News

Have you been so excited by a book that you need to share it right away with someone else you know will love it as much as you? If you read eBooks and audiobooks with the Libby app, now you can! Read on for information from OverDrive on how to share titles directly with friends or on social media, as well as exporting your book list for further use.

Sharing titles

Readers can now share titles on social media or directly with friends, using the Share button found in a title’s Reading Journey and details screen. A shared title page shows the book’s summary, basic details, and nearby libraries that offer the title through Libby. This new option encourages users to socialize their favorite reads with family, friends, and followers while spreading awareness of your library’s digital collection.

The Huntsville Library Foundation (HLF) announced today that Dynetics and Mayor Battle’s Book Club donated $15,000 each to its Launchpad to Literacy Fund. The fund will purchase children’s print books for the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (HMCPL). 

Launchpad to Literacy Fund was developed after the Library faced a huge increase in demand for children’s print books since the pandemic, as more children are spending time and learning at home.

Two of the most effective tools in fighting a pandemic are 1) widespread testing and 2) quarantining of the sick, both of which have logistical challenges that are amplified when you don't have a home.

If you find yourself homeless in Huntsville with concerns about contracting COVID-19, here are the resources available to you in the city, along with things you must keep in mind:

Testing

2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment, granting that no one could be denied the right to vote because of their sex. Could women vote before the 19th amendment? Yes, but not in every state.  Could all women in America vote after the 19th amendment? No, immigrants, Puerto Ricans, and women of color could still be denied the right to vote.  The movement to give all women the right began a lifetime before it was ratified in 1920 and continued to go on for decades still. This history and the stories of the men and women who fought to bring us this right are well documented in our collection. 

While the world continues to react to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are finding ourselves suddenly out of work and facing closings. If you are here now, and you're unsure of what comes next, you can use this blog post as a starting point.

Below you will find a list of resources--some local to North Alabama, others state-wide--covering a range of employment topics. The information contained behind each link is subject to change as this situation progresses. This post will be updated accordingly.

UNEMPLOYED WORKERS

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is currently impacting the U.S. and has been declared a global pandemic. See below for a list of resources to keep you informed.

WHAT IS COVID-19?

Elizabeth Burton interned at the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, while receiving her Masters in Library and Information Studies at the University of Alabama. 

In 1910, Lee de Forest successfully transmitted the first voices, those of New York Metropolitan Opera stars, over radio waves. Over the next 20 years, radio technology became increasingly available to the average American citizen, and by 1931 approximately half of all American households owned a radio. Over those decades, radio surpassed the newspaper as a quick way to get news.

The youth services department of the Downtown Huntsville Library recently debuted their new set of literacy backpacks. These backpacks are available for check-out and function as portable literacy kits for caregivers and educators of young children.

Each of the six kits contains a selection of books and activities tailored to a specific subject. Check out the contents of each backpack below!

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