In 1986, Americans celebrated their first federal holiday recognizing the towering life and accomplishments of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In the years since, we have seen the third Monday in January transform from Martin Luther King Jr. Day into an all-encompassing, monthlong effort to generate community impact and pursue social justice.

The Library plays its part this month by opening doors to various activities and learning opportunities that remind everyone in Dauphin County that the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Day remains alive in our hearts.

Escape the Library: The Missing Sermon

• Registration is required and limited. 20-minute appointments, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 18, Kline Library, and 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 21, East Shore Area Library.

It’s true that commemorating the life of Martin Luther King Jr. calls for service and reflection, but The Library also brings the fun with this escape-room adventure for families with children ages 10+. Kids learn that a missing sermon written by Dr. King is now hiding in The Library. By following clues together, families can help their youngsters find the precious artifact and save it from being lost forever.

FYI, there isn’t a real-life missing sermon of Dr. King’s, but kids will be sure to find a treasure that illuminates the life of the great Civil Rights leader, and they’ll win prizes. With their curiosity piqued, kids and families can check out Library books and resources to learn more about the life and times of Dr. King.

“This is such a fun way for families to engage with who Martin Luther King Jr. is,” says Milach. “We’re hoping it encourages families to look beyond this day for more information.”

Reading and learning

• Find resources by typing “Martin Luther King” in the catalog search at www.dcls.org, or by scanning the QR code in the Winter 2024 Compass. It’s also a great way to get a head start on the upcoming Black History Month Reading Challenge, Feb. 1 through 29.

The Library is always open for discovery, and that means learning on your own timeline, in your own way. The Library’s Martin Luther King Jr., resources list offers a full banquet of titles meant to inspire and educate.

Young readers can learn how to pursue justice from “Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and You,” by Carole Boston Weatherford. Poetry by Ntozake Shange, with painting by Kadir Nelson, honor Coretta Scott King. History lovers can absorb the full context of King’s impact with, “At Canaan’s Edge: America in the King Years,” by renowned historian Taylor Branch, or listen to the audiobook, “Death of a King: The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Final Year,” narrated by the author, Tavis Smiley. The film “At the River I Stand” explores Dr. King’s pursuit of economic as well as racial justice through the watershed Memphis sanitation strike of 1968.