Calhan Library (CA)

Caribbean American Heritage Month in June celebrates the rich culture and heritage of Caribbean Americans. Learn more about their many contributions and influences on the United States of America with the resources, booklists, and websites on this page. (You must have a library card that starts with a 4 to access databases on this page outside of a Library location.)

Booklists

• Adult Fiction and Nonfiction booklist
• Find booklists on Overdrive and the Libby app
• Children’s booklist

PPLD Resources

• Countries & Cultures Subject Guide

  Use this guide as a starting place for finding information about countries and cultures from around the world within our collection at Pikes Peak Library District.

• CultureGrams (all ages)

  Experience the diverse cultures of the world through information on more than 200 countries. 

• Cities of the World  

  A compilation of current information on cultural, geographic, and political conditions in 193 countries and their cities covering six continents, based on the Department of State's Post Reports. Maps and photos of many cities included. 

• Mango Languages  

  Celebrate the rich diversity of languages spoken throughout the Caribbean by learning a new language using Mango Languages. From Haitian Creole, Dutch, French, Spanish, and more! There are more than 70 languages to choose from including English as a Second Language (ESL).  

• Gale: Biography in Context  

  Discover and learn about influential people from the Caribbean.  

• Magazine & Newspaper Subject Guide 

  Research Caribbean American influence and history using one of PPLD’s many newspaper databases. Here are a few places you can start: 

• 19th Century U.S. Newspapers   

  Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers provides an as-it-happened window to events, culture, and daily life in nineteenth-century America. With 1.8 million pages available, the collection features publications of all kinds, from the political party newspapers at the beginning of the nineteenth century to the mammoth dailies that shaped the nation at the century's end. 

• Access World News 

  This comprehensive news collection covers issues and events at the local, regional, national, and international level. Its diverse source types include print and online-only newspapers, blogs, newswires, journals, broadcast transcripts, and videos.  

• Newspaper Archive 

  Newspaper Archive contains tens of millions of newspaper pages from 1607 to present. Every newspaper in the archive is fully searchable by keyword and date, making it easy for you to quickly explore historical content. 

• U.S. Major Dailies 

  U.S. Major Dailies provides access to The New York Times, Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune. The current day’s content is available by 8 a.m. each day. 

Websites

• Caribbean Spirit (Google Arts and Culture) 

  In this engaging resource, scroll to explore some of the notable contributions and influences of Caribbean people on Black history and culture in America. 

• Caribbean American Heritage Month (National Archives) 

  The National Archives has a wide variety of records relating to the history of Caribbean Americans. Explore these records through the National Archives Catalog and additional resources on Archives.gov.  

• Caribbean American Heritage Month (Institute of Caribbean Studies) 

  Explore Caribbean American history, life, and culture through resources provided by the Institute of Caribbean Studies.  

• Caribbean American Heritage Month: Caribbean History and Culture (U.S. Department of Interior) 

  Learn about the history of Caribbean American Heritage Month and find an overview of Caribbean food and culture. 

Immigrant Heritage Month in June celebrates the history and cultures of immigrants to the U.S. from around the world now and throughout U.S. history and the contributions that immigrants have made in the U.S. Celebrate and learn more using the resources, booklists, and websites on this page.

Booklists

• Coming to America picture booklist
• Teens booklist
• Adult fiction booklist
• Adult nonfiction booklist

PPLD Resources

• CultureGrams

  Find over 200 articles exploring the diversity and history of each U.S. state and the District of Columbia. This resource is designed for upper elementary-aged children.

• EBSCOhost: Ethnic Diversity Source (must have a library card that starts with a 4 to access outside of the Library).

  This full-text database is a dedicated resource covering the culture, traditions, social treatment, and lived experiences of different ethnic groups throughout the U.S. It contains a growing list of sources including peer-reviewed journals, magazines, eBooks, biographies, and primary source documents.

• Gale eBooks: Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Foods and Recipes of the World (must have a library card that starts with a 4 to access)

  Read up on the foods and recipes from 70 countries and culture groups worldwide. This database is designed for students grades K - 12.

• Adult Education: English as a Second Language

  Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) offers English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. These no-cost classes are for adults ages 17 and older and focus on reading, writing, listening, and speaking in English. ESL classes are for beginning, intermediate, and high-intermediate levels. Enrollment opens in July and December.

• Adult Education: Practice English

  Speak English groups at PPLD are informal English language conversation groups for adults who speak some English. Each group meets once a week for two hours at various Libraries. There is no cost to attend and no registration is necessary.

• Immigrant and Refugee Resources Subject Guide

  Pikes Peak Library District serves to support immigrant and refugee populations in our community. This Subject Guide will provide resources available through various local, state, and national organizations.

Websites

• Immigration (History.com)

  Explore articles and videos about immigration throughout U.S. history.

• Federal Register: National Immigrant Heritage Month Proclamation

  Read the National Immigrant Heritage Month presidential proclamation from 2023 and look for the 2024 proclamation on The White House website.

• The Office of New Americans

  Find recent data on immigrant populations in Colorado and discover resources and toolkits for new U.S. citizens.

• Ellis Island (History.com)

  Take a deep-dive into the history of Ellis Island, a major historic hub for immigration to the U.S., now serving as the Ellis Island Museum of Immigration.

PPLD is teaming up with Muse Comics & Games to offer Free Comic Book Day comic issues for teens on Sat., May 4. This annual nationwide initiative strives to put comics into the hands of both long-time and new comic fans alike. Comics are available at all PPLD locations during this one-day event while supplies last. 

Free Comic Book Day is an excellent way for teens to discover new comic series to fall in love with. Comic stores across the U.S. celebrate by giving out special Free Comic Book Day issues of comics, which can range from being the first issue of a comic series or short one-off stories of larger series. As a public library, we know that not all teens have a nearby comic store that they can visit for free comics. We are happy to connect teens in our community with free comic issues to add to their personal libraries.