Why Compassion?
Photo by K.Kendall-Creative Commons
Compassion means "to suffer together with" and usually includes a desire to alleviate that person's suffering. It forms the core of most of the world's religions, best expressed as ,"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
So how do you translate this into working in a library?
ALA - Building Common Ground
http://ppo.ala.org/commonground/
In 2012 ALA in a partnership with the Fetzer Institute awarded 30 libraries a grant to explore compassion in libraries.
The book that was commonly used was Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong. December 2011. Anchor, paperback, 240 pages. 978-0307742889 Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong. 2010. Knopf, hardcover, 222 pages. 978-0-307-59559-1
Charter for Compassion
"The Charter for Compassion is a document that transcends religious, ideological, and national differences. Supported by leading thinkers from many traditions, the Charter activates the Golden Rule around the world."
Fetzer Institute
"To foster awareness of the power of love and forgiveness in the emerging global community." This is the mission of the Fetzer Institute.
Center for Non-Violent Communication
The Center promotes awareness and practice of non-violent communication. This practice can only enhance working with the public.
The Applied Empathy Framework
Describes applied empathy. The whole site has some interesting implications for designing websites that work for people. Developing empathy has some ideas that may be useful in practising empathy.
Daniel Goleman on Empathy and Compassion
So how do you translate this into working in a library?
ALA - Building Common Ground
http://ppo.ala.org/commonground/
In 2012 ALA in a partnership with the Fetzer Institute awarded 30 libraries a grant to explore compassion in libraries.
The book that was commonly used was Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong. December 2011. Anchor, paperback, 240 pages. 978-0307742889 Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong. 2010. Knopf, hardcover, 222 pages. 978-0-307-59559-1
Charter for Compassion
"The Charter for Compassion is a document that transcends religious, ideological, and national differences. Supported by leading thinkers from many traditions, the Charter activates the Golden Rule around the world."
Fetzer Institute
"To foster awareness of the power of love and forgiveness in the emerging global community." This is the mission of the Fetzer Institute.
Center for Non-Violent Communication
The Center promotes awareness and practice of non-violent communication. This practice can only enhance working with the public.
The Applied Empathy Framework
Describes applied empathy. The whole site has some interesting implications for designing websites that work for people. Developing empathy has some ideas that may be useful in practising empathy.
Daniel Goleman on Empathy and Compassion