LIBRARIES LAB
WELCOME TO THE LIBRARIES LAB
The Libraries Lab is about understanding libraries as an important part of the ecosystem of responses to domestic, family and sexualised violence. The Libraries Lab makes use of the free (donated) insights and materials in Insight Exchange. These can be used to build on libraries understanding of and responses to violence and abuse.
Here in the Libraries Lab you can explore: (A) Librarians are responders, (B) Libraries are places and spaces & (C) Libraries hold personal and cultural memory.
When we think about responses to violence and abuse - what value do libraries hold now? And what possibilities do they hold in our futures?
“What makes a library is, to a great extent, something each generation must decide a new.” [Pettegree, A. & Weduwen, A. D., 2021. The library: a fragile history, Basic Books, New York]
Let's decide today - when it comes to responding to domestic, family and sexualised violence, the responses of Libraries matter.
We invite libraries (and the local councils or institutions they map into) to:
- Read and share the 'Letter to librarians'
- Explore, use and share the Libraries Lab (below)
[Letter to Librarians & Libraries Lab Artwork: © Collaborating Artist Louise Whelan]
"Sometimes I would go to the library because I could go on the internet for free. I would go and do that, because I liked to go and look at things. I was still very connected with my child care career, even though Zane didn’t allow me to work. At the library, I tried to read up on what was happening in that space, so that I wasn’t completely disconnected. But if I spent too long at the library, Zane would accuse me of meeting someone there. So more and more I just stayed at home in the one spot to minimise what I was being accused of." (Matilda - Voices of Insight)
Libraries hold local and global value and possibilities in communities.
Globally: Libraries play an important role in contributing to fulfilment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, libraries can contribute to these goals: Goal 1 End Poverty, Goal 2 End Hunger, Goal 3 Good Health and Well-being, Goal 4 Quality Education, Goal 5 Gender Equality, Goal 8 and Goal 9 - Economic growth and decent work for all and Resilient infrastructure to promote inclusivity, sustainability and innovation, Goal 10 Reduced Inequalities, Goal 11 Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, Goal 16 Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Goal 17 Strengthen partnerships to achieve the sustainable development goals.
Locally: Libraries play an important role in our lives. Libraries are one of few places that are free. “A thriving culture, economy, environment and democracy requires the free flow of information and ideas. Australia's library and information services are fundamental to the free flow of information and ideas and a legacy to each generation, conveying the knowledge of the past and the promise of the future.” [Australian Library and Information Association https://read.alia.org.au/alia-core-values-policy-statement-0]
We invite libraries (and the local councils or institutions they map into) to explore and respond to these areas outlined below.
We invite you to explore the Futures Framework. Following this, there are 10 examples (below) to explore for action. The examples are not exhaustive. They can be explored in any sequence. Taking action in response to these examples is both individual and collective work. Doing what we can as individuals in the spheres of responsibilities and possibilities we have, and doing what we can collectively to make a meaningful and lasting difference - upholding dignity, building on safety and justice.
LIBRARIANS ARE RESPONDERS
"Responses don’t ‘start’ when someone ‘tells’ us something. We have been responding all along (directly or indirectly) through our stance, our silence, our action or inaction about violence and abuse. We are responders even when nothing is told to us." [Talk]
The responses of librarians can be of immense help in creating safety, upholding dignity and supporting choice and control.
We invite librarians to be:
(1) Listening to lived experience insights is essential. In the 'listening' menu you can explore lived experience insights .
Read and share the lived experience insights from voices of insight and voices about economic abuse,
Host the voices of insight collection as a mobile gallery.
(2) Exploring the insight-informed materials about experiences and responses to violence and abuse. Individually and collectively, we can listen to and be led by victim-survivors’ insights and experiences of violence and abuse. In the 'exploring' menu you can view and read insights and materials informed by lived experience insights.
(3) Building on individual understanding of violence and abuse through the Any Responder & Foundations modules. These modules can be viewed independently today - you don't need to apply or make a group booking to be able to access and share the modules.
View, share and embed Any Responder Module (48mins)
View, share and embed Foundations Module (57mins)
LIBRARIES ARE PLACES AND SPACES
Libraries can be a vital and reliable place and space to many children, young people and adults - supporting discreet access to information, room and space to think, read, work, study, plan, reflect, talk or find stillness. Mobile and agile libraries also serve as a vital and reliable point of connection - supporting access to information and materials through regional rural and remote places and spaces.
We invite libraries to be:
(4) Supporting each other as colleagues and peers through workplace responses.
Review and uplift your workplace responses using the Guide: Uplifting workplace responses.
Widen the support options you make available through the workplace to build on safety and wellbeing. Click on the tile below to open My Support Options - a menu designed to share examples of what victim-survivors of domestic, family and sexualised violence have wished for and/or asked for from their workplace.
(5) Supporting library members and visitors to the library with discreet self-service access (in-person and online) to lived experience insights, information and reflection resources about violence and abuse.
a) Review and uplift your website using the insights shared in ‘’Creating Possibilities – Digitally’ (See section in ‘Choice and Control’ for considerations).
b) Review and uplift your intranet (or equivalent) for staff supports - Add or embed any insight Exchange materials. Use the PDFs for your Learning Management System if you can’t embed or add links directly to you LMS).
c) Make the materials freely and discreetly available in print - Order free (donated) Insight Exchange landing cards to share with team members, peers and local partners from across hotel businesses and networks etc. Use the short order form on the print to share page.
(6) Explore and implement ten ways to share Insight Exchange.
LIBRARIES HOLD PERSONAL AND CULTURAL MEMORY
Libraries hold personal and collective memory now and over time. They make decisions that shape what is valued, recorded and preserved.
We ask libraries to be:
(7) Prioritising and planning for the ongoing visibility and preservation of insights about violence and abuse.
Explore 'Working with content' and consider:
What content, works and initiatives about domestic, family and sexualised violence are featured?
Whose insights are recorded, published and preserved in memory?
(8) Refining the way violence and abuse is represented and/or silenced by libraries as custodians of personal and cultural memory.
Explore the Language Lab to understand how language and violence are inextricably linked.
Explore the Arts Lab to understand and value visual discourse in personal and cultural memory.
(9) Explore more about the role of libraries in holding personal and collective memory about violence and abuse – View a talk by independent Artist Louise Whelan commissioned by Insight Exchange. (Note: Consent has been granted to Insight Exchange to embed the video on this page. Viewers can use the share link to share it forward.)
In Australia
Librarians - core values
“Library and information services professionals commit themselves to the core values of their profession as described in the Australian Library and Information Association values statement:
- Promotion of the free flow of information and ideas through open access to recorded knowledge, information, and creative works
- Delivery of authentic information and evidence-based practice supported by quality research
- Connection of people to ideas, knowledge creation and learning
- Dedication to fostering reading, information and digital literacies
- Respect for the diversity, individuality and equality of all
- Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first peoples of the land, and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges, cultures and Country
- Adherence to information privacy principles
- Management, organisation and preservation of the human record
- Excellence, accountability, integrity and responsibility in service to our communities
- Commitment to maintaining currency of professional knowledge and practice
- Partnerships and collaborations to advance these values."
[Australian Library and Information Association https://read.alia.org.au/alia-core-values-policy-statement-0]
Libraries are responders within local ecosystems
(10) We invite libraries (and the local councils or institutions they map into) to build on how they are working with their local ecosystem, Libraries can be supporting local businesses, community groups, institutions and organisations to make use of the value and possibilities libraries hold in responding to violence and abuse.
One idea for connecting in new or more ways with your local ecosystem is to explore and become involved in Thriving Communities Australia (TCA).
'Thriving Communities Australia is a not for profit organisation that enables collaboration across multiple sectors including business, academia, government, NGO’s and people with lived experience. TCA's goal is to see everybody have fair access to the modern essential services they need to thrive in contemporary Australia.'