Walk a Mile in My Shoes:
The vital role libraries play in developing empathy
Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes
This session discusses why empathy, a critical skill for global relations and success in today's world, should be taken seriously by librarians and concrete ways every library can help its patrons look at situations through the eyes of those who are different from themselves. We’ll actively share ways libraries support practices that build empathy and the empathetic skills necessary for effective librarians themselves. A self-assessment and reflection about the characteristics of an empathetic library professional and program conclude the session.
Slide presentation (school libraries)
Slide presentation (public libraries)
Empathy Padlet (also see embedded Padlet below)
Resources:
7 myths about empathy, Blue Skunk blog, November 4, 2013
Building Capacity for Empathy, Head for the Edge, Library Media Connection, January 2009
Empathetic Skills and School Libraries: Critical for Both Students and Librarians. Teacher-Librarian, May-June, 2019
Machines Are the Easy Part; People Are the Hard Part. Blue Skunk Press, 2007. (Free download from Lulu.)
Right Brain Skills and the Media Center: A Whole New Mind(set), KQWeb March/April 2007
Aberman, Morality, Capitalism and Empathy. Huffington Post Tech, November 3, 2013.
Borba, Michele. NIne Competencies for Teaching Empathy. Educational Leadership, October 2018.
Brower, Tracy. Think Empathy is a Soft Skill? Think Again. Why You Need Empathy for Success. Forbes, June 16, 2019.
Costa, "Listening with Understanding and Empathy," Describing the Habits of Mind
de Waal, Frans The Evolution of Empathy, Greater Good, September 1, 2005.
Empathy? In Denmark they're learning it in school. Morning Future, April 26, 2019.
Goleman, Daniel. Rich People Just Care Less. NYT Opinion Pages, Oct 5, 2013.
Greenberg, Karin. Reading Memoirs to Increase Empathy. KnowledgeQuest, June 25, 2019.
Hammond, Claudia. Does reading fiction make us better people? BBC, June 3, 2019.
Henry, Allan. This Video Explains the Difference Between Empathy and Sympathy. Lifehacker, December 23, 2013.
ISTE NET-S "2c. Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures"
Martinuzzi, Bruna. Empathy and Leadership, Mindtools, nd.
Mick, Haley "Socially Awkward? Hit the Books" Globe and Mail, July 10, 2008.
Miller, Bart. Unity Unit.
Mindshift. Empathy Is Tough to Teach, But Is One Of the Most Important Life Lessons. February 8, 2017.
Moran, Marcia. Empathy: Leadership Strength or Weakness? Modern DC Business, March 20, 2013
One Globe Kids (app)
People who read books are nicer than those who don't. The Language Nerds (nd)
Smith, Daniella. Empathy: Can you walk in another person's shoes? KnowledgeQuest, June 27, 2019.
Stillman, Jessica. New Study: Reading Fiction Really Will Make You Nicer and More Empathetic. INC. January 25, 2019
Wilhelm, Jeffrey D. and Michael W. Smith Don't Underestimate the Power of Pleasure Reading. Education Week, January 22, 2014.