Ask Audrey Chapuis what books she has on her bedside table. She struggles to answer. This stack is perfect for librarians.
there is No one talks about this. By Patricia Lockwood; The rise and fall of American growth, By Robert J. Gordon; This Rough Grace: A Memoir of Restoration and Renewal; By Octavia Bright; and The Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America, By Stacey Schiff.
The executive director of the American Library in Paris recently joined the board of directors of Nouvelles-Découvertes, the parent association of the News Decoder. In that role, Chapuis is merging the library's mission with that of the News Decoder.
It has long been Chapuis' mission to provide public access to scholarly materials while also providing a commitment to information and media literacy in the classroom.
For Chapuis, much of this is found in the world of literature.
“First, my focus is on books, but it’s more than just books,” Chapuis said. “This is about how we communicate with information, with text and, above all, with each other. How are we engaging ourselves in having open conversations that change us?”
Books unite people across cultures.
Chapuis found that libraries were key to fostering cultural diversity while uniting an audience of “citizens of the world.” The leading Anglo-Saxon institution in France, like the News Decoder's position in Europe, is a nod to Chapuis's experience as an American in Paris.
“Like-minded people come from all over the world, not just Americans. [the American Library is] It operates as a second culture within a culture,” Chapuis said. “It’s a very diverse and magical place.”
Last year, the library released “On the Road.” france today It is a so-called “pop-up tour” that offers a series of cultural activities in libraries, museums and schools throughout the Île-de-France and Haut-de-France regions.
The name comes from the classic road trip novel by French-American author Jack Kerouac. In his book, Kerouac chronicled his travels across America based on his experiences. His pit stop was much like the pit stops at libraries he plunges into communities across France.
Chapuis himself moved to Paris from Austin, Texas, USA, 10 years ago. She sees her library's audience as “people who identify as readers at a fundamental level, not just Americans.”
Creating an atmosphere for discussing climate change
Chapuis first connected with News Decoder through a series of “Ecologues” produced as part of the News Decoder's Writing's on the Wall (WoW) climate change project in collaboration with the Climate Academy of the European School Brussels II.
In these live Ecologues, held at the American Library in Paris and simulcast on Zoom, the Library and News Decoder brought together experts for a conversation about various aspects of climate change.
“We’re trying to create experiences that give people access to new and inspiring conversations, resources, frameworks and communities,” Chapuis said.
Maria Krasinski, Executive Director of News Decoder, said Ecologues is News Decoder's first foray into a hybrid event series. “Audrey and program managers Alice McCrumb and Emilie Biggs were invaluable in organizing speakers and facilitating discussions,” Krasinski said.
“It’s amazing what happens when you bring together people with different expertise and different ideas about the same problem and have them connect with an audience,” she said. “Everyone brings a new perspective.”
Education can be fascinating.
Chapuis pointed to shelves of maroon leather-bound books at the back of the library and said such institutions serve as a kind of anchoring point.
“Libraries are still built and maintained by people,” Chapuis said. So whatever technology we bring to the book, it’s still about people,” Chapuis said. “I believe that libraries will become not only a cultural and community refuge where people can find solace, but also a place where like-minded people from all walks of life can connect.”
Chapuis quotes sociologist Eric Klinenberg, who described libraries as palaces. “For the people,” Chapuis said.
Chapuis believes in the importance of building a community around lifelong learning. She said education programs should foster people's natural curiosity and desire to learn.
Much of her thirst for learning can be satisfied by both new books and books she finds and re-reads. When you pick up a book and leaf through it, you can almost inhale the knowledge it contains.
“As I get older, my sensory memories of reading become more intense,” Chapuis said, pointing to his nose and inhaling. “Even as a child, those memories remain.”
This is why libraries remain relevant in this age of digital information and why people still come to places like the American Library in Paris and work to open their local libraries to communities around the world.
“They contain the best of human creativity,” she said. “And these days, that’s pretty special.”