November 2026 Newsletter

This month: Native American Heritage Month, New Lit Kits, Honoring Veterans, and Teen Art!

Native American Heritage Month

November is Native American Heritage Month! There are lots of ways to celebrate!

Mark your calendars for our November 19 program, “Introduction to the Anishinaabe: We Are Still Here!” MSU Native American Institute Director, Dr. Kevin Leonard will present on the Three Fires Confederacy and tribes who share geography with Michigan. He will address topics from Land Acknowledgements to the Michigan Indian Tuition Waiver and other myths and misconceptions.

You can also visit the Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center, right down the road in Okemos! The Nokomis Center is a nonprofit center dedicated to teaching the history, culture, and the language of the Anishinaabeg. They’re also a partner with the Michigan Activity Pass; you can use your ELPL library card to receive 10% off gift shop purchases. Learn more:

Looking for your next read? Check out these great books by Indigenous authors:

• Indigenous Voices (adults)
• Native American Heritage Month (adults)
• Cooking for Specialized Diets 
• Cookbooks for Hosting 
• Veterans Day

Finally: if you want to learn more about Anishinaabe history and contemporary issues from an academic lens, check out these free resources:

Academic Search Complete

eBook (Full EBSCO Collection)

ERIC: Educational Resources Information Center

Explora for Public Libraries

History Reference Center

Humanities Source

Michigan History Magazine

IRRC Lit Kit

We’re proud to partner with the Immigrant and Refugee Resource Collaborative to add a new Lit Kit to our collection: In the Beautiful Country, by Jane Kuo! Our Lit Kits have multiple copies of the book available (perfect for book clubs!), and come with a discussion guide.

This book is the IRRC’s 2026 Community Read, encouraging everyone in the Greater Lansing area to read and discuss the same book about immigrant experiences.

About the book: 

Anna can’t wait to move to the Beautiful Country - the Chinese name for the USA. Although she’s only ever known life in Taiwan, she can’t help but brag about the move to her family and friends.

But the Beautiful Country isn’t anything like Anna pictured. Her family can only afford a cramped apartment, she’s bullied at school, and she struggles to understand a new language. On top of that, the restaurant that her parents poured their savings into is barely staying afloat. The version of America that Anna is experiencing is nothing like she imagined. How will she be able to make the beautiful country her home?

This lyrical and heartfelt story, inspired by the author’s own experiences, is about resilience, courage, and the struggle to make a place for yourself in the world.

Honoring Veterans

We’re partnering with Q106 to participate in the 22 Day/22 Push-Up Challenge! Every day, an average of 22 active duty and veteran soldiers of the U.S. Armed Forces lose their battle with PTSD, and lose their lives. Let’s work together to bring that number to zero.

Every day at noon for the 22 days up to and including Veterans Day, you’re invited to join Q106’s Terry Stevens and do 22 push-ups at locations around Mid-Michigan. This challenge shows support for our Veterans and raises awareness for the struggles they may be facing. ELPL is hosting Day 21; stop by the library at noon on Tuesday, November 10 to join the challenge!

You can also explore this list of books for Veterans Day, or watch our video spotlighting Kurt Vonnegut’s semi-autobiographical telling of his experiences as a serviceman in WWII.

Teen Featured Artist Gallery

Calling teen artists! Do you want to have your art featured in a mini-gallery? Submit up to five pieces of art for the chance to be displayed in the library for a month!

Learn more and apply now!

Giving Tuesday

Celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Giving Tuesday is a day to support non-profit organizations and give back to your community. As you make your giving plans this year, please consider the library! As we get closer to Giving Tuesday, we’ll be sharing a wish list of items that would help us with our programming and other services. Stay tuned to see how you can support the library!

November Reading Recommendations

Looking for your next great read? Check out some of our recommended reading lists for November:

• Cookbooks for Hosting (adults)
• Cooking for Specialized Diets (adults)
• Unwind Your Mind (adults)
• The Great Family Movie Binge (all ages)

Featured: Upcoming Programs

Library programs are free and open to the public; you don’t even need a library card! Unless otherwise noted, no registration is required.

• Subverting Style - Latin American Colonial Street Theatre (adults): Friday, November 6, 10:30-11:30am     
  • Professor Rodriguez Quiroz from Oakland University will discuss his experience teaching El Gueguense, a street play/dance from colonial Nicaragua as an alternative in the classical theatre classroom.
• Poetry Workshop with Joyce Benvenuto (adults): Monday, November 9, 6-8pm     
  • Join us for an evening of poetry with Joyce Benvenuto, a local Lansing poet. She will be teaching sound, rhythm, and other components of poetry. Sign up online.
• Poetry and Connection - Writing Workshop (adults): Tuesday, November 10, 6-7pm     
  • The MSU Community Writing Center will host a writing group to provide a generative space and community for writers.
• Save the Planet: How Can You Be Part of the Solution? (adults): Thursday, November 12, 2-3pm     
  • Learn how one person can make a difference. Discover simple, practical ways to reduce your carbon footprint, save money and live a little greener through everyday choices at home. Presented in partnership with AARP.
• Just Dance Tournament (teens): Monday, November 16, 3:30-4:30pm     
  • Show off your moves and compete in this Just Dance Tournament for teens! Winners will earn prizes!
• Introduction to the Anishinaabe - We Are Still Here (adults): Thursday, November 19, 6-7pm     
  • Join us for an evening with the MSU Native American Institute Director, Dr. Kevin Leonard, who will give a presentation on the Three Fires Confederacy and tribes who share geography with Michigan. 
• ELPL Birding Club (all ages): Saturday, November 21, 10-11:30am     
  • Come to the East Lansing Public Library and join fellow birdwatchers at our monthly meeting. 
• Kids Crafternoon - No-Sew Warming Packs (4th-6th graders): Saturday, November 21, 1-2pm     
  • Join us for our first Kids Crafternoon. This month we’re making no-sew warming packs, just in time for winter! Sign up online.
• Once Upon a Genre Book Club (adults): Monday, November 30, 7-8pm     
  • This month we’ll be reading a magical realism novel, Exit West by Mohsin Hamid.
• Sibling Revelry - Readings by Terry Blackhawk and Tom Bohnhorst (adults): Wednesday, December 2, 1-2pm     
  • Two siblings, Terry Blackhawk and Tom Bohnhorst will be here for an author talk discussing their new books, Highway 80 Revisited: Tales of Boyhood and Coming of Age by Tom Bohnhorst and Doom and Beauty: Poems by Terry Blackhawk.
• Teen Leadership Council (teens): Saturday, December 5, 4-5pm     
  • Join the Teen Leadership Council to make your voice heard! Assist and plan teen programming, gain experience that looks great on a resume, and earn volunteer hours for community service. 
• Family Activity Day with MSU Friendshop (families): Sunday, December 6, 2-4pm     
  • Join us for an afternoon of fun, educational activities with the MSU Friendshop! 
• DIY Workshop: Skin Care (adults): Monday, December 7, 6-7pm     
  • Making your own skin care products with essential oils! Sign up online. This program is generously funded by the Friends of the East Lansing Public Library. 
• Powerful Tools for Caregivers - Managing Stress Workshop (adults): Wednesday, December 9, 1-2pm     
  • Attend a one-time workshop to gain tools to help you with providing care for a loved one. Registration required: call Tri-County Office on Aging at 517-887-1465 or email histedc@tcoa.org.
• Digital Citizenship - Artificial Intelligence: (adults): Thursday, December 3, 10:30-12pm     
  • We will cover the basics of how AI learns, how to identify AI-generated content, and have a group discussion on whether AI is a choice or necessity in different scenarios. Sign up online.
• Block Party Puzzles (all ages): Sunday, December 13, 2-3pm     
  • Join Emily Biegas and Sala Wanetick, the creators of Block Party: Detroit Edition to celebrate their latest crossword collection. The event will be followed by a book signing. Copies of Block Party: Michigan Edition will be available for purchase.

Spotlight: Black Friday Deals

Before you sign up for a new subscription this Black Friday, double check: could you be getting similar services for free with your library card?

Sustainability Update:

• We are close to completing the Sustainable Libraries Initiative certification process! There are just a few action items left to complete before our application will be submitted to the SLI Advisory Board for review. 
• Members of the Sustainability Team presented about ELPL’s experience becoming a sustainable library at the annual Michigan Library Association conference at the end of October. They collaborated with Michigan State University Libraries, who are also in the SLI certification process, to highlight the work being done across East Lansing.
• The library’s Fiber Arts group repurposed leftover yarn from last month’s Craft Swap to make a scarf and a hat for the coming colder months. 

Upcoming Dates:

• The library will be closed Monday, November 2 for staff in-service.
• The library will close early at 6pm on November 10, and remain closed on Wednesday, November 11, for Veterans Day.
• The library will close early at 6pm on November 25, and remain closed November 26 and 27 for Thanksgiving.

Catch ELPL Next Month:

Be on the lookout for more excitement in December! ELPL will be sharing featured reading lists, book displays, and programs throughout the month. Some of the library programs will include:

• AI Workshop
• Writing Workshops
• Holiday Programs
• And more!

For more information, visit the library’s website or follow ELPL on social media!