Published: Feb. 27, 2018

Norlin Library will host the campus鈥檚 first 鈥渓iving library鈥 on March 1, an interactive inaugural event featuring the stories of students, staff and faculty who will engage with visitors or 鈥渞eaders鈥 who want to 鈥渂orrow鈥 living books for impactful conversations about gender, race, nationality, religion, ability and beyond.

If you go

Who: Students, faculty, staff and听community members
奥丑补迟:听CU Living Library: Dialoguing Difference
When: Thursday, March 1, 3鈥5 p.m.
奥丑别谤别:听Norlin Library,听circulation study area

The CU Living Library: Dialoguing Difference will provide participants and library visitors with opportunities to engage with one another around personal stories and journeys in a supportive environment that encourages questions and open-mindedness, said organizers Megan Welsh, Juleah Swanson and Lindsay Roberts.

In order to participate in the event as books, a group of 14 兔子先生传媒文化作品 community members鈥攕tudents, staff and faculty鈥攕ubmitted book titles and descriptions to pique the interest of readers.

鈥淚 got involved with the living library because, in knowing that what we are as human beings is the summation of an infinite number of stories and experiences, I thought it important to offer up an oration of my own existence, with its tolls and rewards, in the hopes of affirming others鈥 sense of self,鈥 said Gwendalynn Roebke, 19, a sophomore from Colorado Springs who is double majoring in astrophysics and philosophy and self identifies as gender nonconforming and uses the pronouns they and them.

Student Gwendalynn Roebke

Student Gwendalynn Roebke

The living 鈥渂ooks鈥濃攑eople who are willing to share stories about their lives and diverse personal backgrounds鈥攁nd small groups of 鈥渞eaders鈥 will engage in conversations that will allow students and the campus community to learn about themselves and others through authentic dialogue.

Book titles include Coming Out Overseas,听the story of one individual鈥檚 transformational experience while studying in Japan; Semester One,听a story about overcoming addiction; Twelve Words to a Twelve-Year-Old听about suicide and its effects on others; and Chronicles of a 鈥淣ever Enough鈥 Kid,听a story about living with multiple personal identities.

In choosing to participate in this event, Isabel Vigil, 18, a first-year student from Aurora who is majoring in clinical psychology and political science, said she wanted to 鈥渟how others that whatever adversity they have faced or are facing, they will get through it and come out stronger than ever鈥攋ust as I did.鈥

The Living Library event is open to all students, staff, faculty and community members听and will be held in Norlin Library鈥檚 circulation study area from 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 1.

More information and advance听registration are available at the . To learn how living libraries work, .