2016 will be remembered for many things in the history books and one of those top historical moments will be the 2016 Presidential Election. No matter which candidate you voted for or what political beliefs you may hold, there is no doubt it was one of the most derisive and bitter election cycles to date, so much so that more than 40% of the eligible voting population just decided to opt out.

There's a lot to be said about statistics like that, but I am not a political analyst or pundit. I could give you my own take on the way things turned out, but why be another voice in the void filling up a blog post with a stream of expletives?

What we need now is some positivity, not reinforced negativity.

Someone who is a bit more articulate than me and definitely more experienced in the political realm—former presidential candidate and current U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders—will be bringing his progressive message and continued call to action to the Free Library on Monday, November 28 during a special Author Event in conversation with Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!.

In his new book, Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In, Sanders shares his personal experiences from the campaign trail and his historic presidential run. In chapters with titles like “Defeating Oligarchy,” “Ending a Rigged Economy,” “Health Care for All,” and “Combating Climate Change”, he outlines a progressive economic, environmental, racial, and social justice agenda.

But what exactly is Progressivism? In short, it encompasses a wide spectrum of social movements that include environmentalism, labor, anti-poverty, peace, anti-racism, civil rights, women’s rights, animal rights, social justice, and political ideologies such as social democracy and liberalism. You can learn more about Progressivism and many other related subjects by simply searching through our catalog.

The offerings in our catalog are just one part of a larger whole of information we offer. As a library, we are a learning institution and sanctuary here to provide unbiased information to the public and some of the best resources we offer are included in our Databases and Digital Media. The following resources can be used as vital tools to explore and investigate many diverse sources of information, helping to question and combat fake news and false truths in the current media landscape.

Opposing Views in Context
One of our premier online resources which covers many current social issues. This cross-curricular research tool supports science, social studies, current events, and language arts classes. Its informed, differing views present each side of an issue and help readers develop information literacy, critical thinking skills, and the confidence to draw their own valid conclusions.

U.S. History In Context
This resource provides a complete overview of our nation’s past, covering the most-studied events, decades, conflicts, wars, political and cultural movements, and people. Comprehensive, contextual, media-rich information is provided on topics ranging from the American Revolution through to the Civil Rights movement, from 9/11 to the War on Terror. This always-intuitive onine experience helps support the development of critical thinking and information literacy skills.

World History in Context
This resource provides an overview of world history, covering the most-studied events, periods, cultures, civilizations, religions, conflicts, wars, ideologies, cultural movements, and people throughout the ages. Rare primary sources, reliable references, and multimedia content help put these topics into context for users.

Knowledge + Action = Power

The sold out Bernie Sanders Author Event will be streamed live via the Free Library's Livestream channel starting at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, November 28.