LGBT+: A History in Arizona with Marshall Shore

Mesa Public Library - Downtown 64 E. 1st St., Mesa, AZ, United States

Arizona’s history of the LGBT+ community begins long before Arizona was a state with the Native American belief of two-spirits, continuing on through to the seismic shift of Civil Union/ Marriage Equality. There are some surprises along the way as we talk about artists and Arizona connections to Warhol, Keith Haring, and those muscle magazines […]

FREE

From “Chief” to Code Talker: Four Profiles of the Navajo Code Talkers with Laura Tohe

San Tan Library- Bronze Room 31505 N Schnepf Rd, San Tan Valley, AZ, United States

During WWII a group of young Navajo men enlisted in the Marines without knowing that they would be called on to develop a secret code against the Japanese military. This select group of Code Talkers devised a Navajo language code that was accurate, quick, never broken, and saved many American lives. This talk profiles four […]

FREE

He/She/They: Why Pronouns Matter with Erik Tanchez

Coolidge Public Library Program Room 160 W Central Ave, Coolidge, AZ, United States

There has been a lot of attention on pronouns in the news headlines recently—from state bills aimed at regulating pronouns in the classroom to social media platforms offering pronoun options. So, what is a pronoun? How are pronouns related to gender identity, such as cisgender, transgender, nonbinary? What are gender identities? Is there a difference […]

FREE

Dams, Mines, and Hotels: Media and Misinformation Affecting the Grand Canyon with Matthew Goodwin

Sedona Public Library in the Village 25 W. Saddlehorn Road, Sedona, AZ, United States

In 1961 a newspaper article discussed a proposal to build an 18-story, 600-room hotel inside the Grand Canyon descending from the south rim to the canyon floor. A letter-writing campaign ensued that succeeded in blocking the hotel. But lawmakers instead passed a bill that allowed the company to mine uranium there—they never had any intention […]

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Era of Artificial Intelligence: What Is Research, and How Is Knowledge Created? with Andrea Christelle, Ph.D.

Coolidge Public Library 160 W. Central Avenue, Coolidge, AZ, United States

In today’s digital world, anyone can publish their writing. Anyone can make a movie. The democratization of knowledge or content creation has given a voice to untold stories. But there is a flipside. Who, or what, gets to create knowledge? Can AI systems create knowledge? When Chat GPT writes a student’s paper, is that original […]

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Education in the News: What’s Happening in Classrooms Today? with Derek Keith

Yavapai County Free Library District - Paulden Public Library 16 Big Chino Rd, Paulden,, AZ, United States

The debate over what happens in the classroom continues to escalate as politics creep into curriculum. What can be taught, what can be said, and what pronouns teachers can use are all in question. What are the new bills and school policies being introduced in Arizona? How is legislation in other states influencing the national […]

FREE

Representation Matters – The Art of Drag

Burton Barr Central Library - Pulliam Auditorium 1221 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ, United States

The Art of Drag -- a performance of exaggerated gender expression intended to highlight the performative aspect of gender --has never been more popular or controversial than it is today. This program, presented by ASU faculty member and Drag Story Hour Arizona president David Boyles and local drag legend Felicia Minor, will discuss the history […]

FREE

Growing in the Desert: The History & Culture of the Tohono O’odham with Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan

Oro Valley Public Library 1305 W. Naranja Drive, Oro Valley, AZ, United States

Many Arizonans call the Sonoran Desert and its striking landscapes home. Long before our urban centers and city lights lit up the dark desert skies, the Tohono O’odham were cultivating and shaping the land with abundant agriculture—from squash and beans to corn and cotton. For generations they passed down their rich knowledge and culture grown […]

FREE

Set in Stone but Not in Meaning: Southwestern Rock Art with Allen Dart

Butterfly Lodge Museum's Applewhite Pavilion 4 county road 1126, Greer, AZ, United States

Ancient American Indian petroglyphs (symbols carved or pecked on rocks) and pictographs (rock paintings) are claimed by some to be forms of writing for which meanings are known. But are such claims supported by archaeology or by Native Americans? Archaeologist Allen Dart illustrates how petroglyph and pictograph styles changed through time and over different parts […]

FREE

Caretakers of the Land: A Story of Farming and Community in San Xavier with Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan with

Chandler Hamilton Library 3700 S. Arizona Ave, Chandler, AZ, United States

Farming has always been the way of life for the Tohono O’odham community in San Xavier, located just south of Tucson. Their way of life depended on access to the land and to the water, namely the Santa Cruz River, which nourished agriculture in the area for generations. But a history of division sown through […]

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