CILIP Disability Network: Be part of The Living Library
The CILIP Disability Network is working with Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust to champion Disability Pride throughout July via a Living Library. Read below for the details of how you can become a living library book!
What is a Living Library?
- A library that focuses on health conditions, impairments and disabilities
- This is the change for readers to borrow a “book” to find out more about a certain topic
- The library is “living” because the books are real people with real life experiences to learn about
- The “reading” that is done is in fact a conversation
The first one started in Denmark and you can read some of their “books” and learn more about their project on the Human Library website.
How will it work for this project?
- Throughout the month of July, readers will be able to check out “books” in person (meet up for an in-person chat) or as an e-book (meet up via MS Teams)!
- The purpose of this Living Library project is for readers to get a first-hand account of what it is like living with a health condition, impairment and/or disability.
- Each book’s experience is unique to them, and each book will give their personal point of view.
- This will help to raise awareness of conditions and reduce stigma.
- We would love members of the CILIP Disability Network to be involved as ebooks that can be borrowed.
Do you want to be a book?
- Do you have a health condition, impairment and/or disability that you would like to talk about to help raise awareness?
- Would you like to have conversations with readers to help them understand about disability and reduce stigma?
- You may not consider your condition a disability and may just want to raise awareness as a living book
- You may be managing staff with a health condition, impairment and/or disability and would like to share what you have done to help
If you would like to be a book, please contact the Disability Network Chair at info.disability@cilip.org.uk for an informal chat about getting involved. They will then contact you with further details such as what you would like your title to be and what you would like to talk about – so get thinking and get involved!