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A series of images linked together with a dotted line. The images read: Unlocking potential; Learn and thrive, a human right; expand your horizon, a human right; no more no less (with an image of an equal sign between a man and a woman); who is telling the story?; equal work, equal pay.; Make your voice heard, a human right; human rights, our common language.

Wednesday, December 10, is Human Rights Day. Celebrated annually on the anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 2025 marks the 77^th anniversary of the signing. The Declaration was drafted by a committee of members from all over the world led by Eleanor Roosevelt (who was not only the United State’s longest serving First Lady, but was also called the First Lady of the World for her activism and involvement in world events). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, while it has no legal powers by itself, forms the foundation of many important human rights documents all over the world. It’s the most translated document in the world, translated into 577 languages as of 2025 (here’s the page where you can search all the translations).

The language of the Declaration is intentionally broad, making no reference to a particular belief system, culture, or political system. As such, it has not only been adopted by governments, but also by many different institutions. For instance, the American Library Association, the governing body for libraries, used the Declaration in discussing its Library Bill of Rights. While the Catholic Church has not formally adopted the Declaration, several popes have referenced it in recent years. In 2018, Pope Francis devoted his Traditional Exchange of New Year’s Greetings with the Diplomatic Corps to The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, tying the Declaration in with important aspects of Catholic Social Teaching.

Every year the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, part of the United Nations, selects a theme to focus on for that year’s celebration of the Universal Declaration. This year, the theme selected is “Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials.” They write, “In this period of turbulences and unpredictability, where many feel a growing sense of insecurity, disaffection and alienation, the theme of Human Rights Day is to reaffirm the values of human rights and show that they remain a winning proposition for humanity. Through this campaign, we aim to re-engage people with human rights by showing how they shape our daily lives, often in ways we may not always notice. Too often taken for granted or seen as abstract ideas, human rights are the essentials we rely on everyday.”

The UN hopes that by selecting this theme, they can remind people that the lives they enjoy are protected by the fundamental rights described in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. UN Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk, says, “The world is facing wars, mass displacement, escalating hatred, and growing inequalities. Yet compassion — expressed through inclusive policies and acts of solidarity — can transform lives and bridge divisions. Human rights are a shared project. Our strength lies in standing together.”

While the grand aspirations laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have yet to be achieved, the hope is that with effort by us all, we can one day achieve the hopes set out 77 years ago, in the wake of WWII.

In her 1948 speech, “The Struggle for Human Rights,” given just over two months before the Declaration was signed, Eleanor Roosevelt said: “The development of the ideal of freedom and its translation into the everyday life of the people in great areas of the earth is the product of the efforts of many peoples. It is the fruit of a long tradition of vigorous thinking and courageous action… In each generation and in each country there must be a continuation of the struggle and new steps forward must be taken since this is preeminently a field in which to stand still is to retreat.”

To learn more about the Declaration, check out these books in our collection.

To read the Declaration of Human Rights for yourself, visit this link.

Sources:

Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. “Human Rights Day 2025: Our Everyday Essentials.” OHCHR. United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, 13 November 2025. https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2025/11/human-rights-our-everyday-essentials

United Nations. “History of the Declaration.” United Nations. Accessed 3 December, 2025. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/udhr/history-of-the-declaration

Francis. “Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See for the Traditional Exchange of New Year Greetings.” The Holy See. 8 January 2018. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2018/january/documents/papa-francesco_20180108_corpo-diplomatico.html

Roosevelt, Eleanor. “The Struggle for Human Rights.” George Washington University. Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project, 28 September 1948. https://erpapers.columbian.gwu.edu/struggle-human-rights-1948

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Human Rights - Our Everyday Essentials

Wednesday, December 10, is Human Rights Day. Celebrated annually on the anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 2025 marks the 77th anniversary of the signing. The Declaration was drafted by a committee of members from all over the world led by Eleanor Roosevelt (who was not only the United State’s longest serving First Lady, but was also called the First Lady of the World for her activism and involvement in world events). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, while it has no legal powers by itself, forms the foundation of many important human rights documents all over the world. It’s the most translated document in the world, translated into 577 languages as of 2025 (here’s the page where you can search all the translations).The language of the Declaration is intentionally broad, making no reference to a particular belief system, culture, or political system. As such, it has not only been adopted by governments, but also by many different institutions. For instance, the American Library Association, the governing body for libraries, used the Declaration in discussing its Library Bill of Rights. While the Catholic Church has not formally adopted the Declaration, several popes have referenced it in recent years. In 2018, Pope Francis devoted his Traditional Exchange of New Year’s Greetings with the Diplomatic Corps to The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, tying the Declaration in with important aspects of Catholic Social Teaching.Every year the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, part of the United Nations, selects a theme to focus on for that year’s celebration of the Universal Declaration. This year, the theme selected is “Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials.” They write, “In this period of turbulences and unpredictability, where many feel a growing sense of insecurity, disaffection and alienation, the theme of Human Rights Day is to reaffirm the values of human rights and show that they remain a winning proposition for humanity. Through this campaign, we aim to re-engage people with human rights by showing how they shape our daily lives, often in ways we may not always notice. Too often taken for granted or seen as abstract ideas, human rights are the essentials we rely on everyday.”The UN hopes that by selecting this theme, they can remind people that the lives they enjoy are protected by the fundamental rights described in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. UN Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk, says, “The world is facing wars, mass displacement, escalating hatred, and growing inequalities. Yet compassion — expressed through inclusive policies and acts of solidarity — can transform lives and bridge divisions. Human rights are a shared project. Our strength lies in standing together.”While the grand aspirations laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have yet to be achieved, the hope is that with effort by us all, we can one day achieve the hopes set out 77 years ago, in the wake of WWII. In her 1948 speech, “The Struggle for Human Rights,” given just over two months before the Declaration was signed, Eleanor Roosevelt said: “The development of the ideal of freedom and its translation into the everyday life of the people in great areas of the earth is the product of the efforts of many peoples. It is the fruit of a long tradition of vigorous thinking and courageous action… In each generation and in each country there must be a continuation of the struggle and new steps forward must be taken since this is preeminently a field in which to stand still is to retreat.”To learn more about the Declaration, check out these books in our collection.To read the Declaration of Human Rights for yourself, visit this link. Sources:Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. “Human Rights Day 2025: Our Everyday Essentials.” OHCHR. United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, 13 November 2025. https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2025/11/human-rights-our-everyday-essentialsUnited Nations. “History of the Declaration.” United Nations. Accessed 3 December, 2025. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/udhr/history-of-the-declarationFrancis. “Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See for the Traditional Exchange of New Year Greetings.” The Holy See. 8 January 2018. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2018/january/documents/papa-francesco_20180108_corpo-diplomatico.htmlRoosevelt, Eleanor. “The Struggle for Human Rights.” George Washington University. Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project, 28 September 1948. https://erpapers.columbian.gwu.edu/struggle-human-rights-1948...

History of Hallmark Movies

If you turn on the Hallmark channel between mid-October and December 25th, you’ll be certain to find a romantic holiday movie, where it always snows on Christmas, small town businesses thrive, and a man who may or may not be Santa Claus (likely named Kris Kringle) helps the main characters realize their feelings for each other. These movies are beloved by many, thanks in part to their comforting and predictable formula: the main characters have their first encounter, are pushed together by fate and circumstance, have a misunderstanding, resolve that misunderstanding with the help of the townspeople, and finally get together, all while discovering the true meaning of Christmas, and stopping all outside dangers (which likely came from the big city). Hallmark movies are so popular that they’ve inspired a whole genre, with Netflix, ABC, HBO, and many other companies creating their own holiday romances with a similar structure. They also have inspired a host of novels, parodies, and critiques. Hallmark has reacted to the criticism by branching out, including more diverse characters, love stories, and holidays (for this instance, this year they have a Hanukkah movie, Oy to the World), while still retaining their classic structure, and (dare I say) cheesiness. Regardless of the popularity of their Christmas movies, Hallmark is first and foremost a card company. Their cards are sent to celebrate holidays and special events, to mourn losses, to simply say, “I’m thinking of you.” So, how did a card company turn into a holiday movie producing giant? The first step in figuring that out is understanding the history of the company, and what allowed it to become successful. Founded by the Hall brothers in 1910, the Hallmark company (renamed as such in 1954 after the official mark stamped on precious metals in England as proof of their quality), was one of the first companies to sell greeting cards in envelopes, and was the inventor of printed wrapping paper. The popularity of these innovations ensured their success, even during times of crisis such as the Great Depression. While other companies were forced to let go of staff, Hallmark was able to not only retain their staff members, but also hire new employees. With this success, which was bolstered further by WWII, the Hallmark company began to sponsor radio and TV specials. These were typically adaptations of popular plays and short stories. Eventually, they began producing their own advertisements and films (such as the Hallmark Hall of Fame films). In the late 1990s, they purchased a TV station of their own, which primarily aired re-runs of family-friendly movies and TV shows. These were slowly phased out as Hallmark began producing and airing more of their original content. However, it took a few years before they introduced the first of their Christmas movies.The first hit Hallmark Christmas movie was 2006’s The Christmas Card, which contained many of the plot points that would come to be the Hallmark Christmas movie formula. With the success of that movie, they began to produce more Christmas movies with similar storylines, which only grew in popularity. Add to that their consistent casts (often composed of stars from the ‘90s and early 2000s) and it’s easy to see how they’ve created a formula for successful movies. They produced enough movies that in 2009 they introduced their now annual “Countdown to Christmas,” where they devote the channel to holiday-related programming. (In 2009, they released fewer than 10 original movies as part of the Countdown. This year, they have 24 movies set to premiere.) The Hallmark Company now releases dozens of holiday movies every year, and their Countdown to Christmas is an integral part of many people’s holiday traditions. While many other companies also produce their own Christmas movies with similar storylines, Hallmark originals are still incredibly popular. They’ve refined their formula, and with their regular stars, are able to produce dozens of movies every year. And with the introduction of their own streaming service, this popularity seems likely to continue. While we don’t have any Hallmark movies in our collection, we do have a good-sized collection of holiday movies. Check out the fourth floor display to see what’s available! Sources:https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/12/23/how-hallmark-took-over-cable-tvhttps://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/news/a46090/history-of-hallmark/https://www.mentalfloss.com/holidays/christmas/hallmark-christmas-movie-historyhttps://www.wgfoundation.org/blog/2022/12/6/hallmark-christmas-movieshttps://www.hallmarkchannel.com/about-us...

Friendsgiving

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National Novel Writing Month

Novels are what most people think of when they think of books today. They fill the shelves of public libraries, and even academic libraries such as ours have collections of novels. Famous novelists such as Jane Austen, the Brontës, Leo Tolstoy, George Orwell, Agatha Christie, Terry Prachett, and so many others have made the novel popular, and ensured its continuing success. Novels are written for all ages, in a variety of genres, and are published by both professional houses and by individuals. While today reading novels is a respectable pastime, in the past, novels, and novel reading, were derided as a waste of time, and seen as ruinous to people’s health (just as TV often is today). Novelists were therefore at the very least silly, and at the worst, dangerous to youth. Libraries, and librarians, even controlled who had access to novels, whereas today, many librarians actively encourage novel reading. As part of the support for novels, and those who write them, National Novel Writing Month is celebrated during November. Throughout the month, novelists and aspiring novelists are encouraged to write 1,667 words a day, so that by the end of the month, they have a draft of 50,000 words. Powering through the first draft like this is designed to help writers to just get the first draft over with, to power through what is often the hardest part of the writing process, to just get something on the page.Until 2024, National Novel Writing Month was organized by NaNoWriMo, a non-profit organization founded in 1999 to encourage writers. Even though the official NaNoWriMo organization has closed, and the website is no longer active, each November is still an opportunity to write your own novel. There are plenty of great resources out there to support you as you begin writing, so you don’t have to venture into novel writing alone. Even NaNoWriMo’s collection of pep talks, written by famous novelists for aspiring novelists, are still available here, thanks to the internet archive. Check out the National Novel Writing Month display on the 3rd floor to see some books about novel writing, and for a selection of novels from our collection. And check out the excerpts from NaNoWriMo pep talks below for some inspiration!Gail Carson Levine (author of Ella Enchanted, Fairest, The Two Princess of Bamarre, and among other books), writes, “with all the earnestness I can command, here is the only important piece of advice, which is crucial for any speed of writing, any kind of writing: Do not beat up on yourself. Do not criticize your writing as lousy, inadequate, stupid, or any of the evil epithets that you are used to heaping on yourself. Such self-bashing is never useful. If you indulge in it, your writing doesn’t stand a chance. So when your mind turns on you, turn it back, stamp it down, shut it up, and keep writing.”V.E. Schwab (author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, A Darker Shade of Magic, and other titles), writes in her pep talk, “So you’re going to write a story. Not a book. Don’t think of it as anything so formal. You’re just writing down a story. Something that you will have ample time to make better, once it’s done. And I know it’s hard—trust me, I know. Because the moment you start writing it down, you begin to see all the flaws, all the shortcomings, all the things that aren’t perfect. But you’re also writing down everything you need, your raw materials.”Kristin Cashore (author of Graceling) writes, “Learning to write 50,000 words means learning a whole pile of skills, but they’re learnable skills, and you learn them by writing.”And finally, in his pep talk, written in his characteristic style, Lemony Snicket (author of The Series of Unfortunate Events), writes, “In short, quit. Writing a novel is a tiny candle in a dark, swirling world. It brings light and warmth and hope to the lucky few who, against insufferable odds and despite a juggernaut of irritations, find themselves in the right place to hold it. Blow it out, so our eyes will not be drawn to its power. Extinguish it so we can get some sleep. I plan to quit writing novels myself, sometime in the next hundred years.” ...

Human Rights - Our Everyday Essentials

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