Derby Public Library > Events > Big Read
Participate with us in
NEA Big Read: Wichita
The Derby Public Library is pleased to partner with Wichita Public Library for NEA Big Read: Wichita. The title for this year's Big Read is There, There by Tommy Orange.
There, There follows twelve characters from Native communities: all traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow, all connected to one another in ways they may not yet realize. Together, this chorus of voices tells of the plight of the urban Native American--grappling with a complex and painful history, with an inheritance of beauty and spirituality, with communion and sacrifice and heroism.
Pick up a free copy of the book at Derby Public Library beginning March 18. Read the book and make plans to attend one of the many Big Read scheduled events here in Derby, or explore the Big Read Wichita website to find events throughout the area.
The Big Read will run from March 18 - April 27
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
Big Read Events for Adults
Library Lounge Indigenous Stories Series
All films will offer refreshments, coloring pages, and entry into a grand prize drawing. Attendants are also invited to bring their own craft projects like crochet or sketch pads to work on during the films.
Smoke Signals on Tuesday, April 2 at 6 PM in Community Room
1998 comedy film about a young man's cross-country journey to retrieve his father's ashes.
Songs My Brothers Taught Me on Tuesday, April 9 at 6 PM in Community Room
Oscar Winner Chloe Zhao's directorial masterpiece about a brother and sister's experience living on a reservation.
Barking Water on Tuesday, April 16 at 6 PM in Community Room
Reservation Dogs director Sterlin Harjo's story about a terminally ill man who embarks on a road trip with his former lover.
Grand prize drawing winner will be announced at this film
Music as Medicine with Elexa Dawson
Friday, April 5 at 6 p.m. in Community Room
Join us for an incredible evening of music and storytelling with the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival headliner, Elexa Dawson. Elexa comes from the Citizen Potawatomi Nation based near Shawnee, Oklahoma, and her captivating red-dirt-honey vocals lay on the listener like a blanket of good feelings, giving the gift of healing through sound. Sultry soul meets rural roots at this beautiful event. Refreshments will be provided.
Elexa Dawson's website: https://elexadawson.com/
Elexa's other project, Weda Skirts: https://www.wedaskirts.com/
Indigenous Narratives Through Art
Sunday, April 14 at 2 p.m. in Community Room
Taiomah Rutledge, a First Nation artist belonging to the Ojibwe, Meskwaki and Dakota people, presents a showing and discussion of his work with ink, digital media, eco-printing and serigraphy using various substrates like old ledgers, watercolor and Bristol paper. Taiomah, co-founder of the Warclan Art Collective, will also share his journey as a First Nations artist and how he uses his work to share the often overlooked perspectives of First Nations people. Refreshments will be provided.
Warclan Art Collective website: https://www.facebook.com/WarClanArtCollective/
Murder Mystery Night: Beneath the Bones
Friday, April 19 at 7PM in the Community Room - REGISTRATION REQUIRED
You are an archaeology scholar attending a seminar that opens a hidden university cold case. In 1965 Northern California, a team of archaeologists excavated the lands of the Indigenous Ohlone, Mutsun, and Awaswas peoples in search of historical artifacts, but the excavation was abruptly halted when one of the team was found mysteriously dead. Now you are called to uncover the truth – what happened on those lands, who is to blame, and what stories of the past are buried beneath the bones?
Dinner provided by Poblano's Catering Services, but guests with dietary restrictions are welcome to bring their own food.
Registration opens on Monday, March 18 at 9 a.m.
Call the library at (316) 788-0760 or click the link below to register!
Preschool Storytime: Native American Heritage
Tuesday, April 2 at 10AM and Wednesday, April 3 at 10AM in the Early Literacy Area
Celebrate Native American heritage with Preschool Storytime! Featured books read aloud will be We All Play by Julie Fett and We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom. Enjoy music, puppets, and the flannel story “The Three Sisters.”
Teen Tuesday: Indigenous Trickster Tales
Tuesday, April 9 at 4PM in the Community Room
6th - 12th grade teens are invited to explore the epic tricksters of Indigenous folklore. We'll have black bean soup and blue corn tortilla chips as a snack, make paper plate dreamcatchers, and play "Trickster Coup," a variation of the card game Coup in which teens will pretend to be various trickster characters like Coyote, Raven, and Fox.
Tween Zone: Latin American Legends
Wednesday, April 10 at 4PM in the Frank Fanning Room
3rd-5th Graders will explore stories, fables, and legends from Latin American Meet with friends afterschool for snacks, crafts, games, and book talks.
Adventures @ the Library: Flowers with O'Keefe
Thursday, April 11 at 4PM in the Frank Fanning Room
Georgia O’Keeffe, known as the mother of American modernism, was inspired by the landscape of Abiquiú, a Tewa Pueblo settlement where she made her home. Test your art skills with an art craft inspired by O’Keeffe, as well as listen to books read aloud and enjoy an afterschool snack.
