It was already June and the Bookworm Team realized that LEC 2019 Contact 2 was just a month away! The Team huddled to plan, prepare and get ourselves and our Library ready to welcome the participants to Contact 2. Faculty prepared for their sessions and sent out reading and resources lists, Visiting Resource Persons were contacted to hold sessions, the time table went through many changes, readings for the Compendium were put together and sent into print, catering and hospitality arrangements were finalized and the team got busy with transforming each room in the Library into thematic layouts to provide some refreshment of the space. The display component for Contact 2 was Touch, Movement, Sound, Seeing and Taste. The participants were divided into teams by us at Bookworm prior to the Contact period and had to come up with ideas for their display and set up the displays. We were awaiting.
Day 1 of the contact dawned and the Bookworm Team welcomed the participants with traditional Goan sweets. The participants then marched up the Library stairs to the tune of ‘When the Saints go Marching In’ and had to pick an alphabet from a basket before entering the hall where the sessions took place. The alphabets when put together made up the name of an author who we imagined would be familiar to the participants and soon learnt that at Bookworm we develop familiarity because of the collection far easier than others who are yet to meet many authors. Participants then formed five teams and these teams worked over the next four days on a treasure hunt of books, performative acts, understanding of the author and presentations that were hugely successful because of the hard work and effort of each participating member. It was a delight to see this plan in action.
As I look back, I feel that Contact 2 gave the participants new experiences such as – reading with expression with Rajshree Dutt, an emotional, thought provoking panel discussion on inclusion in the Library space, an engaging author interaction with Venita Coelho, an energetic Zumba session with Sammy, guided drawing with Rhea and Report Writing with Gita Mohan. A visit to Central Library at Patto, Panjim gave the participants a glimpse of the edifice and organisation of a modern Central Library. Three public librarians who are alumni from LEC 2017 interacted with the participants and shared their experience of the LEC Course. A visit to Thinkering in Nachinola which is a combination of workshop, laboratory, studio and undefined space and an interaction with Avik and Sumi who have set up the space there gave the participants an opportunity to journey through the fields of Goa and encounter the dilemma around what makes a space alive and dynamic.
In sharing and reflections we learnt that most of the participants who undertook a visit to a public library in their assignment choice, learnt a lot from that experience. There were struggles in managing time and attention on the demands of the course with full time work once back home but overall kept in touch, were motivated and highly engaged despite hurdles. The role of the mentor was appreciated as was the feedback on assignments. Hearing these, was reassuring for us as we worry about how the course structure and design might be received by each group.
While we were joyous that we were together for Contact 2, we realised it was an intense, difficult contact for some in terms of sessions and discussions. We also realise that it is an intense and difficult contact for faculty and us at Bookworm but somehow each of us found support and strength in each other and came together to learn more about ourselves and library work. At the end of Contact 2 what is important is that we are all here to journey towards our shared Vision of what we hold for the Library Educators Certificate Course 2019.