Let’s revive ‘One Campus, One Book’ at UCM

Update, Oct. 4: Here is a video that summarizes ideas in this essay.
“One Campus, One Book” is a common reading program that, while listed on the American Democracy Project’s page on the University of Central Missouri website, is currently inactive. I wish to advocate for the revival of “One Campus, One Book” at UCM. I also want to advocate for direct involvement by the graduate studies program in Library and Information Science, by our Student Organization of Library and Information Services (SOLIS), and by James C. Kirkpatrick Library on the UCM campus.

The purpose of “One Campus, One Book” was to “engage all of our students and campus community in a shared, academically-driven experience. This initiative [was] intended to bring meaningful conversations on relevant, complex subjects beyond the classroom and into students’ daily lives” (UCM, n.d.) The program would culminate in a visit by the book’s author to the UCM campus (ibid).

A slide presentation by associate professor and librarian Jerry Brown, posted to SlidePlayer by Elwin Norman, provides some history for “One Campus, One Book.” The program began in 2013 “as a cross-discipline effort among the Creative Writing program, the English composition program, and the American Democracy Project with the purpose of engaging our students and campus community in a shared, academically-driven experience” (Brown, n.d., slide 2).

In 2013, the first year of the program, the featured book was The Storytelling Animal, How Stories Make Us Human by Jonathan Gottschall. This was followed by The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot in 2014, and What Makes a Hero? The Surprising Science of Selflessness, by Elizabeth Svoboda (Brown, n.d., slides 9, 10, and 11).

The 2015 program included a visit by Svoboda to present book talks and signings; it was sponsored by UCM’s American Democracy Project (Crosier, S., 2015).

In 2016, the “One Campus, One Book” project featured a presentation by Elena Passarello, author of Let Me Clear My Throat (Lifelong Learning at UCM, 2016); and in 2017, Warrensburg’s Lifelong Learning Series sponsored a “One Book/One Campus [sic] event” featuring Alexander Weinstein, author of Children of the New World (Lifelong Learning at UCM, 2017).

A representative with the American Democracy Project communicated to me (Sept. 28, 2022) that “One Campus, One Book” is currently no longer active, but could be revived “if interest is peaked once again on campus.”

Why revive ‘One Campus, One Book’?
I am a longtime enthusiast for “common reading” programs, whether based on geography or at an educational institution. Here is one explanation of a common reading program’s benefits, via the Common Read program at California State University San Marcos:

“The Common Read provides a shared experience of intellectual and community engagement by bringing the campus community together to read and discuss one text and its themes” (CSUSM Library, n.d.).

And here is another, via the Journal of College Reading and Learning:

“[C]ommon reads can be used to foster students’ exploration of values and ethics, increase awareness of cultural diversity, deepen feelings of being part of a community, and integrate social and academic campus experiences” (Nadelson, S.G., & Nadelson, L.S., 2012).

We can also consider this program’s prior purpose here at UCM:

“One Campus, One Book is a common reading program at UCM whose purpose is to engage all of our students and campus community in a shared, academically-driven experience. This initiative is intended to bring meaningful conversations on relevant, complex subjects beyond the classroom and into students’ daily lives” (UCM, n.d.).

Why involve the LIS program, SOLIS, and JCKL?
In many cases, a common read features direct involvement by an academic or public library.

“Libraries can serve as vital partners for a Common Read program. This opportunity allows librarians to contribute to a campus-wide initiative, bring the community together, and support student success, engagement, and retention” (Showalter, 2018).

I believe this makes a strong case for involvement by SOLIS and UCM’s graduate program in Library and Information Science, as well as the James C. Kirkpatrick Library.

Some specific tasks that we might consider, according to Showalter (2018), include serving on the book selection panel, offering programs, creating exhibits, providing instruction, holding copies in reserve for people who cannot afford them, and creating LibGuides.

The Public Programs Office of the American Library Association offers a handbook for planning a common read: https://bit.ly/ALA-Common-Read-PDF. It posits (2003, p. 4) that reading initiatives share “a number of commonalities, ranging from the concept’s populist appeal, its new approach to a basic reading and discussion model, and its ability to create a shared experience of reading among a wide spectrum of people.”

References:
American Library Association, Public Programs Office. (2003). One book, one community: Planning your community-wide read. https://bit.ly/ALA-Common-Read-PDF

Brown, J. (n.d.) One Campus - One Book at the University of Central Missouri [PowerPoint slides]. SlidePlayer. https://slideplayer.com/slide/7394283/

Crosier, S. (2015, Oct. 26). One Campus, One Book author to present book talks at UCM. University News. https://www.ucmo.edu/news/university-news/posts/2015-10-26-one-campus-one-book-author-to-present-book-talks-at-ucm.php

CSUSM Library. (n.d.) What is Common Read? https://biblio.csusm.edu/content/what-common-read

Lifelong Learning at UCM. (2016, Nov. 12). Our thanks to University of Central Missouri and its One Campus, One Book Project for inviting our community to its [Video attached] [Status update]. Facebook. https://bit.ly/FB-3E77tbe

Lifelong Learning at UCM. (2017, Oct. 23). Warrensburg's Lifelong Learning Series is co-sponsoring TWO outstanding programs set for Thursday, November 9th on the UCM campus in [Images attached] [Status update]. Facebook. https://bit.ly/FB-3SwFXYI

Nadelson, S.G., & Nadelson, L.S. (2012). In search of the right book: Considerations in common read book selection. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 43(1), p. 60-66. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1001042.pdf

Showalter, J. (2018, Aug. 30). Six ways your library can support a Common Read program. It’s academic! Pennsylvania Library Association’s College & Research Division. https://crdpala.org/2018/08/30/six-ways-your-library-can-support-a-common-read-program/

University of Central Missouri. (n.d.) American Democracy Project. Student Experience. https://www.ucmo.edu/current-students/student-experience/american-democracy-project/index.php