The Library and Refuge: locations, questions, methods, and ethics
“In the library, I never feel alone. Never. It is a completely different space – it exists outside of time.”
Anna, Ukrainian Psychologist now in Norfolk
Data collection for this research involves participant observation, focus-groups and semi-structured interviews with (i) refugees and asylum-seekers who access libraries and (ii) service providers at these libraries (librarians, volunteers and social workers) in the UK and in key countries across Europe (including Germany, Greece, and Norway). In addition to public libraries, various types of libraries that offer services to refugees (including those established by NGOs, grassroot charities, and by refugees themselves) that aim to preserve their history, culture, and memories are also examined. During the first phase of the project, we are focusing on various libraries across Norfolk. We are conducting participant observation by attending migrant sessions, English Language Exchange sessions and Global Reading sessions at different libraries across the region. Participating in library sessions enables us to learn about migrants’ lives, as well as everyday practices and interactions at the libraries.
As forced migrants are faced with multiple uncertainties and challenges, understanding the varied forms of vulnerability present, ensuring participant wellbeing, and addressing any potential risks for participants engaging in this research is of upmost importance. We focus on creating trust, non-hierarchical relationships, and establishing a safe space for sharing experiences and co-producing knowledge by researchers, participants, and practitioners. Rather than thinking of integration as the responsibility of the asylum seeker, ‘The Library and Refuge’ approaches integration as a collaborative process between the individual and the host community, nurtured by the local library and inspired by examples of mutual respect and knowledge exchange found in public and grass-roots libraries globally.
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.
How do different groups experience services at the public library? What are the challenges and opportunities involved in accessing these services? What are the views and experiences of librarians in reorienting and delivering services for a wide range of communities who have experienced forced migration? This research employs an ethnographic approach to answer these questions, exploring whether and how libraries function as spaces for the acquisition and exchange of knowledge and social integration.
While opening up public libraries as spaces for refugee support and integration is a rewarding experience for most librarians, it also comes with its own challenges. It requires the reorientation of library services and navigating how best to engage with different groups and their needs, and adapting to changes in workload and working environment. At the same time, the experience of accessing libraries for forced migrant groups is varied. While for some, it presents a familiar space that enables continuity of their experience and home, for others, exploring libraries is a new experience and opportunity. A forced-migrant who fled his home 12 years ago at the age of 14, stated that the ‘best thing’ at the library is the opportunity to simply enjoy some calm, ‘sitting silently and reading’, with the added potential of starting a conversation with somebody new.
