Experiencing America Book Discussion Sets

What does it mean to live in America now?

What does America look like?

How did we get to be who and where we are?

Let’s talk about our lives in America today.

Experiencing America is collection of adult and young adult nonfiction book discussion sets offering perspectives and voices that are intentionally human-centered explorations of identities and systems impacting contemporary America, the one we are all currently living with and within. From racial understandings and underrepresented identities to systems of power and socioeconomics to political structures and the justice system, we sought to include titles that integrated those with lived experience and those claiming individual and collective identities.

Our hope is that these books and supporting resources help people understand themselves, their neighbors, and their communities through shared reading and informed conversation. We want these books to be tools, used to help CT libraries and their patrons learn, think, and grow together.

Many of these books were suggested to us by librarians leading discussion groups in their own towns. We invite you to send us more title suggestions for additional sets that you would like to borrow for your own patrons.

New purchases in this collection should have been published in the last five years. 

Circulating materials are funded by the State of Connecticut and the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Connecticut State Library.