Crone Spoken Library - HELSI "Art of Healthy Ageing" 28th January 2023 .pptx

Presentation given at the HELSI "Art of Healthy Lifespans" event 28th January 2023 to share our experience of running a spoken Library event at the Universtiy's Festival of the Mind. We discuss how we designed and organissed the event, the challenges and strengths of the event and the value of older women sharing their positive experiences of ageing.

1. The Crone Spoken Library A biographical approach to exploring age and ageing

2. Introductions: The Crone Spoken Library team Justine Gaubert Pam McKinney Lorna Warren

3. What we are going to cover today What was the Crone Spoken Library? How did the idea start? Why CRONE? How did the Crone Spoken Library work? What sort of ‘books’ did visitors to the library ‘read’? What were the strengths of a spoken library and what were the challenges? How are we going forward with the library? Any questions?

4. What is the Crone Spoken Library? (previously the Crone Human Library!) The event drew on the Human Library conversation approach: https://humanlibrary.org : a ‘book’ is an individual who volunteers to represent a stigmatised group using their personal experiences to answer questions from ‘readers .’ BUT our event differed: it had a centralised theme, ‘ Older Women ’, and it uses the language of ‘ stories ’. The Crone Spoken Library also offered book covers before the event, for readers to browse, and aimed to record stories and publish them digitally following the event.

5. How did the idea start?

6. How did the idea start? “The normalising of worthlessness of old age feeds into our own perception of self and subtly validates discrimination in employment and other areas.” Reframing Ageing report, Centre for Ageing Better (2020)

7. How did the idea start?

8. How did the idea start? Look At Me! artwork

9. Pam - a library and information perspective What is a library? Digital libraries, physical libraries - now a spoken library Who are librarians? What are their professional roles and how could they be incorporated into this model of the spoken library? Everyday information practices : what information do people value? How can information support health and wellbeing? What is the value of shared personal experiences?

10. But why did we call it ‘CRONE?!’

11. How did the Crone Spoken Library work? Sign-up to be a ‘reader’ via Festival of the Mind/ Eventbrite Readers arrived at the tent for a welcome/ short introduction Readers had 10 mins to browse covers and choose a book Readers and books were introduced and had 20 mins to talk We asked readers and books if they minded the talk being recorded and photographed with the option: YOU CAN SAY NO! Readers had a 2nd opportunity to browse covers and choose a book REPEAT! We closed the session, and collected feedback

12. What sort of ‘books’ could visitors to the library ‘read’?

13. Janet Chelliah

14. Strengths of a spoken library? Sharing significant life course experience and events Learning from others EG Diagnosis of neurodiversity → aging better: Give self permission to ‘be me’ and ‘be kinder to myself’ Focus on ‘superpowers’ not on masking deficits’ Create right condition to ‘keep well’ and ‘flourish’ Work how and with whom she wants Participation and co-production ‘Unjudging’ (Human Library)

15. Organisational challenges of a spoken library Not knowing who the readers were, or having their contact details We had to create and share lots of complicated ethical information Issues with human books participating at a distance We had excellent support from the AV team at the university, this was essential Time: trying to pack two readers per book into the time we had Conditions in the Spiegeltent Getting feedback from participants was a bit patchy No-show readers (arrrrgghh!!!) Need a small army of (wonderful) volunteers © Laura Page

16. Feedback from Readers © Laura Page I had two incredible conversations Absolutely amazing - I’m buzzing! I feel like I’m valued which is just absolutely amazing I’m so excited that you’ve run this event today….I love the whole ethos of everything that you’re doing…it’s inspired me It was really wonderful….just that lovely space that opens up with neurodiverse people I’ve met some incredible, strong, supportive female women and had some great conversations….our voices don’t need to be marginalised they need to be echoed Two really different stories from women with different lifestyles but both equally inspiring I’m not alone in wanting to imagine the second phase in life

17. Feedback from Books What a great event. The power of older women on fire and being heard….So enjoyed meeting everyone I managed to. Do hope there will be some follow up One woman said can I give you a hug, you will never know what you’ve done for me. She also cried Just to say how much I enjoyed being a ‘Book’ This afternoon. I had two lovely readers who were an absolute joy. © Laura Page Amazing inspiring and fun!

18. What next from the Crone Spoken Library team The Crone Digital Library Use library and feedback to promo Seek internal funding for a library using the university digital platform Share library with the public via Crte future Crone Spoken library events and recruit potential partners and human books / readers Research funding Wider research funding to develop the crone spoken library initiative More events Wider range of communities and participants A ‘nominate a crone’ approach Work with human books and readers to co-design the Crone Spoken Library approach Support individual books in crafting their stories © Laura Page

19. Any questions? www.croneclub.org [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]