Exemplary Service - October 2007
 
Fifth Anniversary of AARLCC • Main Library Receives Moon Rock
Hispanic Heritage Month • White Cane Safety Day • The Mad Traveler

Fifth Anniversary of the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC)

AARLCC celebrated its fifth anniversary in style raising more than $130,000 for the Samuel F. Morrison Endowment Fund.  The gala event held at AARLCC on October 19 welcomed guests with a present-day Harlem Renaissance experience as The Cotton Club Comes to AARLCC. 

A special Friends of AARLCC luncheon was held on October 6, and a Unity in the Community event also brought library staff, customers, and supporters together on October 13 for a health fair, rib cook-off, crafts, storytelling, and a birthday cake.

Read more about the Fifth Anniversary of AARLCC by clicking here. 

Historic Display in Government Center

The Broward County Government Center displayed an exhibit of historic, one-of-a-kind images from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library. The images were from the Charles Mills Collection.

Broward County Library Receives a Moon Rock

The Main Library in downtown Fort Lauderdale was honored with a priceless gift -- a real piece of the moon donated from the family of one of the original lunar astronauts.  Dedicated on October 23, 2007, it is proudly displayed on the sixth floor of the Main Library.

Click here to find out more about the Moon Rock.

Continuation of Hispanic Heritage Month Events

Comic-Strip Writing Workshop with Carlos Castellanos

On October 13, teens were able to learn how to write and create comic strips from award-winning journalist, Carlos Castellanos creator of the beloved Baldo comic strip. This workshop offered at the Main Library showed teens the ins and outs of comic strip creation from the viewpoint of a professional illustrator. 

Click here to view the Comic-Strip Writing Workshop flyer. (PDF, 194KB)

Francisco Jose Moreno

Florida Center for the Book presented a discussion from the author Francisco Jose Moreno during Hispanic Heritage Month.  He spoke about his latest book, Before Fidel: The Cuba I Remember. Recent political events in this island nationa made Moreno's book a timely and topical addition to South Florida's literary scene.






 

White Cane Safety Day

White Cane Safety Day raised awareness of disabled people who most use white canes every day as well as raise awareness of safety issues surrounding the handicapped.  The annual walk took place on October 15 at the Main Library.  Participants walked several blocks to the Main Library for a special program and breakfast.

The Mad Traveler Came to Weston, Florida, on October 20 with bearing tales of teaching, Turkey, and the trials and tribulations of unwanted yogurt.

Travel writer Kevin Revolinski (aka The Mad Traveler) presented his latest book, The Yogurt Man Cometh: Tales of an American Teacher in Turkey, at a Meet the Author event held at the Weston Branch Library on October 20.  

The title The Yogurt Man Cometh has to do with just one of Revolinski's many adventures while in Turkey - what to do about six kilos of unwanted yogurt and the two strange men who want payment for it in the amount of three-million Turkish liras (1 Turkish lira = approximately 83 U.S. cents).  Revolinski explained how he handled that situation, and he relayed highlights of his other adventures and explorations in exotic Turkey -- of which he says, "Simply put, my year in Turkey was the best year of my life. So good I had to write a book about it."