Clarke Historical Library to host international children's book read-in
The Clarke Historical Library will host an International Children’s Book Read-In from 3 - 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the Charles V. Park Library Baber Room.
Eleven Central Michigan University students and faculty will read children’s books written in different languages, including Arabic, Yoruba, Indonesian, German, Chinese, French, Swedish, Korean, Polish, Japanese and Portuguese.
The undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty reading during this event selected the books from the Clarke Historical Library’s International Children’s Book collection, which contains thousands of international children’s books, said Bryan Whitledge, reformatting and imaging manager at the Clarke Historical Library.
Last year, the library hosted a larger read-in that coincided with an exhibit about the international children’s book collection. Some of this year’s readers are returning from last year. Whitledge said the event is a way to bring awareness to the diversity on campus and highlight the Clarke collection, which he calls a “hidden gem” of the university. He hopes the read-in turns into an annual event.
Whitledge said it’s fun to hear something read in a different language, and books students read as children say something about their upbringing and culture.
Learning more about one’s classmates, professors and colleagues and their cultures, he said, can help create a more cohesive environment.
“(The read-in) is a fun, relaxing, easy way to learn something and get a glimpse into the lives and cultures of people on campus,” Whitledge said.
This event is free and open to the public.
