East Side Freedom Library

THE EAST SIDE FREEDOM LIBRARY'S MISSION IS TO INSPIRE SOIDARITY, ADVOCATE FOR JUSTICE, AND WORK TOWARD EQUITY FOR ALL. THE LIBRARY HOUSES NON-CIRCULATING COLLECTIONS WHICH SUPPORT COMMUNITY EVENTS, SHARING ART AND LEARNING ABOUT LABOR, IMMIGRATION HISTORY AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY.

THE PANDEMIC FORCED ESFL TO PIVOT ALMOST ALL OF OUR PROGRAMMING TO ONLINE PLATFORMS. WE HAVE HOSTED MOST OF OUR PROGRAMS VIA ZOOM AND LIVE-STREAMED TO FACEBOOK, WHILE RECORDING TO ARCHIVE ON YOU TUBE. WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THESE TECHNOLOGIES HAVE MADE POSSIBLE THE RECRUITMENT OF PRESENTERS AND SPEAKERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE INVOLVEMENT OF PANELISTS AND AUDIENCES FROM BEYOND OUR IMMEDIATE MILIEU, AND AN EXPANSION OF OUR AUDIENCE BY ENABLING INDIVIDUALS TO WATCH PROGRAMS ON THEIR OWN TIME. HIGHLIGHTS OF ESFL'S CULTURAL WORK IN 2020 INCLUDE: "STORIES FOR (LITTLE) PEOPLE," A SATURDAY MORNING SERIES OF READINGS OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS WHICH FEATURE BIPOC AUTHORS AND CHARACTERS; "THE KALEIDOSCOPE PROJECT," IN WHICH AFRICAN AMERICAN, INDIGENOUS, AND ASIAN AMERICAN WRITERS PARTICIPATE IN STRUCTURED WORKSHOPS AND PRODUCE NEW WORK, WHICH THEY READ TO ESFL AUDIENCES; "HISTORY REVEALED," A MONTHLY SERIES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN WHICH SCHOLARS OF MINNESOTA HISTORY SHARE THEIR NEW WORK; "SPOOKY STORIES TO SCARE THE COVID-19 AWAY," IN WHICH ASIAN AMERICAN WRITERS PRESENT NEW WORK TO ESFL AUDIENCES; "LEARNING FROM THE PAST TO MAKE A BETTER FUTUTE," IN WHICH FORMER ESFL BOARD MEMBER AND RETIRED METRO STATE PROFESSOR TOM O'CONNELL INTERVIEWS SCHOLARS AND ACTIVISTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY, EXPLORING AND DISCUSSING THEIR NEW WORK; BOOK DISCUSSIONS, IN WHICH AUTHORS OF NEW WORK, BOTH FICTION AND SCHOLARLY, ENGAGE WITH A PANEL WHOSE MEMBERS HAVE READ THEIR BOOK.

ESFL HOSTED MORE THAN 3,000 VISITORS THIS FISCAL YEAR. IN MID-MARCH, OUR IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING WAS DISRUPTED BY THE PANDEMIC, BUT WE HAD ALREADY HOSTED: VERY SUCCESSFUL AUTHOR EVENTS, INCLUDING A MONTHLY HISTORY REVEALED SERIES CO-SPONSORED BY THE RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOUR PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS OF THE LEGACY OF US-NATIVE AMERICAN TREATIES IN CONJUNCTION WITH HOSTING THE MINNESOTA HUMANITIES CENTER'S TRAVELING EXHIBIT, WHY TREATIES MATTER PANEL PRESENTATIONS ON IRAN, SYRIA, ERITREA, ETHIOPIA, AND HONG KONG, LED BY PEOPLE WHO HAD GROWN UP IN THOSE COUNTRIES, AND POETRY READINGS. FROM APRIL THROUGH JUNE WE DEVELOPED A ROBUST PRESENCE OF ONLINE PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING BOOK DISCUSSIONS, FILM SCREENINGS, AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS ON BOTH HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY TOPICS. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WATCHED THESE PROGRAMS WHICH WERE BROADCAST ON OUR FACEBOOK AND YOUTUBE PAGES, BOTH WHEN THE PROGRAMS PREMIERED AND AFTER THEY WERE ARCHIVED.

TO PROMOTE TEACHING AND LEARNING, ESFL STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS MENTORED NEARLY 100 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO WERE UNDERTAKING NATIONAL HISTORY DAY RESEARCH PROJECTS. WE ALSO HOSTED: CLASSES FOR THE NEW BROOKWOOD LABOR COLLEGE, A NEW 501C3 EDUCATIONAL PROJECT, WHICH INCLUDED COLLABORATION WITH METRO STATE UNIVERSITY'S MASTERS IN POLICY & LEADERSHIP MAPL PROGRAM, THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA'S LABOR EDUCATION SERVICE, AND A NUMBER OF LOCAL LABOR ORGANIZATIONS A COURSE ON IMMIGRATION AND THE MAKING OF ST. PAUL FOR THE ADULT & COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM OF THE ST. PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS A SERIES OF HISTORICALLY-FOCUSED WALKING TOURS OF SWEDE HOLLOW AND PAYNE AVENUE A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS IN CRITICAL ETHNIC STUDIES FOR ST. PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEACHERS MONTHLY WORKSHOPS IN RESTORATIVE PRACTICES, CONVENED BY THE ST. PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE ST. PAUL FEDERATION OF EDUCATORS. WITH SUPPORT FROM THE MINNESOTA STATE ARTS BOARD, THE METRO REGIONAL ARTS COUNCIL, AND THE CITY OF ST. PAUL CULTURAL STAR PROGRAM, ESFL CURATED AND HOSTED WORKSHOPS IN COMMUNITY JOURNALISM, CREATIVE WRITING AND VISUAL ART. OVER THE YEAR, ESFL STAFF MENTORED 8 STUDENT INTERNS WHO WERE ENROLLED AT METRO STATE UNIVERSITY, THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, MACALESTER COLLEGE, AUGSBURG COLLEGE, AND THE HIGHER EDUCATION CONSORTIUM FOR URBAN AFFAIRS. THESE STUDENTS EARNED COLLEGE CREDITS FOR THEIR WORK.