by Julie-Ann Sherlock

With more and more people turning to books for comfort during ongoing global lockdowns, reading continues to alleviate the impact of cabin fever. Once known as the land of saints and scholars, the island of Ireland has helped to swell the libraries of the world and contains an enormous wealth of literary talent.

The state-of-the-art Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI), which opened its doors in 2019, s designed to showcase that rich literary heritage through interactive exhibits and inspire people at home and in the classroom.

Located in Newman House in the heart of Dublin City, MoLI offers literature lovers a journey through Ireland’s most prestigious written works. While health and safety restrictions have temporarily halted in-person visits, the museum is still sharing its treasures with the public through a range of online learning resources.

The museum is currently showcasing the story of a writer who found solidarity in Ireland with his personal tale of struggle and revolution when he visited in 1845. The author and activist Frederick Douglass, born into slavery in the early 19th century, found kinship and inspiration during his time on the island and was given the nickname "The Black O'Connell" after forming a friendship with Irish revolutionary Daniel O'Connell.

Through a carefully designed online story, MoLI takes us through the journey of Douglass's life and work, exploring the ways in which Ireland influenced one of America's most important abolitionists. This online exhibition skilfully demonstrates the power of words and how they can change hearts and minds.

Digital Curator Benedict Schlepper-Connolly explains that digital exhibitions like Frederick Douglass in Ireland form an important part of MoLI programming. "Long before we opened our doors in 2019, we were working on the idea of an independent digital museum that lives within the museum, reflecting our physical exhibitions but also untethered from them. They offer an opportunity to reach a global audience, as well as an exploratory space where we can try out new ways of communicating with our visitors."

A series of online MoLI events will also take place in the coming months, such as the Ireland's Generation X? conversation series in which Professor Barry McCrea is joined by writers including Paul Murray, Nick Laird, Caitriona Lally and Mark O'Halloran. There is also a monthly online Director's Book Club, while the on-demand RadioMoLI broadcasts interviews, commentaries and podcasts from Ireland's writers.

"Encouraging people of all ages to discover or unlock their own creativity is a core part of MoLI’s mission," explains Schlepper-Connolly, "so much so that our museum route concludes with a pencil and notepad together with a prompt to visitors to write the first line of their novel. We can go even further through our online learning resources, including our Bright Sparks and NovelTeens videos, our MoLI in the Classroom programme and online events and workshops, which all allow us to make an impact directly in people’s homes and classrooms."

Before the pandemic, most of MoLI's learning programme was focused on the exhibition spaces and gardens, so they were forced to adapt when the health crisis hit. "We had to adapt quickly and find ways to reach people online, through YouTube, creative uses of social media, online events and our digital radio station, RadioMoLI," remembers Schlepper-Connolly.

Engagement with MoLI's online content has increased massively in the past year, he says, "and I don’t think we can ever go back from that." It's onwards and upwards for the Museum of Literature Ireland as they look forward to reopening their doors and continue to enhance their online offering.

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