Saturday, January 15 would have been Martin Luther King Jr.'s 82nd birthday. We celebrate his life, his message, and the spirit of the Civil Rights movement on the third Monday of every January. For some, this means a day off of work or school; for many others it's a day of community service (Find volunteer opportunities on the All for Good site). Whether you choose to serve, attend special community events, or simply reflect, Canton Public Library has useful resources for you:

Martin Luther King — Books

Behind the dream: the making of the speech that transformed a nation by Clarence B. Jones and Stuart Connelly

The Word of the Lord is upon me: the righteous performance of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Jonathan Rieder

What would Martin say? by Clarence B. Jones and Joel Engel

Judgment days: Lyndon Baines Johnson, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the laws that changed America by Nick Kotz

Bearing the cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference by David J. Garrow

The dream: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the speech that inspired a nation by Drew D. Hansen

Martin Luther King, Jr. by Marshall Frady

The autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. by edited by Clayborne Carson

The preacher King: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the word that moved America by Richard Lischer

Martin Luther King — DVDs

Tavis Smiley reports: MLK, a call to conscience

Roads to Memphis

A ripple of hope by Covenant Productions

King: go beyond the dream to discover the man

Been to the mountaintop: Martin Luther King, Jr.

Voices of civil rights by The History Channel; A&E Television Networks

King by an Abby Mann Production in association with Orion; produced by Paul Maslansky; directed by Abby Mann

Martin Luther King Jr.: the man and the dream by a Black Audio Films production for BBC and A&E Network; producer, Lina Gopaul; writer, Edward George; director, John Akomfrah

Citizen King by a ROJA Productions film for American experience; in association with the BBC and WGBH Boston

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: a historical perspective by producer, Melissa Wegman; written and directed by Thomas Friedman

The speeches collection: volume 1

We shall not be moved by FamilyNet Television; Faith and Value Media; producer, writer, director, Bernie Hargis

Civil Rights

Make it plain: standing up and speaking out by Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.; with Lee A. Daniels

Hands on the freedom plow: personal accounts by women in SNCC by edited by Faith S. Holsaert ... [et at.]

Say it loud: great speeches on civil rights and African American identity by edited by Catherine Ellis and Stephen Drury Smith

At the dark end of the street: black women, rape, and resistance—a new history of the civil rights movement from Rosa Parks to the rise of black power by Danielle L. McGuire

Freedom summer: the savage summer that made Mississippi burn and made America a democracy by Bruce Watson

The shadows of youth: the remarkable journey of the civil rights generation by Andrew B. Lewis

Lift every voice: the NAACP and the making of the Civil Rights Movement by Patricia Sullivan

We had sneakers, they had guns: the kids who fought for civil rights in Mississippi by Tracy Sugarman

Sweet land of liberty: the forgotten struggle for civil rights in the North by Thomas J. Sugrue

Give me liberty: a handbook for American revolutionaries by Naomi Wolf

Community Service

Change the world, change your life: discover your life purpose through service by Angela Perkey

How to be an everyday philanthropist: 330 ways to make a difference in your home, community, and world— at no cost by Nicole Bouchard Boles

Volunteer vacations across America: immersion travel USA by Sheryl Kayne

Showing up for life: thoughts on the gifts of a lifetime by Bill Gates, Sr. with Mary Ann Mackin

Volunteer vacations: short-term adventures that will benefit you and others: 10th edition by Bill McMillon, Doug Cutchins, and Anne Geissinger

Awearness: inspiring stories about how to make a difference by Kenneth Cole; [edited by] Kenneth Cole

One can make a difference: how simple actions can change the world by Newkirk, Ingrid

Giving: how each of us can change the world by Bill Clinton

The busy family's guide to volunteering: do good, have fun, make a difference as a family! by Jenny Friedman