Current D.E.I. Library Activities

• ^{Sunday – October 13, 2024, South Branch Library Mgr. Zina Hardee, accepted an “Outstanding Community Partnership” award given by the St. Peter’s United Methodist Church of Oxford.  This award was in appreciation of the Granville County Library System providing access to digital learning by loaning laptop computers to the church in support of their “Reaching, Reading & Feeding” outreach and Bizzy Bee Camp summer literacy programs. In addition to the 80-100 nutritional cooked lunches, underserved children were able to access grade level reading material and online assessments that tracked their progress.  “Our partnership with St. Peter’s United Methodist Church has allowed us to bridge gaps in digital literacy, ensuring our children not only read but thrive.”}
• _{Saturday – October 12th @ 11am & 2pm (Thornton Library):  “The Granville Project” – The project “Creating Accessible and User-Friendly Black Genealogical Tools” has spent the past 18 months analyzing family papers housed at the Wilson Special Collections Library in Chapel Hill.  Other available census and biographical records are also being used to build a database of both free and enslaved African Americans from the 18th thru 20th centuries.  The final project is a website for the descendants of Granville County residents to perform genealogical research.  It will be free to the public and will focus on the descendants of Black Granville County residents during and immediately after the slave era.} 
• _{2nd Annual Granville County JUNETEENTH FREEDOM DAY “Expressions of Freedom” will be held on Saturday – June 15, 2024. Come out and enjoy an array of vendors, food trucks, local authors and more.  There will be a specialized “Juneteenth” Storytime, followed by an interactive puppet show.  And don’t forget to immerse yourself in our historical exhibit located inside the library meeting rooms.  There you will learn more about the origin of Juneteeth, its purpose, meaning and so much more!}
• _{Granville Street Colored Library Marked in History:  On September 15, 2023, a dedication ceremony was held at what was formally known as the Granville Street Colored Library.  An official historic marker was placed out front to let people know of its rich history; especially the Black community.  The historical marker was made possible by a partnership between the Granville County Library System Board of Trustees and First Baptist Church of Oxford. Funding for the marker came from the Granville County Library System Memorial Fund.  The Granville Street Colored Library opened its doors June 12, 1942. It closed its doors for good in May of 1975.  “It was one of the first in the southeastern United States to receive public funding for a local library” said Granville County Library System NC Room Specialist, Mark Pace.  Mark described the library as the ‘focal point of the African American community during the days of segregation and suggests that “You could make a good case that the Granville Street Library was the heart and soul of the African-American community in Oxford.”   For more information and to view the dedication ceremony, please visit https://www.wral.com/story/granville-street-colored-library-an-important-touchstone-for-black-history-in-oxford/21088900/}  
• _{1st Annual Granville County JUNETEENTH FREEDOM DAY was scheduled for Saturday – June 17, 2023. In conjunction with The BRIDGE GC, this day commemorates the emancipation of slavery and celebrates the day of freedom for African Americans. (Richard Thornton Library & Wall St., 10a – 5p)}
• _{Sensory Cart OPEN HOUSE scheduled @ Thornton and South Branch locations:}
  • _{March 4th (1 – 4pm) South Branch}
  • _{March 8th (1 – 4pm) Thornton Branch}
  • _{March 11th (10a – 1pm) Thornton Branch}
  • _{March 14th (1 – 4pm) South Branch} 
  • _{A sensory cart can be used by anyone to relax, reduce anxiety, calm, de-escalate and improve focus.   It houses a number of features which allow a user to control their environment in order to foster a safe stress-free atmosphere.  Just roll, park, and plug in to create a spectacular sensory experience.}  
  • _{https://www.winknews.com/2017/12/11/sensory-cart-aims-help-calm-kids-autism-hospital/}
  • _{https://books.google.com/books?id=MNdFDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=sensory+carts+for+older+adults&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiFhZewns75AhVirmoFHfIpBFIQ6AF6BAgIEAI}
• _{Explore additional language needs of the community. (Multilingual services)}
  • _{Advertise programs in Spanish language.}
• _{OASIS SPACES: “How African Americans Navigated The Jim Crow South” – Join NC Room Specialist Mark Pace and learn the history of North Carolina’s statewide network of business owners and Green Book sites that allowed African American communities to thrive.  (Wednesday – May 17, 2023 @ 6:30pm; Richard Thornton Library – FREE ADMISSION)}
• _{CULTURFEST 2023 – Saturday – May 13, 2023; 11a – 4p, Little John St, Oxford.}
  • _{Library tabling and providing information to public; new card registrations.}
• _{The GCLS was the recipient of a recognition award presented by the Granville County Veterans Affairs Committee for the continued and dedicated support of the veterans of Granville County – March 11, 2023.}
• _{”In partnership with the GRANVILLE COUNTY SENIOR CENTER – February 22, 2023 @ 11:00AM.  “A History of African Americans in Granville County” Presented by local historian and North Carolina Room Specialist, Mark Pace, will share historical facts and stories about the county’s local African American history and its far-reaching impact.  This program will be offered both in-person and online.  For more information, please contact the Granville County Senior Center @ (919) 693-1930.}
•  Butner FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS – host cite for a recruitment job fair.
• _{HubZone Technology Initiative, Inc. Veterans Day Laptop Drive – received laptop donations to give to Veterans in need.}  
• _{Books For Africa.org – donated 300 books to help ease the book famine in Africa. (ongoing)}
• ^{African American Public History in Granville” – A Roundtable discussion and workshop where we learned about recently discovered African American historic sites in Granville County, NC.} 
• ^{“FINE FREE” Initiative – The GCLS has joined the ranks of libraries across the nation; therefore, removing the associated stigma with owing money. This helps to erase barriers to library use that disproportionately affect low-income households. When patrons accumulate fines and fees, they become less inclined to revisit the library. Fines, therefore, create an obstacle to library access that can be harder for those patrons to overcome compared to other borrowers.  Penalties drive away the people who stand to benefit the most from free library resources.}
• ^{MAUDE LASSITER Reveal – Showcasing the first African American Librarian in Granville County, NC.; a position she held for 23 years from 1942 – 1975. “This painting was a collaborative effort by our staff to honor Maude Lassiter, a trailblazing woman who excelled in a field that had low black representation, in a state that was extremely segregated. We hope that this commission will also contribute to the representation of significant black citizens in our local history today, where they are often forgotten.”  – Andrew Maloney (Branch Mgr. Thornton Library)}

_{https://www.granvillecounty.org/2020/11/17/painting-honors-countys-first-african-american-librarian/}

• _{LIBRARY INSTRUCTION & ARTWORK – offered in multiple languages}
  • _{Patron self-checkout stations w/ signage in English, Spanish, French and Mandarin.}
  • _{Library Circulation Policy & Services trifold handout in English & Spanish.}
  • _{Multicultural posters and displays that help create a welcoming environment for all.}
• _{COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT –}
  • _{FOREIGN LANGUAGE – Increased Spanish language material through targeted collection development efforts.}
  • _{ADULT NON-FICTION BISAC subject headings – Book Industry Standards and Communication was developed to standardize subject information. It is a classification system which involves organizing books and other materials by topic, with words instead of numbers on the labels.  BISAC headings consist of 52 major/ broad headings with additional subheadings relating uniquely to a particular subject.  It gives the library collection a “Bookstore” like feel.}
  • _{ADULT FICTION GENREFICATION is a term used to describe the separation of fiction titles by genres instead of Author last names. We will have intuitive shelving that is dynamic and able to change as quickly as the needs of our patrons.  It provides for easier browsing, empowers users, increases circulation & improves reading skills, increases familiarity of the collection, and enhances the user experience – (Suzanne Sannwald, http://genrefication.weebly.com/}
• _{LIBRARY BOOK CLUBS}
  • _{General Adult (South Branch & Berea Branch)}
  • _{Getting To Know You book discussion group for learning & building community. (Thornton Branch)}
  • _{LGBTQ+ (Thornton Branch)}
• _{OUTREACH –}
  • _{HAROLD SHERMAN ADULT DAY CARE}
    • _{Video tours of cities, space, and the ocean (selection of books available to walk-ins.)}
  • _{CREEDMOOR SENIOR CENTER:}
    • _{Book Club}
  • _{BUTNER INSIGHT JUVENILE CRISIS CENTER}
    • _{Delivered oral presentations on the History of Fairy Tales (June) and Mythology (July). This facility provides short-term placement for teens with behavioral and/ or family issues. The library has donated six boxes of Juvenile and Young Adult material to the center to be distributed amongst themselves and their partner organizations.}