Pupils at Roose Primary School in Cumbria stand with a flame they created for HMD 2020 and a display at their local library.


prejudice and denial, fiction can capture a range of experiences and emotions, helping us to understand complex issues on a human level.


Libraries and the national picture of HMD


For HMD 2020, more than 1,200 libraries across the UK got involved. This is a tremendous achievement, and we are so grateful for the enormous contribution that libraries make to the national picture of HMD. For several years, libraries have been involved in educating and commemo- rating with their communities by displaying stock, posters and booklets, organising book club meetings and running events for the diverse communities they serve. Last year, for example, Uxbridge


Library in West London worked with disabled adults to create an exhibition of artwork reflecting on the message of HMD which was then displayed in the library. Seaton Library in Exeter organ- ised an event with young volunteers, who prepared readings and films based on survivor testimony. Edinburgh Central Library invited an author and survivor of the genocide in Bosnia to tell her story. This year, however, is likely to look rather different. Libraries have been under enormous pressure and had to grapple with uncertainty, restrictions and an ever-changing landscape. But in this challenging period, marking HMD is more important than ever. The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted new waves of conspiracy theories and hostility directed towards minorities. People are experiencing isolation from each other and from their communities, and the need to bring people together – even while we are physically apart – has never been greater. That’s why Holocaust Memorial Day Trust has developed new resources specifically designed to support libraries


December 2020


and other organisations to get involved virtually. Here are some ideas for how your library can mark HMD:


l Use our book club resource to organ- ise a virtual reading group with staff and library visitors, discussing a fiction or non-fiction book about the Holocaust or subsequent genocides (www.hmd.org.uk/ resource/hmd-book-club-activity)


l Encourage library users to put pen to paper and reflect on the importance of HMD by running a poetry or short story writing competition (www.hmd.org.uk/re- source/poetry-writing-activity)


l Get creative and take part in our col- laborative artwork project, and encourage library users to create a work of art from home (www.hmd.org.uk/resource/artwork-submis- sion-project)


l Screen a film about the Holocaust or genocide virtually using our film club resource, which includes technical advice and recommended films (www.hmd.org.uk/ watch-together)


l Learn about a culture affected by gen- ocide and learn a new skill by taking part in the cook-along activity with colleagues or the local community (www.hmd.org.uk/ resource/cook-along-activity)


l Put posters and information about HMD in the windows of your library (www.hmd.org. uk/resource/holocaust-and-genocides-posters).


On the day:


l Watch the UK HMD ceremony when it’s streamed live on 27 January at 7pm. Please register at https:// hmdt.geteventaccess. com/registration/ to receive the link to the ceremony.


l The ceremony will end at 8pm with a candle-lighting ritual. It will start with Holocaust and genocide survivors lighting candles and segue to a national moment


of Lighting the Darkness. Households across the UK will be lighting candles in their windows at 8pm on HMD, to actively remember victims of Holocaust and recent genocides and ‘shine a light’ against any hatred and division today. Please get involved in this and spread the word! There are plenty more ways to get involved and we encourage everyone to get creative and think about how you can bring your unique community together. Please visit our website, www.hmd.org.uk, for more ideas, support, resources and advice.


Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 The theme for HMD 2021 is “Be the light in the darkness”. It encourages everyone to reflect on the depths humanity can sink to, but also the ways individuals and com- munities resisted that darkness to ‘be the light’ before, during and after genocide. Be the light in the darkness is an affirma- tion and a call to action for everyone marking HMD. This theme asks us to consider different kinds of ‘darkness’, for example, identity-based persecution, misinformation, denial of justice; and different ways of ‘being the light’, for example, resistance, acts of solidarity, rescue and illuminating mistruths. We can all stand in solidarity. We can choose


to be the light in the darkness in a variety of ways and places – at home, in public and online.


Get Involved


We are looking forward to seeing libraries from all different sectors and parts of the UK taking part in HMD 2021. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) is the charity that promotes and supports HMD commem- oration across the UK. We offer a range of support to libraries to help them mark HMD in their communities. We are always eager to find out about the informative, poignant and creative ways that libraries mark HMD. Please share with us at www.hmd.org.uk/letusknow. IP


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