Karaganda RURL

Columbus Day in the USA is celebrated on the second Monday of October.

On October 12, 1492, the Spanish navigator Christopher Columbus landed in the New World - on this day, the expedition of Christopher Columbus reached the island of San Salvador in the Bahamas Archipelago, which was later taken as the official date of the discovery of America.

Although most other American countries celebrate Columbus Day on October 12, in the United States it is celebrated on the second Monday of October.

This event is quite controversial, because the settlement of Europeans in America led to the disappearance of the culture and history of many indigenous peoples of the mainland.

Our library was visited by guests from the US Embassy in Kazakhstan: cultural specialist Sarah Smith and coordinator of educational programs Aidana Kenesbayeva. A tour of the library was held for the guests, as well as together with the staff of the International Book Department and the Head of the Department discussed the further development and joint work of the American Corner of Karaganda. Also, Ms. Smith held a meeting with the participants of the Discussion Club, which lasted more than 1.5 hours.

The participants of the meeting discussed cultural stereotypes, mentality and traditions of friendly countries. Sarah Smith especially emphasized the beauty of the city of Karaganda, and thanked everyone for the warm welcome.

American Corners are American-style resource centers, which are open to the public and completely free of charge. American Corner Karaganda provides access to high-quality English language resources, a research database, American books, movies, games, and much more. At American Corner, visitors can connect with new friends, practice English and learn about the United States culture.

Currently, American Corner Karaganda has been functioning in the online format since March 2020 due to the world pandemic. Kazakhstan American Corners have a monthly theme dedicated to international celebrations and highlighted dates in American history. Each week on Instagram and Facebook American Corner publishes a weekly schedule with a bunch of various events. Regularly American Corners conduct discussion clubs, debates, workshops. Also, there are many programs in STEAM (Science, technology, engineering, arts, math.), which aid to spread engaging into these fields. Some events request registration due to the limited number of spots.

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, our library wants to introduce you to this famous person and listen together to his famous inspirational speech "I have a dream". Follow our news and be interested in the presented books!