Each May we raise awareness about the importance of mental health and its impact on the well-being of everyone. Even before the pandemic, we were experiencing stress, trauma, anxiety, and heightened levels of depression, and the pandemic exacerbated those conditions, leaving many of us yet still to recover. Each of us has an important role to play in supporting those who are living with mental health conditions and treating them with the compassion, respect, and understanding they deserve.
~Sherry

Resources:

State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly published a series of op-eds on equity, inclusion, and diversity. The series of messages from Dr. Underly underscore the importance of teaching about race and racism in Wisconsin schools, confronting racism and disparities, and the need for schools to be welcoming and inclusive places.

ALA, in collaboration with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation (FINRA Foundation), has released Thinking Money for All Kids: Diverse and Inclusive Reads to Teach Young People About Money, a free resource for library workers.

  • Diversifying your presentation images It is important that the images of people we use in presentations – and on our websites – show the diversity that exists in our communities and among those that we serve.

Continuing Education:

Registration is open for Move Over Melvil: Towards More Inclusive and Accessible Library Collections. The webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, May 11, 3:30-4:30 and will feature staff from two public libraries and one high school.

Consumables:

Diverse Holidays in May:

Mental Health Awareness Month: recognizes the impact of mental illness on families and communities, and raises awareness for those living with mental and behavioral issues.

Older Americans Month: celebrates the contributions of older Americans in the country.

Jewish American Heritage Month: honors the history of American Jews and their accomplishments.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: pays tribute to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and their contributions to society.

5/1 – Beltane: (Pagan) festival held on the first day of May in Ireland and Scotland, celebrating the beginning of summer and open pasturing.

5/1 – International Workers Day: On 21 April 1856, Australian stonemasons in Victoria undertook a mass stoppage as part of the eight-hour workday movement. It became a yearly commemoration, inspiring American workers to have their first stoppage. May 1st was chosen to be International Workers’ Day to commemorate the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago.

5/3 – Eid al-Fitr: (also known as Sweet Eid or Lesser Eid) is one of the most important festivals in the Islamic calendar. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset throughout Ramadan (the 9th month of the Islamic calendar). Once they see the Shawwal moon, people start the celebration for Eid al-Fitr, which lasts for three days.

5/5 – Cinco de Mayo: commemorates Mexico’s defeat of the French army.

5/8 – Birthday of the Buddha (Buddhist): celebrates the spiritual leader who launched one of the world’s most popular religions.

5/15 – The International Day of Families: This day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic, and demographic processes affecting families.

5/17 – International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia: this date honors the decision to remove homosexuality from the International Classifications of Diseases of the WHO in 1990. On this day, 132 countries coordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBT rights.

5/19 – Birthday of Malcolm X: Malcolm X was a Black Muslim minister, well known for his activism during the civil rights movement. He was assassinated in 1965.

5/21 – World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development: The day provides us with an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to advance the four goals of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions adopted on 20 October 2005: Support sustainable systems of governance for culture, Achieve a balanced flow of cultural goods and services and increase the mobility of artists and cultural professionals, Integrate culture in sustainable development frameworks, Promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.

5/22 – Harvey Milk Day: Harvey Milk Day celebrates the life and political accomplishments of Harvey Milk, the first openly-gay elected official in the United States.

5/24 – Pansexual Visibility Day: Pan visibility day is an opportunity to raise awareness and improve inclusivity for pansexual people. The word pansexuality originally comes from Greek; pan meaning ‘all’. Pansexual people are attracted to people of all genders.

5/24 – Declaration of the Báb: This date marks the anniversary of the Báb’s announcement of his mission in 1844. The Báb is a prophet and is considered one of the founders of the Baha’i faith.

5/26 – Ascension of Christ: This day observes the departure of Jesus from earth after his resurrection.

5/28 – Ascension of Baha’u’lláh: It commemorates the anniversary of the death in 1892 of Baha’u’lláh, the founder of the Baha’í faith.

5/30 – Memorial Day: Memorial Day is meant to honor all of the people who have died while serving in all of the U.S. military branches.