Celebrating 30 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The ADA Anniversary Movie Project

Hello, my name is Isaac. I have worked for the Seattle Public Library for about a year now and I have come to appreciate a lot of what the Library has to offer. I have been recently helping the Library with the ADA anniversary movie project and I would have to say there is a lot I learned about working on the project. A good amount of it is looking up movies for the ADA event and shaving the movie list by narrowing down the number of movies. Growing up with autistic Asperger’s, I have always loved to read despite the challenges. I would never have imagined though that one day I would be working for the Library in downtown Seattle; what a joy and privilege.

Letters to Father Jacob

This is a movie that is about redemption and grace. A seemingly clueless blind priest and a cold former murder convict realize that there is more in common between them than they think.

 

Mozart and the Whale

Two non-stereotypical individuals with autism fall in love in this wonderful yet unusual movie. The girl in the movie has been through a deep life that we do not usually associate with special needs people.

 

Gifted

Gifted is about a gentleman who adopts his niece after her mother passes away. When the niece is found to have high knowledge and her controlling grandmother tries to take advantage of it, the main character must try to make things right.

In Case You Missed It: Juneteenth Book Fest

The beauty of our present moment where more of our lives are convening on screens is that you can catch more author events and panels than ever before. On Juneteenth this year an incredible array of Black authors for readers of all ages met as a part of the Juneteenth Book Fest to discuss their writing, publishing, readers, the state of the world, and how important it is to celebrate and uplift Black voices in books.

The Juneteenth Book Fest offered a full day of panels featuring Black authors and their stories. You can find the full series here, but here are some highlights:

 

The “Capturing the Moment: What it Means to Write Black Stories Right Now” panel features authors Tiffany D. Jackson, Angie Thomas, Bethany C. Morrow, and L.L. McKinney, moderated by Julian Winters, “discuss what it means to write Black stories in this moment, during this movement, for change.”

The “Black Love: Writing Black Romance” panel with Alyssa Cole, Rebekah Weatherspoon, Beverly Jenkins, and Farrah Rochon is a delight! They share insights on traditional publishing versus self-publishing, the challenges Black romance writers face, and the joys of writing Black love stories. Oh, and Beverly Jenkins starts smoking and singing the praises of speculative fiction towards the end!

Angie Thomas

Ashley Woodfolk

Beverly Jenkins

Alyssa Cole

Tiffany D. Jackson

Eboni Dunbar

#BookBingoNW2020: A SAL Author (past or upcoming)

You may be pleasantly surprised by just how many options there are to read a Seattle Arts & Lectures (SAL) author. SAL has been bringing writers to Seattle for over thirty years (here is the complete list), so there are literally hundreds of options. Or check out this amazing list of SAL Speaker titles available for immediate download from your library.

Here are some past SAL speakers who not only have books available for in our catalog, but – for all of you who miss attending literary events – whose podcast appearances at the Library can also be enjoyed right away:

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Covid-19 Community Collection

Are you interested in helping the Library’s Special Collections Department document history? Please consider contributing to our new Covid-19 Community Collection!

We are asking you to tell us (and show us) how the events of the past few months have impacted you. We are looking for stories, photographs, signs, artwork, short videos and other materials that will help future generations learn what life was like in Seattle during this unique period in history. What has your daily life been like? What are ways you are staying connected with friends and family? What will you remember the most ten years from now?

Stories and materials submitted to the project through our online portal will be made available through the Special Collections Online website. We also welcome the donation of physical materials which can be mailed to the Special Collections Department. To learn more about how you can contribute to the project, please visit our Community Covid-19 Collection page online.

     ~ Posted by Jade D.

Revisit Past Events with Our Podcasts

Was there an author event you missed out on at the library? Did you miss a Thrilling Tales adult story time? Don’t fret! The library records many of its events, everything from author readings to theatre previews. Found under the Books and Media tab on our homepage, Library Podcasts are sorted by year at the top of the page and by some subjects at the bottom.

Here’s a few suggestions to get you started with this great online resource (you don’t even need a library card to listen!):

In 2018, Maxwell King discussed his new book, The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers, which is the first full-length biography of Mr. Rogers. Hear the story of this enduring Icon and read the ebook yourself, along with the ebook A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood by Fred Rogers himself.