Trout Library Blog - Library Guides at Charles H. Trout Library

Recently, Michelle Obama said about racism “it’s up to all of us - Black, white, everyone - no matter how well meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out. It starts with self-examination and listening to those whose lives are different from our own.”

Below you will find a list of resources that are free or available through our subscriptions. The list is not exhaustive. It is for any who wish to listen, to better understand, and do the work.

Books (free and online)

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou; Oprah Winfrey (Foreword by)

ISBN: 9780812980028

Publication Date: 1969

On OpenLibrary.org

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde

ISBN: 0895941414

Publication Date: 1984

On OpenLibrary.org

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

ISBN: 9780679744726

Publication Date: 1962

On OpenLibrary.org

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander; Cornel West (Introduction by)

ISBN: 9781595586438

Publication Date: 2012

On OpenLibrary.org

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

ISBN: 9780679444329

Publication Date: 2010

On OpenLibrary.org

Podcasts

1619 Podcast - From The New York Times, The 1619 Project is a series of articles and a podcast that examines slavery and its impact on the formation of America past and present.
Code Switch (NPR) - An radio program that explores race, ethnicity and culture in America.

Videos and Films

I Am Not Your Negro - James Baldwin and Race in America - (Kanopy) Based on a letter James Baldwin wrote to his literary agent in 1979, this film explores institutionalized racism in America. Using archival footage the film connects the Civil Rights Movement to today and Black Lives Matter.
How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion Peggy McIntosh at TEDxTimberlaneSchools (18:26) - YouTube. See also her paper ”White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”

Further reading - look for them on Overdrive or Libby apps through your public library

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Spiegel & Grau. ISBN 9780812993547
Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon. Scribner. ISBN 9781501125669
How To Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. One World Pubs. ISBN 9780525509288; ISBN 9780525509295
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F Saad. Sourcebooks. ISBN 9781728209807
Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward. Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781608195213
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. Seal Press. ISBN 9781541647435
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award–Winning Stamped from the Beginning by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi. Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316453691

More anti-racism reading lists:

Anti-racism resources for white people (Google Doc)
An Antiracist Reading List (NYT)
Scaffolded Anti-Racist Resources from the Digital Public Library (Google Doc)

If you would like to add materials to this list, please email them to rsutton@harcum.edu and I will add them here.

Recent Posts

The Bryn Mawr Substation

Eagle-eyed observers around campus may have noticed recent construction activity at the Bryn Mawr Substation. This work, undertaken by Amtrak, is more than just a facelift; it's part of a significant three-year project to upgrade the train line stretching from the Philadelphia Zoo to Paoli. Interestingly, this isn't the first major transformation for the Bryn Mawr Substation, a structure which has been a backdrop to our community, intertwined with the story of Harcum College.Built in 1915, the same year Harcum College first opened its doors in Melville Hall, the Bryn Mawr Substation stands as a silent witness to the college's growth. Constructed by the Pennsylvania Railroad as part of the electrification of their line, the substation's early construction would have coincided with Harcum's initial upgrades to Melville Hall, marking the beginning of a shared history within the Bryn Mawr landscape.While the Bryn Mawr Substation has become an unassuming part of the local scenery, the Harcum College Archive Collection offers glimpses into its past. The few photographs featuring the substation often capture it in the background.The earliest visual record of the substation in the Harcum College Archive appears in a photograph of Bedford Hall. Although undated, we know this image cannot predate 1947, the year Harcum acquired the building. Even in the background of this image, the Bryn Mawr Substation is visible, its structure remarkably similar to its present-day form, offering a tangible link between the college's mid-20th century and today. Decades later, in 1974, the Bryn Mawr Substation made another appearance in Harcum's history, captured in two photographs within The Harlequin, the college yearbook. These images, documenting the dedication of Harcum's new tennis courts, feature the substation in the distance. Local sportscaster Joe Pellegrino joined students for a game, watched by two hundred members of the Harcum community. The steadfast presence of the substation in the backdrop underscores its enduring place within the college's physical environment.The Bryn Mawr Substation forms the backdrop to a tennis match, The Harlequin, 1974.Two hundred members of the College community watched a tennis match on the new courts. The Bryn Mawr Substation is visible in the background, The Harlequin, 1974.Local sportscaster, Joe Pellegrino stands among Harcum College tennis players at the opening ceremony of the new tennis courts, The Harlequin, 1974Though the familiar presence of the Bryn Mawr Substation will be missed, its legacy remains embedded in the visual and historical fabric of the campus. The arrival of the new substation signals progress, a continuation of the ever-evolving relationship between the college and the infrastructure surrounding it. Just as Harcum has grown and changed over the years, so too will this space, shaping the future while carrying echoes of the past. Roxanne Sutton Reference and Special Collections Librarian 610-526-6022 rsutton@harcum.edu ...

Refreshing the Trout Library Website

Over the past month, the Trout Library website at Harcum College underwent a redesign. Like many library websites, it had grown over time with new content and updates added to meet changing needs. While the site contained valuable information, the organization and structure no longer aligned with how users were interacting with it. Although functional, the website benefited from a refreshed approach—one that would make tasks easier and create a more user-friendly experience.The website is built on LibGuides, a platform widely used by academic libraries. While LibGuides has some design constraints, it offers enough flexibility to make necessary improvements. The goal was not a complete overhaul but rather to implement practical adjustments that would enhance navigation and better highlight key resources. The layout was streamlined by organizing content into clear sections: Library Services, Ask a Librarian, and Request Forms. Emphasis was placed on the resources most used by students and faculty such as the research databases, library guides, and request forms.Updates to the website were also made to improve its mobile responsiveness and overall usability. While there is always room for further improvement, these changes aimed to create a more user-friendly experience. Feedback from library staff, students, and faculty played an important role in guiding the redesign of the website. Their input influenced decisions about layout, navigation, and which resources to highlight—making sure the updated website reflects the needs of the Harcum community.The library website will continue to evolve with ongoing updates based on user feedback. This recent redesign represents a step toward making the library’s online presence more user-friendly, accessible, and aligned with how students and faculty engage with library resources.The updated website can be viewed here: https://harcum.libguides.com/troutlibrary ...

Unveiling Harcum’s Hidden History through Advertisements

Imagine stumbling across a century-old advertisement that sheds light on the remarkable women who shaped Harcum College. This thrilling discovery recently unfolded at the Charles H. Trout Library, where the archives gained three original advertisements. ...

A Familiar Face

The bust of Dr. Charles Wharton Stork has been a permanent fixture in the Library since 1984. But why is is there? He was a prolific author and taught at Harcum. He also survived a sinking ship. We look at archival material to tell us more. ...

An Anti-Racism Reading List