Director ’s MESSAGE

Greetings!

Say “November” and most folks immediately think “Thanksgiving.”

It’s a holiday we love celebrating at Broward County Library (BCL) with crafts, special storytimes and trivia contests. We have another holiday of great importance to focus on as well: Veterans Day.

I’ve always thought it appropriate that the two holidays fall close together since our veterans have given us so much to be thankful for. The freedoms I cherish most – the freedom to read, write, speak and vote – are blessings for which we are indebted to our veterans.

We will be celebrating veterans with movies, crafts, tributes, resource fairs and a super Veterans Family Day event on November 4th at the Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park in Fort Lauderdale. The celebration at this communitywide outdoor festival includes music, free food, face painting, vendors, a magic show and information/resource tables. Please come grateful and ready to party!

Some of our war heroes were firing words rather than bullets. My Director’s Book Club for November will feature Judith Mackrell’s fascinating account of The Correspondents: Six Women Writers on the Front Lines of World War II. Join me to talk about real journalists chasing sources, dodging gunfire, conducting wild love affairs and socializing with Eleanor Roosevelt, Picasso and Man Ray. This month we’ll meet at Felicita’s Coffee Soul, Miramar

Another observance we are pulling out all the stops for is Native American Heritage Month. Our slate of amazing programs includes the screening of a documentary film on the Choctaw Code Talkers, heroic Native American soldiers who used the uniqueness of their language as a clever weapon during World War I.

We’ll be doing teen and adult book discussions, a dreamcatcher workshop with Native American artist Erika Tommie, storytimes, crafts and a special presentation on tracing Native American Heritage using one of our many free online resources for genealogy, Ancestry. com.

BCL has a number of major events and signature programs that we host annually in November. The legendary, annual Storybook Festival, now in its 22nd year, is back to wow families. It’s a blockbuster production with the first 1,000 kids receiving a free book! No family with kids 10 and under should miss this fabulous freebie.

It’s time again for Craftapalooza at Main Library, a day of crafting and workshops with experts, all free, supplies included. Come make some holiday décor and gifts. We have so many special programs, and you can find them all on the Events Calendar. Just select your date range, topic and add filters for location or anything else you choose. Surprise yourself!

For example, I was really excited to discover Tails to Talons: Saving Wildlife in Our Urban Jungle, presented by South Florida Wildlife Center. For over 50 years this non-profit wildlife hospital in Fort Lauderdale has been rescuing and rehabbing sick, injured and orphaned wildlife.

Want to help? Learn how when their Animal Ambassadors arrive and teach us ways to protect native South Florida creatures.

As many of you know, I myself am not a native South Floridian. After reading last month’s message, we heard from Vicki, a customer who wrote asking about my hometown. I’m from Powder Springs, Georgia. True to form for a small Southern city, it has a long history peopled with colorful characters, Confederate spies, businessmen, school children, ladies of leisure, ministers and moonshiners. It was formed from land belonging to two Cherokee chiefs and in its early days was a resort/health spa, Civil War encampment, railroad town and agricultural center. undiscovered places we have yet to go. Wishing you all great reads and happy holidays!

Vicki has given me an idea.We have so many notable Georgia authors…maybe we’ll make one a Director’s Book Club selection. Can you name a few?

Let’s all give thanks today and every day, for where we are, where we have come from, and the

DIRECTOR’S BOOK CLUB

Sincerely, The

Allison Grubbs

Join Broward County Library Director Allison Grubbs discussing thought-provoking books. Read the book or listen to the audiobook, then get together with Allison and others to talk about it.

November 7•1-2PM

Felicita’s Coffee Soul 921 N University Dr. Coral Springs, FL 33071

November 17•Noon-1PM

Miramar Branch Library and Education Center

November 29 Noon-1PM•Online