On the morning of April 24, 2024, when students stepped into the library in our English department, they couldn’t believe their eyes. They were amazed to see how far $250 could stretch to help realize the big dreams of our little library. This was what we had procured with the first half of the Sigma Tau Delta Chapter Service Project Grant that we received earlier this year, and it had already helped fill one of the shelves that was part of our “Little Library, Big Dreams” project. We also procured two computers, thanks to the Langston University IT department, to check out books and eventually provide students with online access to all library resources. Dr. Moushumi Biswas, Lead Advisor of the Langston Sigma Tau Delta chapter, said: “We are now looking forward to the next stage of our work, which includes buying more books; installing a new mini fridge, a printer, and power strip; and getting [stationery].”

We met in January at the start of the Spring semester to plan future activities and opportunities for all English major students, several of whom are Sigma Tau Deltans as well as members of the English Club. Our first efforts went toward modernizing our English department library, proudly referred to as the Lion’s Literature. It is located on the first floor of Jones Hall on the east side of campus. Our focus was directed at the library that was long awaiting a much-needed revamp. In order to draw the interest of students across departments, members of Sigma Tau Delta hosted a reading session in the library on February 27. Titled “Writing Pedagogy in Flux: Revisiting Theories, Conventions, and Curriculum Design” this was, very serendipitously, part of the Black History Month. However, to be able to accommodate the audience in the library we had to first give the space a new look with furniture and books, and also order food and beverages for those who attended. Chapter members sprang into action to clean the room, make seating arrangements, and give the space a welcoming feel. Thus, Lion’s Literature was born again.

This makeover is an example of how small budgets can go a long way toward success, thanks to strategic planning and a dedicated team of students. From now on, our library will serve multiple purposes: it will be the workstation for Sigma Tau Delta members, the space for meetings among executive board members, and a place for catching up on new and old books by Black authors. Lion’s Literature is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. This is different from the other study halls at Langston University since they close earlier in the day. Sigma Tau Deltans will keep office hours at the library to help check out books and their schedule will be monitored by Dr. Biswas and Co-Advisor Yaisa Mann. Secretary Joshua Thompson will maintain a record of book purchases, check-outs, and check-ins and create schedules for meetings and events hosted by the chapter. Treasurer Jaiden Brown will help Thompson maintain the schedule in alternating shifts. The two newly acquired computers will be used to maintain a log of chapter members’ office hours.

The books we purchased this spring include those on the topics of Black identity, gender expression, and matters related to racial barriers and struggle. Discourse on these subjects is at the core of research conducted by a majority of Langston students, so we acquired the works of Langston Hughes, Aime Cesaire, Frantz Fanon, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, W.E.B, Du Bois, Percival Everett, and Zora Neale Hurston, to name only a fraction of those we have on the list. These books will also serve incoming freshmen who may not have prior knowledge of iconic Black writers and the influence they had on shaping modern commentary around race-related politics and societal issues.

The objective is to promote reading and research of Black authors among students across campus. We also plan on setting up a reading/research section for creative writing students in the future. Incorporating creative writing into our curriculum in a more pronounced way than it is right now has been a long-standing dream for us, and we will be focusing on the categories of short stories, poems, and mock screenplays.  Treasurer Brown commented, “This truly is going to be such a progressive experience in terms of education and communication. Students come here from different backstories, goals, and ideals. And it is through creative writing [that] those ideas [can] be expressed.” Finally, we hope that the initiatives taken by our Sigma Tau Delta chapter—such as “Little Library, Big Dreams”—will contribute toward the HBCU’s mission of spreading knowledge, awareness, and success among its graduates.

Joshua Thompson
Chapter Service Project Grant Recipient, 2024
Alpha Psi Delta Chapter, Secretary
Langston University, Langston, OK

Chapter Service Project Grants

Application Window: October 21 – November 11, 2024, 4:00 p.m. CT

Sigma Tau Delta’s Chapter Service Project Grants are designed to encourage local chapters to be innovative in developing projects that further the vision and goals of the Society. The Society will award a limited number of grants, for no more than $500 each, to support local chapter activities. Funds may be requested for separate projects or for parts of larger projects, and chapters should explore ways to use Service Project Grants in combination with funds secured from other sources. Funds may be requested for ongoing projects, but there is no guarantee that projects funded during one grant period will receive funding in future grant periods.

More Chapter Service Project Grant Reports

Celebrating the Gothic: How a Chapter Service Project Grant Cultivated a Book Club
Project Grant: Collaborating with Imagination to Support Literacy in Cuyahoga County
Book Banning and Minority Communities
Service Project Grant: Little Free Library
Launching Lit Week: Celebrating Literature with a Project Grant
Honoring Writing and the Creative Arts with a Project Grant
Ravens and RiverMead Read!
When Words Come to Life
Leo’s Little Free Library
Online Tutoring Partnership
Restocking the Military Resource Center’s Lending Library
Writing Contest for Secondary Schools
Poetry Fest
AuthorShip! Writing Contest
Little Free Library
Common Reader Community Discussion
English Careers Event