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.
Programs are often developed in partnership with our many local arts and humanities organizations, nonprofits, and institutions. Currently all events are being presented online only.
Humanities programming is funded by the Durham Library Foundation.
Upcoming Events
Readers' Theater After School!
Tuesday, May 31, 2022 • 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Main Library (Main Library - Children's Program Room)
This is not your ordinary readers’ theater! Get ready to warm up with acting games, try cool theater exercises, and read funny short plays (no memorization required!), but most importantly, get ready to take a bow!
Ages: Elementary School, Tweens: 9-12 Year Olds
Speak on It! with Dasan Ahanu
Saturday, June 04, 2022 • 12:00pm - 1:30pm
East Regional Library
Join us to speak your mind and develop your spoken word, creative writing, and performance skills!...
Ages: Middle School
Calamity Again: The Roots of Conflict in Ukraine
Saturday, June 11, 2022 • 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Main Library (Main Auditorium)
Join Durham County Library for a special presentation by Dr. Pamela Kachurin on the historical, cultural, and political context of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Together we will take a deeper look at the root causes of the current conflict, beginning with...
Ages: Adult, Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds, Intergenerational, Senior Citizen
Exceptional Measures
Wednesday, June 15, 2022 • 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Exceptional Measures - Celebrating Juneteenth...
Ages: Adult, Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds, High School, Intergenerational, Middle School, Senior Citizen, Teen, Tweens: 9-12 Year Olds
You Mean It Or You Don't: James Baldwin's Radical Challenge
Thursday, June 16, 2022 • 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Main Library (Main Auditorium)
Join Durham County Library and Duke University's Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity for the release of Jamie McGhee and Adam Hollowell's new book You Mean It or You Don't: James Baldwin's Radical Challenge. The...
Ages: Adult, Intergenerational, Senior Citizen
American Dance Festival's Movies by Movers
Saturday, June 25, 2022 • 2:00pm - 4:30pm
Main Library (Main Auditorium)
ADF’s Movies By Movers is an annual film festival dedicated to the celebration of the conversation between the body and the camera. We love sharing the history of the collaboration between the ephemeral art of live movement and the perpetual...
Ages: Adult, Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds, Senior Citizen, Teen
Pauli Murray Center's June '22 Book Club: On Juneteenth
Wednesday, June 29, 2022 • 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Virtual
The Pauli Murray Center's June 2022 book club discussion will be on the book...
Ages: Adult, Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds, High School, Senior Citizen
American Dance Festival's Movies by Movers
Saturday, July 02, 2022 • 2:00pm - 4:30pm
Main Library (Main Auditorium)
ADF’s Movies By Movers is an annual film festival dedicated to the celebration of the conversation between the body and the camera. We love sharing the history of the collaboration between the ephemeral art of live movement and the perpetual...
Ages: Adult, Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds, Senior Citizen, Teen
Summer Spanish Camp
Tuesday, July 05, 2022 • 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Main Library (Main Library - Children's Program Room)
Get started speaking Spanish easily with this week-long camp! Through games, projects, songs, and more, campers will learn to greet each other, introduce themselves, say how they're feeling, ask questions, and express likes and dislikes in...
Ages: Elementary School, Kindergarten
Summer Spanish Camp
Wednesday, July 06, 2022 • 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Main Library (Main Library - Children's Program Room)
Get started speaking Spanish easily with this week-long camp! Through games, projects, songs, and more, campers will learn to greet each other, introduce themselves, say how they're feeling, ask questions, and express likes and dislikes in...
Ages: Elementary School, Kindergarten
Summer Spanish Camp
Thursday, July 07, 2022 • 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Main Library (Main Library - Children's Program Room)
Get started speaking Spanish easily with this week-long camp! Through games, projects, songs, and more, campers will learn to greet each other, introduce themselves, say how they're feeling, ask questions, and express likes and dislikes in...
Ages: Elementary School, Kindergarten
Summer Spanish Camp
Friday, July 08, 2022 • 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Main Library (Main Library - Children's Program Room)
Get started speaking Spanish easily with this week-long camp! Through games, projects, songs, and more, campers will learn to greet each other, introduce themselves, say how they're feeling, ask questions, and express likes and dislikes in...
Ages: Elementary School, Kindergarten
American Dance Festival's Movies by Movers
Saturday, July 09, 2022 • 2:00pm - 4:30pm
Main Library (Main Auditorium)
ADF’s Movies By Movers is an annual film festival dedicated to the celebration of the conversation between the body and the camera. We love sharing the history of the collaboration between the ephemeral art of live movement and the perpetual...
Ages: Adult, Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds, High School, Senior Citizen, Teen
American Dance Festival's Movies by Movers
Saturday, July 16, 2022 • 2:00pm - 4:30pm
Main Library (Main Auditorium)
ADF’s Movies By Movers is an annual film festival dedicated to the celebration of the conversation between the body and the camera. We love sharing the history of the collaboration between the ephemeral art of live movement and the perpetual...
Ages: Adult, Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds, Senior Citizen, Teen
The Hum
Introducing The Hum, the newsletter of Durham County Library Humanities Programming. Look forward to monthly releases sharing upcoming events, suggested reads, and more!
Exciting events are coming soon – check it out in The Hum!
Email choltzmann@dconc.gov to be added to the Humanities mailing list.
Past Editions
Humanities program videos
Video recordings of select humanities programs. We make every attempt to record programs of historical value to the Durham community. Here’s our most recent:
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