Black voices

UCR Library curates Black History Month digital collection

Free access to a variety of books from bestsellers to classics

February 6, 2023
Author: UCR News
February 6, 2023

The UC Riverside Library has put together a collection of recommended books for Black History Month, inviting the campus community to delve into Black culture and history.

The Black Voices. Black History digital collection includes 50 books from the UCR Library’s collection of e-books and audiobooks available on the OverDrive platform, which is free to students, staff, and faculty.

The list includes bestsellers such as Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” and “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas; classics taught in classes like Toni Morrison’s “Beloved,” and favorites from the library’s Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy such as “Akata Witch” by Nnedi Okorafor.

“This collection offers a wealth of information and perspectives, making it a great way for Highlanders to broaden their understanding of the Black experience,” said Sean Wright, the library’s communication specialist.

A selection of titles from the Black History Month collection curated by UCR Library.

Many of the titles in this collection were purchased using funding from the Edwin H. and Wendy L. Allen Endowed Leisure Reading Collection.

Accessing the collection is easy and convenient. On OverDrive, login in with your UCR NetID and password. Then select a title and click "borrow.”  All UCR Library OverDrive titles are also available on the Libby app. Add the UCR Library as a “library” on the app (the easiest way to find the UCR Library is to search by zip code 92521) and log in using your UCR NetID and password.

The library offers a diverse array of other curated collections through OverDrive, including the Banned Books collection which features “The 1619 Project” by Nikole Hannah-Jones and “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson. Find out more about the UCR Library's OverDrive collection at ucr.overdrive.com.