Empathy at the Heart of the School
Category: Blog, SLG Scotland
by Dr Graham Fairweather (Senior School Librarian – The High School of Glasgow)
SLG Scotland committee member Graham has been busy getting his school library ready for Empathy Day (June 6th 2024). The links between reading for pleasure and empathy is something that Graham is very interested in, and he recently spoke about the role of empathy in a school library at the CILIP SLG Conference alongside Sarah Mears MBE (Co-Founder of EmpathyLab) and author Jo Cotterill (A Library of Lemons and The Starlight Stables Gang series). We asked Graham to share a few thoughts and plans with us in the run up to Empathy Day this year.
Tell us about empathy in school libraries…
Empathy is something that I think is at the heart of pretty much every school library in the country. When we advocate for what it is that we provide as school librarians, we all talk of providing welcoming and safe spaces for students. I personally think of a student walking through the door of the library – it doesn’t matter what has happened in their day up to that point, they have crossed a threshold into a place where they are welcome, not judged and are hopefully understood. Yes, there are expectations and rules to follow, but there is also escapism to be found. It’s why we all push so hard to make sure that we have diverse and inclusive collections – so that our library spaces are visibly welcoming to everyone. It’s so students can both see themselves represented in the things they find and widen their knowledge of other cultures and viewpoints, and it’s to create spaces where empathy is evident and valued.
Why get involved in Empathy Day?
With a core concept built on the benefits of reading for pleasure, Empathy Day clearly aligns with the goals of a school library. Its foundation is the excellent Read for Empathy collection – which is something that I try to add to my library every year, because of the reliably good quality of the books. There are titles I have discovered through previous collections that have become mainstays in my library and that I have seen have a hugely positive effect on students. We are in the midst of a mental health crisis and every teenager has their own personal turmoil or struggles, whether big or small. However, they don’t always know how to talk about their problems or where to go for good advice.
Books like those in the empathy collection allow the students to explore issues and feelings in their own time. It might sound like a cliché, but I have certainly seen the right book resonate with the right student at the right moment. And that’s what Empathy Day is about – building a message that encourages children and young people to understand what’s happening to themselves and to those around them. Ultimately, Empathy Day is to help students be able to communicate and connect better with their peers – something that I think is really important, especially in a safe space like a library.
Persuading the rest of the school to take part?
It’s strange that for people who spend so much time helping other people, often the hardest thing for a librarian to do is to ask others to do something for you. I know I have to fight the assumption that everyone is going to be too busy to help; but sometimes you just have to do it! For me, a focus on empathy was easy to sell because it was something I could talk passionately about and share the evidence behind. It’s also a theme that ties in with many common school priorities (such as Rights Respecting Schools, LGBT+ Chartership, Reading Schools and behaviour management), so I felt comfortable talking to senior management to get backing from the top. I’m also lucky to lead a Reading for Pleasure working group and so I have a core group of staff keen to get involved (I’m sure any school undertaking Reading Schools has something similar).
Librarians spend so much time helping others… why not call a few of those favours in? Empathy is something that can tie in with subjects across the school and it’s not the end of the world if people say no! Teachers at my school have really got behind it, but the library is still the hub of my school’s Empathy Day activities and even starting out small with lunchtime events contained within a library will have an effect.
What will Empathy Day look like in your school?
I want Empathy Day to be something that everyone in our school is aware of and involved in, so the day will start off with a whole school assembly to kick off the conversation. During the day, departments from across the school are getting involved in ways that they feel ties in with their subject, and many will be using the pre-made EmpathyLab resources. The English department will be using the Empathy Character Prompt resource, and our Modern Languages department will be taking the Empathy Exchange conversations and adding an international twist. Of course, one of the big things I want from Empathy Day is for students to have fun in the library. I want the day and activities to be educational, but also memorable and to leave a positive impact. Following success from last year, I will be turning my library into an empathy hub for the day and setting up different stations around the library with different empathy challenges. Students will be challenged to complete six Mission Empathy activities in the library, which will get them thinking about emotions, connecting with others, writing book recommendations and of course making an achievable empathy resolution for the year.
How have the students responded?
I’ve been thrilled by the longer-term impact I’ve observed from adopting a big focus on empathy. When the Read for Empathy collection was announced this year, there was excitement from students about what was included as well as interest from parents. In the library I have noticed differences both in the way that students see the library space and in the way that they connect with books. Students increasingly describe and review books through a specific empathy lens and feel comfortable asking for books on tough themes. I think they associate my library with empathy – and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
If you are inspired to check out the Read for Empathy collection or Empathy Day resources, head over to the EmpathyLab website. Make sure to register your school for free to access the 2024 toolkits with this year’s resources.
Graham was a judge for the Read for Empathy Collection 2024, which can be found at www.empathylab.uk/RFE. Graham also interviewed award-winning writer A.M. Dassu for Empathy in Fiction: SLG Scotland’s first author event of 2024. (Re)watch below!