Trans Women Share Their Stories
This reading list brings together a hard-partying rock star, an excommunicated Scientologist, an everyday teenager, A TV personality with a budding career and a New England professor. What these women all have in common is that they were designated male at birth, but later transitioned to womanhood, allowing their outward gender expression to match their inward gender identity. What they also have in common is that they all shared their stories in riveting books that highlight the ways different parts of their lived experiences and identities intersect with gender.
The Queen of the South
In our home we speak Spanish and English, and we’re always looking at the selection of resources that are available at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in Spanish. We have read plenty of books, listened to plenty of music, and watched plenty of movies, but we had never ventured into Spanish TV from the library. That changed when we stumbled upon La Reina Del Sur Volume 1 and 2. We absolutely loved this series.
Year in Volunteering – 2016
There’s no way one blog post can capture the scope and scale of the work that CLP volunteers do (The final numbers aren’t in yet, but to-date, volunteers have contributed more than 34,000 hours to CLP in 2016!), but this post is meant to be an overview of the work they do to make our library, and indeed, our community, stronger. If you’ve ever wondered about how we’re able to accomplish so much, this is a reminder that our community has a lot to do with it!
Helping Your Reluctant Reader
Some kids just don’t seem interested in books. So, how do you help your child get over their reluctance? Read on for suggestions and books to help your reluctant reader.
In the Company of Women
Grace Bonney’s new book, In the Company of Women, includes gorgeous portraits and snapshot interviews with more than 100 women who are makers, artists, innovators or entrepreneurs. I was immediately interested in picking this up because I knew that many of my favorites were profiled (including Roxane Gay, Neko Case, Kate Bornstien, Janet Mock and Carson Ellis), and I’m glad I nabbed a copy, because, in addition to being a great read, this book introduced me to so many interesting, inspiring women who are now on my radar (Preeti Mistry, Rebecca Wood, Samin Nosrat, Matika Wilbur, Julia Rothman and the list goes on!)
The Girl Who Grew Up in the Library
Feeding the Dragon is a one-woman show written and performed by Sharon Washington about her experiences growing up in the New York Public Library’s apartments. On November 19th, following a 1pm performance of the play, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh President and Director Mary Frances Cooper will participate in a talkback discussion with Sharon.
Grumping With the Very Best
We all get a little bit grumpy sometimes, right? Why not make it fun by harrumphing along with the internet’s favorite feline curmudgeon, Grumpy Cat? She’s not just a meme, she’s a celebrity, and we’ve got plenty of grouchy fun for you in the form of books and DVDs. There’s a whole world of grumpiness out there to explore.
2016 Election Resources
Tomorrow is Election Day, and we want you to vote. Here are some resources to help you decide which candidates to choose and where to find your polling place.
Vegetarian Cookbooks
In March of this year I became a vegetarian. It happened by accident at first. I went a week without eating meat by chance and decided to run with it. Now, I didn’t have a problem with cooking without meat, hence the happenstance week without meat, but I have been exploring different vegetarian cookbooks since then, and I’ve found some excellent titles at the library! Take a look!
What is Rape Culture? A Reading List for a Difficult Topic
Recent high-profile news stories have brought the terms “rape culture” and “bystander behavior” into mainstream discussions about rape, sexual assault and gender violence. Although this can be a difficult to understand, emotionally fraught subject matter, these news stories are an opportunity for us to explore, discuss and understand these important topics in a more meaningful way.