My work at the Yonker’s Public Library focuses on transforming the library’s local history program by increasing access to local history, providing tools for Westchester-area citizens to author their own stories, and democratizing library archival digital and physical collections.

In the fall of 2023, I offered the first annual People’s History Day at Yonkers Public Library. The day-long event invited Westchester-area residents to share stories of their lives.

Library staff shared free resources to recording, discovering, and sharing their own histories. Talks included information on recording family interviews, researching ancestry, accessing historical materials from the treasure trove in the Local History Room, and adding to the Library’s growing collection of photographs, memorabilia, and other archival materials. In a community panel on art and activism, Yonkers artists and activists talked about using the Library's archives to build community and document history. During the Library’s first Scan-a-thon, patrons brought fragile family heirlooms and photos to preserve and share through digitization.

Schedule of Events
● 10:15 am - 4:30 pm: Exhibits, children’s crafts, and refreshments

● 10:30 am: Exploring heritage through genealogy

● 11:00 am: Understanding the value of objects in telling history

● 11:30 am: Recording family stories through oral history

● 12:00 pm: Community panel discussion on art and activism

● 1:00 - 4:30 pm: Scan-a-thon