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Integrate Latest Go Big Read Book into your Course!

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On Tuesday, Chancellor Rebecca Blank announced the title of the forthcoming 2017-18 Go Big Read book, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance.

Seeing as a key component of the Go Big Read program is the incorporation of the book into academic courses across campus, it’s once more time to consider curricular integration! Some classes will use the book on their required reading lists, while others will offer themes related to the book as optional topics for papers and presentations. The possibilities are truly endless. Furthermore, all students who are enrolled in these participating courses will receive a free copy of the book and will benefit from the critical thinking and discussions the text may inspire.

Last year’s text–Pulitzer Prize winning text, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by esteemed sociologist and UW alum Matthew Desmond–was incorporated into over 100 diverse courses, ranging from Botany 265: Rainforests and Coral Reefs to Dance 011: Contemporary Dance I and from Genetics 562: Human Cytogenetics to Urban and Regional Planning 590: Making Health Matter in Planning, just to name a few.

Curricular integration and discussion is a key component of the Go Big Read program.

Students gain key critical thinking skills from reading, discussing, and completing assignments about the Go Big Read text.

Like Evicted, Hillbilly Elegy can be worked into a wide range of classroom spaces, including, but not limited to courses within the studies of Anthropology, Athletic Training, Biology, Communication Arts, Community and Environmental Sociology, Community and Nonprofit Leadership, Economics, Elementary Education, English, Gender and Women’s Studies, Geography, History, Human Development and Family Studies, Journalism, Landscape Architecture, Legal Studies, Management and Human Resources, Nutritional Sciences, Personal Finance, Political Science, Psychology, Real Estate and Urban Land Economics, Religious Studies, Social Welfare or Social Work, Sociology, and Statistics.

Students discuss A Tale for the Time Being, the Go Big Read book of the 2013-2014 academic year, in the classroom.

We hope to see many professors, students, and community members engaging with the text throughout next year. Support from administrators, community leaders, and professors helps to make our program impactful and relevant each year!

For more information about the book and the topics it touches, please click here.

For more information about how to integrate the text into your classroom or your programming, please click here.

 

An Evening With Bryan Stevenson a Success

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Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy, visited UW-Madison on Monday, October 26th, and for many, the culminating event of the day, Stevenson’s talk at Varsity Hall in Union South, was an overwhelming success.

Part of the crowd at An Evening With Bryan Stevenson.

Varsity Hall’s doors were set to open at 6:00 pm, but people were already lined up and waiting before 5:00 pm; the hall’s capacity was reached before 6:30 pm. Live streaming of the event was available for those who were not able to attend the event in Varsity Hall.

Stevenson discussed four things that need to change in order to help combat social injustice, racism, and corruption in America’s criminal justice system, and he shared anecdotes from Just Mercy as part of this discussion. The crowd was energized and responsive during Stevenson’s talk, evinced especially by the resounding applause after the talk and the question and answer session.

The number of people who attended Stevenson’s talk was higher than anticipated. Reception of the event has been overwhelmingly positive, which speaks to the important conversations surrounding social justice, race, and the criminal justice system that Stevenson’s Just Mercy has sparked at UW-Madison and in the larger community.

To watch the video recording of Bryan Stevenson’s talk at UW-Madison on Monday, October 26th, click here. (Please note that this video is only available for viewing by those with Net IDs).

Malala Documentary in the Works

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Guggenheim and hdavis-gis team spent the last 18 months with Malala and her family. With the documentary they will show Malala’s personal story as well as the impact of her work and advocacy.It was announced this week that a documentary called “He Named Me Malala” will be released sometime later this year. The film is currently in its post-production stage. The rights to the documentary were acquired by Fox Searchlight Pictures and the film is under the direction of Davis Guggenheim. Guggenheim is well known for directing “Waiting for Superman” and “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Although Fox Searchlight Pictures does not often take on documentary films they had this to say about Malala’s story:

The chance to bring her story to a global audience will be an honor for all of us here at Searchlight.

For more information about this upcoming documentary click here.

Malala Receives Tamgha-e-Shujatt (Medal for Bravery)

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Syed Ibne Abbas, High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, awarded Malala Yousafzai the prestigious Medal of Bravery on behalf of the President of Pakistan. The Commissioner commended Malala for being a symbol of hope and courage for her country.

Malala dedicated the civil award to the schoolchildren in Peshewar and schoolchildren accross Pakistan who are fighting for their education.

For more information click here.

The Bravest Girls in the World

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In 2014 Glamour magazine created The Girl Project. The Girl Project is is a philanthropic global initiative that raises money to help young women all around the world receive a secondary education. The goal is to help the fifty million girls around the globe who are denied the right to an education.The Girl Project addresses the barriers girls face in pursuing an education by creating a way for women in the United States to support the education of girls all around the world.

Our readers were energized by Malala’s bravery and wanted to know what they could do to help courageous girls like her. Educating girls is proven to grow communities and even cut out the roots of terrorism. The fact that a group of women in, say, Des Moines can send a girl to school in Pakistan is one of the most optimistic acts I can think of, and we’re proud to partner with these knowledgeable organizations to help make it possible.

–Cindi Leive, Glamour Editor-In-Chief
The Girl Project highlights the stories of these brave girls, calling them Girl Heroes. To read their stories click here. To find out more about The Girl Project click here.

All Girls Deserve Free, Quality Education

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Malala met Amina in Nigeria this past summer and found out they have quite a bit in common. Both stood up for their education in countries where girls’ education is under attack. Both girls are now advocates for girls’ and children’s education. And now both girls are demanding that world leaders vote for 12 years of free, quality education for all children in the world when they meet this September. In particular they are fighting for all women and girls to be educated. Far too many women are only educated through primary school. Malala and Amina know this is not enough

When we imagine the power of all our sisters standing together on the shoulders of a quality education — our joy knows no bounds.

 –Malala and Amina
For more information click here.

International Women’s Day Event on 3/7/2015

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University of Wisconsin-Madison librarian Emilie Songolo and AFRICaide are hosting an International Women’s Day event March 7th at Christ Presbyterian Church from 11:00-4:00 p.m.

The purpose of the even is to bring together women of all backgrounds to celebrate International Women’s Day. The theme this year is “Make It Happen!” Many people, organizations and institutions have been engaged in improving the lives of women locally, nationally, and internationally. They work in areas such as economic development, community development, education, health, science and technology, politics and government, the arts, and women’s empowerment. We would like to come together to celebrate their work, encourage others, and plan ways for improving the lives of women all over the world. We will also make items to donate to local communities.

You can find more information about the event here: Event Information

Watch and interview about the event below.

World Book Day is today March 5, 2015

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In October, Malala spoke at the Edinburgh International Book Festival about the importance of books and education for all children. She was introduced by Harry Potter series author, J.K. Rowling. Below is what Rowling had this to say about Malala: “Malala is an inspiration to girls and women all over the world. It is a real honour for me to introduce her at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.”

After being introduced by Rowling, Malala was interviewed by Nelufar Hedayet. Below are some of Malala’s quotes about the importance of books and education:

My story is the story of thousands of children from around the world. I hope it inspires others to stand up for their rights.

If we want to see the next big change (of every child going to school) we need to become the change ourselves and bring the change.

More information about Malala and World Book Day can be found here.
Her interview can be found here.

Malala inspires girls to start #Girlwithabook campaign

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Project #girlwithabook. Apparently girls with books are scary to the Taliban. Let’s get people to post pictures of themselves with books! A favorite book, a random book, a school book, you name it! Let’s do this. –OliviaOlivia and Lena were college students when Malala was attacked by the Taliban. Olivia was in Jordan and Lena was in Michigan, but they used Facebook to share their frustrations and outrage over the attack. Malala’s resilience and perseverance inspired the two girls from the United States to work together and begin the #girlwithabook social media campaign.

The girls began by collection photos from family and friends, but it wasn’t long before people from all over the world were sharing and sending photos holding books or signs that said “I stand with Malala.” The girls have been supported by multiple organizations including the UN, Half the Sky movement, National Women’s History Museum, and more. The women are using social media to raise awareness about girls’ education.

To learn more about their work visit their site here

You can also visit their social media pages:

 

“Empowering Women and Girls around the Globe” Panel Discussion

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Our four panelist– AraceliLearn

how local access to information is critical to improving the lives of women and
girls in South Africa, Kenya, Nicaragua, and rural China. How Libraries and Information
Services are Empowering Women and Girls around the Globe is a free public event on Tuesday
evening, February 10 from 6:00–7:30 p.m. in 460 Memorial Library, 728 State
Street.

Alonso, Lisa Ebert, Louise Robbins and Karla Strand — will talk about
their work in other countries. This event is part of the “Go Big Read”
community reading program which this year features the book, I am Malala, the true story of the
youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner. Light refreshments will follow the panel
discussion. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the UW – Madison
Libraries, Office of the Gender & Women’s Studies Librarian, Department of
Gender and Women’s Studies and the Go Big Read program.

Araceli Alonso is an Associate Faculty at UW-Madison in the
Department of Gender and Women’s Studies and the School of Medicine and
Public Health. Dr. Alonso is also the Founder and Director of Health by
Motorbike (HbM), a nonprofit that provides medical services and health literacy
to women and girls from remote and isolated villages in Africa. For her
work with women’s health and women’s rights in rural Kenya, in 2013 Dr. Alonso
received two of the world most prestigious awards—the United Nations Public Service
Award and the Jefferson Award for Public Service.

Karla Strand directs the Office of the Gender & Women’s Studies
Librarian for the University of Wisconsin System, the premier resource for the
support of gender and women’s studies scholarship and librarianship. Prior to this, she was employed at
Carroll University where she served as Diversity Librarian and Associate
Director. Strand is currently completing her doctorate in Information
Science via the University of Pretoria in South Africa where she is researching
how public librarians in KwaZulu-Natal province can help alleviate information
inequality in their communities.

Nikumbuke Library Patron

While
completing her master’s degree in Community and Organizational Leadership, Lisa
Ebert went to Nicaragua through the Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners program, part
of the nationwide Partners in the America organization established by President
Kennedy. Her Nicaraguan experience changed Ms. Ebert’s focus for her master’s
program to women’s empowerment issues and more specifically to how the
Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners organization helps to empower women who
participate in their Learning Centers. She has returned to Nicaragua two
additional times.

Louise S.
Robbins is Professor and Director Emerita of the School of Library and Information
Studies of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has also taught library
courses at universities in China, Korea, Japan, and Kyrgyzstan. Since 2006,
Robbins has been involved with the Evergreen Education Foundation, which
provides various kinds of assistance to schools and public libraries in rural
China.
The event sponsors and panelists also encourage you to read the remarkable
story of Malala Yousafzai in this year’s Go Big Read book, I Am Malala.
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, Malala refused to
be silenced and fought for her right to an education.
More
information about the event can be found on the event calendar and at the Friends of the Library.