On June 19, 1865, two months after the surrender of the Confederate Army in Virginia, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce the end of the Civil War and tell enslaved African-Americans they were free. Since the late 1800s, Juneteenth has been a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. 
 
The horrifying killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Walter Scott, Sandra Bland, and countless meaningful Black lives, along with the Black Lives Matter movement, and a desire by many in our communities to learn more about institutional racism, implicit bias, and anti-racism, have sparked interest in Juneteenth.  
 
The Monterey Public Library joins our community’s commitment in acknowledging that Black Lives Matter, and doing our part to work toward a just, equitable, kind, and respectful society where everyone belongs. We look forward to featuring access to important reading material on these important subjects, today and in the future.
 
Click the image for a close up examination of artist Kadir Nelson’s “Say Their Names” New Yorker cover to read the names of those pictured.
Celebrate Juneteenth with the Honorable Carla Hayden
 
Six black museums and historical institutions in the US will launch BLKFREEDOM.org on June 19, a digital commemoration of Juneteenth, the day that the Emancipation Proclamation was officially enforced. The website will air an original video featuring appearances by Lonnie G. Bunch III, the first African American and first historian to serve as the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, as well as Dr. Johnetta Betsch Cole, anthropologist, educator, museum director and the first female African-American president of Spelman College, and the Honorable Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, the first woman and the first African American to lead the national library.

Juneteenth Celebrations are also taking place in Seaside and Carmel/virtually .
Just Mercy Film Discussion
Just Mercy is free to watch during June
July 2 at 7:00 pm - Zoom
“We believe in the power of story,” stated Warner Bros. “Our film  Just Mercy , based on the life work of civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, is one resource we can humbly offer to those who are interested in learning more about the systemic racism that plagues our society. ... To actively be part of the change our country is so desperately seeking, we encourage you to learn more about our past and the countless injustices that led have led us to where we are today.”

Just Mercy is a powerful and thought-provoking true story. The film follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation. One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings and overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds—and the system—stacked against them.

The movie can be viewed for free during June on Apple TV, Fandango Now, Google Play, Amazon Prime Video, Redbox, PlayStation, VUDU, Get It from Microsoft, and YouTube. Click here for direct links to those platforms . Watch through the end credits.

Just Mercy  can be borrowed as an ebook through Overdrive

For further information on Bryan Stevenson and his work at the Equal Justice Initiative please visit  EJI.org.

My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem
Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies

The body is where our instincts reside and where we fight, flee, or freeze. My Grandmother's Hands is a call to action for Americans to recognize that racism is not about the head, but about the body. Author Resmaa Menakem introduces an alternative view of what we can do to grow beyond our entrenched racialized divide.

“An exceptionally thought-provoking and important account that looks at race in a radical new way.” - Library Journal

“...an extremely interesting approach and a much-needed paradigm shift in the treatment of racialized trauma . . .” - New York Journal of Books

My Grandmother's Hands is available as an eBook. Click here to access it in Hoopla .

Earn badges and prizes for reading and keeping active this summer!
For babies to centenarians

Everyone who finishes receives a book and enters into a drawing for gift cards.

Monterey Public Library's Summer Reading 2020 program is made possible by a generous gift from Richard Carr and Barbara Schilling .
Music and Rhymes with MaryLee

Join us on Thursdays at 10:00 am through July 30 for a joyful celebration of music for young children with local favorite MaryLee Sunseri. Ideal for children ages 3 months to 5 years and their families.

Sharing music and song with young children is a powerful bonding experience for families. It teaches pre-literacy skills that will help when beginning to understand letters, words, and reading.
Zoom. Access via a technology device or call in via telephone.
Sidewalk Service is Open
Tuesday - Saturday, 11:00 am - 6:00 pm

Eager to have library materials back in your hands? Wait no more! You can now place holds on library materials. Once you receive a notice that your hold is ready for pick up, visit us at the front entrance of the Library during Sidewalk Service hours. Follow the physical distancing markers on the sidewalk and wear a mask. Learn more by clicking here.
Help us Re-open the Library


What Library services are most important to you? What days and times should the Library be open? How is COVID19 impacting you? Help us learn.
Monterey Public Library Year-end Appeal 2017
Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs
June 17, 2020
 
When will the Monterey Public Library and Bookmobile Reopen? Due to the coronavirus pandemic and significant budget reductions, the Monterey Public Library will be reopening in phases that are dependent upon health orders, and available funding. Our current phase entails curbside pick-up service for material holds. Bookmobile service continues to be suspended.

Sidewalk Service: Sidewalk service is available for customers who have received notification that their holds are ready for pick up. Learn more about this service by clicking here.

Due Dates: Loan periods for Monterey and Pacific Grove Public Library materials borrowed prior to our closure were extended to July 31, 2020. Items borrowed through curbside service are due in three weeks.

Returns: You may hold on to materials until they are due or return them now. Our lobby book return at the front entrance is open 24 hours per day.

Holds: If you place a hold on an item, we will send you a notice when it is ready to be picked up.

Library Cards: If you don’t have a card or have misplaced it, you can apply online and we will mail you one. If you have a card and forgot your PIN, you can reset it by visiting My Account . If the card was set to expire, the expiration date has been extended.

Need help navigating virtual services? Have a reference question, or a question about other City services?
Library staff are here to help. Call 831-646-3933 or email  refdesk@monterey.org , Monday - Friday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.