Syracuse University Libraries will host its annual Living Library event during National Library Week on Wednesday, April 7, from noon to 5 p.m. via Zoom. Participants will have the opportunity to talk to “living books”—volunteers from the broader Syracuse University community representing a variety of cultural backgrounds and life experiences.
Living books will engage in 20-minute conversations with patrons in one-on-one or small group settings. The Libraries are looking forward to offering its seventh Living Library this year—its first one in a virtual environment.
Event organizers are currently seeking Syracuse University faculty, staff and students to volunteer as living books. Applications are being accepted through March 5 via an online application form.
“Due to COVID-19, we had to cancel our Living Library event last year, but we’re so pleased that library staff have arranged to offer it virtually this year. Now more than ever, encouraging oral storytelling is so important for our society. It enables us to learn about the different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives of our community members,” says Dean David Seaman, University librarian and dean of the Syracuse University Libraries. “It promotes empathy and inclusion in a safe and supportive environment. It is valuable and rewarding for both those who share their stories, and for their audience who listens and learns. Every person has a story to tell and insights to share.”
Popular topics from previous years have included Native American, Chinese, Indian, Nigerian and Middle Eastern cultures; disability; queer and biracial identities. Additionally the topics of military life, mental health issues, immigrant experiences and experiencing homelessness have been explored. This event is part of the CNY Living Library, supported by the Central NY Library Resources Council (CLRC).
Syracuse Stage announced an exciting new cast and creative team for “The Hello Girls,” with music and lyrics by Peter Mills and book by Peter Mills and Cara Reichel. Featuring fresh orchestrations, new staging and reworked material, this new production…
The Department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) is embracing innovative approaches to media engagement. One such method is called videographic criticism, a growing scholarly practice that uses sound and moving images (video) to explore and…
From “yeet” to “social distancing,” new words and phrases constantly emerge and evolve in American English. But how do these neologisms—newly coined terms—gain acceptance and become part of mainstream dialect? We interviewed Christopher Green, associate professor of linguistics in the…
The University Art Museum has received a monumental gift of more than 80 traditional Indian patachitra scrolls, significantly expanding its collection of South Asian art and material culture. The scrolls were donated by Geraldine Forbes, Distinguished Teaching Professor Emerita at…
In a prestigious international honor, a project by three students from the School of Architecture has been selected for inclusion in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2025, currently on view in London. The work, titled “Evolving an Urban Ecology,” was…
If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.
