'Unchained'
Grange-over-Sands Library in the south of Cumbria were planning to mark the Bicentenary of the Abolition of Trade in Enslaved People with a simple book display, but a brief conversation one day resulted in something much bigger which eventually became known as the 'Unchained' project.
The project was put together by two members of library staff, a member of one of the library-based reading groups and a member of the local Amnesty International and its aim was to raise awareness of the issue of slavery in the 21st century at the same time as celebrating the events which took place 200 years ago.
'Unchained' began in January with the first two strands of the project - art and poetry competitions under the banner headings 'Unchained Images' and 'Unchained Words'. The competitions were open to both adults and children. A great deal of local promotion of the project, £250 in prize money from a local company - Hadwins VW Lindale - and liaison with local schools, resulted in a large number of entries for both competitions.
In the meantime the third strand of the project got underway with plans for a concert which would celebrate the musical heritage which arose from the bonds of slavery, with all the proceeds to be donated to Amnesty International. A wide range of local musicians were approached who all wanted to be involved. The owner of the local arts centre donated a room for the concert and as word got round even more musicians came on board.
In March, the 'Unchained Images' and 'Unchained Words' exhibition was set up throughout the library, to tie in with "Abolition Day". There was also a display of books, posters and artefacts, some of which had been loaned by library customers. There was a great response shown by visitors to the library and the exhibitions really engaged their interest. The art and poetry competitions were judged by Kate Bentley, a local artist, and Maggie Norton who is South Cumbrian Poet Laureate 2007. A 'People's Choice' competition was also run so that members of the public could vote for their favourite entries.
The concert, 'Unchained Melody', took place on Saturday 31st March. Music ranged from African funeral songs to Bob Dylan, from spirituals to blues and from African drumming to Billie Holliday. Members of Grange Drama Society also performed readings throughout the evening including a memorable performance of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream' speech". The concert ended with the whole audience of 125 people joining in with all the musicians singing "If I had a hammer", "This little light" and "We shall overcome". The evening raised £530 for Amnesty International.
The whole project drew to a close on 13th April with an awards ceremony which over 50 people, children and adults, attended. The feedback received about the project was very positive and rewarding for all who were involved.
"A wonderful exhibition and very thought-provoking".
"This project has really made me think about the issue of slavery in the world today".
"'Unchained" has celebrated the ending of the slave trade in a truly memorable way - thank you".
'Well Read'
Cumbria Libraries have just launched their first ever Books on Prescription scheme, Well Read.
Well Read is a collection of books, audio CDs and DVDs on mental health issues, available for people to borrow from the county's 6 largest libraries - Barrow, Carlisle, Kendal, Penrith, Whitehaven and Workington.
The aim of the collections is to encourage people to help themselves to manage their mental health. Some people may be referred to borrow specific titles from the collection by their GP or a Mental Health Worker, or by other health professionals and/or Adult Social care workers.
Other people may "self prescribe" on seeing the titles in the library and finding them to be of relevance to their own situation.
The library service is working with the primary care mental health team on this project and the collection has been put together using titles recommended by their team.
The collections are housed in the 6 libraries within dedicated shelving units and they have a distinct "branding" - which includes signs for the shelving units as well as Well Read posters and leaflets to promote the collections within the wider community. The design materials are based on original resources produced by Mersey Care NHS Trust and Liverpool Libraries and Information Services They were designed by Liverpool PCT's Design and Social Marketing Team and Cumbria Libraries are indebted to them for allowing the adaptation of their original materials.
Graduate Mental Health Workers attached to the Primary Care Mental Health Team are also staffing weekly Well Read helpdesk sessions in the 6 libraries - at present these drop in sessions are being held as follows:
Carlisle Library - Wednesday 9.30 -11.30am
PenrithLibrary - Thursday 9.30 -1.30am
Whitehaven Library - Thursday 1.00 -3.00pm
Workington Library - Wednesday 10.00 -12.00am
Up to date details can be found on the libraries' website:
A full list of all titles in the collection is also available on the libraries' website.
There is no charge if anyone wishes to request any of the Well Read titles, and there are no loan charges for anyone borrowing the DVDs or audio CDs from the collections.
In addition to the Well Read scheme, Cumbria Libraries have been running a bibliotherapy reading group at Penrith Library since September 2006. The reading group runs on the model devised by Dr Jane Davis at the University of Liverpool and developed within the Get into Reading project. It uses shared reading and reading aloud, and so far the group has read a diverse range of titles including fiction and short stories, poetry and a biography.
Pure Passion
Along with other north west library services, Cumbria is bringing passion into the lives of its readers!
A promotion of Romantic Fiction co-ordinated by the North West Libraries' Reader Development partnership Time To Read in partnership with the Romantic Novelists Association and sponsored by Bertrams Books is running in many of Cumbria's libraries.
Pure Passion aims to bring to people's attention some of the best contemporary Romantic Fiction and the fact that it is available to borrow from the library. The Pure Passion promotion is based around an initial list of 15 books which encompass a variety of styles of romantic writing from absorbing stories of family and friendship, to historical and fantastical worlds.
These titles are being promoted via displays within libraries and also via Cumbria's many reading groups, and readers are being encouraged to post comments about the list online, as well as recommend their own favourite romantic read published within the last 10 years.
To tie in with the Pure Passion promotion, this year's The Write Read readers and writers day will have the romantic fiction genre as its focus. The event will be held on 14th July at Higham Hall (between Cockermouth and Keswick) and as in previous years is organised by Cumbria library service working with Writing Cumbria, a Cumbria-wide writing development service.
The day will be hosted by Leeds-based poet James Nash, and will feature: Roger Sanderson (who writes romances as Gill Sanderson); Linda Gillard (Emotional Geology; A lifetime Burning); Phillipa Houldcroft who writes as Phillipa Ashley (Decent Exposure; Wish you Were Here) and Anna Scamans who writes as Anna Louise Lucia, a new author who is to have her first book published in the USA next year and who lives in Cumbria.
Programmes and booking forms will be available from libraries shortly, and the day will cost £25 which includes all refreshments and a fabulous Higham Hall lunch.
For further information contact:
Helen Towers
Reading Promotions and Stock Coordinator
Library Services
Arroyo Block
The Castle
Carlisle
Cumbria
CA3 8UR
Tel: 01228 60 7287
Email: helen.towers@cumbriacc.gov.uk
Librarians in the North West have pioneered partnership working to encourage new readers into libraries. Time To Read is a partnership of librarians engaged in reader development activity in public library authorities in the North West Region. All 23 public library authorities in the region currently support Time To Read.