Date
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Session Type
Poster
Name
Promoting and Celebrating a Diverse and inclusive Academic Community through Read Alouds
Description

What better way to celebrate DEI at a library than through the very act of reading and sharing poetry, prose, or even song? Building on programming developed at the Ohio State University, a private midwest R1 institution began to host a series of “Read Alouds” throughout the 2023-2024 academic years focused on heritage months, particularly Black Heritage Month and Hispanic Heritage Month. Partnerships with campus stakeholders and offices were key to the events taking place, and further opportunities exist to expand the program to other identity groups in the future. Readers choose and present selections they find meaningful and representative of the given month’s theme in any language they prefer, which is then translated into English if applicable. The events are inclusive of staff, faculty, and students to best reach out to and represent all members of the campus community while highlighting reading selections from those who identify with the given community. A discussion group closes each Read Aloud that allows for active participation of audience members to contemplate and voice their thoughts on the readings and on the experiences of those whom the readers speak for. This poster provides details of Read Aloud series events and suggestions of how they might be adapted and adopted by other institutions.

Track
Poster