WebJunction

This story is about the convergence of library and community and American history and the “Route to Freedom.” It's a big story that reaches far beyond the Erie County Library System, but the enthusiasm and energy of librarian Sue Miceli makes this a good place to start.

The library and its community

Located on the shores of Lake Erie, the service area of the Erie County Library System encompasses four branches with a total area population of over 245,000. The total number of registered borrowers exceeded 144K at the end of 2005. The most significant demographic for this story is the fact that Erie, Pennsylvania, is in the path of the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route Project (UGRRBR).

Erie was a key city on the final leg of the “railroad”–connecting the spur from Pittsburgh with the major route coming up through Ohio, heading on up to Canada, and providing a launch point for boats across Lake Erie. Sue Miceli, Erie County Library's Children's Librarian, is leading the charge to make sure that her library is totally plugged into all aspects of the project.

How Sue and Erie County connected with the project

A year ago, the library did A Walk in the Woods as the “One Book” community reading project. While looking for long distance cycling books to recommend for related reading, Sue found the Adventure Cycling website. When she saw the UGRRBR description, she realized it was the “perfect puzzle piece,” playing to the strengths of the library. “We have the books, the programs, and we already do so many things with so many groups.”

Why the library is interested in the project

Erie County Library has been doing outreach for a long time and is always looking for new ways to approach the community. This January, the library staged its first big African American history month, funded by the ever supportive Friends of the Library. They arranged for Super Soul Saturday, a popular black music radio program hosted by the local college station for over 30 years, to do a live broadcast in the library. Every time the DJ would invite people to “come on down,” ten minutes later, there would be a surge of visitors, many of whom had never been in the library before. Over 500 people came through the doors that day—the biggest turnout of African Americans patrons ever for the library.

Out of that day came the idea that the library needs to do something long term—not just once a year. The Underground Railroad Bicycle Route Project seems like the ideal opportunity: it has broad appeal; the staff is really interested in working with it; and the library is in the perfect position to be the coordinator at the center of the community.

Coordinating with the project

Sue is just bursting with ideas and energy and she intends to contact other libraries in the area to get them on board. Her excitement is contagious. As librarians, “we are naturally good at putting together information and we can be the hub of all these groups wanting to come together.”

For starters, The Erie County Library hopes to build on a genealogy program already in place that dovetails neatly with the historic aspect of the UGRRBR project. They have collected materials to help African American patrons trace their ancestry. It will be fascinating to identify ancestors who may have actually endured the hardships of the Underground Railroad and to provide the chance to tell those stories.

When the participants in the adventure start arriving in Erie County some time next year, Sue and the library will be welcoming them. She hopes to be able to provide free Internet access along with a collection of relevant library materials and guides to points of interest in town. Looking beyond the library walls, this project creates numerous junctures with other community organizations.

Partnerships galore

When Sue talked to the local cycling club to broach the idea of partnering around the UGRRBR, they said to her, “We've been meaning to call you. We've been looking for ways to expand our membership to the minority community.” Isn't that what every outreach effort loves to hear? The club will help organize a local ride in conjunction with the long distance riders next summer. They are talking about programming ideas: presentations on cycling safety, a big display of antique bikes and cycling history in the library's display case, a special focus on Major Taylor, the turn of the century American and World bicycle racing champion.
[Editor's note: Don't know who Major Taylor is? Neither did I until last week. Now I've filled in this slice of American history, thanks to the UGRRBR project!]

The health and fitness connection does not stop there. The Center for Minority Health is an equal partner in this project and they are very interested in connecting the dots of health and history. After the Super Soul Saturday event, Sue had mentioned the UGRRBR idea to her friend Bettye, who is a designer and retailer of African American clothing and a storyteller/playwright with a one women show about Sojourner Truth. Bettye got excited about the health angle of the project and offered to contact local doctors who are particularly interested in the health issues of the black community. Sue is planning to contact insurance companies and ask them to sponsor a brochure for the local project activities—something to give to cyclists about things to see and do in the Erie community.

For over five years now, the Erie County Public library has been operating depository libraries in two low-income housing complexes. They are open four hours a day and provide access to a rotating collection of books. The Housing Authority and the library conduct story times and other projects to keep kids busy and stimulated. They're always looking for new ideas, so connecting with the UGRRBR project is just a natural extension of what is already in place. They are planning a storytime to introduce Major Taylor and his cycling and other accomplishments to the kids who use the housing authority libraries.

Sue has also contacted Lake Erie Earth Force, a local environmental group, to discuss ideas about how they can get involved. She is planning to contact the local Audubon Society chapter with the suggestion to come up with a list of birds for those cyclists who are also birders. She'll also be in contact with colleges and universities in the area.

As Sue says, “I don't know exactly where we're going with this, but I want to let others work on areas they're most interested in and see where it goes.” Her clothing designer friend just might sew a commemorative quilt for the occasion! The library is the catalyst, the core that will pull all the pieces together, energizing the community members and the cyclists.

Sue is thinking that maybe she needs a new bike, herself.

Join the conversation as libraries come together to plan and share ideas. This is for all libraries, whether directly on the route or far-flung. We are all deeply affected by this history, by the health issues, and by the need to pull (and play) together as communities. Let's talk about it in the forum created just for this project:
Libraries on the Underground RR Bicycle Route