Introduction

Food is a powerful unifier. Every culture has its unique dishes, with recipes that use ingredients from all over the world, and certain recipes can make people feel at home, no matter where they are.

Libraries also strive to be unifying spaces, welcoming everyone regardless of their needs. At the University at Buffalo, our libraries and staff are committed to providing the best resources for the UB community, ensuring that every library space is inviting, comfortable, and safe.

Bringing the concept of cultural recipes together with the University Libraries felt like a natural pairing — like beans and rice, warm dumplings on a winter day, or maybe something even better. And what better way to explore these unifying ideas than with a cookbook?

The University Libraries’ Student Library Engagement Workgroup launched the idea of a crowdsourced cookbook in fall 2023, inviting our diverse population of students, staff, faculty, and alumni to contribute recipes and stories that could come together as a representation of the rich diversity of the UB community.

While working on this cookbook, we have had the opportunity to meet students individually to encourage recipe submission. We have engaged with student groups and the Office of International Education. We have talked with alumni who want to stay connected to UB. The resulting collection of recipes creates a web of connections across the world, with Buffalo, New York as the nexus.

In challenging times — whether during finals week, missing home, or feeling overwhelmed by the world — something as simple as the smell of a familiar dish might remind us of the comfort of home, a roommate we once had, a good meal on a hard day, or simply make us feel safe and happy.

The Student Library Engagement Workgroup hopes that Flavors of Unity acts as a repository for these positive memories. When things feel bad, you can open to a page in the cookbook and find a recipe from someone’s home and cook a meal that helps UB feel like home too.

Let’s celebrate the diverse world we live in, at UB and beyond, and enjoy the connections that all bring us together — whether it’s sharing a meal together or studying together in the library. We can be united through the shared experiences and shared flavors of our lives.

The Student Library Engagement Workgroup
University Libraries
University at Buffalo