Livingston Librarian Celebrates Diverse Cultures

The Livingston Public Library has long held children’s activities themed on Halloween, like they will on October 30th, and on Thanksgiving, like they will later in November. But a new children’s director is trying to bring activities that will help some Livingston kids learn about other cultures, and others to celebrate their own.

Anna Coats started working at the library in April. Since then she hosted an event for Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday, and planned the celebration of Diwali, an Indian and Hindu festival.

“We’re going to make firecrackers with candy inside,” said Coats, “and do rangoli, which is a traditional Indian art.”

Rangoli is a folk art from India usually made on the floor using colored rice, flour, or petals, and is used in a welcoming area. In the library’s version, kids will use black construction paper and outdoor chalk.

While the Diwali celebration will be a valuable way for kids to learn about other cultures, it’s also good to recognize the diversity in Livingston. Almost 3 percent of Livingston’s population is of Indian descent, according to AreaConnect.com.

Coats said these cultural events are very popular.

“We had about a hundred people come to our event for Eid al-Fitr,” she said.

The events are drop-in, no registration required. Kids can spend all their time on one craft or switch between two.

The Diwali Celebration will be held in the back of the Children’s section of the library, between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on October 21.