Libraries and Sanctuary: Supporting Refugees and Other New Arrivals

As a social-justice activist and coordinator of the Network (formerly the Social Exclusion Action Planning Network) who has worked in public libraries for decades, Vincent (author of the Arts Council England report Libraries Welcome Everyone) provides a rich guide for librarians and community members alike to discover the political legacy of local public libraries and harness their potential in support of refugees. This definitive account is grounded in the specific history and climate of the UK’s library and immigration system over the past 60 years. The book’s in-depth chronologies of immigration policy and public library responses date from the 1940s to the present—encompassing everything from the Polish Library of London, which responded to an influx of Polish immigrants after World War II, to the contemporary development of multipurpose Libraries of Sanctuary and the upheavals of Brexit. Complementing its academic rigor, the bulk of this book explores practical policies and common obstacles that libraries face when addressing immigration. Vincent interviews leading librarians as well as refugees and other immigrants whose lives have been changed by the capriciousness of politics and the generosity of libraries. Particularly engaging are his case studies of progressive libraries around the world.