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Every four years, our calendars reveal an anomaly - February gets an additional day, known as Leap Day. What is the purpose of this day and why do we have it?

Adding an extra day to the calendar can be traced back to ancient civilizations. Already by the third century BCE, the Egyptian calendar included a leap year in order to synchronize their solar calendar with the seasons.  The Julian calendar, which began in 45 BCE, drew on this idea and included an extra day in February every four years.

However, the Julian calendar slightly miscalculated the solar year at 365.25 days instead of the actual 365.2422 days. The result was that by the sixteenth century the calendar was significantly off. Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar to fix the problem. While it kept a leap day every four years, it eliminated it during the centurial years not divisible by 400.

Even though the primary purpose of Leap Day is to maintain temporal accuracy in our calendar system, it has become associated with various traditions and rituals. According to an Irish legend, Saint Brigid of Kildare convinced Saint Patrick to allow women to propose to men on leap year and this tradition has spread across Europe and beyond. Parallel traditions developed that a man should pay a penalty should he refuse the proposal. Depending on the region the penalty might be money, a silk dress, twelve pairs of gloves, or enough fabric to make a skirt. Other regions see leap year as unlucky. Greek traditions suggest a marriage made during a leap year will end in divorce and in Germany “Schaltjahr gleich Kaltjahr,” meaning "leap year will be a cold year."

People born on February 29 have the rarest of birthdays and are known as leaplings or leapers. They often endure jokes about having very few birthdays, but leaplings are usually very proud of their birthdays. In fact, since 1988, Anthony, New Mexico has a multi-day festival to celebrate those who have birthdays on February 29, with people traveling from all over the world to join the party.

If you would like to know more about leap year and calendars in general, check out some of these books in our collection.

For almost 50 years, February has been set aside as a time to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of Arican Americans to US culture, society, and history. This year, the commemoration focuses on the theme “African Americans and the Arts.” While just one aspect, reflecting the importance of Black representation in film is a constructive way to explore this theme.

Black actors have had roles in American cinema nearly from its beginnings. However, these early years, at the turn of the twentieth century, were a time of racial stereotypes and caricatures. Black actors were relegated to marginalized roles and had limited opportunities for authentic portrayals and storytelling.  Despite these obstacles, African American filmmakers, actors, and activists have continually pushed for greater representation and inclusion in the industry. For instance, despite playing one of these stereotypical roles, in 1939 Hattie McDaniel became the first African American actor to win an Oscar for her role in Gone with the Wind.

Others worked outside of Hollywood. The Foster Photoplay Company founded in 1910 in Chicago was one of the earliest studios to feature African Americans. The Lincoln Motion Picture Company was founded a few years later with the mission to “encourage black pride.” They also began an era of “race films” that lasted until the 1950s. These films were made by and about African Americans but did not make their way into mainstream movie culture.

The 1950s and 60s saw shift in the representation of African Americans as Sidney Poitier became Hollywood's first Black movie star and the first Black man to win the best actor Oscar. Despite his success, this was a difficult time. As Poitier later reflected, “[Blacks] were so new in Hollywood. There was almost no frame of reference for us except as stereotypical, one-dimensional characters. Not only was I not going to do that, but I had in mind what was expected of me—not just what other blacks expected but what my mother and father expected. And what I expected of myself.” And what he expected of himself was, “To walk through my life as my own man.”

The 1970s expanded the involvement of African American representation in film telling Black stories and featuring black actors but still with white producers. As a result, this period was known as Blaxploitation. Still, this era allowed African American audiences to see Black people as heroes as well as hear funk and soul music in their soundtracks.

It was not until the late twentieth century that a significant shift occurred in the landscape of Black representation in film. Groundbreaking movies like Do the Right Thing, Boyz n the Hood, and Malcolm X brought nuanced portrayals of Black life to mainstream audiences, challenging stereotypes and offering authentic depictions of the Black experience. In recent years, there also has been a surge in the number of African American filmmakers breaking into the mainstream and telling stories that reflect the richness and diversity of Black culture. Directors like Ava DuVernay, Barry Jenkins, Ryan Coogler, and Jordan Peele have garnered critical acclaim and commercial success, proving that there is a desire for authentic Black narratives in cinema.

Through storytelling, actors and filmmakers have the power to educate, inspire, and empower audiences, while also driving social change and fostering a more inclusive and equitable world. During this Black History Month be sure to check out our DVD display on the 4th floor as well as these films from our Wilkie Classic Film Collection.

As Valentine's Day approaches, for many thoughts turn to love and romance. But there is another kind of love that deserves celebration – the love of books. Whether childhood classics, literary masterpieces, or the latest bestsellers, books can hold a special place in our hearts. There's something magical about the way a well-written story can transport us to different worlds and introduce us to unforgettable characters.

Great books can become cherished companions we return to again and again. Even if we have read them before, we can still get lost in the beauty of the language, delight in the characters we have come to adore, and be inspired by their stories. Beloved books can also bring feelings of nostalgia, transporting us back to a different time in our lives, evoking the memories and emotions of when we first read the book or even when it was read to us.

So this Valentine’s Day let us take a moment to celebrate the books that have captured our hearts and enriched our lives. Check out the book display of some of our Library staff’s favorite books on the main floor of the Library. Then write down your own beloved book on a heart to add to the display, indulging in a little literary romance.

Belle de Costa Greene worked as the personal librarian of J. P. Morgan from 1904 to 1913 and was instrumental in building his renowned collection of rare books, manuscripts, and art. After Morgan's death, Greene continued as librarian for his son, Jack Morgan, and in 1924 was named the first director of the Pierpont Morgan Library where she continued until her retirement in 1948. Her association with Morgan and his trust in her keen understanding of rare and valuable materials made her a sensation in both the art world and New York Society. Throughout her storied career, however, she maintained a secret. Though she passed for white, she was African American.

Born as Belle Marion Greener, she was the daughter of Genevieve Ida Fleet, a music teacher and member of a prominent African American family in Washington, DC, and Richard Theodore Greener, the first African American graduate of Harvard and a noted civil rights activist, diplomat, and lawyer. During her adolescence, Greene’s parents separated. Her mother changed their name to Greene and moved with the children to New York where they were light-skinned enough to pass as white. To explain her complexion, Greene claimed Portuguese ancestry and to that end added de Costa to her name.

Greene came to work for J.P. Morgan in her twenties after she was recommended by Morgan’s nephew who knew Greene during her time working at the Princeton University Library. She not only managed and organized the collection but was given great latitude in acquiring more items and developing the scope of the library’s holdings. She was a trail blazer of the time, breaking into a word dominated by men and transforming expectations. As an article in the New York Times (April 7, 1912) explained, “The ancient librarian is always pictured as having a gray beard and as wearing a skull cap. But here is one with a vivacious laugh, with brown eyes and rosy cheeks, who speaks delectable French, and who picks up a musty tome as gracefully as a butterfly alights on a dusty leaf. And she has individual ideas – ideas which her force of persuasion and her intelligence will eventually develop, backed as she is with Mr. Morgan’s wealth.”

Although she was a librarian of a private collector, she advocated that rare materials should be accessible to the scholars and the public rather than hidden away. She eventually was able to do this, transforming the Morgan private collection into a public resource that included exhibitions, lectures, publications, and research services that continue to this day at what is now the Morgan Library & Museum.

Greene’s advocacy also extended into the librarian profession, calling for better compensation for female workers in the New York City public libraries. In article in the New-York Tribune (November 22, 1913), Geene stated, “Few people realize what a remarkable lot of girls the librarians are. They have to know everything, from ancient history to both sides of socialism. They have to be girls of pleasing personality, of gentle birth, and unfailing patience. Yet they are paid only $40 a month - less than stenographers get."

One area in which she could not serve as an advocate was with respect to race. In an era when racial prejudice was pervasive, Greene had to conceal her heritage to gain access to opportunities that would have been otherwise denied to her. Her story sheds light on the complex intersectionality of race, gender, and opportunity in the early 20th century, emphasizing the sacrifices individuals made to break barriers. Despite the challenges and the choices she made, Belle de Costa Greene's legacy endures. Recognizing her achievements during Black History Month is an opportunity to reflect on the broader historical context and acknowledge the complexities faced by African Americans in the pursuit of professional success.

If you would like to learn more about Belle de Costa Greene, please check out the 2024 Dubuque Country Reads book The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray currently on our Black History Month display on the third floor. Then join us for a book discussion on Tuesday, April 9, at 4pm in the MARC Third-Floor Commons.