National Library Week
April 6-10 2026
On This Page
- Event Calendar:
- Libraries as Spaces of Opportunity Panel
- Rainbow Reading Group: A Song in a Weary Throat
- Rainbow Reading Chat: Intro to Audre Lorde and auto biomythographies
- Create Your Own Library: Book Binding and Bookstagram Workshop
- April 9 2026, 3-5pm, D.H. Hill Library FishbowlForum
- Becoming a Researcher: Stories and Advice from Scholars
- Glimpse behind the Circulation Desk
- The History of National Library Week
The African American Cultural Center invites you to celebrate National Library Week with us – a week-long celebration that centers the African American and Afro diasporic authors and literature at NC State through the lens of libraries and librarianship.
Built upon the principles of Ubuntu (“I am because we are”) and Sankofa (“It is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind”), the African American Cultural Center’s celebration of National Library Week seeks to uplift ways to utilize the knowledge to be found within specialized collections and the representation of African American authors, special collections, and archives. Through this celebration, we aim to showcase the AACC Library as a space of opportunity, while celebrating and demonstrating the rich community, support, and resources of NC State University and our neighboring library collections. This signature programming will support student wellbeing—culturally, emotionally, intellectually, and holistically—as they move through and beyond NC State university.
This year, our theme is “Libraries as Spaces of Opportunities” The African American Cultural Center invites you to explore the many ways you can utilize library resources and services to create opportunities and lasting impacts.
This years programming is made possible with the incredible help and generous support of our campus partners and sponsors:
- NC State University Libraries
- The NC State Pride Center
- MultiCultual Student Affairs
Event Calendar:
- April 6 2026, 6-8pm, Libraries as Spaces of Opportunity Panel and Book Signing
- AACC Library and Gallery, Witherspoon Student Center
- April 7 2026, 12-2pm Final meeting of Rainbow Reading Group: A Song in a Weary Throat
- D.H. Hill Library Fishbowl Forum
- April 7, 2026, 5:30. -7:30pm Learning Lab: AI and Appetizers
- AACC Library
- April 8, 12-2pm, 2026, Becoming a Researcher: Stories and Advice from Scholars
- AACC Library, Lunch provided – limited space
- April 9 2026, 12-1:30pm Rainbow Reading Chat: Audre Lorde and creating our own biomythographies
- LGBTQ Pride Center, Talley Student Union
- April 9 2026, 3-5pm, Create Your Own Library: Book Binding and Bookstagram Workshop
- D.H. Hill Library, Fishbowl Forum
- April 8-10, 2026, VisGallery Exhibit: Windows into the Soul: African American Libraries and Collections
- Closing reception 12-1pm April 10, 2026
- D.H. Hill Library, Cyma Rubin Visualization Gallery
Bookmark Your Spot for NLW Events
All National Library Week events hosted by the African American Cultural Center are open to the entire NC State University community and wider local community members. For events with limited space, priority will be given to undergraduate and graduate students. You can register for all events using this single registration form. Please share with your friends, classmates, and community members to celebrate the impact of libraries as spaces for learning, connection, and creativity!
Libraries as Spaces of Opportunity Panel
April 6 2026, 6-8pm, AACC Library and Gallery
Join us to discover how NC State Libraries can support your academic, professional, and personal growth. Engage with authors and librarians to learn how to leverage library resources, spaces, and expertise, explore opportunities for research and creative projects, and understand the importance of representation in collections. This event will be particularly valuable for students in majors such as English, History, Journalism, Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, Psychology, Arts, and Information Science, but offers insights for anyone interested in research, writing, or lifelong learning. You’ll leave with practical strategies, new connections, and inspiration to explore yourself and the world around you, using the library as a space for growth, discovery, and creative exploration.
This event will close with a book signing by Dr. Zelda Lockhart and C.M. Lockhart. You’ll be able to their buy books at the event or you canbring your personal copies!
Dr. ZELDA LOCKHART is a current Fulbright Specialist engaged in cross-cultural story projects for generational healing across the African diaspora. She holds a PhD in Expressive Art Therapies, and is winner of the Lambda Literary 2024 Outstanding Novelist Prize. Her novels are HarperCollins 2023 release Trinity translated and released by HarperCollins France 2024 as Entends ma voix. Her other novels are Fifth Born, a Barnes & Noble Discovery selection and a Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Award finalist, Cold Running Creek a Black Caucus of the American Library Association Honor Fiction award winner, and Fifth Born II: The Hundredth Turtle a Lambda Literary Award finalist. Her keynote addresses and workshops take her across the globe inspiring folks to reconnect with nature and tell their stories as a means of healing from the traumatic experiences of colonization. Her writing and healing methods are found in her book The Soul of the Full-Length Manuscript and through workshops and events on her website www.zeldalockhart.com and social media @zelda.lockhart.
Adebola Fabiku is the Department Head of Access Services at North Carolina State University Libraries, providing leadership and management for the department. She previously held leadership roles at the University of Washington and Wheaton College. Adebola is committed to access to library resources and advocates for retaining and supporting library staff and student workers through empathetic leadership. She holds an MS in Library and Information Science and a BS in Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
C. M. Lockhart (also known as Chelsea) writes books about Black girls who aren’t all that nice. Her debut novel, We Are the Origin, was released June 2022, and her latest series, The Lady Widow, is her first venture into the sci-fi genre. She is the owner of Written in Melanin, which encompasses a podcast and YouTube channel of the same name, founder of the Melanin Library, host of the Melanin Chat, contributing editor of Magic in the Melanin: A Black Fantasy Anthology, and co-founder of the DNF Book Club. More information can be found on her
website, https://WrittenInMelanin.com
Neal Hairston is a Library Technician in Access Services at North Carolina State University Libraries, managing the Ask Us Desk student worker program. He holds a BA in Psychology from North Carolina State University. Before his current role, Neal helped oversee the libraries’ textbook and course reserves program, assisted with the technology lending service, and served as the overnight library supervisor. For his work in academic continuity efforts concerning technology lending and reserves in the pandemic, Neal was awarded the 2022 NC State Award for Excellence. Libraries have always been a big part of Neal’s life. From getting his first library card at 4 years old; to his jobs in both high school and college; to his career; they have been ever present.. Neal strongly believes that libraries are a cornerstone in community well-being and is passionate about connecting students to the abundant resources they offer.
Wynter Douglas (they/them), M.Ed, MLIS, is the African American Cultural Center (AACC) Library library coordinator and librarian at NC State University.
Originally from Flint, Michigan, their strong belief in libraries as a place for community, solace, access to knowledge, accessibility, and the power of storytelling has continuously informed their life’s trajectory. Wynter holds a BA in Classical Languages, an MA in Higher Education, and, most recently, formalizing their 10 years of prior experience working in libraries, they graduated summa cum laude from NCCU with their Master’s in Library and Information Science (MLIS) focused on academic librarianship and special libraries. Wynter has always loved libraries for the impact they have on the communities they serve and how they urge people to be in community with the past, present, and possible futures in infinite ways. Wynter was awarded the 2024-5 ABC Collaborative Award: Excellence in Belonging for their work in the AACC Library.
Kyla is a junior Park Scholar studying Business Administration and Religious Studies. On campus, she’s currently involved in the Park Philanthropy Council. the Service Raleigh committee, and independent research about religion and human connection. She also works as a library assistant at the African American Cultural Center Library. Outside of school and other extracurricular activities, Kyla is an avid reader and writer. She enjoys learning about religion and the human experience and is driven by her desire to care for and help others.
Rainbow Reading Group: A Song in a Weary Throat
A Song in a Weary Throat
The African American Cultural Center, LGBTQ Pride Center, Women’s Center, Multicultural Student Affairs, and NC State Libraries have joined together to host a full semester book club for undergraduate and graduate students to read and discuss the award-winning book, Song In a Weary Throat by Pauli Murray this spring semester 2026.
Each month book club sessions will be hosted by a different student success center. The book club will also visit the Pauli Murray Center together in Late April.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, NC State will honor requests for reasonable accommodations made by individuals with disabilities. Direct accommodation requests to: Wynter Douglas at wldougla@ncsu.edu.
Join the African American Cultural Center, and Multicultural Student Affairs for our final meeting special meetings during National Library Week.
Learning Lab: AI and Appetizers
April 7, 2026, 5:30. -7:30pm, AACC Library
Join us for our Spring Learning Labs! This dynamic workshop series is designed to help students build skills and explore their creativity. Each hands-on session is a supportive space for you to connect with peers, learn from passionate facilitators, and grow your talents.
AI and Appetizers
Fuel your brain and your stomach at AI & Appetizers! In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn about how to use AI responsibly, which tools you have access to as an NC State student, and how to leverage those tools in your personal and professional projects. Bring your laptop and your curiosity! Refreshments and light appetizers will be served!
Rainbow Reading Chat: Intro to Audre Lorde and auto biomythographies
April 9, 12-1:30pm, Pride Center, Talley 5230
Join the African American Cultural Center Librarian, Wynter Douglas (they/them), for a discussion on the amazing Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet (and librarian!) Audre Lorde! You’ll be able to learn about her life and works as well as create an outline for your personal auto biomythography- a writing genre that Audre Lorde invented that is a blending of your life with mythology, history and fantasy.
This is the final Rainbow Reading Chat of the semester so 4 attendees will win a book and swag! All are invited to come, chat, and reclaim your personal story!
Create Your Own Library: Book Binding and Bookstagram Workshop
April 9 2026, 3-5pm, D.H. Hill Library Fishbowl Forum
Register for this workshop to book bind, have community conversations, and start building a library of your thoughts, stories, and reading reflections. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn to bind your own personal books to start creating or adding to your library, with the opportunity to make multiple journals so you can experiment, create extras, or share one with a friend!
The workshop begins with a short presentation on sustaining reading as a lifelong habit and recording your reading journeys through journaling and Instagram (bookstagrams), presented by Librarian Beatrice Downey. Participants will also collage their covers with fun collaging materials and images of Images of Black Student Life at NC State throughout the years provided by the Special Collections Research Center and quotes from Black authors curated by the African American Cultural Center Librarian. Attendees will get a glimpse into the career of book and archival preservation by meeting archivists and preservationists from the Special Collections Research Center.
Becoming a Researcher: Stories and Advice from Scholars
April 8 | 12-2pm | AACC Library – limited space so register soon!
Interested in conducting research? Want to identify as a research scholar but unsure how to start? Curious about what it’s like to present at the AACC’s annual Symposium on Afrofuturism and Diasporic Scholarship? If you resonate with any of these questions, we encourage you to register for this event! You’ll be able to have catered lunch with undergraduate, graduate, and faculty scholars who have presented at past symposiums hosted by the African American Cultural Center as well as talk to research experts from the NC State University Libraries and the Office Of undergraduate research! This will be an informal space to have conversations on all things research, resources, and how to get plugged in on campus and beyond.
Windows into the Soul: African American Libraries and Collections (Digital Exhibit)
April 8–10, 2026 | 11 AM–5 PM | Cyma Rubin Visualization Gallery
Closing Reception: April 10, 12–2 PM
Windows into the Soul is a digital exhibit highlighting the powerful role libraries and special collections play in expanding access to African American and Afro-diasporic culture, knowledge, and lived experiences. Featuring materials from Triangle area libraries and special collections, including NC State University and Shaw University, the exhibit showcases rare books, photographs, archival records, oral histories, creative works, and community ephemera that illuminate the richness of African American life and expression.
Hosted by the NC State African American Cultural Center Library in celebration of National Library Week, the exhibit invites visitors of all backgrounds to explore how libraries and archives preserve stories, expand access to knowledge, and support deeper understanding across communities. The exhibit will be on view April 8–10, with a closing reception on April 10 from 12–2 PM. All are welcome to attend. There will be refreshments and remarks by the exhibit partners at the reception.
Glimpse behind the Circulation Desk
A National Library Week Book List:
Curated by Wynter Douglas (They/Them), African American Cultural Center Library Coordinator and librarian
These books celebrate the integral work that librarians do and gives the reader a glimpse into the world of library and information science!
Each item is hyperlinked to their library catalog entry. You can request these books online or come in person to check out or read these books in the African American Cultural Center Library in Witherspoon Student Center, 2nd floor – through the AACC Gallery.
Check It Out:
Handbook of Black librarianship
edited by Andrew P. Jackson, Marva L. DeLoach, and Michele Fenton.
Call #: Z711.9 .H35 2025
Schomburg : the man who built a library
Carole Boston Weatherford ; illustrated by Eric Velasquez.
Call #:E185.97 .S36 W43 2017
Located in the AACC Library , METRC Informational Text @ Hill Library, and Hunt Library
The 21st-century black librarian in America : issues and challenges
edited by Andrew P. Jackson (Sekou Molefi Baako), Julius Jefferson Jr., Akilah Nosakhere.
Call #: Z682.4 .A37 A13 2012
The Black librarian in America : reflections, resistance, and reawakening
edited by Shauntee Burns-Simpson, Nichelle M. Hayes, Ana Ndumu, and Shaundra Walker ; foreword by Carla D. Hayden.
Call #: DT15 .A376 2023
Further resources:
There are so many great reads and academic sources that you have access to at NC State University. To find more, use the library catalog to search keywords and explore the results!
You can set up a research consultation with the African American Cultural Center librarian to get personalized support with your exploration of afrofuturism or any other topic, whether for class projects or personal research!
The History of National Library Week
“National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities.
In the mid-1950s, research showed that Americans were spending less on books and more on radios, televisions and musical instruments. Concerned that Americans were reading less, the ALA and the American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit citizens organization called the National Book Committee in 1954. The committee’s goals were ambitious. They ranged from “encouraging people to read in their increasing leisure time” to “improving incomes and health” and “developing strong and happy family life.”
In 1957, the committee developed a plan for National Library Week based on the idea that once people were motivated to read, they would support and use libraries. With the cooperation of ALA and with help from the Advertising Council, the first National Library Week was observed in 1958 with the theme “Wake Up and Read!” The 2024 celebration marked the 66th anniversary of the first event”. – American Library Association on the History of National Library Week