Art to Learn From: the Lithgow Public Library

Want to start a conversation around people who made a difference? Go to the Lithgow Public Library in Augusta, Maine from September 5th to September 18th and view the exhibit, "Americans Who Tell the Truth."

This is no ordinary art exhibit. On display will be a selection of portraits from Robert Shetterly's series of important Americans in history "who have shown great courage and conviction in standing up for what they believe in."

This is no ordinary list of people. From Harriet Tubman, to Susan B. Anthony, to lesser known, but important figures such as Ossie Davis and Harry Hay, these portraits will spark conversation and create moments where new perspectives are shared.

What I love about this exhibit is that is has the potential to make people consider different perspectives, to think about what and who they admire, and to realize that much can be learned from people who possess differing views--and that's what makes our country great.

Learn more about this impressive event by visiting the Lithgow Public Library's web site and also make sure to visit Robert Shetterly's web site.

The people of Augusta, Maine are lucky to have such an impressive exhibit on display in their community.

students making media about september 11 - and talking about the media they made on september 11 - at depauw university

i've never met kevin howley, an associate professor of media studies at depauw university in indiana, but his book, community media: people, places, and communication technologies, is on my read-this-book-asap list.

on monday, september 11, 2006 at 4 pm in the peeler auditorium on the depauw university campus, a video memorial produced by and featuring depauw university students will be shown with a moderated discussion to follow. here's the press release:

Student Video, "The September Project," Premieres at DePauw University on 9/11 Anniversary

GREENCASTLE, IN. -- August 28, 2006 -- "The September Project," a video memorial produced by and featuring DePauw University students, will have its world premiere on the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Produced in conjunction with DePauw's Roy O. West Library, "The September Project" features student recollections of the events of 9/11. Undergraduates also discuss how America has changed in the five years since the terrorist attacks and consider the role of the public library in democratic societies.

"The September Project" was one of several video projects-including public service announcements, advertisements, "man on the street"-style interviews, and news features-produced by students enrolled in DePauw's First Year Seminar, "Video as Cultural Politics."

According to project supervisor, Dr. Kevin Howley, associate professor of media studies at DePauw University, "The September Project" had enormous educational value. "Aside from providing a hands-on lesson in video production, students came away from this project with a greater understanding of video's capacity to promote dialogue and debate. Students came to appreciate the value of community video in amplifying voices, opinions and perspectives that are rarely heard in mainstream media."

"The September Project" gets its name from a grassroots effort to encourage communities, in conjunction with local libraries, to provide a forum for people to discuss a host of issues: democracy, war and peace, terrorism, militarism, religion, and conflict resolution.

The September Project will foster civic events around the world on September 11th such as poetry readings, film screenings, art competitions, public lectures and community forums. The September Project events are designed to bring people into their local libraries and get them talking about important issues in politics, culture and religion in a safe and civil manner.

"The September Project" will be screened on Monday, September 11, 2006 at 4PM in the Peeler Auditorium on the DePauw University campus. A moderated discussion will follow. Admission is free and the public is welcome.

Contact:

Dr. Kevin Howley
Associate Professor of Media Studies
DePauw University
(765) 658-4491

i love this september project event!

i love how the event engages university students - and the greater university community - with media made by students. i love how the media text under discussion was made by students enrolled in a first year seminar called "video as cultural politics." bravo!

september 11 in wayne, michigan

an engaging set of events on september 11 and throughout the month of september at wayne public library, in wayne, michigan:

On September 11, 2006 at 8:00 a.m., the community and civic leaders of Wayne will hold a service of reflection at the Veterans Peace Memorial located at the Wayne Public Library. Police, fire, city officials, local churchs, community leaders and the members of the local high school will participate in this ceremony. All citizens are invited to attend.

Throughout the month of September the library will also display book, dvds, and other related materials in our showcases and throughout the library.

We will be having programs for adults, teens, and children.

The adult program will feature guest speakers relating their personal immigration stories. The children's program will include screening the Reading Rainbow film "Watch the Stars Come Out" based on the book by the same name. Participants will talk about what it might be like to come to America from another country and work with their parents on a simple family tree project.

Teens will be making paper peace cranes for display in the library throughout September.

Our library newsletter includes information on all these programs and will be delivered to every home and business in our city, and everyone is invited to attend these free programs.

i think it's great how wayne public library:

1. reaches out to so many diverse segments of wayne: police, fire, city officials, local churchs, community leaders, and members of the local high school;
   
   
2. involves a local high school! how cool is that?
   
   
3. designs programs for three audiences: adults, teens, and children.
   
   
4. couples a major event on september 11 with activities that take place throughout the month of september.

a truly civic event coming from wayne public library.

Kids tackling big ideas in Middletown, CT

Russell Library, in Middletown, CT, is organizing a September Project event that focuses on a segment of our population often left behind when important topics surface: children and teens.

Together with the Middletown Rotary Club and The Middletown Press, they are co-sponsoring a creative writing contest for kids grades 1-8. Participants are asked to focus on the theme of "America and the World for Me."

Specifically they are asked to:

Think what our country and the world mean to you. Think how America and the world are always changing. Think of unity, tolerance and understanding. What does this mean for you and your family, for your friends and your school? Your writing can be about the past, present – or even the future!

This event gets even better. Art Meyers--librarian and mind behind this event--has incorporated the results of this effort into a program on September 11th, where the winners of this contest read their essays aloud to an audience of community members. I love this idea. What a tremendous way to show that the community values the perspectives of this age group, and what a thrill for those kids to be involved in such a program!

Did I mention that winners also get a gift certificate to a local book store? How great is that? To learn more, check out the event page on their web site.

bedford public library system and kitsap regional library

within the last 24 hours, two library systems have signed up to participate in the september project.

from bedford, virginia, all 6 libraries of the bedford public library system - bedford central, big island, forest, moneta/sml, montvale, and stewartsville - have signed up to participate.


and from kitsap county, washington, all 9 libraries of kitsap regional library - bainbridge island, downtown bremerton, kingston, little boston, manchester, port orchard, poulsbo, silverdale, and sylvan way - have signed up to participate.


their events sound excellent:

"We, The People" is the theme for our 2006 September Project (our first!) We are hiring a company called Living Voices in Seattle to do nine productions in each of our libraries on topics ranging from the Swedish Immigrant Experience in the Northwest to the Native American government-run schools. The aim of the series is to acknowledge and honor the diversity that IS our history and our present.

proyecto CIBA

if i could have any new media, i would ask for software that generates perfect language translations.

on friday, el centro de investigación biblioteca y aula, or proyecto CIBA, in córdoba, argentina, signed up for the september project. using the describa su evento page, librarian ana ángela chiesa described what proyecto CIBA was developing:

CIBA es un centro de investigación de Proyectos que desarrollen habilidades en información y promocionen el libro y la lectura.

Planeamos para el próximo mes de Septiembre desarrollar un taller con alumnos de escuelas rurales de la zona de influencia que hemos llamado: "TODO LO QUE NO SABEMOS SOBRE EL LIBRO." Este taller tiene los siguientes contenidos: Historia del libro. Distintos soportes de la palabra hasta llegar al libro. Partes de un libro. Uso de Índices, tablas de materia (y mucho más...). El taller tiene caracter lúdico.

Dirigido a alumnos de 4to, 5to y 6to (Educación General Básica, segúen el modelo educativo Argentino) (último ciclo de Escuela primaria)

using google's language tools, i cut-and-pasted the event description and it generated this:

CIBA is a research center of Projects that develop abilities in information and promote the book and the reading.

We glided for the next month of September to develop a factory with students of rural schools of the zone of influence that we have called: “EVERYTHING WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW ON THE BOOK.” This factory has the following contents: History of the book. Different supports from the word until arriving at the book. Parts of a book. Use of Indices, tables of matter (and much more…). The factory has playful character.

Directed to students of 4to, 5to and 6to (General Education Básica, segúen the Argentine educative model) (last cycle of primary School)

(altavista's babelfish, generated an extremely similar translation.)

question: what does the word taller mean in spanish? is it a workshop? a curriculum? is it what google and babelfish say it is - a factory?

i think this event is beautiful. it is not exactly an event, but more like a series of events that take place in classrooms, or, a curriculum - the first curriculum, i believe, that has been associated with the september project. i love how it is directed at children. i love the interesting topics it teaches. and i love how it is being designed for students at rural schools in argentina.

chicago public library

today we received an email from craig l. davis, director of adult services of chicago public library. his email said that for the second straight year all 79 branches of the chicago public library would be participating in the september project.


i had heard about chicago public library's commitment to civic engagement long before they began participating in the september project. i learned about it from sarah, who had read robert d. putnam and lewis feldstein's book, better together: restoring the american community, which features a chapter on chicago public library and the ways the librarians engage their diverse communities.


i am not sure what the chicago public library will be doing for their september project events but i'm sure it will be engaging. in the meantime, i like looking at the map and seeing the chicagoland area filled with pins marking libraries like the bensenville community public library, clarendon hills public library, hammond public library, indian prairie public library, morton grove public library, roselle public library, and the massively distributed chicago public library system.