An invitation to the 30th augustana human library

1

The Bard of Library Joy

Mychal Threets – Library Champion Extraordinaire!

Every library has a story! Libraries are joy, libraries are where everyone belongs. What’s your library story? Are you ready for joy?

2

Matthew Shepard is our son: The Meaning of Matthew

Dennis and Judy Shepard – Parents of Matthew Shepard

2024 marks the 25th anniversary of when we lost our 21-year-old son, Matthew, to a murder motivated by anti- gay hate. Determined to prevent others from suffering our son’s fate, we decided to turn our grief into action and

established the Matthew Shepard Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to working toward the causes championed by Matthew during his life: social justice, diversity awareness & education, and equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. We will share with you our journey of the last 25 years since the tragic event.

3

Walk a Mile in My Shoes

Mary Gordon – Founder of Roots of Empathy

Empathy is the ultimate human trait. It cannot be taught in the traditional ways children are taught in school, but it can be caught in relationships. If we want to build a society that is inclusive and caring, it is imperative that we develop empathy early. Through the art shared during their participation in the Roots of Empathy program, participants will see just what children feel from injustices they experience, such as being excluded and bullied. The absence of empathy

underscores prejudice, discrimination, violence and injustices of all sorts. The children of today are the citizens, leaders and parents of tomorrow. Raising levels of empathy in children and adults is the best peace pill we have to build a

civil society where every person can feel like they belong. Empathy is the cornerstone of the human library and I am pleased to be a part of this event.