Uncommon Projects for the Common Reader​
2021 Regional Conference
July 29, 2021
Each year Palm Beach State College’s Common Reader program promotes literacy, cross-disciplinary scholarship, and civic action by uniting the campus community to read a thought-provoking and culturally relevant book. By embracing creativity and expanding the librarians’ traditional roles, our library has made new and interesting points of engagement in connection with this year’s Common Reader: There is No Planet B by Mike Berners-Lee. The closure of the campus and move to online classes due to the COVID-19 Pandemic posed new challenges for engaging students and supporting faculty. The development of a specialized LibGuide using the principles of the Universal Design for Learning allowed us to reach students and provide ways to interact with the book and supporting library materials. The introduction of a Flip Grid space in the LibGuide added another dimension to promote discussion. Here, students could record their reactions to the book and how it had inspired them to promote environmentalism. An online, librarian-led book discussion with the college’s environmental club led to the implementation of Meatless Mondays, a collaborative campaign designed to provide meatless meal planning kits for students and faculty, as well as the community at large. The goal is to help participants reduce their carbon footprints by choosing a meatless alternative on Mondays. The librarian solicited support from the grocery store, the college’s Foundation, and the environmental club.
Presenters: Danielle Campbell, Iris Fiallos-Finstad, and Dr. David Pena
Danielle Campbell is a Faculty Librarian at Palm Beach State College. She earned an MA in English and an MSLIS from FSU and has work experience as a classroom teacher and a public librarian. Her research interests include information literacy, pedagogy in librarianship, and accessibility.
Iris Fiallos-Finstad has been a community college librarian since 2004. I have a special interest in promoting libraries by finding creative ways to collaborate with other faculty members and departments. This is my attempt to blur the lines of learning as a reminder that libraries belong to everyone and everywhere.