Places of sanctuary


A NEW resource to help libraries support their local communities through the City of Sanctuary initia- tive has been launched. The Libraries of Sanctuary resource pack includes a wealth of information and insight into why a library may want to be part of the project. The initiative not only benefits the local community, but also enables libraries to demonstrate their value in new ways. The resource pack was written by John


Vincent, and published by City of Sanctuary – supported by partners Arts Council England; Birmingham City Council; Bolton Council;


City of Sanctuary; Coventry


Libraries and Information Service; Libraries Connected; Manchester City Council; and Oldham Council.


It includes case studies and details on the


three core principles that underpin what it means to be a Library of Sanctuary. These are:


l Learn: learning what it means to be seek­ ing sanctuary; in general and particularly in the context of mental wellbeing and infor­ mation/support needs.


l Embed: taking positive action to embed concepts of welcome, safety and inclusion


within the library, including, but not limited to, other library users and library staff and volunteers.


l Share: sharing your vision, achievements, what you have learned, and good practice with other library services, the local commu­ nity and beyond.”


The pack also includes practical advice


and examples of activities that can be run, as well as detailing how to apply to become a Library of Sanctuary. John said: “The pack is published by City of Sanctuary which holds the vision that our nations will be welcoming places of safety for all and proud to offer sanctuary to people fleeing violence and persecution. “Libraries have a long history of developing


services for vulnerable groups, and this pack will enable libraries to effectively engage with sanc­ tuary­seekers and to respond to their needs. “Although the focus is on people seeking sanctuary, many of the issues raised are applicable to any new arrivals, however long their length of stay, such as the ‘Windrush Generation’ and economic migrants from inside and outside the EU.”


Bertrams goes into


adminstration BOOK wholesaler Bertrams has gone into administration, with most of its employees made redundant. Bertrams, which includes Bertrams Library Services, fell


into administration on 19 June. The wholesaler was put up for sale in May of this year by its owner, the equity group Aurelius. However with no buyer willing to take on the com­ pany, administrators were called in. A statement from Turpin Barker Armstorng, the insolvency


firm dealing with the aftermath of the bankruptcy, blamed a changing market and the effects of the coronavirus lock­ down for the company’s failure. The statement said: “Book wholesalers have suffered from falling demand in recent years due to changes in the distribution model for literature and the rising popularity of e­books. These factors, combined with the Covid­19­related closure of many public libraries and educational facilities, meant these businesses could no longer operate viably.”


Internet Archive lawsuit


A number of publishers are suing the Internet Archive over alleged copyright violations by its National Emergency Library. The threat led the IA to close the emergency library which was essentially a relaxing of restrictions to lend only one copy at a time from its existing digital library. An article in Vox said the lawsuit had provoked a big reaction because IA provides other services, the most famous being the Wayback Machine, a digital collection of roughly 390 billion pages dating back to 1996.


June-July 2020 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 11


Find out more about Libraries of Sanc­ tuary in the next issue of Information Professional.


Download the pack at https://bit.ly/38HJtd9.


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