Greetings, Loggers! College life introduces us to a range of human experiences, exposes worldviews that may be unfamiliar or differ from our personal understandings, and provides many opportunities for us to grow individually and collectively in awareness, competency, and active engagement with a complex and multifaceted community. In addition to providing practical information about other topics, the Life Skills Collection at Collins Library provides essential resources to help you learn more about how issues of identity affect your college experience and that of your peers, and how you can become an advocate for inclusion and equity at the University of Puget Sound and beyond. Here are our top picks for building your awareness, starting a dialogue, celebrating your identity and others’, becoming an ally, and practicing inclusion.
- Just getting started? Educate yourself by consulting resources like Is Everyone Really Equal?, which offers detailed and readable explanations of key concepts in social justice education. If you already have a handle on the basics, turn to What If? : Short Stories to Spark Diversity Dialogue for strategies on starting the conversation with a friend or peer.
- Discover strategies for recognizing, acknowledging, and responding to bias. In Microaggressions in Everyday Life, Derald Wing Sue looks at varieties of microaggressions and offers advice for combatting them in everyday encounters. For more on uncovering and understanding implicit biases, check out Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People.
- Our collection strives to meet and address the needs of the many diverse identities represented on the University of Puget Sound campus. In our Life Skills Collection, you will also find identity-based resources for navigating college life, such as College for Students With Disabilities, Trans* in College, and the African American Student’s Guide to College Success (coming soon!).
- Reading personal narratives can be a great way to step into others’ experiences and build empathy. For poignant and amusing takes on issues including body image, feminism, social justice, privilege, race, and more, try any of the following: Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman by Lindy West; I’m Judging You: the Do-Better Manual by Luvvie Ajayi; Dear White People by Justin Simien; and White Like Me by Tim Wise.
- Finally, be an ally and an advocate! If you’re ready to take action, check out titles like the The Activist’s Handbook (available online!) or The Social Justice Advocate’s Handbook: A Guide to Gender for practical resources, how-tos, and guidance for promoting an equitable and just community.
The Life Skills Collection is located in the Learning Commons, on the first floor of Collins Library. Learn more on the companion guide devoted to the Life Skills Collection and discover many more resources at the University of Puget Sound!
By Katy Curtis, Humanities Librarian