Jacqui’s Friday Five - Issue #7
Hello and welcome back to Jacqui’s Friday Five (after a little pause while we travelled to Brazil, Argentina and Chile). I am back and ready to share with some more wonderful things in the land of libraries.
We did manage to find some libraries whilst we were away with a wonderful little library tucked away in one of the side streets in the Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro leaving an impact on us. Whilst we were not able to go inside the library (they try and keep it available to the residents of the favela only), the security guard let us step into the foyer so that we could peruse the floor labels to see what it had to offer. We were delighted to see that in addition to the main library they offered … free wifi, a recording studio, audiovisual studio, multipurpose rooms, a kitchen, and a children’s library. The residents living in the favela have little support from the government and this library, opened in 2012, was an unprecedented move to provide a meeting point and a learning/entertainment/coexistence point as a conduit for the residents to become active agents in their own future. We need more of these in communities disenfranchised from society. Click here for more
The cover photo for this week is a lovely post from the Easily distracted by books’ Facebook page. I love these images that highlight that libraries are more than just books!
So on to my next Friday Five. It has been a very hard week to narrow this down to five! I have been collecting things since before we travelled … there are so many amazing things happening in libraries.
7.1. Declining reading rates: Like many other countries Australia is currently experiencing a decline in reading, most likely due to the “scrolling” phenomena. In this article Rachael Johns, an award winning author, delves into the Understanding Australian Readers report to look at ways of reconnecting with readers. We need to get readers back … for knowledge, information and for pleasure. Click here for the article
7.2. Libby … she saves me $$: A fabulous article on LibbyLife highlights the economic benefits of using your library card to access the Libby app. As a voracious reader (who is married to a voracious reader) we get maximum benefit out of our access! Between books, magazines and audiobooks we are so lucky that we can access free materials via Libby. Not everyone can afford to sign up and pay for an app to access materials (we shall not name those apps!) when Libby is free. Let’s promote this more widely to our library members and the wider community. Click here for more information
7.3. Cost of living pinch: Following on from Libby we have an article in The Conversation that points out how libraries are thriving in the current age, where money is becoming more and more of an issue in so many households in 2025. The article uses data from the Australian Public Libraries Statistical Report 2023-24 (Click here to access the report). Library visits are up 10% compared to a year ago and loans are up 23% … Clearly libraries are not dead!! Click here for more
7.4. Rainbows: 100libraries.art share a post on their Facebook page celebrating an installation of a Healing Rainbow in the Dalla Public Library. Now I personally have a connection with rainbows as they have a very special symbolism for me so this post caught my eye. It led me to do a little research on the project. Solar Spectrum artist, Peter Erskine, is creating and donating rainbow installations to public libraries. At a time when libraries face funding challenges and are at the centre of cultural debates, Erskine’s project seeks to provide a sense of beauty, peace, and emotional well-being in these vital public spaces. Click here for more
7.5. I want another library card: I am a card-carrying library member of at least 8 different library services across Australia, but I want to join another! The American Library Association shared a post this week that celebrated the Hennepin County Library in Minnesota that has released a “Purple Rain” library card in honour of Prince! We need more of this! More library cards that honour a location, natural flora and fauna, iconic artists, scientists, or writers. Now to think about if I can actually join and get a card sent to me in the mail! Click here for more