2020 has been a year like no other - share your views as part of Book Week Scotland event
The Book Week Scotland event this year will take place on 16 – 22 November with the theme of ‘Future’. As the event will inevitably be different this year, the East Lothian Library Service have decided to use the Future theme and invite local residents and communities to share their experience of 2020 so far.
Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing, Cllr Jim Goodfellow, explained: “Book Week Scotland is a popular annual event that usually includes author visits, children’s story events, exhibitions and writers’ groups. Whilst the current Covid-19 health guidelines restrict some of the scope for this year it also offers a unique opportunity to tap into people’s views and experiences during the pandemic to help shape ideas for the future.”
Plans for this year’s event include collating a series of oral history recordings from groups and individuals across East Lothian including volunteers within the county’s resilience hubs, people who had to shield, children and families at home – how was home schooling, council staff and councillors and care home staff and residents.
Depending on restrictions, a range of Community Walks are also planned which would lead people to displays about ‘local life in lockdown’. As the project builds, stories and memories will be shared on the library service website and via social media encouraging others to contribute.
Anyone interested in finding out more or willing to share their own experiences of lockdown in local East Lothian community should contact Caroline Messer at cmesser@eastlothian.gov.uk or Wilma Porteous wporteous@eastlothian.gov.uk or call Musselburgh Library on 01620 827827 and a suitable time will be arranged to call you back.