I really enjoyed exploring the “Power of Stories” module. I have always been enthralled with human stories, and the empathy and connection I feel when I hear others’ stories. One piece that particularly stood out to me – that was actually from the “New Models” module but fits well here – was Anythink’s “Get To Know Your Neighbor” program (video below). I love the idea of providing a comfortable setting for strangers to get to know each other.
Stories help us see each other more wholly. We learn about other’s cultures, histories, families, fears, hopes, and dreams. There is real transformative power when we can see each other’s humanity through stories, and I think the potential for positive change is so high when we can get to know each other – and our differences – on a personal, individual level.
After learning about Anythink and this event, I was curious about what other storytelling programs might be local to me. I found a few that piqued my interest:
Young Chautauqua
Image source: Estes Valley Library, Estes Park Trail Gazette
The Estes Valley Library in Estes Park, Colorado, hosts Young Chautauqua, a historical storytelling program for children in grades 4 through 12. In this nationally-recognized annual history program, participants choose a historical figure to research. They study their historical figure, find a costume to represent them, and memorize some of their speeches or writings to perform. The program meets weekly for three months and culminates in community performances of monologues and Q&As (Young Chautauqua Estes Park, n.d.).
https://calendar.estesvalleylibrary.org/event/13200374
https://sites.google.com/psdr3.k12.co.us/young-chautauqua-estes-park/home
Black History Live!
Image source: Denver Public Library
Colorado Humanities’, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to humanities education in Colorado, hosts it’s Black History Live! programs throughout the year in public libraries across the state. Black History Live! recognizes the important contributions of African Americans through 1st-person dramatizations of historical figures. Performances consist of a 40 minute monologue, followed by 20 minutes of Q&A with the actor both in character and out. Different prominant historical figures are represented each year: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks were depicted in 2024, with 2025 to feature living-history portrayals of Harriet Tubman and Louis Armstrong (Colorado Humanities, n.d.).
https://www.denverlibrary.org/library-calendar/image-dialog/56063?alternative_text=Black%20History%20Live
https://coloradohumanities.org/programs/black-history-live/
La Llorona Festival
Image source: KUVO
The Corky Gonzalez Library, in Denver, Colorado, recently held it’s 5th annual storytelling event that tells the story of and pays tribute to the legendary Weeping Woman, or La Llorona. Historians and storytellers helped bring to life the mysterious woman and the myths surrounding her story. La Llorona Festival was held not only to honor the legend of La Llorona, but also to honor the cuentistas (or storytellers) of Latine cultures, who “honor an art form that adds a rich cultural presence to who we are as a people” (Garcia, as quoted by KUVO, n.d.).
Spellbinders Oral Storytellers of Larimer County
Image source: Spellbinders Oral Storytellers of Larimer County, Facebook
Spellbinders Oral Storytellers of Larimer County was established in Fort Collins in 2004 and is the 10th Colorado chapter of national organization Spellbinder, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1988. Over 45 Spellbinders volunteers share the power of stories through personal tales of humor, struggle, and triumph in elementary schools, senior homes, and community events in Northern Colorado (Spellbinders, n.d.).
Exploring this organization has given me some great ideas about how public libraries could collaborate with an organization such as this to not only bring stories to the public but also to give interested storytellers a venue and a voice. The Spellbinder website also contains some great resources that libraries could use when thinking about how to involve storytelling in their programs and events (this article, Tips On Sharing Family Stories, is a good place to start).
These are just a few of the available storytelling-related resources and programs in my area, but learning about them has sparked a newfound curiosity in me. I think libraries are the exact right place to encourage communities to share and hear stories, and I am excited to explore more about how to use storytelling in libraries and watch as the power of stories helps strengthen my community.
References
Anythink Libraries. (2016, December 21). Get to know your neighbor. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/rzLI-aqFzDQ?si=aq_Q7TgjcVvw9hmU
Colorado Humanities. (n.d.). Black history live. Retrieved on November 25, 2024, from https://coloradohumanities.org/programs/black-history-live/
Denver Public Library. (n.d.). Featured image. [Infographic]. Retrieved on November 25, 2024, from https://www.denverlibrary.org/library-calendar/image-dialog/56063?alternative_text=Black%20History%20Live
Estes Valley Library. (2024, February 7). Building on their own findings, costumed performers will present a first-person monologue as their historical figures. [Photograph]. Estes Park Trail Gazette. https://www.eptrail.com/2024/02/07/interact-with-historical-figures-at-young-chautauqua-performances/
KUVO. (n.d.). Dia de Los Muertos — La Llorona Festival. Retrieved on November 25, 2024, from https://www.kuvo.org/event/dia-de-los-muertos-la-llorona-festival/
Spellbinders. (n.d.). Larimer County storytellers. Retrieved on November 25, 2024, from https://spellbinders.org/our-affiliates/affiliate-larimer-county/
Spellbinders Oral Storytellers of Larimer County. (2019, August 28). Storytelling season is here…! [Photograph]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/SpellbindersOralStorytellersofLarimerCounty/photos/pb.100070382177259.-2207520000/2496949840563833/?type=3
Young Chautauquans Estes Park. (n.d.). Welcome, Young Chautauquans 2024-2025! YAY Young Chautauqua! Retrieved on November 25, 2024, from https://sites.google.com/psdr3.k12.co.us/young-chautauqua-estes-park/home
Cat,
I love your post and all of the different topics you explored! I especially loved reading and learning about the Young Chautauqua program. I have never heard of this, but it seems like a really fun and interactive way to get immersed in history. I would have adored something like this when I was younger. It also seems like something that will stick with them, so they will never forget that information or that experience.
Hi Millicent! Thanks for visiting! I agree, I would have loved the Young Chautauqua program, and so would my kids; they are teenagers now and not so into that kind of thing anymore, but they would have loved it when they were younger! We didn’t live here then and I had never heard of it before moving here, either.
Cat,
You found such varied and vast storytelling examples. They are fantastic! And also great ways to partner with local nonprofits and organizations, lifting them up while also providing amazing programming for our communities.
This made me think of Humanities Washington here in WA State. Our library system has brought in local programs that present on different perspectives from our state. Their website says “Humanities Washington and its partners create spaces for people to come together to explore and consider what it means to be human, and to reflect on our shared past, present, and future. We hold events and programs led by cultural experts, scholars, and storytellers, who discuss everything from Washington State history to philosophy to current social issues. We also support and partner with a wide network of communities, organizations, and individuals across the state. All Humanities Washington programs are open to the public, and nearly all are free of charge.”
Reading your post makes me all the more thankful for this amazing organization in our state. https://www.humanities.org/about/
Thanks for reading and for your comment, Sara, and for sharing the information and link about Humanities Washington. I explored the website a bit and it looks like an amazing community resource! Have you personally participated in any of their programs? The Prime Time Family Reading is a program that especially piques my interest!
Catherine,
I have attended a lecture of theirs – the History of Drag. I also, as the grant person for our system, apply for the Prime Time Family Reading program. I know a little bit about it but if you’d like to know more, I can put you in touch with our Associate Director of Programs, who runs the program. We have applied for the Prime Time Preschool for the spring of 2025 and are working with the Children’s Developmental Center – https://www.childrensdevelopmentalcenter.org – to put the program on for their families here in Eastern WA. 🙂
Sara