Children’s books featuring black and mixed-race characters will be available in an outdoor community library set up by Hackney-based initiative, See Me on the Page.
A ‘street library’ box is to be installed outside the Our Place community centre on the New Kingshold Estate in January 2022. The library will be open on Thursdays between 3:30-5pm, when children and young people from all over Hackney will be able to borrow books free of charge. The scheme will rely on donations of new and second-hand books.
Crystal Norbert, the project’s founder, said: “Ultimately we hope to raise the self-esteem of children and young people who don’t often see themselves in print, inspire all young readers and get more diverse books into homes and schools across Hackney.”
The project has gratefully received 20 book donations so far, including Look Up, by Nathan Bryon, featuring a little girl called Rocket who is very enthusiastic about science and space.
Norbert said that the dominant narratives found in children’s books can often be harmful to the large Afro-Caribbean presence in the borough. The initiative aims to move away from these stereotypes.
Norbert is also hoping to get book retailers involved. Details of the progress of the project can be found on Instagram @seemeonthepage and on Twitter @SeeMeOnThePage1.
