The Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) will host the official launch of The Listening Booth: Stories of the Formerly Incarcerated and Their Families, a new multimedia installation and storytelling project that amplifies the voices of those impacted by incarceration.
The public event will take place Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Keith Summey North Charleston Library. It will feature a panel discussion moderated by WCBD News 2 anchor and journalist Carolyn Murray, followed by the unveiling of The Listening Booth — a repurposed payphone that allows visitors to hear recorded stories of perseverance, reflection, and hope.
The project was made possible through funding from the American Library Association and Estée Lauder’s Writing Change Initiative, a collaboration between The Estée Lauder Companies and National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman. Writing Change was established in 2021 to support grassroots organizations advancing literacy as a pathway to equality, access, and social change.
“Libraries are community anchors, but they’re also places where difficult conversations and human stories can unfold in ways that bring people together,” said Melissa Tunstall, outreach manager and project director at CCPL. “The Listening Booth reminds us that storytelling can be both a tool for healing and a bridge for understanding.”
CCPL collected 10 personal stories from formerly incarcerated individuals and their family members. Participants received digital storytelling training from the library’s digital media coordinator, Julian Gooding, and mental health support from Dr. Cerissa Hugie of MyNDSpace.
The library partnered with Turn90, a local nonprofit that helps formerly incarcerated men reenter the workforce, to recruit and support participants. The project also received creative and technical assistance from community partners, including ATM Carolina Inc., which donated the payphone; SchulmanCreative, which retrofitted the phone with new technology; the American College of the Building Arts, which designed and built the booth; and photographer Sasha Vargas, who captured portraits of the participants.
The library also led the design of The Listening Booth and an accompanying book that features transcriptions and photographs of the storytellers.
“The courage it takes to tell your story cannot be overstated,” Tunstall said. “By sharing their experiences, participants are not only reclaiming their own narratives but also helping our community see the human side of incarceration — the families, the growth, and the hope for what comes next.”
Event Details:
- What: The Listening Booth Launch and Panel Discussion
- When: Tuesday, Nov. 18, 6–7:30 p.m.
- Where: Keith Summey North Charleston Library, 3503 Rivers Ave., North Charleston
- Admission: Free and open to the public
Following the event, The Listening Booth will remain on display at the Keith Summey North Charleston Library, allowing the public to listen to the recorded stories. It will later travel to other CCPL branches for future storytelling opportunities. Attendees of the launch event will also receive a free book featuring the stories and portraits of the participants.
For more information, visit ccpl.org/listeningbooth or follow CCPL on social media @ChasCoLibrary.