• Black History Month Resources
• Resource Reminder
• Blind Date With a Book
• Good To Know

- Audre Lorde, poet and activist

- Dr. Mae Jemison, first African American female astronaut

Check out the lists below! You'll find some that highlight reading material focused on Black history and racial justice, and others that feature young adult literature written by Black authors. Let your library team know if you are on the hunt for something specific.

Teen/YA Reads Celebrating Black History Month

Read Through History for Kids: Racial Justice Timeline 1954-1968

Race, Racism, and Resistance for Children and Teens

Teen Romance by Black Authors

Black Biopics

Black Poets You Need to Read

Celebrating Black Women

As February approaches, Kanopy* has updated their lineup for Black History Month 2023. Their programming team has been hard at work curating a collection of films that honors the Black experience across North America. Covering topics from history and major figures, to current events and African America representation in cinema, this collection celebrates the community’s rich heritage and culture. To see the collection before anyone else, visit kanopy.com/category/40898.

In addition to African American Cinema and History previewed in the screenshot above, other categories in the collection are Major Figures, Current Events, and Blaxploitation. Programming will appeal to both teachers and students.

*In case you have forgotten, Kanopy is a streaming video service offered to library users for free. There are thousands of programs available, and most have public performance rights. Find the link to Kanopy here.

February Featured Database:

The American Mosaic; The African American Experience

This database is ideal for the study of African American history and its relation to U.S. history through published articles, essays, artifacts, images, documents, and other historical and culturally valuable sources.

Back to Basics

Has research taken a back seat since the dreaded spring of 2020?

Here is something to ponder: research can help strengthen key skills that support growth in many areas. Critical thinking, organization, analysis, and synthesis (just to name a few) are key skills not only in academics, but in life too!

How can we help our students become better readers, writers, thinkers, and be organized, too? Mini research reports/projects are a good way to help them build stamina. There is no need to overwhelm our learners with a 20 page research paper right off the bat. Start small, especially with our 9th and 10th graders, with a Big6 research activity, or just a simple annotated bibliography! A guided, step-by-step process will help our learners (re)gain those key skills over time.

Let's take another look and check out what new FREE gems are available to our students and staff! Below you'll find information about our featured database The American Mosaic; The African American Experience. We will also include a short list of databases that complement the featured database and reminders of how to access them.

Access options: (Library card needed!!!)

Use the DCHS library media center webpage - click INDYPL Research Databases in the Research Needs column.

Use the Indianapolis Public Library link - click Research and scroll down to the database lists

Finally, here is a short list of online databases that will support learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion:

1. Black Freedom Struggle in the United States: Challenges and Triumphs in the Pursuit of Equality - Primary sources about people and events in African American History to support learning more about the foundation of ongoing racial injustice in the U.S. and the fight against it.
2. Black Studies in Video - Watch documentaries, interviews and archival footage exploring the history of African Americans through politics, art and culture, sociology, and history in this video encyclopedia.
3. Black Thought and Culture - Find works of leading African Americans in this collection of articles, interviews, speeches, essays, pamphlets, letters, and full run of The Black Panther newspaper.

For the LOVE of Reading.....

We get it...not everyone is lookin' for love during the season of hearts, candy, and roses. That's alright - your library media center has your back.

Blind Date With a Book returns! This highly anticipated display makes its fourth appearance in the DCHS library during the month of February. Preparation has been underway for a few weeks. Students and staff can peruse the secret selection of books and pick one to take on a "date" only by the one-liners (from the book) and descriptions on the bag. No peaking! When something peaks interest, just bring it to the circulation desk to "check it out".

The photos below are from previous years just to entice you, dear readers. Watch for February 2023 photos in the next Beecher Feature newsletter! Stay tuned!

Mrs. Beecher - dbeecher@decaturproud.org

Mrs. Turner - sturner@decaturproud.org

Website: https://www.decaturproud.org/central-high/media-center
Twitter: @dmbeecher