Love Libraries - Libraries’ audio time capsule preserves local experiences of pandemic
The global Covid pandemic of 2020 changed all of our lives, from enduring lockdown restrictions in our communities to shielding vulnerable family, friends and neighbours, and even enduring the tragic loss of loved ones.
But amid the hardships, there were uplifting stories about how communities pulled together. Some of these were recorded as part of the ‘What’s Your Story’ project run by North Ayrshire Libraries.
The initiative helped capture this unique part of local history, with library users’ stories sharing for future generations how their lives changed between 2000 and 2022.
Challenges
Twenty-one submissions were recorded and made online.
These include the Barrmill Jolly Beggars Burns Club delivering ‘Jolly bags of kindness’ to senior citizens in their area and a festival coordinator hosting online dog contents – and finding love.
Other stories cover the struggle to carve out a new career after being made redundant, students learning alone during lockdown and the challenges of being pregnant during the restrictions.
Part of Scotland’s Year of Stories, the project was led by William Poulter, former Library Development Officer at North Ayrshire Council who has now moved on to develop the digital offering at Troon Library in South Ayrshire.
He said:
Library colleagues were hearing so many uplifting stories from local people sharing things they experienced during the long time we had apart, so we wanted to create our own library-based community project for North Ayrshire.
Our aim was to capture examples of strength, community spirit, resilience and real lived experience from this unique time in history.
Amazing
Danny Sweeney, now retired from North Ayrshire Council, found a two-saddled tandem bike sourced by the local authority’s Active Travel team was a “game-changer” for him.
Danny said:
The difficult thing for me, being registered blind, was that I didn’t have a laptop, so I was one of the few people who still worked in our office at Saltcoats Town Hall over the pandemic. It was really strange and it took me some time to adjust.
Our amazing Active Travel team managed to source me an electric tandem bike to allow me to continue with my daily exercise, despite gyms being shut.
It was a game-changer. My friend John, a semi-retired taxi driver, agreed to be my cycling companion and we managed to clock over 2,000 miles and counting!
Although the tandem is a big part of my audio story, I reflected upon socially distanced family anniversaries and get-togethers too.
Danny (left) with his friend John on a cycle expedition to Arran
Unforgettable
Jen Law, Media and Internal Communications Assistant, also volunteered to offer a unique perspective to the project.
The young mum discovered that she was pregnant in early 2020 and going through pregnancy when Covid hit was an unforgettable experience.
She said:
The ‘What’s Your Story?’ project has been a cathartic and healing experience as it offered me the unique opportunity to really take stock of everything that happened – good and bad.
It allowed me to appreciate just how lucky me, my family, friends and loved ones have been to have come out the other side of some really difficult times, relatively unscathed.
As I struggled with my post-natal mental health, I hope that my audio contribution can give hope and raise awareness for future mums-to-be and others experiencing mental health struggles, providing them with an uplifting account of finding light at the end of the tunnel.
Hopefully my contribution can also provide those looking to reflect on this profound and unprecedented time in history with an appreciation of some of the fonder memories we had to share.
It has been a privilege to be involved, and I am proud to be a part of Scotland’s history.
Jen and her daughter at Irvine Beach making the most of her maternity leave when pandemic restrictions eased
Resilient
Alison McAllister, Information and Culture Manager at North Ayrshire Council, added:
Thank you to the Public Library Improvement Fund, administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council, and to every North Ayrshire resident who has contributed to our ‘What’s Your Story?’ audio time capsule.
Our project not only gives people the chance to remember friends and family lost to the pandemic, but critically serves as a beacon of light to uplift our communities by hearing the lived experience of resilient people who kept community spirit alive over the last few years.
Listen to all of the recordings on the North Ayrshire Council YouTube Channel at What’s Your Story? – YouTube.