East Side Freedom Library

06/19/2026

Today we're celebrating Juneteenth with some of the books that helped us understand what this day really means. This is just a peek at what we've pulled together. There's a whole collection waiting for you on our shelves. Come visit us at 1105 Greenbrier St in Saint Paul. Open Tuesday through Thursday, 10am to 3pm, and by appointment Monday, Friday, and Saturday. We'd love to see you.

06/18/2026

We are 42% of the way in fundraising to support our History Day Mentorship Program. The East Side Freedom Library is a core resource for learning all of our histories. Where some are avidly pursuing censorship and removal of histories, the Freedom Library holds up our materials to share all the stories - immigrants, labor activists, LQBTQ communities, and so much more.

Donate here to support us! https://eastsidefreedomlibrary.app.neoncrm.com/campaigns/historyday2026

06/18/2026

Here at ESFL, we are filled with joy to announce our Third Thursday events for our Housing Justice Program! For the next five Third Thursdays you will have a chance to engage with housing justice in a variety of ways. From documentary screenings to roasting landlords, join us for fun, learning, and most importantly, SOLIDARITY!

Can’t wait to get started? Here are some suggested books about housing justice that we love!

Address Unknown: The Homeless in America by James D Wright is one of the first major investigative studies into the multiple factors that contribute to homelessness

A Dream Foreclosed: Black America and the Fight for a Place to Call Home by Laura Gottesdiener dives into the horrible banking practices that have ravaged Black communities across the United States

Garden Apartments: The History of a Low-Rent Utopia by Joshua B. Freeman, explores garden apartments, what they provide for low income families, and the communities they fostered.

06/18/2026

ESFL beloved friend and musician Emmett Doyle:

Yesterday the federal government arrested and indicted 15 people, many of them union activists, on conspiracy charges over the protests and massive strike against ICE in Minnesota last winter. Two of those indicted had just returned from the Labor Notes Conference, where Emmett Doyle’s prize-winning song “Hold the Line” was also sung (see box). The Minnesota 15 include union carpenters, electricians, teachers, university staff, and nursing home workers. Donate here to support their legal defense. —Editors.

https://labornotes.org/blogs/2026/06/cell-cell-jailed-minnesota-unionists-sang-freedom

06/17/2026

EAST SIDE COMMUNITY NIGHT at ESFL from 5:30-7:30pm! Hosted by Upstream Minnesota. There will be food, live music by artist Obsidian James, trivia and the Upstream story trailer will be parked in front to record your oral histories about your memories and favorite places on the East Side.

Our community partner, Upstream Minnesota, will be hosting a community gathering on Wednesday, June 17th from 5:30-7:30 pm on the East Side of St. Paul at the East Side Freedom Library (1105 Greenbrier Street).

The evening will be filled with food, music, East Side trivia, and fun! We will be talking with community members about their East Side stories, projects, gardens, and all the places they love and enjoy. The beautiful STORYSTREAM TRAILER will be parked onsite to record Eastside stories for those that want to share.

We’ll close out the evening with music from singer songwriter Obsidian James, an Afro-Indigenous artist from Harlem, who now calls MN home.

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 17th and we hope to see many of you there!

06/12/2026

📚 History belongs to ALL of us, and we need your help to keep it that way.

This History Day season, middle schoolers across the state are diving into the past, and the East Side Freedom Library is here to meet them with the resources, stories, and support they need.

We hold the histories that others are trying to erase — immigrants, labor activists, LGBTQ+ communities, and so much more.

But we can't do it without you. 💛

Your donation keeps our doors open. It keeps our volunteers showing up for young people, connecting them to resources that matter, and making sure ALL of history is accessible to everyone who walks through our doors.

👉 Please donate today:

https://eastsidefreedomlibrary.app.neoncrm.com/campaigns/historyday2026?secureIdCustomer=1&

Every dollar goes directly towards our program and keeping this library alive and thriving for all.

06/05/2026

The reviews are in and we can't wait for you to join us at ESFL for the launch of chaun webster’s book Without Terminus: Untraining an Archive!

There will be Fellowship, discussion, and Q&A with author chaun webster and archival curator / artist Davu Seru.

Saturday, June 27, 2026 @ 2:00 PM

'Part elegy, part archival detective story, and part visual poem, Without Terminus is a philosophically rigorous and deeply moving text that takes us beyond the archive of loss.' (Cover copy. Without Terminus, by chaun webster, Graywolf Press, 2026.)

In collaboration with the Community Digital Repository at ESFL. Register in the link in bio today!

06/03/2026

Our community partner, Upstream Minnesota, will be hosting a community gathering on Wednesday, June 17th from 5:30-7:30 pm on the East Side of St. Paul at the East Side Freedom Library (1105 Greenbrier Street).

The evening will be filled with food, music, East Side trivia, and fun! We will be talking with community members about their East Side stories, projects, gardens, and all the places they love and enjoy. The beautiful STORYSTREAM TRAILER will be parked onsite to record Eastside stories for those that want to share.

We’ll close out the evening with music from singer songwriter Obsidian James, an Afro-Indigenous artist from Harlem, who now calls MN home.

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 17th and we hope to see many of you there!

05/28/2026

June is Pride Month — kick it off by learning how to support q***r & trans folks through host homes and community care! 🌈

Join ConneQT & Trans Refuge Host Home Info Sessions

🗓 First Thursday of every month — Next: Thurs, June 4 • 6:30–8:00 PM
📍 East Side Freedom Library, 1105 Greenbrier, St. Paul

Learn about host homes, accompaniment, and ways to get involved (no pressure or obligation). When systems fail, neighbors step in — help build safety, trust, and belonging. ✨

Questions or to RSVP: [email protected] or 651-207-4926