October 2026 Newsletter

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This month: Banned Books, Best Friends, Election Information, and Halloween!

Freedom to Read Week

Freedom to Read Week, also known as Banned Books Weeks, is back again, from October 4-10! To celebrate, we’re handing out free stickers designed by local artist Ayley S., and we’ll have a variety of book displays and resources to explore! Stop by the library to get your sticker and find your next great read!

Freedom to Week is an annual event that brings together the book community: librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, educators, and readers to stand together and support the freedom to express and access different ideas. 

The First Amendment of the US Constitution protects your intellectual freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom of petition; these rights are an essential feature of democracy and are longstanding American values. By celebrating Freedom to Read Week, we stand with libraries and readers everywhere to say that we trust people to make their own informed decisions and think for themselves.

This year’s theme is “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read,” a call to stop censorship and celebrate all the things books can be to people. Let books be fun, challenging, happy, sad, adventurous, comforting, informative, or life-changing; just let books be!

You can check out some of our curated reading lists here:

Friends of Libraries Week

October 18-24 is National Friends of the Libraries Week! The Friends of the East Lansing Public Library do so much for us, and we are so grateful for their support! They work tirelessly to stock and operate the used bookstore in the library, and the money they raise gets donated to the library to help fund our programs, staff development and education, and more!

Our Friends go above and beyond to support the library so we can continue to serve our community. Check out our video (left) to see why our Friends are so great! Thank you so much for being the best Friends we could ask for. <3 

Want to know how you can support the Friends? Give your time, used books, or money. Learn how you can get involved at friendsofelpl.org.

Navigating Information in an Election Year

Midterm elections are coming up on Tuesday, November 3. As election day approaches, we’re all increasingly overwhelmed with political messaging from TV, social media, snail mail, and more. How can you tell what’s real and what’s fake? Here are some quick tips to help you navigate the flood of information.

More Questions?

Have more questions about how to navigate the media landscape ahead of the election? Stop by the library to talk to one of our friendly librarians; we’re specially trained to sort and analyze information, and we can help you find books and other resources on the topics you’re interested in!

To learn more about election information for the upcoming midterms, including how to register to vote, polling locations, absentee ballot drop-boxes, early voting, and more, visit the East Lansing City Clerk’s website (or your local City Clerk’s website if you’re not an East Lansing resident).

The East Lansing Public Library has an absentee ballot drop-box out front by our electric vehicle charging stations. This drop-box is available for absentee ballot drop-off anytime up until Election Day, and it’s video-monitored 24/7 to make sure no one tampers with the ballots.

October Reading Recommendations

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

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.

  • Teen Escape Room - Zombie Apocalypse (teens): Saturday, October 10    
  • Tabletop Gaming - Making History (adults): Saturday, October 10, 3-5pm    
    • Join library staff for a fun afternoon of tabletop gaming! We will be playing Making History, published by CMU press. Players can expect to leave with a deeper appreciation of how historians craft narratives & how their personal biases may influence how they themselves then interact with those narratives. Registration required.
  • Medicare 101 (adults): Tuesday, October 13, 2-3pm    
    • Join us for a beginner-friendly ABCs of Medicare workshop covering Parts A-D, enrollment windows, dental benefits, and how to avoid common mistakes. Free and open to the public. 
  • Poetry and Connection - Writing Workshop (adults): Tuesday, October 13, 6-7pm    
    • The MSU Community Writing Center will host a writing group to provide a generative space and community for writers. Writers will have the opportunity to read with others, get feedback in a workshop setting, and learn about poetry.

Read to a Dog (ages 6-14): Wednesdays, 5:30-6:30pm

  • Practice your reading aloud skills with a friendly listening dog!

E2 Box

We have a new Empathy and Equity (E2) Box! The new E2 Box replaces an older model, and features more space and better weather-proofing. It was built by Judah Merryman from Eagle Scout Troop 293 as his service project, with financial support from the Friends of the East Lansing Public Library. 

Help us celebrate by filling the box! This anonymously accessible pantry operates on the “take what you need, leave what you can” model. We need donations of non-perishable food, small clothing items like socks or gloves, and hygiene items. Donations are always welcomed, and can be dropped off in the designated bin inside the library’s lobby. Library staff and volunteers sort donations and regularly restock the E2 Box, ensuring quality, freshness, and consistent availability of resources. 

Sustainability Update:

  • The library hosted a Community Craft Swap at the beginning of the month. Participants were encouraged to share and exchange crafting materials, rather than buying new. It was our largest swap yet, with over 100 participants!
  • The Sustainability team took a tour of MSU Surplus and Recycling facility. Several of our Friends of the Library also attended the tour and were able to see where our recycled books go.
  • ELPL celebrated Recycling Awareness Week from September 21st- 27th. Staff shared recycling tips and fun facts each day of the week.
  • ELPL staff had their final volunteering event at the MSU Student Organic Farm. Staff had a great time processing and sorting onion crops, and learning more about the farm’s operations.
  • We are 81% done with the SLI certification process!

Upcoming Dates:

  • The library will close at 2pm on Friday, October 9, for the MSU Homecoming Parade.
  • The library will be closed Monday, October 12, for Indigenous Peoples Day.

ELPL in the News:

Catch ELPL Next Month:

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

  • DIY Herbs for Sleep Workshop
  • Latin American Colonial Street Theatre
  • Poetry Workshop
  • Teen Just Dance Tournament
  • And more!

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

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