The Wood County District Public Library will host a free film screening and discussion of Dick Fontaine and Pat Hartley's recently restored documentary, I Heard It Through the Grapevine (1982), led by Dr. Rachel Ann Walsh, Institute for the Study of Culture and Society Fellow, Fall 2025. I Heard It Through the Grapevine follows author and activist James Baldwin as he revisits sites of the American South that he first experienced during his 1957 reporting on the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout, Baldwin talks with fellow authors, scholars, and activists about ongoing Black freedom struggles and attempts to dismantle the gains of the Civil Rights Movement. 

Join us for the first event in the Community Reads Gathering series, led by Tim Murnen, professor in the School of Inclusive Teacher Education. This discussion will explore themes from the chapter Skywoman Falling in Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s acclaimed book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. Why attend Explore the intersection of Indigenous wisdom, ecology and storytelling Be part of a campus-wide series unpacking the powerful lessons in Braiding Sweetgrass This is the first in a series of Community Reads events, each highlighting a different chapter from Braiding Sweetgrass and led by faculty across BGSU

In celebration of its 150th anniversary, the Wood County District Public Library will be presenting a concert of music in collaboration with the Bowling Green State University College of Musical Arts Composition Program. Eight composition students have written pieces of music fueled by the question “what does a library mean to you?” or “what does a library have to offer?” These works will be performed by BGSU music students to acknowledge the wonderful impact the Wood County Library has had on the Bowling Green community and the lives of each composer. Participating students are from the US (Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Texas), India and Taiwan.