Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

SALISBURY — Rowan-Cabarrus Community College students, faculty and staff recently gathered for a transformational session on the importance of civil discourse in a world filled with silos.

During the National Library Week celebration, the Rowan-Cabarrus library, in partnership with the Center for Teaching and Learning, hosted guest speaker, Pearce Godwin, founder and CEO of the Listen First Project and the Listen First Coalition.

Godwin facilitated two Listen First seminars on the college’s North and South campuses. The motivating and engaging workshops covered skills and strategies that are vital for personal and professional growth, which can be applied across all educational platforms and life.

“The library supports our community by offering countless opportunities for personal growth and life-long education,” said Timothy Hunter, interim director of library services at Rowan-Cabarrus. “Libraries even the playing field for people from all walks of life, who seek out information and access to technology to expand their minds and use that knowledge to improve their quality of life.”

The Listen First Project, based in Cary, is a global non-profit education group that promotes greater understanding, respect and cooperation by encouraging people to listen to each other despite conflicting views. The Listen First Project has actively engaged and advocated bridge-building events during and after several recent national incidents of civil-discord, including Charlottesville, Va. It has also held similar discussions at Duke University, Appalachian State, Wingate and Campbell Universities.

“Each of us must decide what role we are going to play in shaping our shared future,” said Godwin. “Will we passively accept the perpetual ‘us versus them’ conflict or will we actively encourage ‘me and you’ conversations that bridge divides?”

Libraries of today are evolving and expanding to offer various types of information and providing resources to meet the needs of the communities they serve. Everyone in the community can depend on libraries and the resources they provide to address the needs of their local communities. Libraries provide resources like e-books and technology classes, assistance software for English-language learners, job seeking tools and act as a safe haven in times of emergency. Libraries and librarians transform their communities.

“We would like to give a special thank you to Pearce Godwin for coming to speak at our celebration of National Library Week,” said Hunter.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of National Library Week since the first event held in 1958. National Library Week is a nationally observed event, hosted by the American Library Association (ALA) in conjunction with libraries across the country each April. The Rowan-Cabarrus library joined libraries nationwide in celebration of National Library Week held in April, with the theme, “Libraries Lead.”

For more information regarding the Rowan-Cabarrus library, please visit www.rccc.edu/lrc. For more information about the Listen First project, please visit http://www.listenfirstproject.org/.

For more information about Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, please visit www.rccc.edu/apply or call 704-216-7222.