Friends, Peace And Sanctuary: A Case Study

Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

8-10-2018

Published In

The Colloquium On Libraries And Service Learning

Abstract

We are proposing a presentation session on a case study. Swarthmore College Libraries and the College’s Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility is engaged in a two year project, Friends Peace, and Sanctuary, that seeks to bring historical narratives of migration and displacement into conversation with current experiences of Iraqi and Syrian refugees through the medium of the book arts. Five established book artists have been invited to work with a group of around fifteen recently resettled Iraqis and Syrians to collaborate on new artistic works through a series of ten workshops. Given that the project was conceived to be as fully bilingual (Arabic and English) as possible, we have hired students to translate archival materials on migration and refugees into Arabic so that all of our collaborators may have access to these materials. In parallel to the project work, Katie Price and Peggy Seiden are teaching a class (Spring 2018) that engages students in the Project’s work through observation, interviews, reflection and research utilizing a variety of disciplinary methods. The students’ final project is a piece of public scholarship that brings together their experiences in the workshops, interviews, and research findings. In this presentation, Price, Seiden, and Seesman will discuss the project findings to date and share what they’ve learned from collaborating with refugee resettlement organizations, libraries, civic engagements centers, students, faculty, and staff.

Conference

Critically Engaged Librarianship: Exploring Service Learning And Community Involvement

Conference Dates

August 9-10, 2018

Conference Location

Washington, DC

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS