As part of #NationalLibraryWeek and in honor of Earth Day, France-Merrick Director of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library, Catherine Mayfield shares her favorite library collection item at MdHS: "Happy Earth Day! The very first Earth Day took place 50 years ago today and saw some 20 million Americans mobilizing to call for increased environmental protections. Earth Day is a political movement but it's also a day many use to appreciate the natural world. That world -- along with math and science -- was of fascination to this almanac's creator, Benjamin Banneker. Almanacs were commonplace in colonial American households, providing a wealth of information pertaining to the Earth, moon, and stars, from weather forecasts and tide tables to astronomical data. There was nothing at all common, however, about Banneker, a largely self-taught scientist, mathematician, author, astronomer, and free African-American in the 18th century. In addition to creating his series of almanacs, he corresponded wit...