Seminar about Living Library

The idea of ‘Living Library’ originated in Scandinavia. It's a scheme that gives direct access to someone else’s experience, by allowing people to ‘borrow’ someone who is an expert in their field, has significant experience to share, or is passionate about a hobby.

‘Loans’ take the form of a conversation, and can last for half an hour, a morning or an afternoon.

Living Library has been developed in a number of countries and experience seems to illustrate the contribution that library, museum and archive services can make to community cohesion. I've been working with the Community Services Group of CILIP and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council to organise a seminar in London which will share experiences from Australia and Belgium.

Among the questions we hope to explore are:

What ways can be found to link the topic ‘borrowed’ with existing, more permanent, resources?

Should Living Library be mainstreamed?

Is the MLA sector the appropriate place for such initiatives?

Here's the line-up:

Chair: Catherine Max, Head of Policy Development, MLA

Speakers:

Martin Field, Director, Richmond-Tweed Regional Library, New South Wales, Australia

Katleen Van der Straeten, Jeugd Rode Kruis, Belgium

Helen Carpenter, Project Co-ordinator, Welcome To Your Library

Cost: £45 including coffee/tea (CSG members £40).

Blurb and booking form. The pic above is taken from Lismore's Living Library, New South Wales.