Copley Connects _ Spring 2023

Immersive Global Reading By Bianca Salazar, Copley Library Student Assistant

I have had a long standing love for reading; it was a form of escape, a way of encountering and soaking up knowledge, and, in a sense, a way to travel. As I got older, I found less and less time to be able to enjoy some of the things that had sparked my interest as a child, like reading and journaling. Being a first generation college student in a new environment, that no one I knew had been to before, I found myself simply surviving. Once the pandemic

Normal People by Sally Rooney was the first book I read. I had no idea that Howth would show up as a setting in the book when I headed off there that day. I had asked a local what I should do around Dublin, as I had been there before and wanted to try something new. Howth was a train ride away. I hiked down the pier to the water, set up my bag, got comfy, and dug into the book. “At this moment she remembers leaving a flask in Connell’s car the day they drove to Howth in in that spot, letting my skin soak up the sun, and immediately set off afterwards to find a local fish and chips shop discussed by the characters. Beautiful World, Where Are You By Sally Rooney, is set in Dublin and Rome, and as I took the train back to Dublin, I was excited to see what was in store for the characters and if they would name places that I could go see in person. One of the first passages I saw, “The streets were quiet and dark, and the air was oddly warm and still, and on the quays the office buildings were all lit up inside, and empty” (Rooney, 42) had me walking along the quay, crossing over the white bridges in Dublin which provide a spectacular view of the city. A few pages later I saw a food April, and she never got the flask back…. They went swimming in the sea that day…” (Rooney, 89). I ended up finishing the book

Copley Library Faculty and Staff Retreat By Catherine Paolillo, Visiting Evening Access Librarian Members of the Copley Library Retreat Committee with presenter Isabel Soto-Luna. L to R, Jordan Kobayashi, Jennifer Bidwell, Dean Theresa Byrd, Isabel Soto-Luna, Cindy Espineli, Catherine Paolillo, and Naomi Reeve

On January 18, 2023, Copley Library faculty and staff gathered in the beautiful USD University Ministry Center for our first in-person annual retreat since 2020. The theme for this year’s retreat was supporting student success and inclusivity at USD. The day began with a light-hearted emoji book guessing game, followed by three engaging guest speakers and a fun team-building activity. Our first guest speaker was Jay Rice, the new director of the Black Student Resource Commons (BSRC). He shared information about the BSRC, about black student experiences in academia, and considerations for the library like soliciting feedback and creating personalized outreach strategies for black students at USD, and making sure black students feel welcome in our space. He challenged each of us to set attainable goals for this academic year and to choose an “accountability partner” to ensure we meet those goals. Our second speaker was Sahmie Wytewa, the new USD Tribal Liaison. She guided attendees through a vision board activity and then gave us several opportunities for year-round collaboration including ways to include indigenous authors and literature in our everyday activities. Both Ms. Wytewa and Mr. Rice invited Copley Library to partner with their offices on future outreach events and programming.

“I was amazed to find that the book I was reading actually correlated to the place I was in, and used that as a bit of a guide to some of the places I saw, and ate, to give a truly immersive reading experience.”

happened, I found myself still lost and my hopes of studying abroad suddenly squashed. So I decided in the summer of 2022 to take control of my dreams and let my fears push me forward rather than hold me back and I booked a flight to London to start my five week journey throughout Europe on my own. Once in Dublin, I bought a new journal and four books. Since I was traveling solo, I had the freedom to set the schedule and decide what I wanted to do every day. I was amazed to find that the book I was reading actually correlated to the place I was in, and used that as a bit of a guide to some of the places I saw, and ate, to give a truly immersive reading experience.

remark: “Alice was eating a dish of pasta with cheese and pepper. At her elbow was a half-empty carafe of red wine” (Rooney, 65). I ended up getting the same pasta labeled in Italian as cacio e pepe in Rome, but swapped out the red wine for a glass of white. I also read Wuthering Heights , by Emily Brontë, set in Yorkshire, which saw its controversial and scandalous characters, at the time of print, running throughout the moors. I, too, took a stroll through the countryside and found the natural and peaceful terrain to be perfect for book reading. I highly recommend the next time you pick out a book to read, to research

L to R, Leslie Hovland, Jasmin De Unamuno, Hugh Burkhart, and Millie Fullmer collaborate on a team-building exercise to build a tower using spaghetti noodles, tape, string, and a marshmallow.

Our final speaker was Isabel Soto-Luna, Business Librarian from the University of Nebraska, Omaha. She was invited to speak about her experiences working as a librarian at a Hispanic Serving Institution. Her presentation included valuable context about the cultural diversity represented by the term “Hispanic” and about the unique makeup of Hispanic Serving Institutions. At the end of her presentation, Ms. Soto-Luna led attendees through a discussion session about how we can help USD to be a Hispanic Serving Institution, rather than an Enrolling one. Participants at this years’ event said they loved hearing from our speakers and hope to brainstorm practical ways to focus on inclusivity in their day-to-day work. Next year’s Annual Retreat will build upon what we learned this year by focusing on a different set of underrepresented groups on campus to learn more about their needs.

some of the settings and take a journey on immersive reading.

10 COPLEY CONNECTS

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