Emporia Library Partners With Humanities Kansas on New Hotline

The Emporia Public Library is partnering with Humanities Kansas on a new initiative to connect communities with the Humanities Hotline, a toll-free telephone hotline delivering interesting short stories anytime, day or night. The hotline is free and available to everyone with a phone at 1-888-416-2018. Hotline topics change monthly.

The Humanities Hotline provides an accessible alternative to today’s Zoom culture and encourages the people of Kansas to participate in lifelong engagement with the humanities. The hotline was developed as a way to combat social isolation and bridge the age and technology divide with stories that could be easily accessed without the need for internet.

“In these complicated times, the Humanities Hotline keeps it simple,” shared Julie Mulvihill, executive director of Humanities Kansas. “It was designed to help address some of the problems of social distancing during the pandemic, like increased isolation or not having the technology to enjoy online activities. Plus, when you call you get to hear some really interesting stories taken from history and literature and shared by experts in our state.”

The Humanities Hotline offers a menu of short Kansas stories, both serious and lighthearted, that are researched and presented by experts across the state. Mary Kohn, Associate Professor of Linguistics at Kansas State University, explores the ways in which Kansas dialects have shifted over the years. Valerie Mendoza, Director of the Title III Strengthening Institutions grant at Washburn University, tells the story of Hazel Gomez, a beloved leader of Topeka’s Hispanic community. Author and historian Linda O’Nelio Knoll talks about the Amazon Army, a group of women who marched for coal miners’ rights in southeast Kansas in 1921. Miranda Ericsson, Reader’s Librarian for the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, reviews two books in honor of women’s history month. These hotline selections are available through March 31, 2021. New topics will follow in April!

Call the Humanities Hotline at 1-888-416-2018 as often as you would like. For more information visit humanitieskansas.org.