{"id":265622,"date":"2025-10-03T13:30:27","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T03:30:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.russh.com\/?p=265622"},"modified":"2025-10-03T12:14:40","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T02:14:40","slug":"solange-knowles-saint-heron-library-digital-archive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.russh.com\/solange-knowles-saint-heron-library-digital-archive\/","title":{"rendered":"You can now borrow a book from Solange Knowles’ library"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all wondered what books fill the shelves \u2013 or the book bag \u2013 of Solange Knowles<\/a>. Is she reading Kincaid? Proust? Maybe she’s a poetry savant? A secret lit-fic fanatic? Or a devotee of the classics?<\/p>\n

But now, with the launch of the Saint Heron Community Library<\/a>, we will wonder no longer. Knowles has opened a window into her literary world, opening up a library that yes, you can borrow from.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is Saint Heron Community Library?<\/h3>\n

At its core, the library is a digital archive of rare, out-of-print, and first-edition works by Black and Brown authors<\/a>, poets, and artists. But it\u2019s not just about access \u2013 it\u2019s about preservation, celebration, and community.<\/p>\n

Readers across the USA can borrow physical copies of titles from the library for up to 45 days, free of charge, complete with a prepaid return label. It\u2019s simple, generous, and radical.<\/p>\n

Each season, guest curators will be bringing fresh vision to the collection, ensuring the library never feels static. As Solange put it herself, \u201cWe would like to play a small part in creating free access to the expansive range of critical thought and expression by these great minds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Some of the books available to borrow from the Saint Heron Digital Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

How can I borrow?<\/h3>\n

Books are available via the Saint Heron Community Library website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Once you’ve selected a title you should be able to hit a ‘Borrow’ button in the bottom right corner of the screen if available. As expected, the site is popular so most books are currently on loan \u2013 you’ll just have to keep tabs to get your hands on them when they’re back online.<\/p>\n

Readers across the USA can borrow titles for 45 days, free of charge, complete with a prepaid return label.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What books are available?<\/h3>\n

The Saint Heron Community Library shelves are as eclectic and illuminating as you might expect from Solange\u2019s curatorial vision. Within the collection, you\u2019ll find:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Poetry:<\/strong> Coal<\/em> by Audre Lorde, An Ordinary Woman<\/em> by Lucille Clifton, A Daughter\u2019s Geography<\/em> by Ntozake Shange, and The Black Unicorn<\/em> by Audre Lorde.<\/li>\n
  • Science Fiction & Prose:<\/strong> Octavia Butler\u2019s Clay\u2019s Ark<\/em> and Bloodchild<\/em>, plus experimental works like In Our Terribleness<\/em> by Amiri Baraka.<\/li>\n
  • Exhibition Catalogues & Art Books:<\/strong> Cedric Dover\u2019s landmark American Negro Art<\/em>, The Art of Henry O. Tanner<\/em>, Gary Simmons\u2019s Ghost House<\/em>, and rare catalogues from Adrian Piper, Pope.L, and Barbara Chase-Riboud.<\/li>\n
  • Anthologies & Essays:<\/strong> Claudia Rankine\u2019s Just Us<\/em>, June Jordan\u2019s Civil Wars<\/em>, Haki R. Mahubuti\u2019s Earthquakes<\/em> and Sunrise Missions<\/em>.<\/li>\n
  • Biographies & History:<\/strong> Judith Jamison: Aspects of a Dancer<\/em>, Julian Abele: Architect and the Beaux Arts<\/em>, and The Architectural Legacy of Wallace A. Rayfield<\/em>.<\/li>\n
  • Unique Finds:<\/strong> Wanda Coleman\u2019s searing Mad Dog Black Lady<\/em>, Etheridge Knight\u2019s Poems from Prison<\/em>, and even Madam Zenobia\u2019s Space Age Lucky Eleven Dream<\/em> and Astrology Book<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Together, these works form a kaleidoscopic archive \u2013 part poetry corner, part art history vault, part radical reading list \u2013 that resists easy labels but insists on significance.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n\n