Libraries, Culture & Civic Voices: San Antonio Youth News

San Antonio’s public libraries and civic events made January a month of reflection, storytelling and community participation. These stories offer students ways to encounter history, creative expression and public life outside a classroom.

Holocaust Learn & Remember: history, judgment and accountability

On January 5, San Antonio Public Library and the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio announced the 14th annual Holocaust Learn & Remember program series. The 2026 theme, Judgment, examined the Nuremberg Trials, survivors’ stories and how the public has remembered the Holocaust.

January’s schedule included survivor testimony, discussions of decisions made during the Holocaust and a program about how journalists covered the Nuremberg trials. For students, these events connected historical research with questions about evidence, accountability, propaganda and the responsibilities of citizens.

Source: City of San Antonio, January 5, 2026.

A former U.S. Poet Laureate visits the West Side

San Antonio Public Library announced on January 28 that Joy Harjo, the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States, was scheduled to appear at Las Palmas Branch Library on Friday, January 30, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Harjo, the first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate, was scheduled to read from For a Girl Becoming and answer audience questions.

The program also featured San Antonio-based illustrator Adriana Garcia and local poets. The event, scheduled after the branch’s reopening following major renovation work, highlighted libraries as places where established and emerging artists can connect with families.

Source: City of San Antonio, January 28, 2026.

San Antonio marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The city organized its 39th annual Martin Luther King Jr. March and Celebration for January 19. The route began at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy and ended with activities at Pittman-Sullivan Park. The official program included multicultural performances, a youth area and community information booths.

Beyond the commemoration itself, the march offers a point of entry for learning about local civic traditions and the role of young people in public life. Students can research the history of the march, interview family members or study the local organizations that participate.

Source: City of San Antonio, 2026 march information.

Library service update: Landa Branch closes for repairs

A January 23 city announcement stated that Landa Branch Library would temporarily close beginning January 26 for HVAC repairs. As of January 30, outdoor Wi-Fi and the grounds remained available, with curbside pickup of reserved materials beginning January 28. Full service was available at Central and San Pedro branches.

Source: City of San Antonio, January 23, 2026.

Ideas for student involvement

• Investigate a local issue. Turn an event you attend into a short article or a classroom presentation supported by primary sources.
• Read across perspectives. Explore historical accounts, survivor testimony, poetry and community reporting.
• Make public spaces part of your education. Libraries are places to discover writers, meet neighbors and participate in civic dialogue.