Public Libraries and Somali Culture

[librarian]

Dear All, alykum salam,

 

Libraries and Somali Culture

 

I work in London public libraries and I am interested in helping them become more attractive to the somali community. There are big debates going on currently about what libraries should be and what they should provide.

The government’s strategic vision for the future of the public library service has been strongly criticised by library managers as not going far enough and being uninspiring.

It appears to echo the kind of library service in existence in many authorities rather than offering a challenge for change to meet the needs of more of the community.

John Pateman writes,

“The Framework is based on a number of fundamental myths and misconceptions about public libraries. It is claimed that they are "open to all" when all the research evidence suggests that they are only actively used by 30% of the population; two out of three library users are middle class; and libraries are massively underused by Black communities, Travellers, refugees, asylum seekers, the homeless and other marginalised groups. Libraries are used most by those who need them least; and they are used least by those who need them most. “ (Framework for the future: libraries, learning and information in the new decade 2003 p24)

I want to know how we can change this and what nomads would like to see from and in public libraries.

 

What libraries currently provide

 

Free public access to the internet for library members. Information about Council and other local services and organisations and access to the community and educational databases. A collection of self-help leaflets. Photocopier and neighbourhood noticeboard. Large print books for adults; CDs, DVDs and videos for adults and children; talking books and language courses on cassette and CD for adults and children. Newspapers and magazines.

 

Some suggestions of what might be added

 

Somali books

(we need titles and authors, what they are about and where to get them. We would like popular titles and not just academic books. In as much as Somalia has a largely oral society would books be borrowed or wanted, would audio CDs and tapes be more popular and what should they be, what Somali, European poets might be popular?Would secular Arabic writers be read, would Arabic be more useful as a reading language than Somali? What topics, genre, would be popular subjects?)

 

Somali events

 

What would be popular? (would vocalists, musicians, plays, poets, storytelling be popular and how do people normally have a good time?)

Maybe something else totally, people seem to want loads of basic skills material, would african literature, history and politics in general be popular or only Horn of Africa stuff?

 

Please let's hear from you, complaints, advice, thoughts, issues involve publishing, there does not seem to be much published in Somali that would have a wide appeal.. Nuruddin Farah writes in English and many books in Somali seem very academic, dual language texts available are not that appropriate..Paddington Bear, for example?

Also how can the culture be preserved and recorded for future generations who may be growing up in a Western culture, how do we help to keep your oral traditions alive and well?

 

Looking forward to your response and let me say as a Trinidadian and not a Somali, I see myself as a guest in the "Camel Milk Threads'

Librarian

[Sophist]

Dear Librarian,

 

I think what you are asking is not something that can be easily answered in few lines or even long paragraphs. This is indeed a major project which needs to be appropriately researched. As a Londoner, if the government is genuinely serious about their desire to attract Somali readers as well as to preserve our “oral†culture then the government can indeed do far better by providing the fitting formula in realizing their goal.

 

Cheerio

[librarian]

Dear Sophist,

Fair comment. What I was hoping for was a debate about what kind of library nomads would like while they sojourn in cities with public library facilities. In cities like London, Toronto, Malmo, Oslo, Rome..wherever they find themselves. The government has no idea, just as I don't. We have to start somewhere and I would like to take this further. You are right. I am doing research. Hopefully something positive will come out of it. The only piece of research that I know about was Anthony Olden's published as “Somali refugees in London: oral culture in a Western information environmentâ€, Libri 1999, vol.49, pp 212-224.

 

Thank you and please comment if only to tell of what experiences you had using a library, or why you don't use them?

 

Best wishes,

The Librarian

[Sophist]

I love the summer, not because the weather is jolly good, but indeed the days are longer and I have plenty of time—time I most spent in Libraries and Cafes. For me, the library is a place I escape from the painful reality of the western life style. You see reading Fyodor Dostoesysky, the self hating Russian makes my soul croon with delight. I read because I want to live. My dad often said "Life without the pleasure of reading is one spent in melancholy".

 

But trying to find books written by Somalis on Somali experiences be that in the west or back home, I become livid for I seldom find any! even the Meca of Books The Bodleian Library in Oxford (couple years ago, I tried to find Nuriddin Farah’s book Secrets but to No avail). I think places in London, especially boroughs that hold considerable number of Somalis like, Ealing, Camden Tower Hamelets etc should have stocks of books in their public libraries.

 

There are number of fine writers, they indeed write in Somali. The one that comes to mind now is the writer of that celebrated book Maanofay (oh bugger, his name escapes me now).

 

If you want help, you can email me on asj27@cam.ac.uk

 

I shall try to help.

[Baashi]

Librarian,

Here it is see if you can make these books available for the regular Somali readers. Even though this school is located in the States they got these materials from UK namely from BBC and the Oriental School of London (I'm not sure the latter).

 

I really appreciate the effort you put in serving your readers especially Somalis. That is very nice of you.

[librarian]

Sophist,

Thank you and I will get in touch by e-mail. Swiss Cottage library in Camden has a small Somali collection and one is going into Queens Crescent (Gospel Oak area) and Regents Park libraries. They have had a popular Somali singer Fatimah Hilowle and a story teller. I love Dostoyevski (I know I can't spell his name) and when I read Crime and Punishment I went round feeling guilty for weeks. Books can transport you and save your life. They helped me when I was suicidal.

Be well.

[Waaq]

I view the addition of Somali materials as secondary to outreach within the community. It is important to show young Somalis the value of the library and reading. Unfortunately, I am not from the UK, but perhaps you could arrange some fun and educational outreach activities with the various Somali community organizations in London.

 

Sophist, perhaps you could point the Librarian in the direction of some appropriate community organizations.

 

Thank you for your efforts.

[Gaasira]

It is difficult to say what material would bring Somalis to use public libraries. The culture of using libraries and bookshops is something that must be inculcated in young minds at an early age. Most Somali parents are too preoccupied with the tedious processes of resettlement in foreign countries and have yet to realize the importance of reading for the growth and future success of their children. My feeling is that the best way to reach Somali children is through the schools themselves. If there is a way for the libraries to partner with the schools to create periods (perhaps after-school) where children can be taken to libraries to read books of their choice, I am certain most parents would welcome the opportunity and it would not be too costly for the government. Alternatively, visits to the library could be part of the regular schools field trips. This is something the libraries could negotiate with schools.

 

That said, many parents that I have encountered are concerned about the loss of Somali language and culture among their children. It has also being shown that children who speak their first language (the language spoken at home) also do better in other languages. To this end, I would suggest that Somali language/culture books would be a good place to start in terms of attracting parents and children to the libraries. Again, depending on what the government is willing to spend, a Somali heritage class on a Saturday morning in the libraries (ones that are located in Somali populated neighbourhoods) would be a good exposure for libraries.

 

If your library requires Somali language books, there is bookstore located in Ottawa, Canada, which has pretty good collection of books in Somali including books for grades 1-8, children’s stories, collections of some of the best known Somali poetry, a huge collection of BBC Somali Service tapes dating back to the 1950s, as well as documentaries about Somalia, etc. It would be worth your while getting in touch with them. They often receive requests from as far as Australia and New Zealand, mostly for the children’s books.

 

You may visit their website at:

 

Somali Resource and Heritage Center: http://www.angelfire.com/ma3/somheritage/

 

Hope this is helpful.

[Curly]

Funnily enough I’m having the same sort of problem at my work place. Our speech and language therapist find that reading to children from a early age greatly helps young children later in life when they start school and even helps them with the speech development. We’re currently running a library session for under fours in a deprived part of Tower Hamlets, and we originally hoped to attract the Bengali and Somali community, however we find that we are in fact attracting mostly middle class white women.

 

When I questioned Somali mothers about this they usually reply with statements such as “what are babies going to do with books?†They generally feel that libraries are unnecessary for young children and they do not believe there is a need for early learning at such a young age.

But they do not realise that their children are missing out on a better start in life because of old age customs.

 

I even remember not being allowed to go to library as a child because my family were too over protective and genuinely didn’t see a need for reading for leisure. When I got older I actually resorted to hiding books from my parents because I was addicted to reading novels and my parents felt it was getting in the way of my education.

 

Getting back to the question at hand I’d say that the best approach is poetry, because the older generation of Somalis are great lovers of poetry and this would probably help make them more accustom to their local libraries.

 

I also think that we should all be encouraging our siblings to read and attend the library, I know I’m always pushing my brothers to read and to my surprise it’s actually working.

[librarian]

Dear All,

What wonderful contributions you have made, very many thanks and please keep sending your ideas. I have sent some of your ideas and the booklist to five London boroughs (their librarians), Merton, Enfield, Newham, Camden and Brent. All of these ran a project last year trying to mainstream library services to refugees and asylum seekers. The project report is online at http://www.llda.org.uk/cms/contentpage/wtyl

where there is a link to a .pdf file.

As I don't speak/read Somali myself, I have sent the list of tapes to some Somalis working for projects like Sure Start and in Saturday Somali classes to see which tapes might be popular for the library to stock. There is a danger that we select material that is too technical or academic for the general public to want as we are not an academic library and rely on our stock being well used in order to justify renewing it and buying new stock.

I like the idea of using poetry to try to get Somalis to use the library space and hopefully get introduced to a reading culture. Ideas about how to find audiences and who to have as a poet are very welcome.

I just wish there was a whole lot of romances or light reading, like Mills and Boon are to the English, available in Somali. There is a whole lot of room for desktop publishing.

The story of the Tower Hamlets project is interesting. A library in Kentish Town opened on Sunday to have English language classes for Somali parents with a teacher from Westminster Kingsway and a local Somali community leader who helped the children with homework and Somali language. It all fell apart when power politics got involved. He called them 'my' people and could not understand why he could not take their names and addresses even after the library staff had tried to explain about the Data Protection Act and how he could get accredited as a teacher. End of homework and language club.

Another difficulty is getting audiences to events and getting performers who do not charge a lot. Money always being in short supply. A popular performer like singer Fatima Qaasin Hilowle with musician and dancer can cost £400 for an hours performance. She does bring many Somalis in as they know about her but they don't come back to the library.

I think that Somalis like political discussions and I wondered if panel debates would be popular or might attract Somalis to libraries. Would they come to discuss politics or would they all fight and tear down the library? Just joking. But if I may comment as a non-Somali and ignorant, in the sense of not knowing, person I think that Somalis outside of Somalia seem to lay aside clan differences and get on as a collective group with one national identity.

My researches suggest that there is a great demand for basic skills and English language material.

Another more philosophical question is should public libraries go for assimilation or acculturation- where I understand acculturation to mean keeping your culture while making out in someone else's country and assimilation to mean becoming completely absorbed into the culture of the other country? Please correct me if I am wrong in using these terms.

Above all I would like Somali communities to know that libraries are fun places where videos and music are available more cheaply than in video shops, provide safe and relatively quiet places to study or write, have free email and internet facilities, (well in Camden there is a free hour of use and web enquiries are always free). It would be great if London Somali communities that the libraries do want to engage and are willing to discuss the use of space for the community to enjoy.

Can I ask for suggestions about music CDs and popular video/DVD material, probably mainstream American movies?

Thanks for putting up with my ramblings but if even one bit of someone's life is improved by one library as a result of all this then I think this is very good.