Author Talk

“The Girl From the Red Rose Motel” is different from her debut, Zurenda said. It follows the story of Hazel Smalls, a homeless high school junior, and Sterling Lovell, an affluent high school senior, in 2012 South Carolina. The story outlines the lessons the two, and their teacher, learn as their relationship grows.

“More than anything, I want people to find meaning in the book, to find something to take away from it,” Zurenda said.

Zurenda’s author talk at the Doctors Bruce and Lee Foundation Library in Florence — 509 S Dargan St. — will be at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 2. She’ll talk about the novel, topics mentioned in her new novel and public school teaching. The event is free and open to the public.

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Roxbury Library Goes Fine-Free

 

Photo credit: TAPinto Roxbury
No more late fees…

In announcing the new policy, the library said its board of trustees “is dedicated to creating a library that is more open, equitable and understanding of our community,” and explained that “eliminating fines for overdue materials means more people in our community have greater access to the Library’s vital materials, resources and services.”

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Chicago Public Library Extends Hours

“Every day is a day for learning. Chicagoans need and deserve access to information and technology every day of the week. Adding Sunday hours in libraries across the city is an important step in our commitment to equity and access,” said CPL Commissioner Chris Brown. “Mayor Lightfoot’s leadership and support for expanded Sunday hours has been instrumental in bringing this opportunity to all Chicagoans.”

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Virginia Beach Public Library Drops Overdue Fines for Kids Moving Forward

“Equal and equitable access to information is a core value of libraries,” said Director of Libraries Eva Poole. “Removing overdue fines from youth accounts is a first step in removing economic barriers to accessing library materials, especially for children who may need us the most. Inability to pay fines may prevent families from returning materials or visiting the library at all. The goal is to get the materials back into our collection, and to encourage families to continue using the library.”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 29: A schoolteacher collects library books from students who just graduated and but borrowed them before schools were shut down at Yung Wing School P.S. 124 on June 29, 2020 in New York City. In April, it was announced that NYC public schools would be closed at least through the end of the school year amid the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Booklist Committee Volunteers Needed

From picture books onwards, “home” as a predictable, stable and safe place is a central subject despite a significant percentage of people who experience homelessness. These experiences are not often written about and if they are, not positively reflected in literature. To create more equitable literacy learning environments, as well as providing a counterpoint to the negative images so often created, we need opportunities to explore economic diversity and to challenge harmful discourses about people experiencing homelessness.
With this in mind, the Hunger, Homelessness and Poverty Task Force of SRRT (HHPTF) is creating a booklist of recommended books for all ages, as well as a guide to help with selecting books that are respectful and supportive of people who are experiencing homelessness.

Interested? Email us!