The Ferguson Library launched a series of dialogues on race and equity in the fall of 2018. Though spearheaded by the library, this community-led initiative bought residents together for dialogue and action. The mission of this leadership group (Stamford’s Everyday Democracy) is to address the racial inequities in the city. We will achieve this through a series of dialogues to identify inequities and build relationships among neighbors. We will take actions that lead to shared power and resources that improve our community. The goal of our seven session dialogue series is to gather members of our diverse community to discuss our ethnic and racial identities, evaluate our community institutions through the lens of race and equity and create change through grassroots efforts. Three sets of dialogues have been held so far at various city locations. One of the most significant consequences of the series is the formation of action groups. Specifically, the criminal justice group who has embarked on a mission to understand and facilitate bail bond reform in order to dismantle the practice. This work group recently held a program for the community on bail bond reform with a panel presentation from legal experts.

The Muğla Hoca Mustafa Efendi Publıc Lıbrary is organizing activities for children whose mothers are prisoners in Muğla Type-E Closed Prison. These activities create opportunity for children to be with books, foster good reading habits, and raise awareness among mothers to encourage their children to read. The library used materials organized by pediatricians and created activities to capture children's attention to read books. The different techniques shared with kids were recorded. These activities are continuously being modified and improved.

Shared Journeys is a program that embraces West Vancouver’s rich cultural diversity, bringing people together through stories, conversations, and activities. The Shared Journeys Program includes reading programs, book chats, lectures, film screenings, an educational exhibit, a panel discussion, and (pictured) a Winter Celebration. The Winter Celebration brought together many different traditions, from Christmas to Hanukkah, to Yalda, to Donghzi, and more. Participants created a holiday ornament to decorate a tree that showcased both the unique and shared ways we celebrate winter. 

The "baby library" was opened in cooperation with the provincial public Library of Karabük Zübeyde Hanım and the Child Development Department of Karabük University to offer baby a rich and stimulating environment. Research reveals that brain development between the age of newborn to 3 years is faster than other periods. In infancy, babies learn about their environments, recognize differences and similarities, and understand the relations between the objects through senses and interactions. The "baby library" aims to introduce books and help babies develop. Reading books regularly with babies promotes early literacy skills. The reading culture created by the library is highly appreciated by parents.

"An experience book: expressing everyday life through the plastic arts", is a plastic arts project that has been developed in the library for adults with intellectual disabilities. The book and the tools are used by the group for eight (8) sessions of art events in order to help them create an object that would serve as a means of communication and expression. Inspired by different contemporary plastic artists, we employed various techniques to highlight the abilities of the participants, empowering them through their own creativity. We have collaborated through visual culture, trust, collage, expression, image, teamwork and memory. The culmination of the project includes a final presentation of works and the different pieces developed while surrounded by family and friends. You can find more through the video: https://vimeo.com/275674579 

Designed to reflect the diversity of UCLA's student population, the Powell Library's Community Collections seek to support student wellness, curiosity, and creativity. As one of these dynamic Community Collections, the Travel Literature Collection intends to accomplish several goals. In addition to helping travelers prepare for their trips, the Collection highlights the experience of travel from multiple perspectives, and seeks to inspire dialogue on local and global languages, cultures, and travel. It consists of language-learning and study abroad resources, travel narratives, and guidebooks. Curated in collaboration with both UCLA students and campus partners, including the UCLA International Education Office, the Travel Literature Collection demonstrates the potential for promoting intercultural dialogue and inclusivity through community-driven curation. This photo showcases a portion of this unique collection, featuring titles that highlight travel excursions in Los Angeles, Rajasthan, and China. Language-learning resources in German and Italian, and guides to United States biking and hiking trails, are also pictured. 

This project at Kelvin Smith Library represents the century separating (and uniting) two men fighting for civil and human rights as outlined in both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. This modernized conversation between Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King, Jr., portrayed by actors, serves to deliver historical impact through their speeches examining the city’s racial issues.  Both men were great orators, respectively stressing similar arguments during the Abolitionist and Civil Rights Movements. Each made numerous visits to Cleveland, Ohio leaving an undeniable impact upon the city. The diverse audience of University staff, students, and high school students from surrounding neighborhoods and community guests listened to selected speeches. Douglass was the first black person to speak at Western Reserve College (now Case Western Reserve University), where he presented an address during the 1854 commencement week. Likewise, in 1967, Dr. King delivered a speech at Glenville High School, a school in close proximity to the University, following the Hough riots. In addition to the program, social justice and inclusion issues were highlighted by a new LibGuide which lists library resources and exhibits of both men.  The program revealed stories about social justice through various illustrations and a forum where the audience discussed experiences demonstrating how social inequality continues to impact their lives.

In the form of a gold-painted shipping container equipped with immersive audiovisual technology, the Cornell Portal located outside of Olin Library on the Arts Quad virtually connected the campus and Ithaca community to people in other portals around the world, from Afghanistan to Germany. It was part of the Portals project (created by Shared Studios), a global public art initiative bringing people face-to-face with others from different continents and life circumstances. The Cornell Portal was coordinated by the Cornell University Library and sponsored by the Office of Engagement Initiatives and the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs. The Center for Teaching Innovation and the Office of Engagement Initiatives also collaborated with faculty in using the Cornell Portal to enhance course-based instruction, from exploring ethical issues in health and medicine to gaining insights about the connections between language and culture. The Cornell Portal was open from August to November 2018. 

In 2019, Can Sant Joan Library started the “Custom-made Storytellers” activity for children who were eager to listen to tales. This new initiative resulted from a collaboration between library, family care entity, and Mentrestant Social workers. We chose tales about traditions in Catalonia, such as roasting chestnuts, festivals around the world such as Carnival or Christmas.