Check out the Intercultural Living Library on April 14

Boise State's Department of Communication will host its seventh Intercultural Living Library on Tuesday, April 14 from 4 - 7 p.m. in the Student Union Building's Jordan Ballroom. This event invites Boise State students, faculty and community members to hear the personal stories and experiences of volunteers from different cultural backgrounds.

The Intercultural Living Library puts a unique spin on this cross-cultural exchange by deeming volunteer speakers "books." Attendees can "check out" books in small groups for a limited time. Books will spend part of that time sharing a story or lived experience of their choosing. Then readers will have the opportunity to ask questions before checking out another book.

Lecturer Thérése Woozley from the Department of Communication and students from her COMM 351 class host the Intercultural Living Library in partnership with the Idaho Office of Refugees Speakers Bureau.

Woozley got the idea after studying abroad as a graduate student in Austria. The event framework is modeled from the Council of Europe Living Library program. She decided to bring that experience to Boise State in 2023, and the Intercultural Living Library has taken off since then, drawing over 200 attendees last fall.

Everyone is invited, but many attendees are Boise State students who are meeting people from other cultures for the first time. "Different cultures" in the Intercultural Living Library can refer to people from different parts of the world, but Woozley explained that culture is more than just geography.

"Culture is shared meaning, and we all come from a variety of cultures," Woozley said. "We have microcultures that shape us, whether they are where we're from, religions we belong to or hobbies we enjoy."

In the fall 2025 Intercultural Living Library, the cultures represented included people from other countries, but also American military veterans and people with unique religious backgrounds.

Students from Woozley's COMM 351 class facilitate the Intercultural Living Library as a Service-Learning Project. They apply course concepts and theory to their practical communication skill development. They will also produce original ethnographic research based on material covered in class and conversations with the Books.

"The Intercultural Living Library has deeply impacted me as it taught me that listening and storytelling are opportunities for people to connect," said Olivia McDannel, a senior studying communication who has worked on the library before. "Professor Woozley has done a fantastic job with creating this event and puts a lot of time and effort into making it really impactful for all who are there."

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