Libraries as welcoming, inclusive spaces for asylum seekers and refugees

Please join us online for an informal conversation, centred around what welcome and support for asylum seekers and refugees within library spaces looks like. The event will also feature reflections on refugee archiving, publishing and zines co-creation for libraries, and it is aimed at people working within cultural, library or information spaces, who are interested in an inclusive practice and curious to learn more.

Our session includes three speakers:

- Glasgow Women’s Library - Glasgow Women’s Library is the only accredited museum in the UK dedicated to women’s lives, histories and achievements. It has also now been officially recognised as a Library of Sanctuary and is the first library in Scotland to receive this prestigious national honour. The award recognises libraries that actively welcome and support people seeking sanctuary. During this talk, GWL will reflect on some of their projects and practices of welcome.

- Alexandros Plasatis - Alexandros Plasatis is the founder of The Other Side of Hope publication, the UK's only literary magazine edited by migrants and refugees and platforming migrants' and refugees' writing. Alexandros is currently researching his PhD exploring refugee publishing, with National Libraries of Scotland.

- Refugee Festival Scotland / Scottish Refugee Council - Event host Ros Fraser, Community Engagement Officer at Refugee Festival Scotland for the Scottish Refugee Council, who has also worked in outreach for the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive, will join our conversation to talk about To Gather, a publication and community arts project that existed as part of Refugee Festival Scotland 2025. The project was facilitated and developed by the artist Saffa Khan, and involved capturing the stories, memories and heritage of asylum seeker and refugee groups across Scotland (Glasgow, Helensburgh, Inverness, Dumfries & Arbroath). Saffa produced a publication from the workshops, which was shared with libraries across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland.

This will be an open and enlightening conversation, reflecting on libraries as spaces of welcome, inclusive archiving and support for asylum seekers and refugees.

What Can I Expect to Learn?

● Examples of good practice in welcome for asylum seekers and refugees in libraries

● Examples of some successful library engagement projects for people seeking sanctuary in Scotland

● The potentials of - and projects around - refugee-led publishing

● Reflections on inclusive archiving and capturing heritage of people seeking sanctuary in Scotland

Free, online and open to all CILIP members - please register here to receive the Zoom link in advance.