“A small step for personal growth, one giant leap for mental health!”

World Mental Health Day

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The event

Pearl Cove Library is hosting a Human Library event in conjunction with World Mental Health Day. The purpose of this is to see mental health and its related concerns through another person's eyes by speaking with four guest 'Books' to discover a variety of opinions and stories related to the purpose of the event.  

The "Human Library" event will allow you to express ideas and opinions without fear of judgement. Explore the importance of diversity and encourage the acceptance of others, regardless of their personal histories. Engage in discussion to challenge stigmas about people with mental health and promote the importance of positive mental health. 

All discussions are private between the "Books" and individuals guests. The views and opinions of the "Books" may not reflect your own but we encourage guests to keep an open mind as well as be kind and respectful to all of those in attendance.  

Books 

The term "book" refers to a person that will be speaking at the event and they will have one-on-one discussions with guests regarding the theme of the event. 

The first "Book" at the event is Eva Thompson. She is an elderly woman aged 75, who lives by herself, and her children and grandchildren do not visit often. She also doesn't get to see friends and acquaintances often, and becomes quite lonely because of it. 

The second "Book" is a single father of two young children, Miles Walker. The mental health of a parent, can sometimes be overlooked and not spoken enough of, especially in a situation where they are the sole carer of young children. Parents need to be supported so that they are able to help their child become the best versions of themselves. 

The third "Book" is 20 year-old student Casey Hayes that identifies themselves with the pronouns they/them. This person holds significance to the event because there are some people that do not agree with the significance of the morals that the LGBTQI+ community spreads, and they occasionally may find a negative factor to invalidate a persons beliefs and undermine their happiness. 

The fourth and final book that will be featured in the event is, Professor Patricia Dudgeon. Professor Dudgeon is a part of the Bardi people of the Kimberly area in Western Australia. She is known for her research that includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention. She is also the co-chair of the Ministerial Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Advisory Group.

Event bookings

Day and time: Saturday October 9, 2021 at 10:00 am to 03:00 pm. 

Location: Pearl Cove Library courtyard and Group study room.

Cost: $2 - Cost covers a donation for a gift for each "Book".

Bookings: Bookings are completed through the Eventbrite website. 

Each individual booking will allocate a session for a total of 20 minutes. 

1 booking per person.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/pearl-cove-library-world-mental-health-day-47065/

Further information

The following links will take you to further information about the purpose of the Human Library cause and mental health support agencies in Australia which may provide resources that can be used in personal situations. 

• https://www.humanlibraryaus.org/about 
• https://mhaustralia.org/about-us
• https://www.onedoor.org.au/advocacy
• https://www.gayaadhuwi.org.au/about-us/
• https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

Sophia EL MOHAMAD