News & Events

NJLA Presentation: Spreading the Word

For the 2022 NJLA Conference, Librarian Sarah Teichman presented how HCCC Libraries and some HCCC staff and faculty collaborated together to form the HCCC Poetry and Language Collective (PLC). The HCCC PLC creates programming throughout the year, specifically during National Poetry Month in April, to "engage the HCCC community through poetry and spoken word". 

Originally called the National Poetry Month Committee, PLC started in early 2020 to begin planning events for Poetry Month. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Committee still decided to celebrate Poetry Month regardless by offering programming virtually on Zoom, Webex, and social media. One of these included selecting HCCC'S first ever Student Poet Laureate. The first Student Poet Laureate for the 2021-2022 academic year, Natalie Akel, was announced virtually during Zoom; Akel also performed her poetry during the meeting. Eventually the Committee transitioned to not just for Poetry Month events but throughout the year planning poetry and creative writing programs.

Some of PLC's programs were:

• Destroy Your Exams: An end of the semester event where students take their papers, notes, and other homework and rip them apart to make something brand new out of it.
• HCCC Student Poet Laureate: The Poet Laureate will recite their poetry during College events both virtual and in-person. The Poet Laureate was recently chosen for the 2022-2023 academic year. 
• Ekphrasis: An HCCC literary magazine showcasing poetry describing artwork. The Spring 2022 issue is available for download at the HCCC PLC site
• Poetry Radio: The HCCC community was encouraged to send in audio recordings of poems -- original or in the public domain -- that is broadcasted live through the Libraries' Twitch Channel at the tail end of Poetry Month.

Click on the image below to view the full poster of Spreading the Word.

Additional Links:
Official site of the HCCC Poetry and Language Collective
HCCC Poetry and Language Collective LibGuide
Poetry Resources LibGuide
Poetry and Criticism LibGuide
Academy of American Poets