Observances are opportunities for the Library to contribute to student learning and personal growth by using an occasion to increase awareness and knowledge of a given subject while also promoting the resources and services available from the Department of Learning Resources. Additionally, the SJR State College Library recognizes and is committed to its role “in effecting equity, diversity and inclusion” within the communities we serve. The SJR State Library and Learning Resources Department's events & observances provide resources and opportunities to explore cultures throughout our community, our nation, and our world that will increase understanding and encourage dialogue. 

To help the Academic Support Center achieve its goal “to promote academic support services and resources to students and faculty” and to help the Library achieve its goals “to promote and reflect the diversity of our community through staffing, services, and collections” and “to alert patrons to the services and resources available to them through faculty outreach services, displays, instructional materials, instructional programs, and tours," the Library and Academic Support Center will observe various commemorations throughout the year. 

The St. Johns River State College Library also joins the American Library Association in its dedication "to support the creation of a more equitable, diverse and inclusive society" and endorses ALA's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion statements. The SJR State Library also supports the Florida Library Association’s Statement on Racial Justice.

The Library, as an entity, observes the annually recurring observances that are recognized by the Library of Congress. These recurring observances, per the Law Library of Congress' June 11, 2019 update, are:

As an additional means of engagement and outreach, each Department service point may highlight occasions that occur throughout the year as an opportunity to increase awareness and knowledge of a given subject and promote available resources and services. At the discretion of the manager of each Department service point and given the confines of available display space and resources housed at the location, events meeting the Conditions of Observance may serve as occasions for observance.  

Conditions of Observance

1. At least one of the following statements is true:

   1. The occasion is a U.S. federal holiday;

   2. The occasion is a public or religious holiday recognized by USA.gov* as an “American Holiday;”

   3. The occasion is a day, week, or month of commemoration published on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion's National Health Observances Calendar;

   4. The occasion is a day, week, or month of commemoration that was created through state or national legislation or proclamation;

   5. The occasion marks a birth, death, or landmark event in the lives and works of contributors to the world's cultural heritage;

   6. The occasion marks a notable event, discovery, or publication, past and present, in an academic field;

   7. The occasion involves an award of note in an academic or artistic field;

   8. The occasion is a current cultural, artistic, or sporting events that is widely recognized as a touchstone moment in American life;

   9. The occasion is a day, week, or month of commemoration that was created by a state or nationally recognized professional organization or a state or federally registered non-profit organization;

2. The focus of the occasion is relevant to the academic programs of SJR State;

3. Alerting patrons to resources related to the focus of this occasion would “meet the informational, educational, cultural, and lifelong learning needs of the College community” as stated in the Library’s mission and/or would “promote academic support services and resources to students and faculty” as stated in the Academic Support Center’s mission.

Service point managers will work with Department faculty and staff to select from the pool of occasions meeting the Conditions of Observance as they see fit. As a result, such observances may vary by campus and service point and will vary year-to-year. Observances initially selected by the Department for optional observation are provided in the document below, List of Commemorations for Optional Observance at the Department of Learning Resources’ Service Points.

Consideration of Additional Observances

While it is not feasible to include each occasion that is eligible for observance by the Department of Learning Resources on the List of Commemorations for Optional Observance, the document does serve as a quick reference guide for Department members. However, it is important to note that just because an occasion does not currently appear on the document that does not mean the Department will not observe that occasion. The occasion simply needs to be brought up for consideration.

If a Department member discovers an occasion that is not on List of Commemorations for Optional Observance and is interested in observing said occasion at a service point, the Department member and the service point’s manager must ensure that the occasion meets the Conditions of Observance. Once the Department members are satisfied that the Conditions are met, they may proceed with the observation of that occasion at the service point. The occasion will then be added to the  List of Commemorations for Optional Observance as a means of sharing awareness of the occasion with other Department members and avoiding another review of the same occasion in the future.

Suggestions for additional occasions for optional observance are welcome from students, faculty, and staff. Suggestions can be submitted online. The occasion will then be considered by the College’s Learning Resources Committee using the Conditions of Observance as a guide. If, by a majority vote, the Committee feels the occasion is deemed to have met the Conditions, the commemoration will be added to the Department’s List of Commemorations for Optional Observance. The Learning Resources Committee will review commemoration suggestions once each academic year.