The Library Today
The Library Today goes beyond lending books. From offering a warm space to people in the winter months, to free sanitary products, public libraries in the UK deliver fundamental social support to some of the most vulnerable people in society. As one social worker puts it, “it is often the last resort of people who have nothing”.
The Millennium Library, Norwich, for example, offers Job Support Sessions, Digital Skills Training, Arts and Book Clubs, Youth Groups, a “Warm and Well” initiative (which includes toiletries and domestic supplies), mother and baby groups, “International Welcome Sessions”, and language-exchange workshops.
The Global Library project aims to support libraries in the services they provide for local communities, especially – given the themes of the project – for asylum seekers, refugees, and new arrivals to the UK.
We are developing a programme of workshops and seminars which encourage cross-cultural exchange between different communities, from employability to language classes.
In the pages here, you will find details of our workshops and seminars, as well as templates for establishing your own programmes in your own local library.
If you would find it useful to have a chat about setting up your own workshops, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Resources
Our workshops, seminars, and events respond directly to the needs and interests of the groups we are trying to help, with an emphasis on communities that have experienced forced migration.
In a series of interviews and focus groups, participants identified 3 areas of greatest importance: (i) employment, (ii) language acquisition, and (iii) creative outlets.
We have designed a portfolio of workshops tailored to these three areas. You can find templates here to set up workshops of your own in your public library.
Find out more about Workshops and Seminars, visit the links below:
The Library and Refuge
The Library and Refuge explores how contemporary libraries are facilitating social integration, cross-cultural connectivity and knowledge-exchange for refugees and asylum-seekers. In recent years, the UK has seen the emergence of diverse library services for people who have experienced forced migration, including language learning sessions, access to relevant information and to technology, foreign language collections, as well as connections with local authorities and service providers.
