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| Winter 2003 Issue |
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WVU Libraries Sponsor Diversity ReadingsWVU Libraries sponsored two readings on campus for two diverse groups
to celebrate Diversity Week. One crowd included a mix of students gathering at Towers Residence Hall; the other included children of WVU faculty and staff sitting in reading circles at Evansdale Library. Early one Tuesday morning, while a handful of students typed away on
computers and prepared for the day of classes ahead, a group of pre-school
students slowly filed into Evansdale Library and quietly found a spot
on the floor.
Mrs. Hardesty was joined by a crew of reading volunteers: Brenda Cruz,
a graduate student in agriculture; Nicole Allaire, a member of the rifle
team; Tina Griffith, a member of the rowing team; and Sarah Crouch, a
member of the swim team. “Everybody had a good time. The students reading enjoyed themselves,”
said Martha Yancey, the librarian in charge of WVU Libraries’ children’s
collection. The idea to host an event for children sprang from discussions between
Libraries Dean Frances O’Brien and Evansdale Library Director Mary
Strife. Evansdale, which serves the College of Human Resources and Education,
is home to a collection of children’s literature, and the WVU Child
Development Laboratory, or Nursery School, is within walking distance.
Connecting the two appeared a natural fit. “Children are our future. You’ve got to start early,”
said Jennifer McIntosh, director of the Office of Social Justice. And reading to children is a wonderful tool to accomplish that mission. “Every time an individual picks up a book, they’re expressing
the uniqueness of the written word and increasing a student’s chance
to become a literate human being,” Yancey said. “With various
types of individuals reading to the children, I think that gave them an
impression that all kinds of people do similar activities. And that, to
me, is the whole crux of this event.” The day of diversity readings continued that evening at Towers Residence
Hall, where four faculty members took turns reading selections to a crowd
of students. Focusing on Native Americans, Sam Stack, an associate professor of education,
read from The Ledger Book of Thomas Blue Eagle. Linda Jacknowitz, assistant director of the West Virginia Comprehensive
Cancer Control Program, read about cooking to offer a glimpse of her Jewish
culture. Janis-Rozena Peri, an associate professor of music, focused on an Urban
African American youth’s realization of her self-centeredness and
learning to help others with reading of Toni Cade Bambara’s short
story “Raymond’s Run.” Jo Brown, a librarian in charge of the University Libraries' Appalachian
Collection, read from a range of West Virginia and regional writers to
give the audience an appreciation of the Mountain State. For many students, it was an introduction to Affrilachia. Poet Frank
X. Walker created the word to describe writing by African Americans who
live in Appalachia. Brown explained that African Americans living in the
region have a unique perspective because they are a minority within a
minority. “There is diversity in Appalachia at the same time Appalachia is
a diverse place itself to the dominant American culture,” Brown said. McIntosh even became part of the event reciting a poem in the patios,
or language, of her native Jamaica. “It was a very broad outlay of all different type of issues, but
it gave people some kind of knowledge or background of other cultures,”
McIntosh said. “I think the students really enjoyed it.” Libraries Dean Frances O’Brien said she was glad the libraries were
able to be an active part of Diversity Week. “Academic library collections play a major role in creating an inclusive
community. We provide programs and resources that enhance knowledge and
encourage understanding of diversity,” Dean O’Brien said. “We're
pleased to host these events to increase awareness.” | ||||
| Ex Libris is published quarterly
by the WVU Libraries | |||||
