While events quiet down at the UVM Libraries during the summer months, our friends and partners in the community are exploding with amazing programs celebrating books, literacy, and research.
Here are a few highlights to consider as you plan your summer:
On July 6th at 5 pm, at Burlington’s City Hall, the Peace and Justice Center and the Vermont Humanities Council present a reading of Frederick Douglass’s speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” This historic speech [available here] was given in 1852 after Douglass declined an invitation to speak on the Fourth of July to protest slavery and injustice.
In addition to hosting Reading Frederick Douglass events all around the state, the Vermont Humanities Council has summer programs galore, from lectures related to the Vermont Reads 2019 book [March: Book One by John Lewis and others] to Speakers Bureau events on everything from Sojourner Truth to Endangered Alphabets.
The Peace and Justice Center is also wrapping up a reading program for racial justice with former state representative Kiah Morris.
At the Fletcher Free Library in downtown Burlington, you can join reading groups and other adult programs, from movie screenings to language discussion groups. You can also check out museum passes, garden tools, and NASA backpacks stuffed with space-related science research tools (like telescopes!).
The Vermont Folklife Center serves up a cool non-fiction comics mini-festival on July 20th in Saint Albans and (with the Fletcher Free in Burlington) an innovative series of programs throughout the summer as part of The Green Record project, an audio time capsule initiative that encourages participants to explore the sounds in our communities.
The Vermont Historical Society celebrates all things local with events including Vermont history trivia competitions, local history engagement discussions, and recent research on “Repeopling Vermont.”
Finally, don’t forget your local bookstores for readings, book signings, and other events.
Want to get out and see more of the state? Join the Vermont 251 club and visit all 251 towns!