The Campus Community Book Project has a few more details to wrap up before announcing its selection for 2021-22 (on the theme of “social justice in practice”), but, in the meantime, is calling for volunteers to serve on the program planning committee.

All are welcome: faculty, students, staff, community members. The program planning committee is scheduled to meet for the first time at noon Thursday, July 1, and thereafter every two to three weeks through September. See below for meeting logistics and how to sign up.

Nominations

Also, the book project is calling for nominations for the 2022-23 selection on the theme of  “police brutality, police reform and transformative justice/alternatives to policing,” and inviting members of the community to serve on the selection committee.

In between reading nominated books, committee members will convene as a group every three to four weeks through the end of the calendar year, with the goal of submitting final recommendations before winter break. The first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 3. See below for meeting logistics and how to sign up.

The Campus Council on Community and Diversity welcomes nominations from all members of the campus and greater community. The council seeks books on important social topics that will foster dialogue among students, faculty, staff and residents of the surrounding areas, to promote learning about varied perspectives and ideas concerning the chosen topic.

Send nominations by email; the deadline is Friday, July 30.

Book criteria

The council lists the following criteria for nominated books:

• Compelling and thought-provoking to engage us in dialogue about contemporary controversial issues and to raise questions that have many possible answers
• Well-written, accessible and engaging to a general audience
• Short enough to be read within the time frame usually allotted for coursework
• Provocative and intriguing to as many members of the community as possible, to invite diverse participation and integration into discussion groups and courses across disciplines
• Written by someone who is still living
• Author is a guest to the campus

Any published work that is still in print in paperback — including nonfiction work, plays, novels, collections of short stories or essays — is eligible. An additional consideration for the recommended title is that the book’s author will be available to speak as part of the Mondavi Center's Speakers Series.

Contact the Campus Community Book Project by email for more information about the nomination and selection process.

Stay informed

• Book project events page
• Subscribe to the online calendar
• Follow the book project on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.