Hello everyone,

 

            I want to invite your library to participate in the National Week of Conversation (NWOC) April 20-28, 2018. NWOC is one week in which people all over America participate in conversations that prioritize understanding the other across political, social-economic, and cultural divides.

 

            NWOC has a number of great partners with different events planned (and more to come!), including our premiere library partners: Boston Public Library and Kansas City Public Library. As a library, there are a number of different ways you and your patrons can participate in NWOC:

 

  1. Host an event, or make your library available for conversations: Here are some easy ways to make this happen:
    1. Book Clubs: Provide space for your local book clubs to discuss a book that brings up important issues. Check out this list of suggestions from the Kansas City Public Library.
    2. Living Room Conversations offers self-facilitated conversation guides. Simply provide meeting space and conversation guides to groups of patrons who can meet at your library for conversations.
    3. Facilitated Conversations: Send an email to courtney@ncdd.org to learn about bringing a facilitator to your library.
  1. Provide computers for your patrons to connect with others across the country: Mismatch is a service that utilizes free video conferencing systems to connect people across the country for conversations across divides. Simply provide space in your library for people to use computers and participate. Point your patrons to Mismatch.org where they can sign up for a conversation.
  2. Add your event to the NWOC calendar to promote your event and receive recognition for your work on the events calendar.
  3. Promote NWOC to other libraries and to your community. Check out our partner kit for sample emails and social media messaging.  
  4. And more! These are just a few ideas. We invite you to be creative and register your own event. Perhaps you want to use your own conversation guide or invite an expert speaker to your library? Please register your event and direct any questions to jaymee@allsides.com.  

 

Are you ready to get started? Please sign up as a partner and check out our partner packet for more information. If you have any questions or concerns, please direct them to jaymee@allsides.com, or send me an email.

 

This is a great opportunity for libraries to utilize the skills and models you have been learning about through LTC: Models for Change - I hope you will consider hosting a conversation and joining the many others happening across the country this April!

 

Best,

Courtney

 

Courtney Breese

Managing Director, National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation

courtney@ncdd.org  www.ncdd.org @ncdd @courtneybreese

 

Join us this November 2-4 in Denver for NCDD2018! What are NCDD conferences like? See for yourself at www.tinyurl.com/ncdd2016vid.