~Franklin County has little to no emotional support for people going through and who have survived breast cancer as well as their caregivers, friends and families, the library is hoping to address this through a myriad of programming throughout the month of October

~Tuesday, October 8th we're presenting "1 in 8: Everything You Want to Know About Breast Cancer But are Afraid to Ask" at 5:30 pm at Greenfield Public Library. This will be a candid and approachable panel discussion about the many aspects of breast cancer from a variety of experts and backgrounds featuring Dr. Don Dizon, Oncologist from Brown University, Jesse Casaubon, Breast Surgeon at Baystate Health, Lisa McCutcheon, Certified Lymphedema Therapist at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Chelsea Kline, Director of the Cancer Connections and Rachel Levey, coach from Paradise City Dragon Boat. We'll have tabling by various organizations before and after plus a reception featuring light refreshments.

~all month long we'll be exhibiting Malaika Ross's art show "The Visibility Project" in our Community Room: "a series of paintings that center black female breast cancer survivors whose chests were radically transformed after surgical treatment. 1 in 8 US women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during the course of their lifetime. According to the American Cancer Society, ‘black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than women of any other racial or ethnic group’ yet we are excluded and deemed invisible in paintings. Malaika wants to change this." A closing reception will be held on Friday, October 25th from 5-8pm

~On Wednesday, October 16th from 3-7pm Malaika Ross will be offering an artmaking workshop in the library's makerspace for people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, survived breast cancer and/or supported a friend or loved one with breast cancer. Participants are welcome to drop in and do not need to stay for the entire class. A wide variety of art materials and prompts will be offered.