Dear Community,
From all of us at CRRL, we hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. We know that these are very difficult times for our families, our communities and ourselves. All across the world, and in the Fredericksburg region as well, we are seeing an outpouring of protests against police brutality, especially in the African American community. These messages of strength, resilience, and unity are truly inspiring. The library fully supports the long and successful history of peaceful protest in America, which frequently results in positive change for our society. We are proud of our local peaceful protesters who walk for social justice and positive change. For that we are very grateful and we stand behind you.
Issues of racial equality and social justice matter a great deal to the library, and we strive to offer collections, programs, services, and resources that reflect those beliefs. As we continue our mission of lifelong learning for everyone in our community, we believe that now is an opportunity to work toward a deeper understanding of these current issues. The more we meet, talk, debate, read, and learn about each other and our community, the better community we will have. Our staff have continued to thoughtfully purchase, catalog, and promote titles and resources that will allow all of us to learn more about racial equality, diversity, and inclusion. Our streaming video service, Kanopy, offers a collection of films exploring social and systemic injustice. Please see this list of eBooks & eAudio from CRRL’s collection for reading on race in America, social justice, equity, diversity, and Black Lives Matter. In addition, we have titles for teens and children, which we hope will answer questions and contribute to better understanding. Some of these titles are available with no wait.
With admiration, compassion, and respect,
Martha Hutzel
Library Director
Rebecca Purdy
Deputy Director
