Castro Valley High School Library closed out Black History Month with a bang!
Six advanced Spanish classes did a gallery walk through the library to explore student-created posters about influential Afro-Latinos in the United States. Students read, listened to and commented on biographical information, interviews, recordings and other multimedia.
Thank you, to Ms. Christensen's students and classes for a successful and inspiring cross-cultural and intersectional event.
On February 13, Advanced Spanish students from Ms. Christensen's class celebrate Black History Month at the library with a unique book display. CVHS Advanced Spanish students have researched Afro-Latino authors and will showcase their research skills and the authors' works at the library.
Explore Afro-Latino authors in this intersectional book display starting February 13th. Class visits are welcome beginning February 14th. Many genres including Sci-Fi and graphic novels.
Any CVHS student may check out a book that is on display, read a bilingual review of the book written by a CVHS student, listen to a book trailer or listen to an author interview. Bring your cellphones to access the QR codes!
The display will remain in the library until the end of the month.
Please encourage students to explore authors that bring a unique perspective to literature and our world!
CVHS Library celebrates Black History Month this year focussed on the 2025 ASALH's national heritage theme: African Americans and Labor.
Visit the library to learn more about the many contributions black and African Americans make in our historical and modern day workforce.
Afro-Latino Authors
CVHS Library also celebrates Afro-Latino Authors with an intersectional book display, created in collaboration with Ms. Christensen's Advanced Spanish for Heritage Speakers course. In preparation for the display, which will appear mid-February and remain in the library until the end of the month, students research an Afro-Latino author or changemaker, read one of their books, and create a bilingual book display to encourage more students to explore titles and authors that bring a unique perspective to literature and our world. Titles and authors are selected in many genres representative of the scope of contributions Afro-Latinos make to our literary heritage and country.
Visiten la biblioteca para observar la ofrenda dedicado a nuestros queridos ya difuntos. Celebramos su presencia viva y su recorrido a Mictlán.
La exhibición fue realizada por los alumnos de CVHS de las clases de Español Avanzado y Cerámica. Los estudiantes investigaron la historia y el significado cultural de este día. A través de presentaciones, los alumnos de Español Avanzado inspiraron a los estudiantes de Artes Cerámicas para crear calaveritas, papel picado, velas y flores de cempasúchil.
Agradecemos a las profesoras Christensen y Bittner por su dedicación y liderazgo.
CVHS Teachers can now place immediate holds or place holds for future dates on multiple copies of the same title using Destiny Back Office. With new faculty privileges, teachers can see real-time inventory and availability, including for Book Club titles. Teachers can also place holds for longer periods of time than typical circulation periods.
This applies only to library holdings, and it includes Book Club titles. (Textbooks must still be coordinated with Ms. Oliver.)
For more information and how-to videos, visit Teacher Services: Reserve Books on the library website. For step by step instructions, visit our FAQ How can I reserve books in advance for a class?
CVHS Library now offers access to Gale in Context: Biography.
Biographical research just got better for CVHS students!
Gale In Context: Biography offers authoritative reference content covering historically significant people to present-day changemakers. It is continuously updated to ensure students have access to the very latest information.
For those who remember the (International) Dictionary of National Biography, this is the database has exclusive rights to that content. The editorial group for the DNB continues to research and create entries in this contemporary e-resource.
Access
Students, teachers and staff can access the database through the Library's Database A-Z List. Access is now offered via Google Single Sign-on (SSO).
Navigation: Databases A-Z
Teachers, please do not bookmark library databases. Instead, guide students to access the library homepage, find the Database A-Z list and select a database. This is not only an essential media and information literacy skill that all students need to learn before college, but it is also important as libraries regularly update links to keep our users connected. The publishing and cybersecurity industries change rapidly. Providing durable digital access is a core e-resource management service that modern libraries provide their communities. Please take advantage of it!
Guide students to the Database A-Z list.
Make an appointment with Ms. Stambaugh if you would like training or would like her to come to one of your classes.
Subject Guides
In the next few weeks, Ms. Stambaugh will update the library subject guides on the library website to integrate Gale in Context: Biography into the guides.
Subject guides help students and teachers find the best databases available to them in their discipline.