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Community Voices

Wide shot of exhibit panels on display in the Santori Library Atrium space.

Your Library, Your Voice!

APLD invites Aurora residents to participate in our Community Voices project and share your story!

Community Voices is a library initiative to provide space for community members to share their individual stories.

The mission of Community Voices is to celebrate diverse experiences, foster connections, cultivate empathy, and nurture a sense of belonging at the library.

We center Community Voices exhibits around heritages or identities that are meaningful for our community.

Now Accepting Submissions for South Asian Heritage

  • If you live in Aurora and are of South Asian heritage, please consider sharing your story.

  • Submissions will be accepted July 1 - August 31.

  • The library will collect stories from our South Asian community, culminating in an exhibit that will be displayed at all three library locations in November 2024.

  • South Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the Indo-Gangetic Plain and peninsular India. It includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka; Afghanistan and the Maldives are often considered part of South Asia as well. (Britannica)

  • Nearly 5.4 million South Asians live in the United States. The community is far from homogeneous; South Asians are not only diverse in terms of national origin, but also by virtue of possessing a variety of ethnic, religious, and linguistic characteristics. The community is comprised of individuals who practice distinct religions and speak different languages, yet share similar immigration histories. For example, South Asians practice Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Jainism, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism. The most common languages other than English spoken by South Asians in the United States include Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu. (SAALT)

What is Community Voices?

  • The Aurora Public Library District will periodically invite our community to share their story in coordination with an observance, event, or theme.

  • Participating community members will respond to 3 prompts provided by the library, and library staff will create posters to display at all locations for the designated month.

  • Participants share up to 3 photographs with their submission to illustrate their story and bring life to the exhibit.

Why share your voice?

  • This is YOUR library, and you BELONG here! Claim your space at the library and in your community by sharing your voice.

  • Introduce yourself and your heritage/identity to your neighbors to foster connections in the community.

  • Cultivate empathy and emphasize critical engagement: specific stories from people, communities or neighborhoods make it harder to deny those people their agency, identity, and place in the larger narrative.

As you think about your response, consider what your heritage/identity means to you and how it shows up in your life here in Aurora.

Heritage is the cultural legacy we receive from the past that influences our activities, meanings, and behaviors in the present. Examples include art, food, clothing, legends, music, and values.

Identity refers to our sense of who we are as individuals and as members of social groups. We develop ideas about our identities through our interactions with family and friends, our schools and institutions, the media, and our encounters with other individuals. 

Submission:

Form

  • Complete the form below.

  • Attach up to three pictures.


Interview 

  • Request an interview with a library staff member by emailing communityvoices@aurorapubliclibrary.org. 

  • Library staff will conduct a short, recorded interview using the three questions noted here.

  • Library staff will transcribe your responses into written format for your review. 

 
 
Questions? Email communityvoices@aurorapubliclibrary.org. 

Prompts:

Please respond to the following prompts and submit your responses.

  • Tell us about yourself.

  • What is a source of pride for you in your heritage/identity?

  • What do you wish our greater community knew about your heritage/identity?

  • Please share up to three pictures to illustrate your story via email to communityvoices@aurorapubliclibrary.org.

Submission Form

Our next exhibit will be South Asian Heritage. Submissions will be accepted July 1 - August 31 only.

Thank you for your interest in Community Voices! Please complete all fields on this form. The library will use your answers to create a poster of your story that will be displayed at all library locations. The mission of Community Voices is to celebrate diverse experiences, foster connections, encourage belonging, and cultivate empathy.  
 
Please note, library staff will edit all submissions for clarity and readability including, but not limited to, grammar, consistency, and length. We will share your poster with you for approval before the exhibit opens.   
 
Your submission will be considered for acceptance if:   

  • You live in Aurora.   
  • You identify with the specified heritage/identity.
  • Your story focuses on your personal experiences, interests, and passions, and is told in the first person.   

Submissions will not be accepted if they:   

  • Are incomplete.
  • Include hateful, abusive, obscene, or threatening language.   

By participating in the Community Voices project, you are granting the Aurora Public Library District permission to display your content in all library branches. Additionally, we may feature your submission in our digital communications, such as social media, our newsletter, or on our website. Submissions will be reviewed for consistency with our Exhibit Policy.