In light of current events, we would like to remind you that the Abbot Public Library offers a multitude of resources with current, reliable, regularly updated information, which is easily accessible and available at any time.
Salem Press (introduced in a previous post) is the latest acquired reference database, with a very large history section, where you can search for particular events or names, or just browse through American history, decade by decade, learning about critical events and influential people.
You can browse through another section, Milestones Documents of American History, to get a better understanding of the most important documents and primary sources.
In addition to browsing and searching, Salem Press offers curated content to explore current events, which is a unique feature of this database.
To help explore and better understand current events, you can browse through selected essays on several subjects, which are, presently: race relations, social justice, violent demonstration, civil disobedience, and others.
EBSCO History Reference Center, a database which you will find listed under the EBSCOhost, offers full text from reference books, encyclopedia, leading history periodicals, and biographies. The database also has historical photos and maps, as well as archival videos to offer.
Gale Biography is a well-organized database, where you can browse or search for biographies of influential people of their time.
All these digital databases are free and accessible with your library card through the Digital Resources page on the library blog.
The New York Times published a list of the most influential books on race and the black experience, created by Ibram X. Kendi, a professor of history at the University of Florida and a published author. Here are some of the titles mentioned in that NYT list:
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi won the national Book Award. In his deeply researched book, the author gives an account of the history of racist ideas and thoughts and shows their power through the course of American history.
The New Jim Crow was named the most influential book of the last decade and collected numerous awards, inspiring criminal justice reform activists and organizations. Its tenth anniversary edition was reprinted recently.
Dreams from My Father, published in 1995, is a memoir by Barack Obama that looks at the problem of race, class, and color.
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple is a winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award; it is also on the PBS Great American Read Top 100 list.
Beloved by Toni Morrison also won the Pulitzer and was adapted as a movie with the same title.
You can also check out the following titles from the list (click the cover image):
All these ebooks and audiobooks are available through Overdrive/Libby with your card.
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