Humanities events
Our humanities program brings nationally recognized authors and world-class scholars to the library community through events that focus on music, art, local history, religion, literature, and culture. Stay up-to-date on Humanities programming with our monthly newsletter:
Programs are often developed in partnership with our many local arts and humanities organizations, nonprofits, and institutions.
Humanities programming is funded by the Durham Library Foundation.
Upcoming Events
Meet Teri M. Brown, author of Daughters of Green Mountain Gap
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 • 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Main Library (300 N. Roxboro St) (Main Auditorium)
Join us for a special author event celebrating Teri M. Brown and her compelling novel, Daughters of Green Mountain Gap, which has been selected as a prestigious NC Humanities 2026 NC Reads Pick for March 2026!...
Ages: Adult, Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds, High School, Intergenerational, Senior Citizen
Nature Writing Workshop
Saturday, April 18, 2026 • 10:00am - 11:30am
Main Library (300 N. Roxboro St) (Conference Room #3214)
Nature has inspired countless pieces of poetry and prose over the course of time and space; writing about nature puts us in intimate touch with our own inner landscapes, while filling us with awe and reverence for our natural world. If you have ever...
Ages: Adult, Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds, Senior Citizen
Stories from the Water and the Land: Sustaining Communities
Monday, April 20, 2026 • 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Main Library (300 N. Roxboro St) (Main Auditorium)
Join our moderated panel discussion to discover how North Carolina’s landscapes—its farms, forests, burial grounds, and waterways—sustain culture, memory, environmental health and community well‑being. ...
Ages: Adult, Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds, Intergenerational, Senior Citizen
Boardinghouse Women: How Southern Keepers, Cooks, Nurses, Widows, and Runaways Shaped Modern America
Friday, April 24, 2026 • 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Southwest Regional Library (3605 Shannon Rd) (Southwest Meeting Room)
...
Ages: Adult, Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds, High School, Intergenerational, Senior Citizen, Teen
"Quilting: the Great American Art" with Frances O'Roark Dowell
Saturday, April 25, 2026 • 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Southwest Regional Library (3605 Shannon Rd) (Southwest Meeting Room)
You're invited to a presentation by one of Durham County Library's favorite local novelists, Frances O'Roark Dowell. A quilter herself, she penned several books involving the subject. Come learn why Ms. Dowell believes that "quilting...
Ages: Adult, Intergenerational, Tweens: 9-12 Year Olds
Nature Writing Workshop
Saturday, May 16, 2026 • 10:00am - 11:30am
Main Library (300 N. Roxboro St) (Conference Room #3214)
Nature has inspired countless pieces of poetry and prose over the course of time and space; writing about nature puts us in intimate touch with our own inner landscapes, while filling us with awe and reverence for our natural world. If you have ever...
Ages: Adult, Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds, Senior Citizen
Get in touch!
Celeste
Email: choltzmann@dconc.gov
Celeste is a North Carolina native from the small town of Ridgeway. A winding road of customer service jobs and volunteer opportunities fed her passion for serving community and the various members of it. A graduate of UNC Asheville (BA) focusing in the art of printmaking and from NCCU (MLS) focusing in public libraries, she is thrilled to now take on the role of Humanities Coordinator for the exceptional community of the Durham County Library system. If you could only know one thing about her, she'd want you to know that she wants to HEAR FROM YOU! The humanities and libraries share the common thread of community and sharing voices, so please share yours! There may not be enough days in the year to do it all, but your ideas, interests, and suggestions matter!
Pronouns: she/her