Read and CONQuer

Fall 2023

Spring 2023

Read and CONQuer inservice presentation - Jan 2023.pptx

April Read & CONQuer Events

A Conversation About Suicide with Paulina Duenas, Richard Falcon, and the "I AM" Club

April 18, 6:00 PM in the DC3 Library

Join us for a conversation with a suicide survivor moderated by Richard Falcon of Compass Behavioral Health


If you or someone you know is struggling, there are resources available to help.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: The Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States. Call or text 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. Support is also available via live chat at 988lifeline.org. Para ayuda en español, llame al 988.

Resource from National Institute of Mental Health Suicide Prevention website.

March Read & CONQuer Events

Humanities Kansas Presentation, 

"Women's Work for Women: The Kansas State Industrial Farm for Women"

Presented by Dr. Nicole Perry

March 9 at 6:00 PM in the DC3 Library and on Zoom

Join us in the DC3 Library or Zoom for a presentation by Dr. Nicole Perry. Nicole Perry has a PhD in sociology and works at the University of Kansas. 

“Women’s Work for Women: The Kansas State Industrial Farm for Women” is part of Humanities Kansas's Speakers Bureau, featuring humanities-based presentations designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement.

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/93465750113    

Meeting ID: 934 6575 0113

February Read & CONQuer Events

"Our Story is History: Desegregation in Alabama" presented by Dr. Beth Patin, PhD, MIS, MLIS

February 2 at 6:00 PM in the DC3 Library

Join us in the DC3 Library or Zoom for a presentation by Dr. Beth Patin. Beth Patin is an Assistant Professor at Syracuse University's School of Information Studies. She is the co-founder of the Library Information Investigative Team research group and a recipient of the Meredith Teaching Award for Early Excellence.

November Read & CONQuer Events

Wichita War Dancer

November 17 at 6:00 PM in the DC3 Library

We are very pleased to have the World Champion Wichita War Dancer at this event. He is of the Tohono O'Odham and Ponca Nations and has been performing the War Dance for several years. He has a passion for not only performing but educating the people about his culture and its history.

October Read & CONQuer Events

Reframing Disability: A Call for Acceptance, Transparency, and Collaboration

Join us in the DC3 Library as Megan Moorman Harris, MEd, presents "Reframing Disability: A Call for Acceptance, Transparency, and Collaboration." on Tuesday, October 18 at 6:00PM in the library and on Zoom. 


This presentation is part of our Read & CONQuer program, so attendees will get to put their name into a raffle for the chance to win prizes! For more information about the event, call the library at 620-227-9287. Below we have some biographical information provided by our speaker, Megan Moorman Harris, MEd.


Megan Moorman Harris, MEd, is and always has been an educator, a disabilities advocate, and a learner.  As a neurodiverse learner (ADHD) who is also hearing impaired (deaf in her left ear since 15 months old and now uses a cochlear implant in her right ear after 27 years of using a hearing aid) and has multiple chronic medical conditions, she spent much of her life advocating for herself and others. Ms. Harris’ experiences influenced her insights into how we, as a culture, perceive and interact with all disabilities and the potential for creating new paradigms around disability that center transparency, acceptance, and collaboration. 

Ms. Harris’ experiences are deeply rooted in often having been “the first” and, therefore, often “the only”. She is a member of the first generation of students to benefit from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975 (IDEA) – the law that guarantees integration of students with disabilities into public school classrooms. Similarly, she experienced the shift in  workplaces and in colleges when the American With Disabilities Act was first passed in 1990. She was the first student with a hearing impairment for many of her teachers and the only one in her class, and the first hearing-impaired teacher for many of her students and the only one in the school.  She was also, ironically, the first of her large extended family to use a hearing aid (age 10), and for many years, the only one.  In all situations, she honed her ability to advocate for herself and others and to create collaborative environments.

Professionally, Ms. Harris is a former Reading Specialist who holds a B.A. in History and English and a Masters of Education from The University of Texas at Austin. She has also completed work toward a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in literacy education. As a Reading Specialist, her goal was to cultivate a lifelong enjoyment of reading in her students. Due to various medical reasons, Ms. Harris was not able to continue her pursuit of teaching and research.  Rather, in partnership with her husband, spent her energy and time being available for their daughter and guiding her into being her own advocate. Ms. Harris is currently exploring what is next for her after her daughter leaves for college. 

Ms. Harris is a native Kansan and is excited to be returning to Dodge City, where her father grew up. She was born in Wichita, KS, the youngest of four girls and grew up in the greater Kansas City, KS, area. She is an avid reader of mysteries and non-fiction, enjoys hiking, cooking, and creating gatherings for family and friends. She is also a master of speech and lip reading, as she was actively discouraged by the schools and her mother from learning sign language.

She currently resides in Austin, TX, along with her husband Adam, their 16-year old daughter Amelia, and Sherlock, Ms. Harris’ hearing service dog. 

September Read & CONQuer events

"Flour Power" Presented by Dr. Gene Chavez

Join us in the DC3 Library for a presentation of "Flour Power" by Dr. Gene Chávez. Attendees will learn more about the culture and history surrounding flour tortillas and will get the chance to make flour tortillas themselves in the library!

"'Flour Power' is part of Humanities Kansas's Speakers Bureau, featuring humanities-based presentations designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement." - Humanities Kansas

September Recommended Resource List


Read:


Listen:

Book summary: https://www.hppr.org/2022-06-08/growing-up-children-of-immigrants

Campus Reading Program

Copy of Read and CONQuer inservice presentation.pptx