalie Kuroiwa-Lewis asked their Digital Journalism students to combine library research and on-site reporting to create a digital slide installation in O’Grady Library. In the article, Professor Gendelman notes that the co-op’s boycott caused “a pretty big rift in the community, and people were polarized suddenly. This is an effort to contribute to that conversation.”

Getting folks together for difficult conversations and providing resources for people to learn more about their world is what The September Project is all about. It is also what libraries – like Goffstown Public Library, pictured below – do every day.

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Country Day School participates again!

It’s always such a joy to hear from Roberta Malcolm, of the Country Day School in Huntsville, Alabama. Her programs are thoughtful and creative, and the few times we’ve had an opportunity to see them through photographs, our assumptions were correct: the children are engaged and enthralled by Roberta’s inspired programming and pedagogy. I’ll let her share what she has planned for 2010:

Since 2002, I have honored September 11th with some special reading, display or movie. In 2009 we watched Man on Wire and sent a letter to M. Petit. In the past, we have talked about the dog heroes, tugboat heroes and I will never stop reminding the students about what a wonderful country we live in. I will continue that tradition this year with 14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy, Thomas González (Illustrator), Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah. I just returned from a trip to Africa ( So. Africa,Tanzania, and Kenya) which my students have been hearing the planning for during the past school year. During my travels, I was able to visit a Maasai village and school. My students will hear about my visit in connection with September 11th and how that event has impacted the world.

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The 1st Amendment

September is right around the corner and we are anticipating the upcoming events.  Recently, we have received word from the Gleeson Library at The University of San Francisco that their event will focus on the first amendment.

photos by:  davidsilver

They plan on having posters for each of the freedoms listed in the first amendment:

1)    Freedom of religion

2)    Freedom of speech

3)    Freedom of the press

4)    Peaceable assembly

5)    Right to petition

Also, they plan on displaying one or two books that relate to each freedom as well as explanatory text about Constitution Day and the September Project.  Finally, the Gleason Library will be providing free U.S Constitution copies and booklets called “Our American Government” from the Government Printing Office.  This should be a great event and be sure to check this one out if you are in San Francisco!

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A school library in Buenos Aires, Argentina

We recently received an email from Clelia Ines who works at Coronel Jose Felix Bogado school library in Campana, Buenos Aires, Argentina. We are excited to welcome Clelia and the students she works with to the September Project.

She wrote:

Me gustaria participar del proyecto. Estoy trabajando en una escuela rural de doble jornada en el paraje Rio Lujan de Campana Prov de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

La Biblioteca escolar pequeña y no actualizada pero hacemos mucho por formar lectores competentes envio fotos de un intercambio con el jardin de infantes 920 del mismo barrio.

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first Missouri event!

I was reminded by Julia Jorgensen, from Cape Central High School in Cape Girardeau, MO, that her school’s events are the first this year from the state of Missouri AND this is the FIFTH year her school has participated. She remarked that this “is significant to us!” and I share her enthusiasm. It’s significant to us when a participant’s events are the first pin placed on a state or nation on our map, and we’re so pleased to extend a gracious “welcome back!” to her school for the 5th time. Welcome back, Cape Central High School!

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Students get active at Cape Central High School (MO)

Do you remember the first time you voted? I do. It was incredible. I believed–as I do now–that my voice made a difference, that I had the ability to shape events larger than myself. This swell of memory put a smile on my face as I read about the events at Cape Central High School in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Read on:

VOTER REGISTRATION: Students 17 1/2 and older will be encouraged to register to vote on Patriot Day. Addresses can be changed on voter registration cards for those who may have moved recently.

BOOK, WEB SITE and more: Declare Yourself: Speak. Connect. Act. Vote. 50 celebrated Americans—from Adrian Grenier to Amber Tamblyn to Hayden Panettiere to Alice Walker— share their compelling perspectives on voting and civic involvement in this one-of-a-kind book. This collection of more than fifty essays and unique pieces explores topics ranging from “The First Time I Voted” to “Why the Personal is Political,” all straight from the pens of public figures you know and admire. Declare yourself. http://www.declareyourself.com will be shown on the Smart Cart during lunch on September 11 and excerpts from the book will be shared.

MOVIE: We will show National Treasure, a great action film, during lunch on Friday, September 12 (start time 10:50)

FICTIONAL fun-read: First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover: What makes someone an American?

DISPLAYS: A special display, The Election, can be found in the library after September 9. We will have several copies of the Constitution (for Constitution Day on Sept. 17th) available for viewing those parts of the Constitution covering the election of the U.S. President. Books new to our collection on the Presidents, First Ladies and families will be highlighted.

POET LAUREATE: We are pleased to host Missouri’s first Poet Laureate, Walter Bargen, in the Central Library on Wednesday, September 17. He will speak about and share his poetry at 10:05 and 11:20.

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