Written by Roshni Ravi, Introduction to Libraries workshop, 2022
A few months ago, I walked into the premises of the Bookworm Trust & Library in Panaji, Goa.
It was like walking into a warm, welcoming embrace. Along with other inspiring educators from all over the country I was attending a week-long Introduction to Libraries workshop organised by Bookworm and supported by the Wipro Foundation. As I entered, I carried along with me hopes and expectations for the workshop- I was curious about the role that libraries and stories play in our lives today. I also wanted to explore how libraries can help us connect and strengthen our bonds with the natural world.
All of us may have some images and ideas of libraries- from school, from visits to public libraries or from popular media.
We began the workshop with trying to answer this question- what do we know about libraries?
As I listened to my peers and shared my experiences of libraries, I was struck by how a library can be and do different things for each of us- it is dynamic, it is living, it can shape-shift!
Over the course of the workshop, as we browsed the shelves, filled our library cards, participated in conversations and debated on what makes a library a library and sets it apart from other spaces, I gradually gathered and tucked away evidence to support this idea of a library as living, breathing and ever evolving.
Take for example the Library Collection- a central element of library work.
On the first day of the workshop in March, I was drawn to the shelves in the front room of the library (matching the blue trims of the building!) as they displayed titles like The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali that reflected current political narratives as the hijab ban was enforced in my home state of Karnataka; opening up opportunities for discussions, for reading as a way to understand and resist.
This, for me, really highlighted the power of a library collection- to bring to the fore through books, through art, through interactive displays and questions conversations about our lives, our immediate surroundings and events that impact our everyday life.
Discussions on regularly reviewing and weeding a library collection with colleagues and fellow educators were very useful. Somehow, I had never before considered that one could go back to the library collection not just to add books, resources and art but also remove and weed out material that no longer seemed relevant or congruent with the library’s current values.
When I walked into Bookworm, into this workshop, I had been somewhat limited in my thinking and expectations -looking only for ways in which the library-nature education relationship could be enriched and strengthened. This also led me to design my library activity with a small group of children over a few weeks with a focus on nature education. I explored Guided and Collaborative Drawing, combining visual arts and stories as ways of knowing and connecting with nature. The experience was insightful and revealing for me in terms of children’s reading choices, relationships with libraries and the natural world as well as with each other.
Now, after the experience of the library activity and receiving feedback from peers and library educators at Bookworm, I see many other windows of learning open up including the inherent value of a library.
I am moving gradually from being stuck with one objective or one way of engaging with libraries to a more natural, comprehensive approach where libraries and library work is motivated by various objectives. Libraries as constants, as safe and brave spaces. As grounds for new friendships. For learning to express and reflect. For care. For leisure. For work. For discovering the world. For meeting new places and practices. For seeing oneself more clearly. Many, many opportunities present themselves to me as an educator and learner at this moment.
For me, on most days, a library is like a garden. With surprises, treasures and losses. With often overlooked, hidden wonders akin to wildflowers and fungi. Full of bees, birdsong and squirrels. Holding new experiences within each visit, depending on the season in my heart.
As you walk into and spend time in a library’s embrace, I invite you to fill in the blanks: A library is like a _______________.
