The San Diego County library is hosting programs and promoting educational opportunities across all 33 of its branches to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The county library is also taking the country’s anniversary as an opportunity to teach people about San Diego’s history, according to Cecilia Salgado, the library’s adult services manager for learning, marketing and engagement.
“One of the biggest things is that we want to make an inclusive, diverse reflection on, not just the nation's history, but also local, San Diego County history and where we can reflect on not just the past, but present and future,” Salgado said.
She said the county library is partnering with local organizations, including the San Diego History Center, to educate the community and foster conversation through in-person and online exhibits.
Events include a talk from the San Diego History Center on California women who helped advance the suffrage movement and a presentation on the forces that shaped San Diego from its early days as a sea port town to the rise of tourism in the 21st century.
“Part of it is to explore history from multiple perspectives and to connect national events with their own local experiences,” she said. “Libraries are the community hub, and part of it is to bring people together to have these conversations.”
Salgado said these exhibits, events and musical performances can help people understand history in a unique way. She said one of her favorite ways to learn is through song, and the performances will explore different eras of American music, from the 1930s to 1970s.
Her team built a website with information on the events they have planned, a list of films on American history, and online exhibits related to state and local history. The exhibits include a virtual walk-through from the San Diego History Center of the life of San Diego’s first Black homesteader, and a former display at the California Museum that explores five eras in California women’s history.
County library staff also worked to curate a list of books through the library app ‘Libby,’ which can be found on the website. Recommended books for older readers include topics on the Founding Fathers, the Civil Rights Movement and women’s liberation. They also suggest books for younger readers about Indigenous history, voting and the American Revolution.
“There's a variety for everyone,” Salgado said. “So whether you're looking to be alone and reading, you have that digital access of going on Libby to learn about our history and a huge collection of different subjects. Or if you're looking to talk to and interact where you have your local historian, you have a chance to listen to them and process their perspective in our history.”
The next county library event for the anniversary will be a concert of folk and rock protest songs from 1935-1975 from musical duo Desert Crossing at the Santee City Hall on May 6.
