Library Blog

Freedom, Reflection, and Community: Juneteenth 2026 in Bull City

As a community college rooted in the heart of Durham, the Durham Tech Library honors Juneteenth—not merely as a moment in history, but as an ongoing commitment to equity, education, and the celebration of Black culture. Durham’s history is inextricably linked to the pursuit of freedom and economic self-determination, from the foundational families of historic Stagville to the trailblazers of Black Wall Street.

This year, Durham is honoring the 161st anniversary of Juneteenth with incredible community events. Here are a few local highlights happening right around our campus community.

True liberation is impossible without access to history and education. The Durham Tech Library invites you to explore our curated Juneteenth displays, featuring everything from local Durham history archives to modern literature celebrating Black joy, resilience, and scholarship.

Juneteenth reminds us that freedom is never a single moment in time

Enjoy this Parade of resources we have to celebrate and honor the LGBTQIA+ Community

Love IS Love

Pride 2026 in Durham: Twice the Celebration

If there is one thing that defines Durham’s spirit, it’s that we refuse to be contained by standard boundaries. While most places pack up the flags at the end of June, the Bull City does things a little differently. This year, the LGBTQ Center of Durham is making it clear: Durham celebrates Pride in June and at the start of Fall. Because one weekend simply isn't enough to honor our history, our resilience, and our vibrant community, here are a few local milestones and highlights to keep on your radar.

Local Pride 2026 Highlights:

A Summer of Action (June): National Pride Month in Durham featured heavy-hitting community events, including the beloved Beaver Queen Pageant at Duke Park, OUT On The Block, and the meaningful "Our Day Out" Remembrance March & Resource Fair at CCB Plaza.

The Big Fall Celebration (Sept 27 – Oct 3): Mark your calendars for

The database Films on Demand may already be familiar to many Durham Tech faculty and students who love the wide variety of video content available on the platform. If you have never explored Films on Demand or feel like YouTube gets the job done, consider the advantages of using Films on Demand:

Films on Demand offers:

• Connections to other library resources, where students can discover related academic content
• Professionally produced content with citation tools
• Visual learning tools to expand understanding and context
• Specialized collections such as technical education and nursing
• Easy embedding into Canvas for students and instructors alike!

Films On Demand recently got a visual upgrade, so let us introduce you to some of the crucial new features and visual refresh with this post:

You can access Films on Demand by visiting our A-Z list of databases on the library's website. When accessed from off campus, you'll be asked to login with your Durham Tech username and password. Once you're logged

Happy Black History Month!

February is here, and while the days might still be short, the legacy we are celebrating is massive. Black History Month isn’t just about looking back--it’s about understanding how the past shapes our "right now" and fuels our future.

At the Durham Tech Library, we are turning the spotlight on the stories, struggles, and triumphs of Black Americans not just as chapters in a history book, but as the living, breathing foundation of our community right here in Durham. We don't want you to just memorize dates; we want you to explore voices.

This month, we’ve curated a mix of resources that are accurate, powerful, and fun.

On display at the Main Campus Library, we’ve pulled books that go beyond the famous figures you already know.

Are you looking for something a more speculative? Explore some of our Afrofuturism offerings.

Available at the Main Campus Library

Available at the Orange County Campus Library

Available at the Main Campus Library

Learn more about Afrofuturism by

While North Carolina's official forecasting groundhog Sir Walter Wally may have retired in 2023, you can still get your Groundhog Day fix with the current Punxsutawney Phil's prediction.

The verdict? He saw his shadow, meaning six more weeks of winter.

In honor of the other Groundhog Day*, we're sharing a few of our books that feature time loops. (*the movie, that is.)

Check out these titles available through your Durham Tech Library collections, including the Main Campus, Orange County Campus, and Dogwood Digital Library.

To access your Dogwood Digital Library resources, add us as an additional library on your Libby app and sign in with your Durham Tech username and password (same as for Canvas or Self-Service).

Audiobook available through Dogwood Digital Library

DVD available at the Main Campus Library

Book available at the Main Campus Library

Ebook available through Dogwood Digital Library

Audiobook available through Dogwood Digital Library

Book available at the Orange County Campus Library.

While North Carolina's official forecasting groundhog Sir Walter Wally may have retired in 2023, you can still get your Groundhog Day fix with the current Punxsutawney Phil's prediction.

The verdict? He saw his shadow, meaning six more weeks of winter.

In honor of the other Groundhog Day*, we're sharing a few of our books that feature time loops. (*the movie, that is.)

Check out these titles available through your Durham Tech Library collections, including the Main Campus, Orange County Campus, and Dogwood Digital Library.

To access your Dogwood Digital Library resources, add us as an additional library on your Libby app and sign in with your Durham Tech username and password (same as for Canvas or Self-Service).

Audiobook available through Dogwood Digital Library

DVD available at the Main Campus Library

Book available at the Main Campus Library

Ebook available through Dogwood Digital Library

Audiobook available through Dogwood Digital Library

Book available at the Orange County Campus Library.

It's time for another semester of fun Crafternoon events!

Held both on our Main Campus and our Orange County Campus, Crafternoons are opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to take a minute to make something with others from their Durham Tech community.

This semester we're repeating a few favorites and adding a few new events.

At the end of January, help to set your intentions or keep up with your life goals by making personal punch cards/BINGO cards.

Want to visit some new outdoor spaces locally? Want to read more books? Want to host more dinner parties? Cook more vegetarian meals? Write more songs? Write your first song?

More portable than a vision board, these allow you to create goals and mark off when you compete them. We'll have paper and decorative elements available for you to use.

In February, we're getting stabby with wool needle felting to make some felted friends. Led by academic advisor and fiber artist Eliza Murphy, this is one of our favorite annual events.

In March, we

In December 2025, the Durham Tech Library began distributing "keeper" Chromebooks to qualifying students as the final part of our NC DIT Digital Champion Grant.

Our first sixteen students who have picked up their keeper Chromebook (and the others who have qualified) expressed interest in the program on their intake or renewal form, demonstrated need by borrowing a loaner laptop for two terms or more, and met progression goals according to their program.

Qualifying students turned in their loaner laptop for a new-in-the-box HP Fortis Chromebook, laptop sleeve, and jazzy USB drive. Keeper Chromebooks have a 3-year warranty to provide students additional support with their new machine.

Students also completed a "Getting to Know Your Chromebook" tutorial (available to anyone with a Durham Tech username and password on Canvas).

The Keeper Chromebook Program will continue until the end of 2026 or when allocated funds run out.

• For more information about the Library's Keeper Chromebook program

We know you can get innumerable recipes online, but there's just something about a cookbook that someone has put together and (hopefully) tested the recipes until they're just right.

Both Durham Tech Library locations with circulating book collections have cookbooks available. From classics to new releases, check out the TX location on our shelves for all your cookbook needs.

Prefer to read your cookbook on a tablet? The NC LIVE HomeGrown Ebooks Collection has some real gems-- from bacon to beans (gotta love the Savor the South cookbook series) to s'mores and sheet pans.

Click on the book titles above to go to the database. Log on from home using your Durham Tech username and password, just like for Canvas or Self-Service.

Julie Humphrey, the Durham Tech Library director, explored our on-shelf cookbook collection at Main Campus, cooked a recipe or two, and has some recommendations for you.

Julie checked out Life-Changing Salads: 100 Plant-Based Salads and Dressings Beyond Your Wildest

Honoring Indigenous Peoples & Native Americans: Learning, Listening, and Celebrating at the Library

Many communities observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day & Native American Heritage Month, shifting the focus away from celebrating colonization and toward honoring the first peoples of this land—their histories, cultures, and ongoing contributions.

For libraries, this isn’t just a date on the calendar. It’s a reminder of our responsibility: to tell fuller stories, to amplify Indigenous & Native American voices, and to make sure our shelves, programs, and spaces reflect the people whose lands we’re on.

Our library invites you to join us in celebration, reflection, and learning.

Why Indigenous Peoples’ Day & Native American Heritage Month Matters

For generations, U.S. history has often been told from a single perspective—usually centering European exploration and settlement. Indigenous Peoples’ Day & Native American Heritage Month asks us to step back and ask: Whose stories are missing? Whose voices