Huntsville Public Library displays inclusive books for Community Living Month
Annie Ihnatowycz, Public Service Assistant for Huntsville Public Library, says a display of books from the library’s collection promoting disability awareness and inclusion will be up for Community Living Month. Photo by Community Living Huntsville.
Huntsville Public Library has put inclusion on display to celebrate Community Living Huntsville’s 60th anniversary during Community Living Month 2022.
“We are happy to help Community Living Huntsville celebrate 60 years. The services they provide are invaluable, and the library shares in their values of fostering inclusiveness in our community,” said David Tremblay, chief librarian and CEO for the library. “With this display we look to help celebrate Community Living Huntsville’s 60 years and provide information around inclusivity for individuals with developmental disabilities.”
Library staff have assembled a display from the library’s collection, offering a mix of fiction and nonfiction books for children, young adult, and adult that raise awareness of a variety of disabilities and promote community inclusion of people with disabilities. Community members can borrow the books and make recommendations for additions to the library’s collection.
Annie Ihnatowycz, public service assistant, said she was inspired to create the display as celebrations swelled throughout the community in May.
“I created this display in the hope that people who are involved with Community Living or people who are not involved with Community Living will come and check it out and maybe learn something they didn’t know about their community members,” said Ihnatowycz. “These books … included people with disabilities, and I think a lot of them show us how important it is to include everybody.”
She noted, as an example, that much of the fiction on display featured characters with physical disabilities or characters who are neurodivergent.
“It’s about including different people with different abilities and disabilities,” said Ihnatowycz. “And all rather inspiring, or normal stories as well, which is, I think, the whole point.”
Thank you, Huntsville Public Library, for helping to promote awareness disabilities and inclusion!
Community members can visit Huntsville Public Library at 7 Minerva Street East to see the display and borrow the books, or find more information about the library, its programs and services, and hours by visiting huntsvillelibrary.ca or calling 705-789-5232.