OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi Writing Center has joined the Oxford-Lafayette County Public Library to help improve writing skills throughout the community.
The Community Writing Center, housed in the conference room of the public library at 401 Bramlett Blvd., is staffed 10 hours per week by UM Writing Center student tutors. Tutors are available from 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 3 to 5 p.m. Sundays.
“Our purpose is to assist community members with writing,” said Brenda Robertson, University Writing Center director. “It is a service project developed by our center and the Oxford Public Library, with the support of Hildreth Davis, Americorps VISTA in the College of Liberal Arts.”
Members of the Writing Center staff have volunteered to work with public library patrons to improve general writing skills, to address specific questions about documents and to record personal stories in the One Book, One Community project.
Initial assistance will focus on helping people write resumes and cover letters, which was identified by library staff as the most critical need, Robertson said.
“Patrons are always approaching library staff to proof their resumes and other writing,” said Dorothy Fitts, director of the Oxford-Lafayette County Public Library. “The staff is untrained and therefore unable to provide that kind of assistance. This writing center is a value-added service to the community in these tough economic times.”
Writing workshops for memoirs and creative writing, as well as civic letter writing are planned.
For more information about the Community Writing Center, contact Brenda Robertson at writing@olemiss.edu or call 662-915-7686.