Depend on You - Alcohol Awareness Week

11th - 16th November, 2022 

Attribution to jpalinsad360: https://live.staticflickr.com/7336/11064873956_6ef5b12fee.jpg

Alcohol is a part of everyone's lives, whether you partake in drinking on a regular basis or completely abstain from it. Chances are you will either know someone or may yourself be alcohol dependent.

Pearl Cove Library is hosting a Human Library event where you can privately discuss your own issues with alcohol and alcohol dependency or those of a loved one with one of our books. 

Please note this event is restricted to those 18+

What is Alcohol Awareness Week? This initiative was launced in the UK and is a week dedicated to raising the awareness of alcohol consumption. The initiative offers information as well as factsheets and support for those with alcohol dependencies.

For more information on Alcohol Awareness Week visit: 

https://alcoholchange.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/alcohol-awareness-week-1

What is a Human Library? The idea of a Human Library is to open dialogue and address people's prejudices by allowing someone to borrow a "book". The "book" is not an item that you'd read off the shelf, rather a person that you will have a conversation with. Doing so allows people to talk to others from different walks of life and to gain a new understanding and hopefully change one's views and prejudices.

The concept was created in Copenhagen, Denmark in the year 2000 and was held at the Roskilde festival over four days. During this inaugural event over 1000 people took part during the 8 hours per day that the event ran for.

This concept was embraced by Australia and the very first permanent Human Library event was established in Lismore, NSW in 2006.

Now more than 70 countries have established Human Library events.

For more information please visit: 

https://www.humanlibraryaus.org/

https://humanlibrary.org/

Meet our books:

William Mitchell: William is a local indigenous leader in the Pearl Cove Community. He has witnessed first hand the impact that alcohol has had on the indigenous community and offers a unique perspective into the problems that alcohol abuse has had and how he and other indigenous leaders are helping to raise alcohol awareness in the community.

Constable Peter Grothe: Constable Grothe is an officer of the Pearl Cove Police Force. He has seen the impact of alcohol related violence and injuries during his time in the Police. He will be discussing the relation between crime and alcohol as well as his own personal experiences and those of his colleagues regarding alcohol and self medication in the Police Force.

Sarah Baker: Former MP and Councillor of Pearl Cove, Sarah developed a dependency on alcohol during her time working in the local government. Sadly this led to her losing her job and career. Sarah now runs AA meetings and counselling in the community and is an advocate of Alcohol Awareness.

Nurse Linda Ratchett: Nurse Ratchett is a local nurse at the Pearl Cove Hospital. She will be discussing the health effects and impact that alcohol has had on her patients in her care as well as the greater Pearl Cove community. She will also discuss the issue of self medicating with alcohol that occurs in high stress careers including the health sector.

Event details:

When: Saturday 12th November, 2022 from 12pm-3:30pm

Where: Meet at the Cove Meeting Room, Pearl Cove Library. Bookings with our books will take place in the adjacent group study rooms.

Bookings: Bookings are $10 per person, space is strictly limited so please ensure to make a booking and you will be allocated a book(s) and time. 

To book a session please either contact: 

Phone: (02) 9XXX XXXX

Email: events@pearlcovelibrary.com.au 

Online Booking: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/

Need support?

Depend on You will offer details and contacts to local AA meetings and will also offer details on contacts for drug and alcohol counsellors in the Pearl Cove community.

Additional information and support is available at:

Drinkwise: https://drinkwise.org.au/

The Alcohol and Drug Foundation: https://adf.org.au/

Any additional questions please contact Julian English via email: julian.english@pearlcovelibrary.com.au

Julian English

Books Behind Bars: a Human Library Event

Books Behind Bars: a Human Library Event

What is this event about? 

This event aligns with International Prisoners Justice Day on August 10th.

A day to recognise the rights of prisoners and express solidarity. 

Since 1975, this date has been recognised as a day of empathy and memorial for injustice and violence against prisoners. 

The aim of this event is to create connections with our wider community. 

Fostering empathetic and understanding conversations with people who have been to prison and have worked in prison environments. 

The event will aim to help people understand and discuss:

- Why people commit crime and how it is connected to factors such as socioeconomic status and drug addiction

- To bring attention to the resources within prison libraries and the lack of funding and access. 

-       To discuss the rates of incarceration of the Indigenous Australian population

- Rehabilitation and breaking the cycle of offending and imprisonment

What is a human library event? 

The human library is an event in which you ‘borrow’ a person as you would a book, learning from their own unique life experience

The idea behind human library is to create a safe, friendly and open space to address and challenge people’s prejudices and perceptions 

Connecting people from different life experiences and backgrounds.

The books for this event have all had experience being incarcerated or working in prisons

Read more about The Human Library Organisation: 

https://humanlibrary.org/

WHEN: Tuesday August 10th , 6pm - 9pm

WHERE: Pearl Cove Library, Pearl Room

EMAIL: events@pearlcovelibrary.com.au

PH: (02) 9759 0323

This event has a 25-person capacity

Booking is essential

Please book here:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/booksbehindbars

This is an over 18s event

If you’re interested in this event and want to learn more.

Please visit our partnering organisation websites:

Justice Action                                                                  NSW Aboriginal Land Council 

https://justiceaction.org.au/                                                               https://alc.org.au/ 

                                    Remi Read-Fowler          367036469                                           

                                                                                                                      

Building Bridges – To live in Harmony

 

Building Bridges

    

Image credit: CityofSalisbury

To live in HARMONY

Harmony Day is celebrated  annually  in Australia on 21st March and it coincides with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The main idea is that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights: Everyone Belongs.

Celebrate Harmony Day at Pearl Cove Library by joining our Human Living Library event - Building Bridges. 

At this event, you will be offered an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue  with our "Living Books" from different cultures and backgrounds. Enhance your connection and respect for human diversity through interaction, and promote community harmony.

Human Living library  allows you to borrow real people as a book that they would not normally meet.

These volunteer books will share their  stories and  discuss openly with readers one on one conversation.

It helps dispel people's prejudices and break down stereotyping that occurs in our cities. It also contributes to reuniting our community leading to a worldwide movement to promote social change.

Our books include a local business owner who was born in Australia and currently supports the homeless, an Aboriginal person, Archie Rose, who is an activist & role model, a young Muslim woman who is a refugee from Syria, and a long-term unemployed person.

20 minutes each  "reading" session.

This is a free event and all  aged 16 and over are welcome !

EVENT INFORMATION:

Event:       Building Bridges – To live in Harmony

⏰  Date: Friday 19 March,2021

      Time：7pm -8.30pm

📍  Location: Pearl Room, Pearl Cove Library

👉 Places are limited  to the first 25 people and bookings are essential. 

👉 Bookings: eventbook@pearlcovelibrary.com.au or via Eventbrite

 MORE INFORMATION:

For information about event visit:

http://mylibrary.Pearlcovensw.gov.au/events/harmony-day-events

For information about Human libraries visit:

http://humanlibrary.org

For information about Harmony Day visit: 

https://www.harmony.gov.au

For further information or if you have any questions:

Visit us at Pearl Cove Library

Email: contacts@pearlcovelibrary.com.au

Phone: 02 9177 5588

World No Tobacco Day

 

“World No Tobacco Day”
Come and join our first Human Library Event at Pearl Cove Library!
“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.”

 World No Tobacco Day 2021 – Commit to Quit
Monday 31 May is the World Health Organization’s 34th World No Tobacco Day. This day raises awareness about the dangers of tobacco use and exposure. It highlights national and global efforts to fight the tobacco epidemic and protect future generations from its harmful effects.

What is Human Library?
The Human Library is an event where real people are on loan to readers for a personal conversation and provides an opportunity for individuals to connect with people they may not normally have the occasion to speak to within their community, to learn and better understand the life experiences of others, to challenge their own assumptions, prejudices and stereotypes.
For more information about Human Library, please go to the following links,
Human Library
Human Library Australia

Event Details

The Books:

Ash Dharawal: TIS (Tackling Indigenous Smoking)
Dr. Anna Smith: Health professional
Chris Berger: NSW Government - I Can Quit
Ameer Badalla: Ex-Smoker
Michael Heart: Cancer Council
Patty Reese: Lung Foundation Australia
Simon Potter: Department of Health – How to quit smoking
Amber Lee: Help to Quit

What’s on the Event?
One on One conversation with the book of your choice (20 minutes each session)

 When?
⌚ 31^st May 2021, 6:30pm - 9:30pm

🔖 Location: 
Pearl Cove Library - Pearl Room
On ground floor adjacent to the library.

💵 Cost:
$10.00 per person, bookings essential*
*Only 32 seats available, by 15^th May.

☕ Light refreshments provided. 

Available: 
🚗 Free Parking 
🚌 Public Bus
♿ Disabled Access

Book your spot on Eventbrite

📞 Contact Details: 
Phone: +61 2 9965-1688
Email: info@pearlcovelibrary.nsw.gov.au

Organised by Martin Gunawan

Image credits:
"WNTDlungs" by Pranavshaj is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
"World-No-Tobacco-Day" by World Health Organisation is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Living in Hamorny

 

Harmony Day at Pearl Cove Library

We are inviting you to celebrate Harmony Week 15- 21 March 2021 (https://www.harmony.gov.au/)

This is our first event at Pearl Cove in 2021. Adults can come to the library and read  "Human Book" 

What is a Human Book? 

At a Human Library what makes it different to a normal event is our “books” are people  (Human Books) - and the “reading” that happens in a Human Library is a conversation between a Reader and their Human Book. The library offers a safe place to ask anything they want without it being offensive and to learn about other peoples lives. 

more info: https://www.humanlibraryaus.org/about

Local people of our community telling their stories and answering questions of their experiences. 

Event Details 

Human Books: 

Holly Green: Local Resident 

Anna Smith: Aboriginal Elder 

Nasir Ibrahim: Resident who recently moved from another country 

Hussein Amari: Refugee from Syria

Who can attend?

Adults that want to experience stories from people within the Pearl Cove community that have very different life experiences. 

What is the Event?

Human Book One on One conversation (30 minutes each session)

When?

17th March 2021

11:30am - 3:30pm

Location: 

Pearl Cove Library 

123 Smith Road 

Harmony Room located in the café. 

Cost 

$10

Food and refreshments can be bought at the café.

 Dietary requirements can be notified at the café. 

Available: 

🚗 Free Parking 

🚌  Public Bus 

🚶‍♂️Walking distance from the centre of town

♿ Disabled Access

This is open to the first 30 people

To book your spot click on the Orange image below: 

You can also call us on 6589 2345 or see our lovely staff at the front desk to secure your spot. 

There will be photographers at this event. 

If you are uncomfortable being photographed on the day, please let one of our staff members know beforehand. 

Can't wait to see you there!

Contact Details: 

Pearl Cove Library 

123 Smith Rd 

Pearl Cove 2446 

(02) 6589 2345

pearlcovelibrary@gmail.com 

Photo Credits: 

"Harmony Logo stacked with Tagline and TM"  by Parkeryyc:  

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harmony-Logo_Tagline-Master-2019-0317-TM_Harmony-Logo-Main-Stacked.png

Done by Daniela Koch. 

Family Fact Festival

- Celebrating Families!

Date: Thursday 29th of October.

Time: 2:00pm-5:00pm.

Location: Pearl Cove Library, Courtyard.

Booking Information: Tickets available on Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/ (limited numbers)

or

by phoning Pearl Cove Library on 9546 7834.

or

Come and visit us in person @Pearl Cove Library.

Event Info: The human living library event celebrating families is a family based event focusing on the diverse range and definition of families. 

The purpose of this event is to introduce Pearl Cove residents to locals and representatives from local organisations to answer questions and share their experiences. Come and meet the local treasures on our doorstep!

Visiting a Human Library gives borrowers the opportunity to choose a “book” from a range of titles and they  borrower can “read” that “book” to find out about their chosen book’s topic.

​

​The key difference is that a Human Library “books” are people. "Reading” in a Human Library is a conversation between a Reader and their Human Book.  Human Books offer an interactive experience in that the conversation goes where the Reader wants it to go.

The human “books” available for loan represent or have real life experience or professional credentials in dealing with issues facing real families.

For more information on the "Human Library" concept:

https://www.humanlibraryaus.org/about

The human books available for loan are;

* Dr June Oscar AO, 2018 NAIDOC Person of the Year.

* Anne Hollonds, AIFS (Australia Institute of Family Studies) Director.

* Emily Lively, Speech Pathologist and Director of Lively Eaters Feeding Services.

* George Megalogenis, Author and Journalist- Speaking Out (family services).

All on site to answer your questions one on one!

Issues addressed are Indigenous families, families dealing with medical issues and or crisis; grandparents as parents, refugee families, single parents as well as representatives from financial and counselling organisations.

Link to relationships Australia offering additional information of family counselling services, mediation and family and relationship skills courses.

https://www.relationships.org.au/

~ Caitlin Saad.

Colours of the Community: A celebration of Refugee Week

Come down to the Pearl Cove Library for a special upcoming event!

Pearl Cove Library is proud to announce that a new event celebrating refugees and Refugee Week is coming soon. It will be in the form of a Human Library, where instead of borrowing books people will be able to borrow 'people' for a 1 on 1 conversation. Take this opportunity to find out more about the refugees in your community and the stories they experienced before and after coming to Pearl Cove. 

Event Details:

Date and Time: Saturday, June 20 at 11:00AM

Duration: 5 hours, finish at 4:00PM

Location: Pearl Cove Library, main seating area

Entry Fee: Free!

Bookings: Please visit  Eventbrite for more information. 

With the world entering an age of increasing nationalisation and conflict, accepting and welcoming refugees into our country and community has become more and more important. To get to this point many people had to undergo tribulations, hazardous journeys, and extreme amounts of uncertainty and fear. But even after they arrive into their new home, these feelings may not dissipate. They can require time and help to understand and become accustomed to a culture that may be very different to what they are used to. By coming along to this event you will have an opportunity to find out their stories and get a glimpse into their lives. 

Frequently asked questions:

Why a Human Library?

A human library is a platform which allows for more in-depth and complex topics to be discussed in their own words by the human 'book'. During this frank conversation, you can ask questions you may have but are hesitant to ask. We chose to use the human library because refugees have a very diverse background and it can be difficult to find information which is directly useful. The human books provide a perspective that you can use to clarify and understand concepts that may be outside your normal frame of reference. 

Do I have to bring anything?

You just have to bring yourselves and an open mind to this event. Food will not be provided, but there is a cafe on site and several other food eateries within walking distance. 

How long will this take?

Each conversation with a book will take approximately 30 minutes. Please be aware that due to booking and time restraints, each session must finish within the allocated slot. 

Are you able to accommodate for people with disabilities?

Of course! The library has a clearly marked entrance way with ramps, and the route to and from the event area is large enough for a wheelchair to navigate through and we have several handrails around the sides of the walls. There is also a disabled toilet close to the seating area and signs posted around the library. If you have any particular concerns, please let the library know. 

Further links for information:

Human Libraries: https://www.humanlibraryaus.org

Refugee Week: https://www.refugeeweek.org.au

Image Credits:

Teneva, M. (n.d.). Building with refugees welcome signage photo. Unsplash. Retrieved 23 November 2020 from https://unsplash.com/photos/uHDbnG-Avpc

Trampota, F. (2016). BP Gas station, refugee camp. Flickr. Retrieved 23 November 2020 from https://www.flickr.com/photos/67207664@N06/27459115505

by: Tatsuaki Goh

NAIDOC Week 2020: Always was, Always will be.

   NAIDOC Week 2020: Always was, Always Will be

                                          

                                                Image courtesy: NAIDOC

Come take part of NAIDOC Week 2020 at Pearl Cove Library! Throughout the week, you will have the chance to speak to one (or more) of our Human books about their experiences and learn more about the Indigenous Australian culture and what it means to be an Indigenous Australian. 

Background Information: 

NAIDOC Week is an event that takes place every year during July which aims to raise awareness of achievements made by Indigenous Australians. The theme for 2020 is 'Always was, Always will be.' This year, we have invited four 'Human Books' to be present during the week to those who wish to know about the experiences of Indigenous Australians.

A Human Book is a a person who is willing to share their experiences about a particular issue, such as 

For more information, please visit the following websites:

NAIDOC:  https://www.naidoc.org.au/

Human Libraries Australia: https://www.humanlibraryaus.org/

EVENT DETAILS

When: Sunday 8th November 2020 - Sunday 15th November 2020

*On Sunday the 8th of November, there will be a talk by two Indigenous Australians beginning at 1:30pm, Please make your way to the Pearl Room on the ground floor of Pearl cove library. Following the talks, the Human Books will be available. The Books will also be available for the rest of the week.

Where: The Pearl Room, Pearl Cove Library

Cost: Free *Bookings are essential - see the bottom of the post. 

Human Books:

Reggie Dyckman -  Elder from a Rural Community

Gus Hartman - Elder living in the City of Sydney

Nova Perris - Former Politician and Olympic Hockey Player and Sprinter

Cathy Freeman - Gold Medallist at the Sydney Olympics

PLEASE NOTE: Food and drink will be provided

To book, please contact staff at Pearl Cove Library at pearlcovelibevents.com.au 

Lucy Cullis