Book Club Details 

Books are chosen by the facilitators or voted on by faculty and staff. Discussions are facilitated by Elena Viñales, Manager of Culture, Equity, & Community Collective and Louis Perdue, Senior Director, Major Gifts and Annual Giving. Book club is a space where all are welcome. Please join us if you are able. If you have suggestions for future books, please fill out the book recommendation form.  

How to get a book:

• Request a copy HERE. 

• Check Shapiro Undergraduate Library, Hatcher Graduate Library, or your local city library 

• Purchase an audiobook version from Audible or similar app

• Borrow a copy from your local library using the Libby app 

There are both in-person and virtual options for the book club discussions. In-person discussions will take place on Wednesdays, while virtual discussions will be held on Thursdays via Zoom. You are welcome to attend any combination of discussions, but you only need to participate in one discussion per week. Use the "Add to Calendar" link to save each discussion to your schedule. 

Discussion Schedule:

• November 24 (In-Person) | 12:00 - 1:00 | SKB 1030
  November 25 (Virtual) | 1:00 - 2:00 | Zoom 

• December 17 (In-Person) | 12:00 - 1:00 | SKB 1030
  December 18 (Virtual) | 1:00 - 2:00 | Zoom 

• January 7 (In-Person) | 12:00 - 1:00 | SKB 1030
  January 8 (Virtual) | 1:00 - 2:00 | Zoom 

Book Club Conversation Commitments: 

1. Conversations are privileged and confidential. By participating in this conversation, you are agreeing to commit to not discussing this conversation amongst each other after we end the conversation. With one exception…share anything you have learned or encouraged you to think critically about a topic. Leave the story, take the learning. 

2. Foster a co-learning environment. We are all on a learning journey. There will be various times will we will each be asked to be the student and the teacher. 

3.  Focus on contribution, not blame. The purpose of our conversation is to learn from each other. When responding to your colleagues, we ask that you do not focus on passing blame to one another but instead practice active listening. 

4. Correct with Kindness, but do correct. If someone says something that is offensive, please address what was said with kindness. 

5. Honor Silence. There may be silent moments in the conversation. Don't rush to fill them with words, some silence in the conversation allows us to truly hear what was said and process it. A pause may also have a calming effect and help us connect better. 

6. Lean into discomfort. The books and topics may sometimes be challenging. Be willing to lean into this discomfort and learn from those experiences. 

7. Make space, take space. We want to hear from as many perspectives as possible. If you notice that your thoughts are dominating the conversation, take a pause. Conversely, if you notice that your thoughts are absent from the conversation, offer your thoughts 

8. We are co-constructing a Brave Space. Our conversations may be difficult and will require us to expand our comfort zones and enter into a brave conversation space. 

9. Be kind. Please do not discredit or discount any input from each other. 

10. Use 'I' statements. Everyone should speak from their own experiences. 

Additional Requests 

● Allow others to finish their thoughts before speaking or sharing your thoughts. 

● Have something available to jot down your thoughts during the conversation.