War and Covid — time to need and value our libraries
I am a fan of the social media channel Twitter. I tend to lurk rather than participate, as I like to read and muse over other people’s experiences, opinions and perspectives. I also like to keep up to date with world news and of course as a librarian the goings on within my profession.
Last week I noticed one particular tweet that had gone viral: “Looking at a message from the Ukraine Library Association concerning the cancellation of their forthcoming conference. It says, ‘We will reschedule just as soon as we have finished vanquishing our invaders.’ The tweet then went on to say, ‘Ukrainian Librarians, I salute you.’
It struck home, as it seemed to capture the Ukrainian spirit of defiance in the face of overwhelming military power.
It may seem odd to speak about libraries, archives and databases in the midst of a war. However, we have seen enough of conflict around the world to know that the first resort of tyrants is often to bomb the archives and shell the libraries. In 2003, insurgents destroyed the National Library and State Archives of Iraq, along with the collective memory of a nearly 5000-year-old civilisation.
Other than the threat to themselves and their families, librarians who have lived through war have said they fear one thing above all — the erasure of the people, their culture, their literature and language. When foreign powers destroy records and books, they can rewrite history as they please. It is also sadly always true that a population is susceptible to disinformation and thus easier to control when denied access to education and critical literacy — the very things that libraries are committed to provide.
People often turn to the library as a place of trust, truth, and peace. Eastern London’s Bethnal Green Library was among the many buildings struck by Nazi bombs during the Blitz in 1940. Bethnal Green librarians helped move its collection underground, literally, as part of a neighbourhood effort to convert an unfinished tube station into a shelter. At 78 feet below ground, it was one of the few safe places to shelter in the area and focus on reading rather than the bombs above.
War and Covid-19 are different beasts, but the effect on reading has been the same. Never have we read so voraciously or needed and valued our libraries more. New Zealanders may not be hiding from bombs and in the midst of armed war, but reading is still a necessary comfort. Even if you can’t get to your local library for any reason, whether you are in isolation, unwell or want to protect yourself and others from Covid, we have a free service called Homelink. Our library has offered this service to homebound people for the last 20 years. Covid has made it a challenge for people to use the library safely so we have made it available to all of our customers, including children, families and adults.
For those who are in need of reading material and are worried about being out and about, pop online and register. You can even reserve your books from our catalogue or let us know what genre and format you are interested in. We will then select and deliver these materials to your door.
Complete the form on our website www. tetakere.org.nz/YourLibrary/LibraryServices/Homelink Email us at info@horowhenua. govt.nz
Call 368 1953.