Jacqui’s Friday Five - Issue #6
Today is my 6th instalment of Jacqui’s Friday Five, but there will be a pause following this one as Ian and I are taking some leave and heading off on an adventure to Brazil, Argentina and Chile. I wonder if we can find a library while we are away! We will be back in the first week of November and from mid-November I will recommence writing my weekly update of all the wonderful things that are happening in library land.
My cover photo for this week is a favourite image that pops up frequently on my social media. A reminder that so many wonderful characters from children’s books help to influence the readers we become and frame the people we become. I love a fairytale and have many favourite characters from books I read as a child.
So on to today’s Friday Five – so many things happening and another week where I need to curate my post to cull some wonderful ideas.
6.1. What is your best book find in a returned book: A lighthearted post from Columbus Metropolitan Library came floating across my Facebook feed this week. It was a video showing some of the many “bookmarks” that the staff had found at the library. Some were cute, some funny, and the final one horrifying! It got me thinking … what wonders have you found? Click here for the video
6.2. A fashion event: Last month Yarra Libraries hosted a workshop on how to style your wardrobe. Patrons were encouraged to bring along items from their wardrobe and receive advice on how to style them from the presenters. For me this was another reminder that libraries are becoming social places where people can learn more and more … and to not just access books And yes – I know we must have books and I love books – but libraries can also play a role in encouraging and supporting the community to be more conscious of their environmental impact through workshops like this. [I didn’t know that an item is clothing is, on average, worn 7 times before it is thrown out!] Click here for more
6.3. How to be Scam Aware: Frankston City Libraries recently hosted a workshop aimed at helping patrons to become more aware of scams and how to spot them. As the risk of falling prey to a scam increases and with the rise of AI, these skills will become more relevant. Held as part of Frankston’s Senior’s Festival the event looked like a lot of fun and very informative. The risk of our senior’s falling for these scams is on the rise so I applaud the running of this workshop to help bridge that digital divide. Click here for more
6.4. Book banning: I came across an article this week that focused on the seemingly normalization of book censorship in the United States. Books like A Clockwork Orange, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and even Wicked have been banned from some libraries. The report indicated that 2,304 books have been banned in Florida and 1,781 have been banned in Texas, just two of the states mentioned in the article. Some 2,308 authors and 243 illustrators have been impacted. It is a fascinating article, but it is also a huge concern. I urge you to read it … and then think about all that we can do to make this stop. Click here for more
6.5. The wonders of Minecraft: And finally, following on from banned books is the magical uncensored library of Minecraft. Deep within the world of Minecraft is a Minecraft server that contains materials from countries in the world that have reportedly banned free press. There is even a beautifully designed neo-classical building made from over 12.5 million Minecraft blocks! I love the idea that there are organisations striving to prevent censorship. Click here for more
