There continues to be amazing continuing education on inclusive subjects! A lengthy list is below, including some new classes that start next year. After that, I’ve listed a month and a half of upcoming diverse holidays to help plan displays, storytimes, or virtual programs. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any concerns or questions.
I hope you have a great and safe holiday season and hope to see you in the next year!
Social Media Links:
Continuing Education:
- Implicit Bias – 10am on Tuesday, Dec 8
- Decolonizing Subject Headings and Collections – 1pm on Tuesday, Dec 8
- Fill Up Your Fuel Tank With Compassion Resilience – 1pm on Tuesday, December 8
- Apps to Support Mental Health for All Ages – 2pm on Tuesday, December 8
- Accessible Libraries 101 – 10am on Thursday, Dec 10
- Accessible Library Services and Library Programs with Empathy – 11am on Thursday, Dec 10
- Burnout and Stress (Updated): Strategies in Case 2021 is as Bad as 2020 – 1pm on Thursday, Dec 10
- Taking Care of Your Staff (and Yourself) During the COVID-19 Pandemic – 2pm on Wednesday, December 16
- A Happier You: Work Habits to Enhance Performance and Well-Being – 1pm on Wednesday, Dec 23
- Self-Care During Stressful Times Class: Feb. 3
- Storytime: An Opportunity for Social Justice Class: Feb 1 – Mar 14
- Library Services and Programs for Older Adults Class: Feb 1 – 28
- Webinar Series: Library Services for Homeschoolers Class: Feb 9 and 16
- Collection Management with an Antiracist Lens Class: Feb 15 – Mar 28
Upcoming Diversity Holidays:
December 10: International Human Rights Day, established by the United Nations in 1948 to commemorate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
December 10-18: Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday that is celebrated around the world for eight days and nights. Hanukkah celebrates the victory of the Maccabees, or Israelites, over the Greek-Syrian ruler, Antiochus, approximately 2,200 years ago.
December 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a religious holiday in Mexico commemorating the appearance of the Virgin Mary near Mexico City in 1531.
December 13: St. Lucia’s Day, a religious festival of light in Scandinavia and Italy commemorating the martyrdom of St. Lucia, a young Christian girl who was killed for her faith in 304 C.E.
December 16-24: Las Posadas, a nine-day celebration in Mexico commemorating the trials Mary and Joseph endured during their journey to Bethlehem.
December 21: Yule Winter Solstice, celebrated by Pagans and Wiccans. The shortest day of the year represents a celebration focusing on rebirth, renewal and new beginnings as the sun makes its way back to the Earth. A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the sun reaches its highest position in the sky.
December 25: Christmas Day, the day that many Christians associate with Jesus’ birth.
December 26: Boxing Day, a secular holiday celebrated in the U.K., Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and South Africa.
December 26-January 1: Kwanzaa, an African-American holiday started by Maulana Karenga in 1966 to celebrate universal African-American heritage.
December 26: Zartosht No-Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathushtra), a day of remembrance in the Zoroastrian religion. It is a commemoration of the death anniversary of the prophet Zoroaster, or Zarathushtra.
January 1: New Year’s Day, the first day of the year according to the modern Gregorian calendar, celebrated within most Western countries.
January 2: Bodhi Day, the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni), experienced enlightenment, also known as bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali.
January 4: World Braille Day, observed in order to raise awareness of the importance of braille as a means of communication in the full realization of the human rights for blind and partially sighted people. Celebrated on Louis Braille’s birthday, the inventor of braille.
January 5: Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s birthday, the Tenth Guru of the Sikhs who initiated the Sikhs as the Khalsa (the pure ones) and is known as the Father of the Khalsa.
January 5: Twelfth Night, a festival celebrated by some branches of Christianity that marks the coming of the Epiphany.
January 6: Epiphany or Dia de los Reyes (Three Kings Day), a holiday observed by Eastern and Western Christians that recognizes the visit of the three wise men to the baby Jesus 12 days after his birth.
January 10-12: Mahayana New Year, a holiday celebrated by the Mahayana Buddhist branch, on the first full-moon day in January.
January 13: Maghi, an annual festival celebrated by the Sikhs commemorating the memory of 40 Sikh martyrs.
January 15: Makar Sankranti, a major harvest festival celebrated in various parts of India.
– Submitted by Sherry Machones, NWLS