Can you say “we can hear you” to someone who is deaf?
Libraries are not just places where you borrow books. There is so much more going on at libraries than that, and it is important that the staff stay up to date on many different levels. For two intensive days in March, library staff from Norrbotten gathered to receive and share their knowledge and inspire each other. In Övertorneå, for example, you can explore Anne Frank's hiding place using virtual reality (VR), and in Piteå, sign language interpreters interpret book tips.
Christina Stålnacke from Norrbotten Regional Library welcomed everyone to the reading promotion conference, which is being organized for library staff in all municipalities in Norrbotten. The theme of this conference was practical reading promotion work and accessibility. When she introduced the first speaker of the day, it was time to open your minds and let your imagination flow!
Interactive experiences
Hanna Eitzenberger and Annika Riekkola from Gammelstad Library shared their fantastic creative work with storytimes. By mixing scenography, sound and interactivity, they transform the library into an enchanted forest where children can experience fairy tales with all their senses. Appreciated by both young and old. More information about this work can be found in a article on Digiteket.
Just as the youngest children get to experience fairy tales through participation in Gammelstad, older children also have the opportunity to do so, albeit in a more age-appropriate way. Lotta Johansson and Malin Lundbäck spoke about the collaborative project digital reading promotion in Haparanda, Kalix, Övertorneå and Överkalix. It involves using VR as a tool for reading promotion. By giving children and young people the opportunity to explore literary worlds in 3D, a whole new dimension of learning and experience opens up. Although the technology is not always flawless, its potential to engage and inspire is outstanding.
Here, Malin Lundbäck from the school library in Kalix shows VR glasses used as a tool for promoting reading.
Accessibility and service
Day two of the conference was about making libraries accessible to children and young people with disabilities. Hanna Frizén Nordström from Umeå City Library shared methods for creating inclusive reading activities. By using a variety of tools, from visual aids to sign language, libraries strive to be places where everyone feels welcome and involved.
A central part of the work with accessibility is to treat all visitors in a respectful and inclusive way. The libraries in Norrbotten have a treatment guide, and Desirée Stensdotter talked about it. Desirée works as a sign language interpreter, a deaf-blind interpreter and as a library administrator at Piteå City Library, and ends her presentation with the call to dare to ask what different kinds of needs people have, so that the library visit will be as good as possible. And when asked if you can say “we hear you” to someone who is deaf, Desirée answers that you absolutely can. It is an expression, just like “we see you”, that is also used by people with disabilities.
Conferences like this are truly a reminder that libraries are much more than just collections of books. Libraries are places of experience, learning, and community. By continuing to explore new ideas and technologies, libraries can continue to be a source of inspiration for us all.
Text and image: Linda Kvenås