Hispanic Heritage Month Continues!
First, though, I always like to explain the “why”. Why, Jonathan must we celebrate this every year? Here’s a quote for you that encapsulates the “why” the best, IMHO:
Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15 every year. More than a time to celebrate the contributions of Hispanic Americans, this is a time to celebrate the continued inclusion of diverse materials into your everyday programming. Inclusion does not have to be like hiding the pill. As a matter of fact, it should never feel forced. If it does not feel genuine to you, it will come across that way to your audience. So, how to proceed? Where do you seek inspiration or than this amazing blog?
Inspiration from Leaders
The 2018 Estela & Raúl Mora Award winners were announced just a few days ago. What better way to explore your options than to draw inspiration from our leaders? Johnson City Library in Johnson City, Texas are this year’s proud winners of the 2018 Mora Award. While the award recognizes excellence in Dia programming, the spirit of the programming is just as relevant to your Hispanic Heritage Month offerings.
The path was simple: Johnson City Library offered a program where they read “Book Fiesta“. And in their own words, the library, “leaders then held a discussion for children and families on how reading increases our learning and enhances our spirits. The organizers hoped the children will cherish their free books and that book love will instill a life-long joy of reading”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aeSd9FOzVQ]
And in Sr. Mora’s own words, the importance and usage of Book Fiesta:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7wSgvp1k30]
Parallels between Dia and Hispanic Heritage Month
The parallels between Dia and Hispanic Heritage Month are clear, as we are celebrating our own diversity, and the many cultures we share. Explore yourself through the Dia book, and get access to tons of ideas, and links to resources you can use.
Click here or on the image and download a free copy!
My favorite is page 10: It has 21! ideas for you that you can apply to Dia or to Hispanic Heritage Month. If you take nothing else away from this booklet, take this page, print it out and use it every year!
Free Stuff!
Ok, readers, you made it this far in the blog post, so here’s some swag!
Read on!
Read on with this list of subjects for you to explore and build your collection!
Books by Latinx Authors and Illustrators
This post addresses the following ALSC Core Competencies: I. Commitment to Client Group, III. Programming Skills, IV. Knowledge, Curation, and Management of Materials, and V. Outreach and Advocacy.