Tag: Owen

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BPL News & Information Programs

Standing Up To Censorship – Program Preview

by Public Service Associate Owen

Despite the protections of free speech that are enshrined in our Constitution, there are still those present in our society that wish to impose censorship in the literary world. Books are being challenged for their content and are being banned from schools and libraries at an alarming rate. It is important now, more than ever, to stand up to the growing encroachment of censorship and book banning, as it can be a slippery slope that ultimately leads to a fearful, closed-minded, and mistrustful society. This is why Bexley Public Library is determined to help stand up to censorship, and we invite you to do the same as part of our two-part Standing Up To Censorship program. Parts I and II of this program can be attended both in-person in the BPL Auditorium, as well as online via Zoom.

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Booklists BPL News & Information Recommendations

A Day On: Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Bexley and Columbus

by Public Service Associate Owen

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a towering figure of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. Today, we honor his legacy, his commitment to non-violence, and his incessant will to see America through to true societal equality. While it can be easy to treat Martin Luther King Jr. day as just another holiday or day off, I believe it is important to take action on a day like this. Ohio state Senator Hearcel Craig calls Martin Luther King Jr. Day “a day on, and not a day off, because of what Dr. King represented and his focus on service.” So, if you are looking for ways to get involved and to honor Dr. King’s legacy, I have compiled some materials, resources, and events to plan a day of service around.

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Booklists Staff Book Reviews

Columbus Reads

by Public Service Associate Owen

Our humble capital city of Columbus is one of the nicest places to live in the state, and perhaps even the country! If you’re optimistic enough, that is. Often scoffed at by those who don’t reside here and often underappreciated by those that do, I am here to sing the praises of our state capital and to highlight some of the books that provide insight into what makes Columbus a special place to live. From the Statehouse to the Chill, here are four books about Columbus!

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Recommendations staff favorites

Staff Favorites 2021

by Public Service Associate Juliana

Welcome to our yearly round up! Each December it’s become Bexley Library tradition to collect a sampling of our favorite releases from the past 12 months. We hope this year’s compilation inspires you this holiday season! For even more great recommendations, listen to our recent podcast episode, “Best of 2021!”

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Booklists Recommendations Staff Book Reviews

Books I’m Thankful For

by Public Service Associate Owen

I find Thanksgiving to be a wonderful holiday, where friends and family can gather with purpose to be thankful for each other and for what has gone well in their lives. This is the time of year where I am most attentive to what good is around me and what has shaped me as a person. This is especially true with books, which have had such a profound effect on how I was raised and how I view the world today. In this blog post, I will briefly elaborate some of the literary works that have had a substantial impact on my life. In doing so, I hope to both open your eyes to some of these monumental works, as well as to encourage you to reflect on some of the authors and books that have affected your life in a positive way.

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Recommendations Staff Book Reviews

Indigenous Heritage Month

by Public Service Associate Owen

November is National Indigenous Heritage Month, and as such it is an honor to use this space to feature some works of prolific indigenous authors. As Americans, it is of vital importance to recognize the peoples of this continent who were here prior to settlers and colonists. By highlighting some great works of indigenous authors, including the one book that brought indigenous literature into the mainstream, I hope to at least pay some respect to those whose voices were often silenced.

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Booklists Recommendations

Cookbooks to Dine For!

by Public Service Associate Owen

October brings many wonderful things: the changing of the leaves, sweaters, football games on cool Friday nights, and many other wonderful aspects of autumn. It also features something else I find wonderful – it’s National Cookbook Month! As someone who is always looking for new recipes and creative ideas for cooking, I find cookbooks to be a great source of delicious inspiration. Our cookbook collection here at BPL is quite extensive, so whether you’re vegan, a budding grillmaster, gluten-free, looking to lose weight, or looking to wow the guests of your next dinner party, we have a cookbook for you! To celebrate our collection, I thought I would pick a few of my favorite cookbooks that we have here at BPL.

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Booklists Recommendations

Hispanic Heritage Month

A Celebration of Gabriel García Márquez

by Public Service Associate Owen

September is Hispanic Heritage Month! In celebration, I would like to use this space to highlight and honor one of the most prolific Latin American authors, whose innovative style, elegant prose, and rich, emotive themes have enlivened bookshelves continents over. The Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez who lived from 1927-2014. He was one of the most prolific writers of the last century, and, together with authors such as Julio Cortázar of Argentina, Carlos Fuentes of Mexico, and Mario Vargas Llosa of Peru, was a key figure in the Latin American literary boom of the 1960s and 1970s. His novels, especially One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera, are pioneering works that provide a window into the condition of Latin American life. These works helped establish Latin America as a bastion of innovative literary styles, as García Márquez’s signature style, magical realism, was pioneered in these novels.

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Booklists Recommendations

Gold Medal Reads for the Olympics

by Public Service Associate Owen

The Olympic Games are upon us once again! On July 23rd, the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics will have commenced… only a year after they were supposed to have taken place! The COVID-19 Pandemic, along with postponing the Olympic Games for the first time in history, has also prevented spectators from attending the Games in-person. But don’t worry – if your summer trip to see the Games in Tokyo was quashed by COVID, there are plenty of books that are available here at BPL to make sure you’re well-versed in all things Olympics.

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