CSUSM Campus Common Read
Stories as Mirrors, Windows, & Sliding Doors
Books can act as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. As mirrors, we see ourselves reflected in some of these stories which affirm and validate our own experiences. These stories offer us windows into the lives of others where we can be immersed in experiences of a different culture, gender, ethnicity, race, sexuality or age. Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop argues that stories are not only windows, but sliding glass doors through which we can enter a new world. Stories offer perceptivity that break stereotypes, increase awareness of systemic issues, and encourage respectful interactions with people from different backgrounds. Books offer marginalized communities an opportunity to tell their stories which are often misconstrued and ignored within society. At a time where empathy and compassion are seen as weakness, we need a deeper understanding of people from all backgrounds and how they experience the world in order to build and sustain a community that's inclusive and addresses the inequities marginalized communities currently face. The 25/26 Common Read seeks to encourage a greater understanding of others and bring people together.
Book Selections:
- Bird Songs Don't Lie, Gordon Lee Johnson
- Daytripper, Fabio Moon
- The Remember Balloons, Jessie Oliveros
- Song I Sing, Bao Phi
- The Cemetery Boys, Aiden Thomas (Library's Student Advisory Board Choice)
- The View from Down Here: Life as a Young Disabled Woman, Lucy Webster
Context Library Series
The CSUSM University Library Context Exhibit Series (or simply Context) is a long-standing instructionally related Library program designed to support student learning and research and to foster community discussion and engagement through the use of art. Each semester, the Library invites artists from all over the country to display their talent in the 3rd floor of the Kellogg Library building and virtually on the Library's website.
Created in 2004, this series has introduced dozens of instructionally related exhibits to the CSUSM community, and each exhibit is a unique visual and cultural representation of the campus curriculum. The Context Exhibit Series has hosted a broad array of work that have addressed an extensive range of interdisciplinary topics including LGBTQ hate crimes; death, dying, and grieving; bacteria and fungi; veterans; the prison industrial complex; women’s health education and so much more! A complete list of past Context exhibits can be seen. See complete list of exhibits here.
Context provides a compelling, engaging venue for research and learning outside the traditional classroom. Classes visit the exhibit each semester as part of their co-curricular experience on campus.