On April 28th, 2021, Dr. Meghan Harper, the Interim Director of the iSchool, will present “Building Empathetic Collections: Fostering Empathy and Kindness in Your Community” for the Northeast Ohio Regional Library System (NEO RLS) on Zoom from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST.
Dr. Harper asserts that literature is a powerful tool for developing empathy. “When an individual is encouraged to act with empathy, their actions can positively impact and inspire an entire community,” she says.
In this presentation, Dr. Harper will discuss how, through intentional collection curation, librarians can foster the literature experiences that open readers up to new and diverse perspectives that enhance their skills in empathy. As a result, she suggests that librarians can build a solid foundation for a community of kindness.
This online webinar is open to all. The cost is $45 for nonmembers of NEO RLS, $24 for members of other Regional Library Systems in Ohio (SWON, SERLS, NOWELD), and free for members of NEO RLS. You can find more information and sign up for the webinar .
If you are unable to make it to the virtual event, keep in mind that The Northeast Ohio Regional Library System allows you to sign up for webinars and view them at a later time.
For more information about building and practicing empathy in the library, check out Dr. Harper’s work on her faculty profile and read Dr. Harper and Liz Deskins’ article, “Research into Practice. Building Empathy with Stories” on .