Virginia Polytechnic & State University

Title

Comunidad Book Club

Applicant name

Ana Corral 

Institution affiliation

Virginia Polytechnic & State University, University Libraries

Chapter’s name

Member-at-Large
 

Essay

The University Libraries at Virginia Tech provide both a safe space for students to gather; to learn, study, and connect with their peers, and a center of knowledge, creation, and sharing, not just for the Virginia Tech community but for the surrounding community as a whole. There is a small but mighty Spanish-speaking community in southwestern Virginia; Roanoke, Radford, Christiansburg, Blacksburg, and Floyd. For these small, spread out communities, safe spaces to convene, speak, and live in their language are essential. Being a part of a land grant institution, the University Libraries have a duty to serve, not just our internal community, but the surrounding community as well. To this end, the University Libraries, the Blacksburg Public Library, and other external partners formed the Comunidad Book Club to provide a space for the Spanish-speaking community to gather, read, and discuss books in Spanish. The purpose of the Comunidad Book Club is two-fold; (a) to grow the connections between the regional Spanish-speaking communities and (b) cultivate alliances between the University Libraries, public libraries around the area, and other institutions that serve the Spanish-speaking communities. Given that the towns and cities in southwestern Virginia are geographically dispersed, it is imperative to work together, to grow and share resources, ideas, and help address the needs of the Spanish-speaking community.