Information – Connecting the Dots

Green Workplace Champions – Quick Wins and Small Actions

Published on March 31, 2023April 2, 2023 by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

In the last few months in the news, we have seen Earthquakes devastate parts of Turkey and Syria, floods in the Caribbean and tornadoes in Mississippi in the last week. These natural disasters are hard to predict but one thing we all know…we have to be prepared for them. The negative impact on climate change and environmental crisis is having a greater impact on the Earth and us – and is more long-term. This means we really have to think of strategies and practices that we can inform and empower our workforce, professionals and our communities as we face these challenges together – now and the future.

One of the most interesting and inspiring events this month has been the Green Libraries Conference hosted by The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP). It was an opportunity for library and information professionals to come together to share ideas, learn from each other and to get into action of protecting the Earth from climate and environmental crisis – see my photos for some information on the sessions.

The Green Libraries Manifesto was launched last year in a partnership with CILIP, The Arts Council, The British Library, Julie’s Bicycle and Libraries Connected. The aims of the partnership was to ‘develop a UK-wide, cross-sector programme focused on the contribution of librarians, information and knowledge professionals to the sustainability agenda’. Sustainability is a topic which is being looked at not only in my profession, but in all ways of life with individuals who are keen to get involved and take positive action.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the American Libraries Association (ALA), has also launched guidance and resources to support environmentally friendly policies and actions with their motto: “To thrive and evolve into the future, ALA must adopt the ‘triple bottom line’ mindset of sustainability: We must embody practices that are environmentally sound, economically feasible, and socially equitable”. And it was proposed by ALA’s Task Force on Sustainability to have sustainability included as one of their core competencies for libraries and information professionals.

As a British Library staff and President of SLA 2023, I am very conscious of how important these issues and actions are for our environment, digital and physical spaces – and ultimately for our customers, patrons and our own lives. I have also been able to understand more and more the issues and changes required as it also feeds into my work in supporting businesses in their ideas and the growing of their companies. I was really impressed recently when we held a Collaboration and Knowledge Exchange Day (CAKE) with other libraries across the UK on this very same topic – we were already being driven by the energy (pardon the pun) and the interest from COP26 in 2021 in Glasgow to our local business support in our library partners near and far. Our BIPC North East partners have a great link for green business and I have since been able to share insights with other customers.

For SLA, we have discussed this issue at SLA Conference in the past – the first time I hear of the term environmental justice and more on Sustainable Development Goals in a library an information context was from the 2020 virtual conference. I also met Loida Garcia Fedo (past ALA President) for the first time online when she presented a paper on the UN Sustainable Development Goals to a library community in Singapore. Three years on, and I think we have come along a lot further in our journey as library and information professionals to tackle the issues with climate change and environmental crisis.

The SLA Workplace Preparedness Subcommittee held an online event this week hosting my British Library colleague Maja Maricevic from the Green Libraries Partnership and Samantha Palladini from the Communities Responding to Emergency Weather (CREW). It was great to hear the programmes and partnerships in place from both speakers as well as to collaborate on exchanging ideas – such as having local hubs, education and also building grassroots links with local communities from the USA. The Green Libraries Partnership is doing the same here and they were both aligned on the sustainable goals. There was also a focus on environmental justice and social justice for the communities who are most affected – highlighting disparities with climate change and social inequality.

After going to the CILIP Conference for half-day (I had to present to Masters in Library and Information Science students at City University), I did feel much better about the whole situation. I am sharing the learning and action points with you here with you:

Some of these quick wins and small actions shared over the last week were:

The circular economy may seem like a big topic to take on but in its’ basic term, it means recycling items we already possess and giving them a makeover or re-purposing them. This can range from book stacks, trolleys, furniture to the whole building altogether!

Make buildings better. There was some great tips from an architecture who highlighted that instead of demolishing old library and information physical spaces – we can actually give them an upgrade and make them new reinvigorated spaces. A conference speaker mentioned the Worst 23 Project – which looks at the worst building that need the most improvements!

Green is not just the colour for environmental issues generally. It is a great idea for having plants, gardening and garden spaces in parts of the physical spaces (I know some plants are not recommended for rare books and other delicate areas). Ideas range from creating small community garden, seeds exchange, or cleaning up areas in the local community. Access to nature is one of great ways we can improve our wellbeing and the environment around us.

Using Information and Data can help to paint a picture of where we are at present and where we want to be in the future. It is best to have a starting point by checking what the current usage levels are for example, in energy levels or ventilations levels. Having this evidence will help make decisions and plans to aim for better sustainable goals. It was great to hear the term – “Libraries engagement have agency!” which leads to collaboration and connection for partnerships, social justice and inclusion.

Leading by example are the things we can all do regardless of any hierarchical structures in the workplace. We all can be champions for green initiatives by starting small and having those necessary solutions. These can range from recycling champions to sustainability information for colleagues and our customers. In my workplace, they have set up a Sustainability network – there are visual examples of best practice with lights going off early, computers switching off not in use and even a newsletter to keep everyone informed and engaged. Printing emails and storing emails are some earlier green champion examples, so too are reuse and refill cups and centres, which are recent initiatives and behaviour changes.

Quick wins and local change – although the issues with climate change may impact on all of us. There is a need for us to stand up and support these more sustainable issues in our own homes, workplaces and local communities. This can range from using good transport decisions, recycling waste, shopping local or providing information to our customers. We can do little by little which will have a larger impact. For example, we are getting better at plastic pollution.

This is new topic and area for all of us, and we are still navigating some of the unknown. We are must create specific library skills and training programmes to empower and inform sustainable actions. The simple and best way to do this is to come up with a plan, make priorities and …take it from there!

And here, I know I won’t be end to this story. Hopefully we can continue to share some of the ways we learn from each other now and in the future years to come.

Wellbeing of Women

Published on February 28, 2023March 1, 2023 by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

“The mimosa was also chosen for its characteristics: It is a flower that can grow on difficult terrain despite its apparent fragility. Perfect for representing women!”
Source – https://italiano-bello.com/en/amo-litalia/womens-day-in-italy/

There are certainly health and wellness topics that women have to endure as we go through life. Our physical and mental wellbeing are never far from tell us that our body needs to be cared and looked after and sometimes, we are not just in control. As with menstruation, childbirth and perimenopause (I only discovered the word about 5 years ago) and menopause. The changes in our bodies throughout these stages in life does have an impact on certain aspects of our lives.

There are several reasons for me choosing to write about it –

Women’s Health – International Women’s Month in March and a great time to focus on Women’s Health
Women in the Workplace – Menopause is being talked about more openly in the workplace
Open Discussion – Digital Media and generational shift are making us more open to discuss generally
New Innovations – New products in the market

Women’s Health – Young girls and women usually have to openly discuss the bodies with each other at a young age as we experience the changes in life. I attended an all-girls school and we were taught some facts about our bodies and reproductive system. Then any information on our health was only found in books or if your elders and mother wanted to share their insights with you. Menstrual pain and being prepared for the unexpected was as complicated as it got as a teenager and young adult. Then the next stage of discuss is on childbirth and childrearing – which are even more big topics. I remember relying on my friend for advice as my mother was in another country and it was too expensive to call her often then. Fast forward a few decades and the next stage is perimenopause and the imminent menopause. I don’t particular feel shy about taking about this now as I have mentioned in my earlier blog posts – it seems to a natural stage of our bodies and I am learning more as I go along. March is a time when we can learn more about how all of stages of women body cycle.

Women in the Workplace – Over the years, the workplace has been getting better and better at adapting to a larger number of women in the workforce and break some glass ceilings on the way. However we still have some inequalities for childbearing, childcare and family responsibilities. Employers are getting better are providing flexible working relationships for families such as paternity leave and adapting policies for same sex relationships. The pandemic has enable us to be more hybrid than before and gain some more time with our families – I know that this is not across the board. When my children were younger – there were Parents Networks where I use to participate. As they got older, I became more involved in the Women’s Network where I worked. Currently I am in the Gender Network where I work and there have been interesting stories on women in leadership and male-dominated environments such as construction.

Fawcett Society found that 52% of women who worked during the menopause had lost confidence at work, 15% had reduced working hours and 10% had left their jobs due to their symptoms. – Fawcett Society

In the last couple of year, there has been more information provided for women who are experiencing the menopause and how we can understand the symptoms and the impact it may have on staff and colleagues. I have certainly learnt a lot about how the changes affect women and specialist consultancies have offered a series of information on various aspects such as over-the-counter remedies, Hormone Replacement Therapies (HRT), exercise and wellbeing tips and advice on better sex.

A friend and I were discussing ‘brain fog’ recently and I don’t seem to have that but I glad that there is a label to put on it if I need to discuss it with anyone else. With an aging workforce and women doing more in senior positions – I think it is great that we have more understanding and empathy in the workplace.

Employers are increasingly taking employee health and wellbeing more seriously. Yet, there is still a lack of awareness and appreciation of menstrual health, the perimenopause and menopause, and the impact these have on women’s health, work and quality of life. It is important that women’s health issues can be openly discussed at work and all employees should be well informed about how menstrual disorders and the menopause can affect their colleagues.

Open Discussion – On that topic of discussion, it is great to be able to discuss wellbeing with your dearest and closest. There are time you may need to keep some aspects of health private or amongst friends – but apparently there is a generational shift and millennials are used to being more open with their mental health and wellbeing and therefore they are happy to share information more openly. I actually recognise that traditional media and social media are talking about it a lot more but apparently it is the Baby Boomers and Generation X that more reserve about sharing these issues openly. As we have more millennials in the workplace and take on leadership roles, there will be a point where we become more comfortable to Women’s Health. We really have to make sure that these discussions and raising awareness do have to take pace as a point out by the Fawcett Society that …’lack of understanding and support for perimenopausal and menopausal women by employers also contributes to gender inequality at work. Indeed, research by the Fawcett Society found eight in 10 menopausal women say their workplace has no basic support in place for them, and one in 10 left their employment due to their symptoms’. It does seem that we are making efforts to break the taboo subject, break the barriers and stigma around it in organisations.

There are also numerous blog post that I discovered on the last few days and some of our business intelligence report in the library also have a lot of insights covering the lifestyles of women.

New Innovations – Getting on the London underground is a great indicator of what people are getting into and what is the new trend. It seems that advertising women wellbeing vitamins, supplements and treatments are the topic of the last couple of months. It is certainly a great sight to see that these products and their benefits are getting some primetime advertising. There are pharmacies and healthcare shops that are having new lines of products that are specifically targeted in a positive way to women. The only aspects that is not great is that these are usually expensive and therefore they may require a prescription in certain cases. I also spoke to a neighbour who actually had a natural remedy for keeping well. I would like to see us continue to raise awareness and break the taboo on women’s health issues, around the M-word, mystery surround the transition, that impacts millions of woman around the world.

Round up of the year 2022

Published on December 31, 2022January 5, 2023 by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here we are saying goodbye to another year. The last few months have been very busy as usual after the lull of the late summer holidays. I usually have a good memory for what was done in what year, but my photos on my smartphone give me a better picture – pardon the pun – on what was going on and what I was doing…where. So here is a whistlestop tour of my year.

I recently have been thinking a lot of the meaning of life since the passing of my mother in 2021, and my mother-in-law in January 2022. They were two great strong role models for women who went the extra mile for their children, hardworking, and both had immense kindness for their close loved ones, family, neighbours and wider community. Despite their kindness – they were both determined and followed through on their commitments and promises. I know I was blessed to have them in my life and I certainly had abundance of respect and love for them. It is very sad that they are both no longer here and I will cherish my memories of them forever.

Therefore, I have been wondering a little bit more than usual on …the meaning of life? I know some of the answers and I am aware that it is a process of loss and acceptance that I am experiencing now. I know that I will be more upbeat again but I certainly won’t waste my time on Earth, or take it for granted. I kinda hope there is somewhere else in the universe that is better than this troubled world.

We were still in the heart of winter, and it was shocking and disturbing when the Ukraine-Russia conflict started in February. It was absolutely worrying if we were on the brink of World War III – and it was heart-breaking to see the destruction and loss of lives. I still remember the profoundly sad image of a child crying as he walked in the freezing cold to refuge in a neighbouring country. There is always conflict in parts of this Earth (I know – depressing), but this felt different as it was all so close to Europe, images were vividly shown on the news and digital channels. The response to support refugees and displaced people were heart-warming, and my community responded positively, as expected. It is sad that we have now gone back to a presumably Cold War era with Russia. I remember the Cold War in the 1980s, and the ideological differences in pop culture such as film and music [e.g. Living in America for Rocky IV, Russians (love their Children too) by Sting]. But this is not fiction – it is so very devastatingly real and wasteful. I just wish life could be better for all those suffering and not like this. Plus power-mad people and countries should just… relax and live peacefully. Yes – peace out.

Spring brought new blossoms and hope with nature reminding us that somethings are beyond our control, and the planet is here for the giving. It is a time of year where I do feel positive with plants and getting my garden ready for summer. I always end up buying plants and this year I made sure I was able to visit the Beth Chatto Garden in Essex, which I have been meaning to visit for years. It didn’t take long to get there and I am thinking of going again in the future.

My first big trip since the start of the pandemic was to go to Trinidad, where I haven’t been to for five years. On reflection, it has been challenging as my mother was unwell during the lockdowns, and I was unable to visit and to go to her funeral. Going to Trinidad was our last official duty for her death rites. It was good to see my close family again and to visit Trinidad. I was able to visit the Pitch Lake – which I have never been to before. I will always have strong connections with Trinidad and still keep abreast of some of the news that I see on social media – so it is a lot virtually closer than 15 years ago! It is an end of era with my mother’s passing…but Trinidad (and Tobago) will remain special to me for always.

Back in England, I visited the seaside, some parts of town and went to the Love Supreme festival. I am certainly not back to my full-on ‘out and about’ as I was before the pandemic. I am less incline to book tickets way in advance for social events, but the only gig I booked was to see Lady Blackbird at the Barbican in November.

I know the reasons for my disengagement – things are expensive, I am not always in town as I am working part of the week, and I have some added work and volunteering, which will be more intense on 2023. However, I am quite happy to listen to music on my smartphone with my headphones, or catch a film on Netflix at the weekend. I don’t expect there will be a magic wand for me to be as socially active for at least another 20 months, when I am likely to have less volunteering responsibility.

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.
William E. Vaughan

I only had a few busy weeks at work and some summer activities on my return to London when I had to get ready for my first official in-person SLA Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. The SLA Conference was a highlight of my year as I had always imagined what it would be like. It was less busy than previous years due to Covid refrains, travel bans etc – but for me it was great to be fully there meeting people that I had only seen online or met virtually. I had a ‘pinch myself’ moment – as I realised that I was socialising with these amazing people but as President-Elect…which comes with immense responsibility and commitment. I was so proud to be there! The keynote speeches were inspiring, and it was great to recognise all the work achieved by various individuals and communities. I have a lot of appreciation for the incumbent leaders and Board of Directors – plus it was also great fun! I came away feeling much clearer on what is SLA’s core offering of education and networking to members, partners and stakeholders. I left motivated for my own professional development and our goals for SLA.

As you may recall, I also had my first trip to Florida whilst I was in the USA. I could have gone years earlier but never came round to arranging it. It was great to see the beautiful beaches, architecture and bus tour of Miami. I also was so grateful to spend time with family and meet a few that I have only seen in photographs. I know my mother would have been pleased that I was able to make contact with relatives, and it also made me feel closer to her as she was well-loved by them. I certainly had a great time in Miami and can visit again in the future. I am also hoping we can revive SLA’s Florida and Caribbean chapter – as it is within my remit and there is a gap on professional networking in that area.

Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Alfred Lord Tennyson

This year I seem to be busy on all fronts – at work, with volunteering and at home. I am getting even better at time management but I am up late into the early hours. I am not normally a morning person – so this pattern works for me and it certainly has not hindered my performance in my day job in any way. There needs to be some changes in the coming months as there has been a lot of movement and changes on the work front with less persons around to do the work. My way to get around this is to keep my high standards with as little compromise as possible – otherwise things do fall apart. I learnt this from experience! I am hoping to update you more next year when I will be having a once-in-a-lifetime role as SLA President 2023.

The last few months, and year, have really shown a sharp rise in the cost of living – just getting through Christmas recently I noticed a lot of items are at least a third more than they cost a few years ago. I still have a youngish family that is dependent on me, and it seems we are not making any gains as things go up, and up. The last two years we had some home decorating and this costs a small fortune – I would dread to think what financial position I would be in if I was a single parent! I know it is tough for a lot of people and I hope in some way we can continue to help and support others. I honestly wish I had more to give!

As I say goodbye to 2023, I am reflecting on the positives to make sure that I can leave behind any negative energy. I will remember the heatwave in summer and the snowy December we just had (thinking on those in the Blizzards in America recently). I know I will be busy the next year but I will build in time for my own well being. So too, as we turn the page to a new year…do look after yourself and my best wishes for a Happy and Healthy 2023!

Approach the New Year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day.
Michael Josephson

Good Leadership – Seven Traits to Share

Published on November 30, 2022January 3, 2023 by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

Understanding Leadership

Effective leaders take a personal interest in the long-term development of their employees, and they use tact and other social skills to encourage employees to achieve their best. It isn’t about being “nice” or “understanding”—it’s about tapping into individual motivations in the interest of furthering an organizationwide goal.

by W.C.H. Prentice
https://hbr.org/2004/01/understanding-leadership

The last few years have been difficult, which is a great test for leadership development and style. As we navigate this new world of chaos and confusion after a pandemic – it seems like we are having to expect leadership from those in our work, professional network and community. I certainly didn’t consider that I had leadership skills, but when I look back retrospectively at my early life – I can see that I definitely took the initiative on many occasions of my own free will to achieve my personal goals. I also was self-motivated enough to do what needed to be done without being asked to do so.

Leadership is also instilled on us from an early age, especially if we have good leaders and role models around us. This too can manifest itself in school, playgrounds and even leisure activities. Childhood is probably the most difficult time for anyone to be leaders as growing up is difficult and challenging. It is a time when we are not fully formed adults, and have lots of new things we are learning. It takes a while for us to learn self-awareness and leadership skills – although some are natural born leaders.

I can write several points on leadership but I wanted to note some of the main skillset and mindset that I recognised recently, and therefore I am sharing them with you here.

Be Organised – There are similarities with managing yourself and others really effectively but when it comes to leadership there is a distinctive difference to making sure that other people are taken into consideration but you are leading on initiatives. There is a clear difference between micromanaging vs people using skills, tools, facility and space to manage themselves effectively. Sometimes I am so busy keeping myself busy, I have to stop to think on whether others need my support of help. Generally people will ask for help if they need it but in various situations it may also be useful to check in and provide clear avenues for support and guidance. In most situations, it is good to seek the advice of leaders who have done it before, and to offer advice to those who need it. With good organisational skills – there seems to be less chaos and more efficiencies. Therefore, try to be organised and take each step at a time.

Clear Communication – Communication is key. We have all heard this and it truly is defining feature of a great leader. Although someone may have good communication skills, being able to effectively communicate in a timely manner, and be transparent, articulative and influential are strong leadership traits. Even being in a situation where you are having to say ‘I don’t know’ is a position of strength, as you are unlikely to know everything. Building relationships and relying on networks are also great communication channels that ensures that you are able to communicate across stakeholders and with external partners. I am grateful that my first role in the corporate sector with answering queries in various format, and at various levels, gave me the confidence to speak to anyone about their information needs – this gave me a great foundation for being able to understand these barriers and how to get my message across. Communication now means a lot more to me – in terms of getting buy-in, negotiation and convincing but also speaking with conviction and advocacy in all the topics that are necessary for my various roles…but also close to my heart.

Mentoring Others – Mentoring is also a great active listening exercise and is great for sharing insights with others – recognising the value of what they are doing and encouraging them to continue to learn, develop and reflect. Leadership development is talked more about in the last decade, and it seems that it was just something that you stumbled upon in your early career. I was lucky to have good people managers and colleagues who demonstrated leadership in their roles. Team building was useful for learning from others, and for helping individuals learn from various styles and persons in a supportive environment. It is interesting that there are now more formal ways that we can offer leadership opportunities to those who are willing to help others develop. Mentoring is a great way to value experience, and learning from each other by listening and sharing. I haven’t had formal leadership training in recent years but with several voluntary roles and a full-time job – there has been several opportunities to learn from and with others, and for me to help or mentor others along the way. I would like to recognise this more in the next few years as an effective function for developing leaders and the more we do it – the better leaders there are around for the future.

Leading by Example – Leadership skills has no age limit or hierarchical structure and this is one of the most levellers for those demonstrating and acting in such a manner. In the age of political chaos and upheaval – some of our role models on mass media are not the best examples of good behaviour or admiration. I personally look for leadership examples from people around me who demonstrate good leadership skills, and who are setting the scene and tone for some of my own values. In tricky situations, someone taking the initiative to provide solutions or to alleviate a crisis wins me over all the time. It may be a person who is highly aware of themselves and surroundings, and who generally takes on the responsibility to do what is necessary and right. There are several examples we will encounter in our work and lives, but these are instances where someone has taken positive action to make sure their leadership is exemplary, and they have also led us through difficulties, challenges and even opportunities. Heroes and heroine are normally the protagonist in these roles, and there is a little bit of this in every one of us.

Risk Taking – Changes and opportunities are great ways that leadership qualities are developed. Many leaders who are willing to be flexible and agile are able to see beyond some of the risk barriers to the areas where improvements and performance can be enhanced. Do the same things will give you the same results but leaders who are able to try new things, collaborate and build deeper relationships in challenging times is likely to get the best results with sheer drive and determination. The future of work and business are always full with opportunities and you won’t be able to take advantage of opportunities without taking some risks.

Respect – Inclusive leadership is also on my mind at present. There are lots of strong characters out there but sometimes I also look to those who are quieter in their roles and who are not comfortable with speaking their minds all the time. There is also a lot of inequality in the workplace and in life, and respect and compassionate views should keep you grounded but also mindful of others. It is also normal for us to not see eye-to-eye, have different opinions, and perspectives from each other but generally we must find a way to find civil discourse and consensus on how best to deal with a situation. As with any element of conflict or disagreement – it is best to be diplomatic. There are other times when only the truth will suffice, and therefore being able to walk away with your self-respect intact – is a great position to be in!

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – Last but not least. The world is getting better at recognising our differences and similarities, however there are so many battles to fight and so many conversations to be understood. Over the last few years, I actually feel proud of those people who have went out of their way to make others feel welcome and accepted. Good leadership is recognising that we must do more to make more equitable societies and organisations. We should also make sure that there is greater representation at all levels. Being an inclusive leader literally means taking people under your wings and helping those up the ladder. Managing biases, developing inclusive training and cultures are a great celebration of leadership that works for all.

Reimagined – looking ahead with optimism

Published on October 31, 2022November 2, 2022 by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

We are continuing to get more in person events and this month I was able to go to some social events too. The EIU invited guests to a Breakfast Briefing with their Chief Economist on ‘The Global Economy’. This is the third time I attended one of their Breakfast Briefings, where I tend to come away feeling much more informed of the economic situation that we have to face. The last time I attended an EIU event was a few weeks before the pandemic with a warning of the impact of the coronavirus – but then no one could have predicted the scale of it! Now we are living in more uncertain times with a cost-of-living crisis, inflation, slow-down in economic growth, power shifts and more conflict in the world. It seems we really have to imagine a way out of this mess once more and therefore innovation, positive change and optimism are still in our tool kit. Some of the disruptions and adjustments require us to understand the dynamics we are in now, and how we can make things better.

“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination”.

– Albert Einstein

One of the best aspects of the breakfast meeting was making my way across London early in the morning, and it was amazing to see the city waking up in the beautiful autumn sunshine. The skyline is truly changing all the time and you can see old merge with the new. It was a bit surreal for me as I walked from St Pauls with the World Reimagined project sculptures dotted around my walk to the Tate Modern. I was aware of the Imagine Project as my friend Vashti Harrison came over earlier this year to prepare her sculpture. The first one I saw is placed in St Pancras Station (which I mentioned last month). However, in the heart of the city, right next to St Paul’s Cathedral, are several sculptures expressing the truth of Capitalism and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. It is a ground level project to showcase the role that the city of London played in this brutal history. It would be great if this is taught in British school in detailed – then we can see “the place the UK can hold in the world when it acknowledges its past and we are when we can give full dignity to all”. It was great to see the World Imagined physical sculptures in Black History Month – and do look at their great website design too.

Despite the amazing view over the Millennium Bridge to the Tate Modern, the briefing provided the facts and analysis which quickly brought me down to the contemporary world. It was interesting to hear the challenges we will be facing now, and some of the long-term predictions for the world for 2050. There has been a lot of uncertainties and shocks that have impacted on the world on recent years – there is hardship and some difficulties that we are experiencing due to geopolitical changes, costs, production and supply chains. It is good to hear about the positive impact that a country can have with immigration too, as people help growth as an economy and society grows. It interesting to hear that some countries are also using Covid control to maintain a sense of order, propaganda and power. The measures and mechanics used to stimulate growth is interesting to hear about as we navigate these difficult times. Perhaps knowing that the economic landscape can be fragile, we can then use more sustainable and shock-resistant measures. Hopefully we can prosper again as we develop, provide and benefit from fair and sensible economic strategies and activities.

Whilst at the Tate Modern, I also had a quick whiz around the main exhibition which was a very large art installation from the Chilean artist Cecilia Vicuna called Brian Forest Quipu. It was great to hear how stories and pieces of traditional significance were woven into fabrics. The narrative, storytelling and poems on the wall were great at highlighting knowledge systems from indigenous cultures. The installation was accompanied with sound and movement – it was truly immersive to get into the zone that the piece has created. It made me think of cultural knowledge systems and forms – from oral history, stories on sculptures, manuscripts, various print and non-print formats. It doesn’t matter where we come from in the world – it seems that there is a natural instinct for the human condition to provide a heritage for our people in the present, and for the future. We must continue to recognise and respect other peoples’ cultures.

Diwali was last weekend. I was invited to visit a Hindu temple in North London for Diwali celebrations last weekend. I also invited friends to my home for dinner to celebrate Diwali with my family. It is different to what I was used to growing up. Here deeyas are contained inside homes or buildings due to the weather. Whilst in the tropics, deeyas can be left lit for hours in the still of the dark night.

It was reassuring to visit the temple with mainly Guyanese diaspora and second generation migrants running and maintaining the programme for the temple. It was good to listen to the teachings and to hear the music and songs (bhajans) from the group. We also were treated to lunch and sweets (Prasad). I like that the temple community now also communicate by digital media to inform each other of upcoming events. There was also a focus on youth lessons and sessions to ensure that the mainly older congregation will have trained or influence the next generation to carry on these religious practices and traditions. Hopefully their imagination will be as vivid as mine, even though years has passed since the elaborate Diwali celebrations I experienced as a child.

At work, I attended a Diwali event hosted at the Alan Turing Institute with the new Caribbean Curator at the British Library giving a talk on her career thus far. It was great to experience this diversity in what is now a multicultural city.

Don’t reinvent. Reimagine.

I am slowly getting more social since the pandemic, and one event which was totally new is a cooking lesson that was a present for my husband. We took a while to book the lesson due to time constraints, but it was great to finally make a night of the lesson. There were various types of world cuisine classes to choose from but it really depended on how many spaces were available and if you can make the dates. The first time I had fresh gnocchi and pesto, it was made by my husband’s cousin in 1995 in Rome, since then it has been one of my favourite dishes. The tutor made us prepare an aubergine and mozzarella starter, homemade gnocchi and zabaglione. For someone who has been around Italians for almost thirty years – it was great to learn about some of the food science of the aubergine, potatoes, eggs, garlic, onions etc – therefore, heard some real wives’ tales from the chef about cooking techniques and structure. At the class, other attendees, tutors and the facility were really good, and I would recommend it. It is just a little far to go more often, and the price is a little more than your average three course meal for two in town. But it really is a great way to learn and hone your creativity – now I can imagine doing a class like this in the heart of Tuscany.

I haven’t been doing many local community events recently apart from looking after some garden plots. I have been busy with my library volunteering most of the time when I am not working. It is still great to walk around my neighbourhood and it always surprises me when I see new shops, creative displays and inspiration activism in my community walkabouts. There is definitely a new feel as there are several new multi-story homes being built in what was considered the outskirts of London only a few of years ago. There seems to be a lot more young professionals around as affordable homes are clumped together near the underground stations, repurposed car parks or any free land. I know we need more homes. It just hope we do not lose the close knit and community feel we had the last 15-20 years, when I became more actively involved in where I live. It is reassuring that even though we are growing in numbers as a place to live in the city – there are still some who believe that we have to look out for each other, and maintain the essence of fellowship and camaradie as we go about our daily normal lives.

Creativity grows out of two things: curiosity & imagination.

Benny Goodman

The Cost-of-Living Crisis – another crisis to battle

Published on September 30, 2022September 30, 2022 by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

It is has been difficult years since the pandemic, and if you look back a little more, even a difficult decade. It seems we have been on the ‘back foot’ for the last 14 years since the financial crisis of 2007-2008, and in real terms, our living standards have actually decreased. You can look at all the headlines and news to see some really fearful facts and predictions on the economic situation in the UK, and other parts of the world. There seems to be a volatile time for the markets, costs of living and our own personal financial stability. Employers, retailers, manufacturers, consumers and everyone have been impacted by price increases – there are supply chain issues that get locked, and all this weights down on all of us. I will try to look at this from a very top level on how I see this manifested in our everyday lives. I am not an economist (only I studied economics at secondary level in the Caribbean), but I do know that data, information, research and knowledge have a crucial part in making sure that we think smartly, carefully and collectively on how best to survive this crisis.

“With cost-of-living pressures likely to become unbearable for thousands of households and rents continuing to rise at pace, the challenge is sustaining progress and continuing to reduce the numbers of people sleeping rough. The Government must urgently turn its attention to ensuring we have enough genuinely affordable homes if it is to keep its promise.”  

– Matt Downie, Chief Executive at Crisis
https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-involved/philanthropy/philanthropy-bulletins/the-cost-of-living-crisis-how-we-are-supporting-our-members/

In my recent years, what seemed like comfortable and optimistic years of the internet boom and progressive years of a new millennium are now becoming one of the most challenging times as we go through a period of financial hardship and scarcity. One aspect that makes me annoyed is the cost of homes and properties. In the last 20 years, properties have increased about 800% in my neighbour alone, and the last 10 years it inflated the most at 300%. You just have to walk around London to see lots of new homes going up due to the demand for ‘affordable’ housing to meet demands, but the cost of them are outrageous due to lack of supply and availability! Basic economics.

In addition, even rented homes are being outbid in the city! Young people in London are really f*cked if they want to live here. It is even harder for young people who live in London. If you live in the city, your grown-up children will find it hard to live close to you for the near future. Most likely you will have to move out to the commuter belt towns to be able to afford somewhere to rent, much more so to buy you own place. I know that some other major cities and even little Trinidad have seen rises in the prices of homes. It seems to be the ever-relevant story of the ‘have and have nots’, and you can really can see the vast differences in inequalities and access to liveable properties, which makes me sad. There are warning reports to say that there will be a large increase in homelessness for those who cannot afford their homes, especially as interest rates and rent rises. This is only the tip of the iceberg!

The next major concern is the true impact of the cost-of-living crisis on real pay. Inflation is sky high and this is having a detrimental effect on basic needs such as food, transportation, energy and essential goods that we need to get by. The only reassurance is that this is affecting everyone (except the filthy rich), but some will be able to be resilient and rely on their rainy-day savings. I presume everyone is tightening their belts and watching their household budgets.

Being a business librarian, I have been providing cost of living information for almost 30 years to library users and I have some authoritative sources that I look at such as the EIU, UBS, WEF and other organisations that analyse how living standards compare around the world for competitiveness, purchasing power parity and economic outlook. These are easily sourced on the internet now, but I used to provide this information by telephone, or from hard copy, such as in this ONS chart below. I do feel worried that we are seeing these cost of living changes that are having negative impacts on everyone – even the bankers!

The price wars are on in the supermarkets as the cost-of-living crisis takes hold on prices of food necessities. There are scarcity, supply chain and logistics issues anyway caused by Brexit, and more recently by the conflict in Ukraine (which we should not use as an excuse). It seems food banks have increased in greater numbers as people need that extra support to sustain their basic needs as they struggle with poverty, low income and high costs. There are several food banks in my neighbourhood now, and I saw a sign this summer in the very affluent Richmond neighbourhood near Kew Gardens, where you can pledge money to food banks. Weekly I know that the cost of my groceries is higher, and I try to make smart choices or leave a few things that may not be necessary to make sure that my food bill is not overwhelming.

The retail price index is measured to let us know how inflation is affecting us – when I worked for accountants and management consultants before the internet, this was one of the main indicators of consumer spending and economic situation. There is also the ‘shopping basket’ and organisations such as the Food Foundation that keep track of the prices of food goods. The Food Foundation has various initiatives such as End Child Poverty, Right2Food, Early Years and other initiatives to prevent food insecurity. There are millions of children who receive free meals at schools and in the holidays. This is really sad in one of the richest countries of the world. I know there are vast levels of inequality but perhaps due to high levels in populations and other factors that makes this perpetuate, such as opportunities for social mobility, regular work, education and training, and various societal issues.

This leads to my next point of living with low wages and high costs – see article here. Salaries are still relatively lower in some public sectors compared to the private sector, and it seems to be stagnated in real terms in the recent years with austerity and bad government. It has gotten to the point where it is embarrassing if you were to benchmark salaries with another sector and country. I remember providing all this information to library users in printed format in my previous roles. It all reflects on countries or a sector’s competitiveness to attract and keep the best talent. Sadly, we know that we are in a bad state, and it is hard to see the light at the end of tunnel unless you physically get up and leave. There seems to be a sense of paralysis as there is so little that one can do. I hope this situation does not last another decade but these pressures on prices and costs for businesses and organisations are a real killjoy. Thinking positively, it is likely to be the time when employees and employers appreciate their experiences, workforce and workplace to help create positive change that benefits everyone.

Coincidently, industrial action such as strikes are back on the transport system, and trade unions are busy bargaining for employees and professions. I recently thought of the 2000s where I saw several anti-capitalist marches on the roads in the city of London where I worked. These marches don’t seem to happen so often anymore apart from solidarity with worker’s political parties. Let’s hope there will be a true negotiation for better pay and standards for employees, and that our leaders would understand that this year more than most is going to be a very though one!

There are other aspects of our current lives that definitely show that the cost of living is getting more expensive. My petrol bill is at least £20.00 more than in recent years, but thankfully I don’t use my car often. I also know that travel costs across London will rise most likely in the new year. I do feel to run away at times to a remote island, but I certainly do not recommend that we bury our heads in the sand. As I write, the news reporter mentioned that “this is a new age of austerity”. God help us as I still remember the last one!

Do stay informed, vigilant, healthy and wise on how we can support each other in these terrible times of crisis.

Don’t panic.

Summer work and rest in the United States

Published on August 31, 2022 by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

A few weeks ago I went to my first SLA Conference Sourced Forward in Charlotte North Carolina. I was due to go in 2020 but due to the pandemic, the conference was postponed until this summer. I certainly was happy to finally be in Charlotte and I certainly didn’t envision that I would be attending in 2022 as their President-Elect 2022-2024. As the saying goes, with ‘great power, comes greater responsibility’ – this was no less the case as we had a very full schedule with meetings and membership engagement. It was great for leaders to meet and speak directly to attendees, as well as to attend the awards ceremony to very deserving winners for their achievements.

I am unable to comment in depth on the conference programme sessions (which I can still catch up on the virtual components) as I had other matters in hand with the board. Obviously, I was blown away by few that I did attended, such as the opening keynote speakers, general and closing sessions. The opening keynote on ‘ReSourced Leveraging Library Infrastructure in Community Centred Projects’ by historian Dr Jennifer Garcon extolled the need for community group for finding the stories that are hidden in archives that may have been traditionally inaccessible from everyone due to barriers or power struggles. She gave examples of building partnerships and leveraging resources to gain access for the benefit of the user ReSourced communities. Her talk also highlighted the need for digital preservation for local documents, personal stories and items. It truly was inspiring for the diversity and engagement levels of the projects mentioned.

The second general session called ‘Tell me Sweet little lies: racism as a persistent form of malinformaiton’ by Dr Nicole Cooke was great for exploring the multiple ways that information is used as a power tool for misinformation, disinformation and malinformation. This is a topic I have been interested in for a long time but look at the examples and some of the multi-layered ways that information is manipulated is very insightful as well as educational on how to prevent this happening – especially if it causes harm such as in medical or racial scenarios. The final session By Dr Travis Wagner was great at highlighting the opportunities for understanding ‘The role of information professionals in crafting a gender inclusive future’. As library and information professional, we have a responsibility to all our customers and I certain didn’t understand all the negative aspects of collection management and access that affects genders – I was shocked but also sadden by some of the practices that library patrons encountered as well as some of the discrimination in the content held in library and archives. These larger sessions as well as the small education ones I was able to attend really reenergised me to return to the world with reinvigorated purpose and pride.

I also have a great time at some of the social events in the evening in Charlotte to going around some of the close blocks near the Charlotte Convention Centre. I hadn’t realised that I would have so little time to explore and really didn’t go to the some of the local tourist attractions such as the Nascar Hall of Fame or the Mint Museum. Perhaps if I make it back to North Carolina one day – I can get a chance to seem more of Charlotte. In all, it was a great experience and I was so pleased to see so many SLA colleagues, members, our industry partners, supporters and friends.

After Charlotte I wanted to make sure I made the most of being in the USA, and therefore took an internal flight to Florida to spend time in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. I was truly impressed with the beaches, the weather and the amazing architecture! You also see lots of different types of vehicles that you just do not see here in the UK. There are local business and trains but I mainly stayed in local areas or went out with family.

One of the recommended tourist sights of natural beauty and ecological interest was the Florida Everglades. I was pleased that my hotel was able to arrange a pick up from the hotel and I was able to directly to one of the areas with facilities for tourist. It was my first drive along Fort Lauderdale area and then on the Everglades. I do love the holiday feel and look of this part of Florida and that the beaches were endless (apparently 600 miles of beaches). Once we got the Everglades, it was a very hot day and the humidity was unbelievable. The Everglades is one of the world’s largest wetlands and therefore was real delight going on the airboat long the lanes of the everglades. It was interesting hearing about the indigenous tribes Seminoles, and how they lived around the Everglades. The grasses, lilies, pond apples, mangrove and other plant life thrives in this wet and subtropical climate. And everybody hopes to see an alligator in the Everglades and lucky for us in the trip – we saw three alligators in the water! There was also an alligator taming show and you can actually hold a baby alligator. It was a great experience of a natural beauty and I recalled the 1970’s US TV series Gentle Ben, which had great scenes of a game warden family, his son and a tame bear who frequently went on an airboat.

I was able to spend time with some of Caribbean diaspora at one of their local Caribbean restaurants where they were selling food, drinks, music and lots of Caribbean cheer on a very hot Sunday. I totally get that these communities where there celebrating there Sunday with their Caribbean people, especially just after a cricket game with India. There was music, a rhythm section and also a visit from world renown cricketer, Brian Lara. I also have some experience of the local night life by going to a Latin bar on in the Las Olas area and also in downtown Fort Lauderdale to an Italian bar. It was great to see these areas and the night life that is famous in Miami.

The next interesting aspect of my holiday was taking a city bus tour around downtown Miami. Miami got its’ name from the river that run through it by the indigenous tribes to the region. Later on, Miami is the only American city that has been founded by a woman – she was Julia Tuttle known as the ‘Mother of Miami’. The region is definitely very cosmopolitan and had a large Latinx community. Very frequently I hear Spanish and a lot of the local shops had Latinx food or signs. On the bus tour to the city we saw several of the Art Deco buildings that is in abundance in Miami. The reason for the high concentration of this type of architecture is that there was a hurricane in the 1920’s which destroyed all the buildings and it seems the Art Deco style was popular at this time. It really is amazing to see.

Cubans also exiled to Miami with the 1960s and the area Little Havana still has a large Cuban community with tobacco and coffee shops, with cool looking restaurants and musical venues. The area is known for its cultural and Cuban community significance as well as it being a place for new South and Central American immigrants. One of the most famous and beloved Cuban-American superstars are the Miami Sound Machine. It was great hearing one of their songs on the Hotel PA system when I was there. The tour bus also showed us the recording studio to the Miami Sound Machine, and their funky colourful building. I do recommend the bus tour to see all the sights without the hassle of driving and the waterways were great to see how the islands of Miami are linked up by bridges etc. There was a misunderstanding with timings, and I was unable to go on my boat tour around the Miami islands – hopefully I can go another time.

And while much of the diaspora has moved onto greater pastures around Miami, Little Havana continues to be a vital launch point for immigrants from South and Central America who bring their flavours, rhythm and hardworking spirit to this vibrant community.

Time Out
https://www.timeout.com/miami/little-havana

I particular liked my hotel in Miami for the ambience, the beautiful pool area, architecture and garden. I really felt like I can visit there again someday and loved that the beach was only about 200 metres away. The water was clean and fun to splash around in but I was not brave enough to go on any adventurous water sports or out further. It was the Atlantic Ocean and it was awesome seeing so much beautiful kilometres of beaches.

More than anything, I was happy to finally visiting Miami after hearing about it for so long on another TV series such as Miami Vice. It is also not far from Trinidad so lots of Trinidadians go there on holiday and have said that is a good place to visit. I thank my family for their hospitality and for showing me around their amazing Miami and Fort Lauderdale. I certain would like to visit again and explore the region a bit more – event a far down as Key West.

Mission Possible – Libraries & Information Pros Collaborating

Published on July 30, 2022July 30, 2022 by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

It seems like a long time coming but libraries collaborating is happening…again. At least for me. This month has been busy just with my work which has been great for giving me a purpose and mission. I seem to have been fighting for the last 15 plus years. I suppose I still haven’t gotten use to just relaxing as it has never been easy for me.

We get visits from lots of people who wants to visit the British Library, which is always a pleasure to do. This month I had two visitors from the library profession from Canada and Aotorea (native name for New Zealand). It is good to go around the library with fresh eyes. The building is impressive but also the different subject areas and physical layout. It seems like people and professionals are travelling again like Te Paea and Cellia who were travelling to Dublin for IFLA’s conference. It was nice to see other professionals like Loida from USA and Kevin from the Philippines there too showing there connections and activities on Twitter.

There are times when we meet people who are similar to us even though we have not met them before. This is also when I used the word recently to describe library and I formation work, I said mission. The same word was used by Safy Al Ashqar, Head of the University of Mosul library, Iraq. Safy was a speaker for CILIP’s conference and I was introduced to Safy by a friend from SLA Europe and lucky for me, I was able to attend a staff talk at the library. Safy described the horrors of war and destruction on the building and collection as it was burnt and bombed. It was deeply sad to hear the stories of death and devastation. The resilience and tenacity of Safy and his staff is amazing and heartwarming. His presentation spoke of the bargaining for funds and equipment with creativity and design with new ideas he picked up from his studies in Malaysia. Out of 150 staff, Safy now has about 93 with 70 of them women. He understands the need for libraries for heritage, education, creativity, community and knowledge sharing. He was totally inspired for the connections and networking opportunities that physical spaces bring. He was offered ebooks for rebuilding a digital library but he elaborated on the need for physical spaces to meet, and to store physical collections. We all know that the first casualty of war is the truth and knowledge – from the burnt building and collection, there is new hope and regeneration all driven by a man and his community and staff on a Misson to make it possible! What an inspiration!

Last Friday I also went with my colleagues to the National Archives in Kew. It was great to visit the building although I have used their digital archive and often refer people to their enquiry service for registered designs and other intellectual property. It was great to be welcomed and shown around by their staff. We were shown original patents and trade marks, maps, storage areas for records, very large maps, library and reference areas, and the 1970s Brutalist purpose built building of course. As we walked around, you can actually smell come of the collection in the temperature and light controlled rooms. There were some great displays for the 1920s and parts of the reading room was aesthetically pleasing. I would visit again it is in my part of town but I am grateful to get the tour from the lovely staff. Mark Dunton has even written a book on British Prime Ministers of the 20th Century.

I wanted to remind you that the National Archives does have an amazing collection and we can use these items to create new stories and innovative ideas from what we research. It is also a great reminder that we are here to conserve and preserve for now but also for future generations.

Last week I also spent time in filming a new video for the Business and IP Centre where I work and the UK network of libraries offering support for Business and other creative use of libraries and their services. East Ham Library was nice and bright with great use of space for studying, resources, cafe and meeting spaces. It even has Salsa Classes on a evening! There has been a few libraries that have survived the cuts from the last 15 years, and it warms my heart they are thriving as spaces for those who need them for study, work, research, learning, meetings and creativity. There was also a definite community and civic engagement feel about East Ham Library.

I was also invited to meet delegates from the British Library’s International Library Leaders Programme, which was an intensive five-day residential course bringing together emerging and established librarians from participants from countries including Australia, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Slovakia, South Africa, Ukraine and the US. I lead a tour of about 8 librarians to some of the reading rooms with various subject areas, and as expected, they were impressed with the spaces and items in collection that were displayed (there are millions we can’t see). It was great to meet socially other British Library staff working on the Oceania collection, Living Knowledge, Higher Education and the newly appointed Caribbean Curator. I met again Nick Poole, CEO of CILIP, who is one of the best advocates for libraries, librarians, information profession, policy makers, civil engagement and for the profession in general. I also met with a Ukrainian librarian who has recently fled the troubles in Ukraine and it was great to here briefly what she is working on. I did pass on my concern and best wishes to her fellow Ukrainians in this difficult time.

A couple of weekends ago, I was able to participate on the request of the community engagement team in the Somers Town Festival, which is the close neighbourhood in Camden near the library. We were showing visitors on how they can use the library to start their businesses but also about the fabulous collections and spaces. It was nice to see some of the entertainment from spoken work, humanist choir, to Asian Classical dancing from an ex-staff, which I loved seeing LIVE in Trinidad or in film.

Breaking the News exhibition is also on until the end of August and I was excited to see this. I had the benefit of a group tour with a Curator who gives you the insights and stories of the items on display. I still like to let people know that information comes in various formats, and we have to still use and…preserve these for the future.

I wanted to also wish my colleagues in SLA Europe a Happy 50th Anniversary and we recently celebrated careers which my own newly retired colleague Neil Infield. I knew Neil before I started working at the British Library because of SLA but since working at the British Library he was a great popular, capable and kind colleague who became a friend. I will miss him, and the four other colleagues who have retired in my department in the last two years.

This is a big month for SLA for their Sourced Forward Conference and the associations future, as I write this in my hotel room in Charlotte, North Carolina. I will share more next month or on my social media channels. There is great responsibility in representing the profession, our members, our stakeholders and partners. I am also giving this my best shot and much gusto! Stay for the ride as we find our destination.

Postcard from Trinidad – Coast to Coast

Published on June 30, 2022July 2, 2022 by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

I have spent a couple of weeks in Trinidad, where I paid tribute to the last memorial Hindu ceremonies and rituals for my mother who passed away in June 2021. Although I know she lived a full and beautiful life – I still miss her presence, her gentle personality, words of wisdom, spirituality, principles, motherly support, care and love for me and my family. It was difficult to say goodbye to her virtually last year due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, and this trip was to attend the final act for her before the first anniversary of her passing that I could attend in person. I would like to thank all the family, friends and neighbours who helped us in the last year with her prayers and memorial commitments.

At the ceremony, it was great hearing from Pundit Dr Bramanand Rambachan explain the meaning of life and our place in this universe. It is a great reminder that our life on Earth is only here for a specific time. The way of life we seek should be to find purpose, kindness and beauty in all creatures and our environment here. We were asked to pay our respects and recall our ancestors and elders in whose lives, work and memory we offered our thoughts and prayers – in the hope that their good work and deeds will be carried on in this generation and in the future. Going through this process in Trinidad with close family members – I couldn’t help thinking of life as my mind flicked though memories in time, as well as some deeper soul searching on what is the purpose of life on Earth for us as humans.

Death is not the end, your soul continues.

I am obviously coming to terms with the loss of my mother, and the loss of others who are no longer around in the family, network or village as time moves on. I presume that this is the feeling I will continue to have as I get used to myself getting older. It is good to be around younger people in this scenario to remember that life goes on, and that they also need our support and guidance to sustain them as we go through life.

It was good to see close relatives and friends after five years. It was my first trip aboard since the pandemic disrupted our lives two years ago – I had to be extra careful in avoiding Covid before my trip to Trinidad as there were tests to do before my travel. After the whole process of getting to Trinidad by aircraft, it proved to me that travellers needed to have a high level of digital literacy and some common sense to follow all the instructions for travelling, especially as we had to ensure that everything was uploaded, downloaded or printed for checking before and during our journey. The 10-hour flight was pleasant but we had to keep on our masks, except when eating or drinking. It was a relief when it was over as it was not a normal experience like in pre-covid times.

I was able to spend some time sightseeing in Trinidad and it was more for my son to see rather than myself. One of the main highlights is a Sunday afternoon trip to the La Brea Pitch Lake, which is the largest asphalt lake in the world. It was used by the Indigenous people of the Caribbean and it is literally close in distance to the South American mainland being located in the deep south of Trinidad.

Sir Walther Raleigh was one of the first Europeans to encounter the Pitch Lake in 1595 (after raiding the Spanish Governor), when he used the asphalt to repair his ship – interesting blog here from Raleigh400. The British set up an asphalt company in 1866 and the streets around the world are now literally paved with this ‘black gold’. Today Asphalt is mined and has commercial value – and it is still good to see and visit the natural pitch lake. It is amazing to feel and sink into the soft tar-like texture, and to walk on the water puddles with gaseous bubbles coming naturally from the ground. The chemical composition and geology are really fascinating, and the texture and versatility of the product makes it spectacular. I bet you will appreciate every road you every travel when you see natural asphalt like this – there are only three other natural lakes in the world. I was pleased to see international visitors from Suriname whilst we were visiting, and our official guide was very knowledgeable and fun! Do visit this natural wonder if you have the time, or think of the journey of tar the next time you see some. Instead of European getting El Dorado, they got ‘Black Gold’.

Being an island, life does not always mean that you are near a nice beach. Some are industrialised and therefore you have to travel a long way to find a good beach. However, we went to a nearby beach on the Gulf of Paria to spend an hour or so. This was in the deep south of the island and it was good to see rural communities and villages on a very pleasant Sunday afternoon.

Next, we went to the north of the island to Maracas, which is known as one of the best beaches in Trinidad on the Caribbean Sea. The drive through the Northern Range hills is breathtakingly beautiful. The beach sits on a curved bay with good waves and view of the deep blue Caribbean Sea. One must try the local delicacy which is freshly made shark and bake sandwich. It was a fun day at the beach in another beautiful place of interest – a must-see when you visit the island.

The final beach I went too was to Mayaro on the East coast of the Island on the Atlantic Ocean through various towns and villages. I fondly remember going frequently to the coast in the 1980s with my parents and sister. The miles of coconut plantations along the coast are truly sensational with a tropical treat to see the rows and rows of coconut trees and beaches, as well as the mangroves and rivers on the way to the beach areas. Even as a child – it used to be special to bathe and be in the ocean where the next main land mass was the African continent. I am so glad I have these happy memories of a beautiful part of the country to cherish and the area is still beautiful.

Not all is well on this island paradise though. The high level of violent crimes and safety issues are very sad and frightening to everyone I know in Trinidad. The days of small petty bust-ups with machetes and punches are now replaced with thieves, gangs and organised-criminals with guns. All the official reports and travel advice I now read stress that the crime levels and risk factors are very high in Trinidad and Tobago. It is sad, dangerous and also embarrassing. I am not sure what it needs to stop this trajectory but it has left citizens with despair, numb and helpless from village to city. I don’t recognise this island anymore, and it breaks my heart and hopes.

Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.
Norman Cousins

I did manage to find time to spend with family, friends and loved ones. It gave me a chance to catch up in person after being away for five years and I had time to see some memorable items from our family album, such as when my father received his 15 years award in 1964 – he ended up working there for 51 years. His story with starting to work as a child is truly inspirational, and he was a very dedicated worker. I also love seeing the photos of my parents at this glamourous and elegant time in the 1960s. This was a holiday break for me to reflect and keep memories close to my heart. We only get one life with limited time to appreciate and love those dear to us.

I am not sure when I will return to Trinidad again but I will certainly go back as it is the land of my birth, and my family and friends are there. I love the flora and fauna, food, humour, the culture, the lay of the land with the sea, plains and mountain. I only hope that the economy and crime situation improve in time. I have little faith but I am hoping that I am wrong. Until I return again, I wish good health, wellbeing and safety to all my family, friends and acquaintances. Keep well and safe!

Lord Krishna said: “Arjuna, everything comes and goes in life. Happiness and unhappiness are temporary experiences that rise from sense perception. Heat and cold, pleasure and pain will come and go. They never last forever. So, do not get attached to them.”
(Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2:14)

Life after prison – new ventures for employment and business

Published on April 30, 2022May 4, 2022 by Seema Rampersad1 Comment

The last weeks has been great for me doing something new and learning about new issues – by this I meant learning about the Criminal Justice system and meeting several organisations, legal professionals, charities, leaders, academics, and persons who are committed to helping returning citizens (preferred term now rather than ex-offenders) by supporting them to resume their lives with education, business opportunities, employment skills and support. We were invited to take part in the project known as Project ReMake, which was the starting point for getting involved in this area of work. I will discuss some of the people, organisations, leaders and programmes I have met and how I understand a little bit more on the great work, policies and the tasks still in hand to help with a very complex and emotive criminal justice system. My disclaimer is that I don’t have much exposure to prisons neither the legal system, so I am unable to speak in detail about those areas. However, who knows, perhaps one day I may visit a prison as part of my work in libraries and as an information professional, as have my ex-colleagues for presentations in the past, and many other prison librarians.

When I first start in my current role at the British Library, I received a handwritten letter from a prisoner who was researching kenkey (cornmeal) in preparation for starting her business when she was released from prison. At that time, I hadn’t received any enquiry from prison before, and although I was able to find information and post it back to the person – I never met the person nor was I able to follow up and find out how the person got on with her business venture when she was released. I still secretly wish she is doing well and even if the business didn’t happen – I admired her well-written letter asking for information on the topic.

“No one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails.” – Nelson Mandela

Fast forward to earlier this year, it was a nice surprise to be asked to help students in the Project ReMake project by letting them know the wealth of free resources, access to expertise and support available for business ideas and creativity from the British Library. I was very motivated from the start after meeting project leader Judge and fellow well-connected Trinidadian Judge Kameel Khan. Kameel was able to introduce us to the graduates from the previous cohort, as well as the large number of support organisations (from universities to charities) who would assist in the project for this programme. The introductory session was really heart-warming and inspiring on how important the learning opportunities and support are for someone trying to restart their life after their time away from society. This initial event happened in late February, but since then I have learnt a lot more on the organisation, people and issues for assisting as well transforming or restarting lives and communities.

The one class I attended was also very useful for me as the trainer covered Competitor Intelligence, but due to time constraints I wasn’t able to attend other classes. However, I have since hosted about four groups of persons who have visited me at the library since the project initiation and they are amazed with our access to resources and support available for starting their businesses. One person dubious why I wanted to help and offered to help and support him without looking or asking for something in return – I had to point out that most librarians actually are kind and do support people and businesses all the time!

There are quite a few prison libraries, and CILIP has a Prison Libraries Group. These libraries are there to provide access to education, literacy, skills and leisure, and…perhaps escape in the books that they read. The Prison Library Group are doing great work by their Twitter feed and seems to be popular with their programme of engagement with books, reading and education. Their mission is interesting for the provision of library services to prison communities as from their newsletter in 2021, I found the link to The Hardman Directory which offers a free online access as well as ‘contains information on grant schemes and start up loans, education, employers, housing, benefit changes, debt help and mentoring; all relevant to prisoners and/or ex-prisoners and/or to people serving their sentence in the community’. Their work is very important within the prison system and for preparing return citizens. I do recall going to an Italian food exhibition in the early 1993s where there was buffalo mozzarella made by female prisoners in the UK. And recently, colleagues have mentioned that there is a fashion line pop-up in Westfield by ex-offenders called Blank Canvas.

Some of the criminal justice organisations I met are doing great work for restoring lives on employability and training skills for people who want gain employment or start their own business. Some of these organisations that I encountered recently are:

Working Change – this is a charity who is the UK’s only employment charity solely for women with convictions. It was great to hear the support as well as the opportunities for training and learning new skills for women. There should be more organisation who offer employment. One example was Capita when I attended the Project Remake event. https://workingchance.org

The Corbett Network – has been going for over 40 years and Lady Val Corbett was very pleased to hear about the access to business resources and support we have our library. What was more impressive – is Lady Val’s networking lunch with amazing partners organisations and leaders who are stakeholders in the criminal justice system. It was one of the most memorable networking events I went to as we were discussing persons who were still in prison and how we can support them in and outside. Some of these programmes included Sainsbury’s employment opportunities, Meganexus Digital Academy for prisoners, and Children’s charity for highlighting the issue with children left on their own to fend for themselves whilst their parent is in prison. https://www.thecorbettnetwork.com

Bounceback – I was able to also meet this charity who are helping people with employment skills and turning their lives around. There is also great at driving lots of people back into work with partner organisations with high success with preventing re-offending. https://www.bouncebackproject.com

Clink Charity – The Clink Charity works to train serving prisoners in catering skills within a real-life work environment whilst helping them gain academic qualifications. They offer great menu opens by students who are working to gain skills and qualifications in the food and drinks industry. https://theclinkcharity.org

One of the main highlights from the last few weeks is the Lady Val Networking Event at the appropriately ex-court dining room at Browns in Covent Garden. Lady Val was amusing and deeply passionate about Prisoner Re-integration with her Corbett Network… “coalition of charities, social enterprises, and non-profit organisations and businesses with a social mission. These decision-makers are dedicated to reducing re-offending by helping people with convictions find and keep a job”.

Prison – You may be confined by it, do not be defined by it.
– The Corbett Network

The Chairman of Timpson, James Timpson, was the guest speaker at the lunch and he was one of the best speakers I ever heard! He obviously was influenced by his parents who fostered children whose parents were in prison. One of his first visits to prisons was when his mother took him and his siblings with her so the foster child could meet their parents in prison. James spoke of his leadership ethos of kindness and techniques for getting everyone on board and in work with trust, family friendly policies, as well as a real commitment and strategic focus to help ex-offenders to gain training skills and meaningful employment. He likes people who relish the trust bestowed on them, staff recognition and had some personality to work and service customers. He was very funny and engaging in his stories, such as have a Rolls-Royce for an employee of the month at Timpson, staff fund for hardship and support on whatever they like (engagement ring, divorce etc), having a day off on your birthday and measuring the happiness index of employees to judge moral and motivation levels. James also mentioned other great companies, such as Greggs supporting ex-offenders. We discussed how entrepreneurial most offenders are due to issues prior to offending, or whilst in prison using very little to get what they need (within reason obviously in prison). I was also pleased to hear James mention his roles in prison reform boards, government policy and improvement for criminal justice advocacy. I found out that The Netherlands is also offering great rehabilitation for prisoners to the point that they are closing a third of their prisons. We certainly have a Champion and angel in him. Last but not least – it was heart-warming and blessed to heard James end his talk on the importance of kindness, as well as love. One man talking to room full of women about this was truly impressive and resonates with my own motto.

On my closing note about the project, I only recently was referred to Lucy Vincent from the charity Food Behind Bars who teaches prisoners to cook their own foods and give them skills that they can use when they come out of prison. Coincidently, the British Library was hosting a Food in Prison event which was interesting to hear the motivations of their business – such as there was no one focussing on the plight of prison food or even talking about it. Lucy also feels like she is giving a voice to people in prison. The other panellists had great thoughts on the state of the funding and support for prisoners – there seems to be no interest in making the food interesting or nutritional as the prisons are ‘not on a holiday’. Lucy is hoping to counter this with using the great bakeries, facilities and equipment available in Brixton for making food, as prisons used to in the past. However, they discussed health, wellbeing and hope for prisoners in happy prisons – whereby we should make better people and societies and in the long run. This makes sense for cost and benefits analysis with less financial strain on the prison system.

We can examine the capitalist side of prisons and hope for better in future! On a few of the events – the corruption and privatisation for profit of the prison system was mentioned. Just as I recently read about prison system in Akala’s book ‘Race Class and the Ruins of Empire’. However, these discussions, thought leaders, activism and businesses – including Judge Kameel Khan – are inspirational and really are doing great work in giving us solutions to a very complex criminal justice system.

I look forward to hearing some successful business stories from these graduates from Project ReMake, and great examples of good citizenship for those who are motivated to make the best of their new start and ventures this time around.

	Mireya on Life after prison – new ventur…
	A tribute and admira… on Little Italy – Quarters…
	Visual References 1… on Holi – a Springtime fest…
	SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ on Seven actionable tips for sust…
	Seema Rampersad on A tribute and celebration of t…