December 2019.
Libraries provide much more than text-based resources. The value of a library is beyond words.
A Short article demonstrating the social impact of Librarians.
Hudson, K. (2019, December 29). Thank you to … the librarian who saved my life before I knew it needed saving. Retrieved from:https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/dec/29/librarian-saved-my-life-thank-you?
November 30th 2019.
Authentic voices telling stories of Australian Indigenous life, history and culture are hard to find.
This month I have been fortunate enough to read two very different books, each with its own unique voice. Tom Petrie’s Reminiscences, recounted by his daughter Constance and published in 1904, provides an insight into Aboriginal culture within Queensland from the perspective of a white man growing up amongst and with local Aboriginal community members. This thought-provoking book perhaps unintentionally shines a light on the changes wrought by colonialism and the negative impact of white settlement upon the Indigenous way of life.
* As this book was written in 1904 it contains language, terminology, and generalisations that may now be considered offensive, but were commonplace at the time of publication.
The second title, Dark Emu is a masterpiece of research, knowledge sharing and truth telling by Indigenous man and author Bruce Pascoe. I would love to see this book incorporated into the Australian school curriculum as an antidote to the colonial-centric ‘potted history’ encountered by so many of us during our primary and secondary school years.
Libraries are about so much more than just books. They can be safe spaces, community hubs, equity centres. This mobile library bus in Queens services local homeless shelters adding value far beyond access to the written word.
Bruinius, H. (2019). Books on Wheels: When the Library comes to the Homeless Shelter. Retrieved from https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2019/1031/Books-on-wheels-When-the-library-comes-to-the-homeless-shelter?fbclid=IwAR0xlSnSdKgZZ5frR04LUutAmVU_DQx_Sk9P2gIidit6CHGEOo3PFvPGFi8
Could climate change lead to the destruction of the records that record human history? How do we prioritise what to save, and what do those choices say about us as Archivists and societies?
Haskins, C. (2019). Climate Change Could Erase Human History. These Archivists are Trying to Save It. Retrieved from https://www.vice.com
Social Justice Archivist 