Wednesday, February 26, 2020, 6-8pm

This historic “Carnegie Library” was paid for with the labor of immigrant coal and iron miners and steelworkers who made Andrew Carnegie one of the richest men in the world in the early 20th century. His name is on the building, but it was their blood, sweat, and bodies which built it.

We are well aware of the parallels in our own work here. In just five and a half years, the East Side Freedom Library has moved from an idea to a significant community institution. There are 21,600 books on our shelves, catalogued and properly organized. Nearly 6,000 people have signed our guest book and receive our electronic newsletters. More than 5,000 people have “liked” our Facebook page and follow our postings. Hundreds of middle and high school students are mentored here in the pursuit of the National History Day projects. These significant accomplishments are the results of the labor of hundreds of women and men who generously offer to help in our work.

We like to call these people “collaborators.” Collaborators are partners in our work. They provide the labor ESFL needs—to catalogue and shelve books; to maintain our gardens; to clean our restrooms and vacuum our carpets; to welcome researchers and help them understand our collections; to welcome guests at our events and make them feel welcome; to enter data in our records; to put together mailings.They also provide ideas for new programs, connections with possible presenters, and, above all, a living, vibrant sense of community.

On Wednesday, February 26, from 6pm to 8pm, we will celebrate our collaborators and their contributions to our work.  We hope that many of you will join us in showing our appreciation for them—you will decide to become collaborators yourselves. Send us an email at [email protected] or call us at 651-207-4926.

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