PPL Library Anniversary Celebration

In October, we marked one year of the Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ Library at Project for Pride in Living (PPL). The name “Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ”, reflects the world view of interconnectedness held by the Lakota people of North America. PPL staff sit in a beautiful and welcoming space with exposed brick and plenty of natural light and enjoy a wide selection of donated books that uplift voices that have historically been silenced.

 We marked the library’s celebration by highlighting the importance of gathering with community, connecting with one’s inner child, and reading to understand others’ experiences. Khaliah Booker, PPL’s Talent Equity and Culture AmeriCorps, planned the occasion. She utilized her education in culture and her passion for reading to prepare the event.

The theme of the one-year anniversary party was “Reading Rainbow,” incorporating the idea of every staff having a different rainbow of books in their life. During the celebration, Khaliah read a Samanth Irby story, Wow, No Thank You, to the staff to highlight reading with the idea of nostalgia, light heartedness, and staff connection in mind.

When she started to work at PPL, Khaliah collaborated with DeBorah Smith, Director of Equity & Learning, and Danielle Gharineh, Executive Administrative Assistant, who would make up the library committee. These three are working to improve this refreshing space.

Khaliah noted, “So many of the books found in our library are great tools to push all of our work forward.” Khaliah was hoping that the anniversary celebration would encourage more use of the library by the PPL community.

The library is a unique benefit of the work culture and environment at PPL. In hopes of continuing to develop this space and system, the library committee is asking themselves, “How can we be a pioneer in the work force? How can we make this an even better place to work?” There will continue to be gatherings and readings in the warm space that will encourage connection through reading. Also, the committee is working on creating a system that will make checking out books from the Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ Library easier for residents in PPL managed buildings. PPL is grateful for Khaliah and the library committee for their energy and eagerness they have put into making this space even better for both staff and residents.