Your story is written in part by your heritage and your identity. Heritage is the cultural legacy we receive from the past that influences our daily lives in the present such as art, food, music, and values. Identity refers to our sense of who we are as individuals and as members of social groups. What better place to share your own story than the library, where stories, old and new, line our shelves daily? The Aurora Public Library District (APLD) invites you to participate in a new initiative entitled Community Voices (see page 8), where your story can be told and shared with everyone in Aurora.
For the Community Voices project, APLD will periodically reach out to Aurora residents who are willing to share their stories. Generally, these requests will coordinate with an observance, event, or theme. Community members will be asked to answer some questions and share photos, videos, or other artifacts that help represent their story. There is no right or wrong way to tell your story, so don’t be afraid to be creative! Library staff members will take your story and create a poster to be displayed as part of a larger exhibit at all Library locations. These exhibits will provide a space to present a fuller picture of our City, as described by the those who live here.
The Community Voices project will be a valuable ongoing resource for Aurora. It will allow us to learn about each other’s experiences to build a stronger and more inclusive community. Community Voices will aim to amplify the voices of our community members and foster connections within, because your story matters!
The idea for this project came from a library in Washoe County, Nevada. “We loved the idea of engaging our community in this way and fostering connections,” said Genealogy and Community History librarian, Cailín Cullen. “We hope to both empower residents to feel a sense of belonging in the Library and in Aurora as well as to cultivate empathy among viewers. Specific stories from people, communities, or neighborhoods make it harder to deny those people their agency, identity, and place in the larger narrative.”
For our first exhibit, we’re gathering stories from our Hispanic community to display during Hispanic Heritage Month. Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Submissions are being accepted through June 30. If you’re interested in participating, you can submit your response in writing, as a recorded voice memo, or schedule a Zoom interview with Library staff members!
The Library looks forward to learning about our neighbors and the rich histories they bring to the city of Aurora. What story do you want to share? We’d love to hear it! For more information, please visit www.aurorapubliclibrary.org/community-voices.
Andrea Tiberi is the communications coordinator for the Aurora Public Library District.