The 2011-12 WWU Connections series of talks at Village Books kicked off Nov. 8 with a presentation by Clarissa Mansfield, author of the local blog "Vegan in Bellingham." Mansfield is a full-time staff member of the Western Washington University Libraries. In her presentation, she shared her passion for delicious food, debunked myths about veganism and offered thoughts on cooking and eating out. File photo by Rhys Logan | University Communications intern

Village Books is looking for Western Washington University faculty and staff members to speak during its Western Connections lunch speaker series, co-sponsored by the Western Libraries.

Faculty members interested in talking about their areas of experience and expertise to the community are encouraged to contact Christina Claassen, the Village Books events coordinator, at events@villagebooks.com or (360) 671-2626.

The Western Connections Series is held from noon to 1 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month in the Readings Gallery of the store. Presenters usually share about their work at the university in the format of a talk, discussion or multimedia presentation.