I hope that by now you will have attended, or at least heard about, a number of events in the Town of Suffield’s Inclusivity Speaker Series which began earlier this month. Engaging in conversations like these help remind me that in today’s socially distant world, there’s a lot we don’t know we don’t know. It also reminds me that there are a lot of scared people out there, and it’s important to know where you can feel safe.
In collaboration with our Town’s Youth Services, the Library has held six sessions of an Intergenerational Book Club, to engage in conversations such as the ones in this speaker series: anti-racism, gender equality, access & ability, and religious & cultural expression. We’ve read So You Want To Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo, and New Kid, a graphic novel by Jerry Craft. It’s not always easy for young people to feel comfortable enough to share their voice with a group of adults, and when they do, it can be quite insightful. I’m proud that the Library and Youth Services have been able to create a forum for people to find that comfort.
When I was in college, I learned about Safe Zone — a community of supportive teachers and students who wouldn’t tolerate hate-driven actions, but approached things from an educational perspective. Overtime, I think that’s why I was drawn to libraries. The constant sharing and exploring of ideas granted so much space to deepen my understanding without feeling ignorant, to know there’s always more learning to do, and doing it around people who made me feel safe made all the difference. That’s a huge part of what Libraries represent to me: a safe zone for our community.
I hope some of you reading this will consider becoming a part of our Intergenerational Book Club. We’ll be preparing for our next meeting this spring, so please reach out to either Youth Services or the Library for more information.
Please continue to contact us by phone – 860-668-3896, email – ref@suffield-library.org, and through social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. For up-to-date information, please visit our website at suffield-library.org.