OCCC students and faculty filled the campus library for its first-ever “Literary PowerPoint Party,” an event designed to highlight the joy of reading through short, creative presentations. Participants were given up to five minutes to showcase a book of their choice, blending fun visuals with a passion for literature.
Courtney Oliphant, an instruction and virtual services librarian at OCCC, said the idea stemmed from a friend’s birthday celebration.
“The library tries to host at least one event each semester,” Oliphant said. “This summer we were brainstorming ideas for the fall. A friend of mine hosted a PowerPoint party for her birthday in May. Everyone had so much fun sharing different presentations that I made the suggestion to try this type of event. After a bit of explaining, we decided to host one.”
The event brought together both students and staff, with two categories of winners. In the student category, first place went to Elyas Anderson, who presented on “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan. Lindsey Timsah placed second for her presentation on “Starfish” by Akemi Dawn Bowman.
Among faculty, Director of Speech-Language Pathology Sarah Baker won first place for her presentation on “Dear Mr. Henshaw” by Beverly Cleary. Anthony Edwards, a student success advising customer service representative, earned second place for “Beyond This Place There Be Dragons” by George Koenig.
Even after the competition had officially concluded, another staff member – Professor of Political Science Michael Maxey – joined in the spirit of the event by sharing a last-minute presentation on “The Devil’s Chessboard” by David Talbot.
Oliphant said the event was inspired in part by the library’s ongoing effort to engage the campus community with creative programming.
“The library has hosted a lot of different events in the past, like a photography contest and book swaps, but this was our first PowerPoint party,” she said. “Since we were also incorporating Canva workshops this semester, it seemed like good timing.”
Oliphant said the goal was not only to highlight books but also to build confidence and community through informal public speaking.
“Presenting can be very intimidating, but at an event like a PowerPoint party, everyone in the audience is cheering for you,” she said. “They can be great for practicing skills for class or finding out what other people are passionate about.”
The event also sparked meaningful conversations about storytelling. Participants discussed the power of books to connect people across backgrounds and experiences.
“Stories are incredibly powerful,” Oliphant said. “Not only can they help us find ourselves, but they can also help us find community.”
While this was the first PowerPoint party at OCCC, Oliphant said the library plans to continue experimenting with similar events.
“We do have another type of event in mind for the spring,” she said. “However, since everyone seemed to have such a good time, we are considering offering more PowerPoint parties that may be less formal to encourage more folks to attend.”
Oliphant, an avid reader herself, shared her personal favorites when asked about her own book recommendations.
“My favorite book of all time would be ‘Watership Down’ by Richard Adams,” she said. “It applies large-scale, epic style, like we see in Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’ or Homer’s ‘Odyssey,’ to a group of rabbits looking for a new home after theirs is destroyed. If you enjoy stories about survival, mythology or finding strength in your friends, I recommend checking it out.”
She also mentioned “When the Wolf Comes Home” by Nat Cassidy as her favorite recent read.
“This book is not for the faint of heart because it does live up to the tagline on the cover: ‘No one will be spared,’” Oliphant said. “However, it is the first book in a long time that I could not put down. It is also one of the better explorations of the complicated feelings we can have when facing the loss of a parent.”
Whether it was mythology, memoir or modern fiction, participants showcased an array of genres and creativity. With its mix of humor, passion and thoughtful discussion, the library’s first PowerPoint party reminded attendees that sharing stories can be both enlightening and entertaining.
“Events like this give students and staff a space to express what moves them,” Oliphant said. “That’s what libraries are all about – connecting people through stories.”
