Black History Month

FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Traditionally the month containing Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (Feb. 12) and Frederick Douglass’s presumed birthday (Feb. 14) has been observed as a special period to recognize achievements and contributions by African Americans since an observance was officially launched by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926.  Initially observed for one week, the observance period was extended to a month in 1976 to the entire month of February.  Each year, the Martinsburg Public Library reference department publishes a new list of African-American titles that have been added to the library collections in the past year in the categories of fiction & mystery, nonfiction & reference, juvenile & young adult, and video & audio.  Stop at the circulation desk or at the reference desk in the Martinsburg library to pick up one of the African-American bibliographies.