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National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) was established in the early 2000s by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with the National Public Health Information Coalition to emphasize the necessity of immunizations across the stages of life.

Vaccines are vital for people of all ages, helping prevent serious, sometimes deadly, diseases and illnesses. The benefits of vaccines extend beyond individual health, however. They also help prevent the spread of diseases to vulnerable populations. By maintaining high immunization rates, communities can protect infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals from vaccine-preventable diseases. This collective effort is crucial in the fight against outbreaks of diseases like measles, pertussis, influenza, and more recently, COVID-19.

In addition to health advantages, vaccines have important economic benefits. First, preventing diseases through vaccination is much more cost-effective than treating them after they occur. This reduces the financial burden on health care systems and individuals. Additionally, healthy people contribute more effectively to the economy. Vaccinations reduce absenteeism from work and school, improve productivity, and support economic stability.  

Despite their many benefits, there has been a growing reluctance about receiving vaccines in recent decades, fueled by misinformation, myths, and conspiracy theories. NIAM plays a pivotal role in addressing this vaccine hesitancy through educational campaigns, community events, and social media outreach. By providing accurate information and resources, NIAM seeks to build public trust in vaccines and encourage informed decision-making.

To learn more about the history of vaccines, their benefits, and some of the controversies around them, check out these books from the Library.

The Schneider Family Book Award is give by the American Library Association to “honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.”

The award was established by Dr. Katherine Schneider in 2004. Schneider has experience with both visible and invisible disability. She was born blind and later in life she also developed fibromyalgia. Her disabilities did not hold her back though. She was the first blind student to graduate from the Kalamazoo Public School system and was valedictorian as well as a National Merit scholar. After earning a PhD in psychology from Purdue, Schneider taught and worked as a clinical psychologist for 30 years.

She credits much of her academic success to the mentorship of a librarian at the Michigan Library for the Blind who provided her with books in Braille and on records from the Library of Congress collection. This began her thirst for knowledge but also her life-long advocacy for those with disabilities, focusing on education and increasing accessibility.

These experiences led her to establish the book award after the death of her father. At the inaugural presentation of the award, Schneider reflected, “In the 1950s when I was in grade school, the only media mentions of blind people were of Helen Keller, Louis Braille, and the seven blind men who went to see the elephant—other disabilities fared no better. Fifty years later, we’re here to celebrate the fact that the situation has dramatically improved. The Schneider Family Book Award committee had many wonderful children’s books to consider, which represent the experiences of the one out of seven Americans who have a disability. The disability experience in these wonderful children’s books is a part of a character’s full life, not the focus of the life.”

July is Disability Pride Month. It not only commemorates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which was signed into law on July 26, 1990, but is also a chance to celebrate the history, accomplishments, experiences, and challenges of the disability community. It is thus a perfect opportunity to read some of the winner and honor recipients of the Schneider Family Book Award. You can find them here as well as on display on the main floor of the Library.  

The period from July 3 to August 15 is known as the Air Conditioning Appreciation Days, a time to celebrate the many benefits air conditioners have brought us. Air conditioning is not just about comfort but has also benefits related to health as well as to economic development and growth.

In fact, air conditioning was developed first to aid with manufacturing, not human comfort.  In 1902, Willis Haviland Carrier invented the first modern air conditioning system for a printing plant in Brooklyn, New York. His invention not only cooled the air but also controlled humidity, which was crucial for the printing process. This breakthrough laid the foundation for the air conditioning systems we use today. Though initially their cost and size were too much for home use, by the mid-20^th century, advancements in technology and mass production made air conditioning more affordable for the general public.

Air conditioning continues to be important in industry. Many products such as pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, petrochemicals, electric vehicles could not be made without temperature control. Air conditioning also provides more comfortable working conditions that in turn boost concentration and efficiency as well as provides for extended work hours. It also helps in preserving sensitive equipment and materials. Air conditioning additionally has several health benefits. By reducing heat-related illnesses and preventing heatstroke, it protects vulnerable populations such as the elderly and chronically ill. Air conditioning systems also improve indoor air quality by filtering out pollutants, allergens, and dust, benefiting those with respiratory issues.

At the same time, air conditioning has several drawbacks. High energy consumption leads to increased electricity bills and strains on power grids. Regular maintenance is necessary to keep air conditioning systems efficient, which can be costly and, if neglected, can lead to indoor air quality issues like mold and bacteria buildup. Health concerns arise from over-reliance on air conditioning, such as dry skin, respiratory issues, and reduced heat tolerance.

As the planet warms, the demand for air conditioning increases. Ironically, cooling is a big contributor to climate change. As noted above many existing air conditioning systems require a lot of energy, but they also use hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, potent greenhouse gases, and so are a double burden for climate change. If changes aren’t made, emissions from refrigeration and air conditioning are expected to double by 2030 and triple by 2050.

So while there is much to be appreciated about air conditioning, we must continue to seek new and better cooling options. Nature based solutions – for example, planting urban forests, creating urban water bodies such as lakes and canals, restoring wetlands, and converting to green roofs – look promising but require more study and investment. To learn more about history and importance of air conditioning, be sure to explore these books from the Library. Also, see these resources on sustainable architecture and natural cooling.