hey neighbor
After collecting books and reading about Healing Justice for several years, I have decided to share these important books in a way that’s more widely available to the people living in the city I love.
The Healing Justice Lending Library is a free lending library located at The Robin Books in Lansing’s REO Town neighborhood. Registered patrons can borrow books on topics related to healing justice for up to 30 days. Community members can contribute books and money to support the library’s growth through purchases at local indie bookstores.
I want you to be able to read books about Healing Justice so that we can grow our imaginations for how to build a world where we are all cared for and have what we need to thrive.
with love + generosity,
how does this work?
As a HJLL patron, you are invited to borrow a single book for 30 days and then return it to The Robin Books on Friday or Saturday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. There will be a small, rotating collection of books on topics related to healing justice for you to choose from.
It’s simple. Register, treat my beloved book with care, and then return it when you’re done.
what is healing justice?
Healing justice is a framework developed by Cara Page and the Kindred Southern Healing Justice Collective. You can click here to learn more.
To me, healing justice is a framework through which we work to create a safer, more healed community of people while avoiding replicating harmful behaviors and systems. It approaches healing work through an understanding of past and contemporary experiences of trauma while responding in ways that help to foster a future where the conditions that cause trauma no longer exist.
The Healing Justice Lending Library features books from various genres that will help grow our understanding of healing justice practices and how those practices might be used to respond to the issues and oppressions we face in our lives and local community.
Here’s a list of some of the topics + genres featured in the books available for you to borrow:
- Abolition
- Racial Equity
- Political Education
- Transformative Justice
- Mutual Aid + Economic Justice
- Organizing + Activism Tools
- Poetry
- Memoir
- History
- Nonfiction
- Photography
- Resource + Reference
What is the healing justice lending library lineage?
The Healing Justice Lending Library was founded by Xex Rae and Sylvie Rosenkalt in 2016. The HJLL housed a collection of healing tools circulated in the style of a library, ranging from mobility devices, wheelchairs, scooters, crutches and canes, to sensory tools, weighted blankets, to heating pads and trauma kits. The Library also served as a community building space, and an entry point into conversations about radical healing, disability justice, and generational trauma.
Their work was critical and far more complex than I could ever hope to accomplish. This library of books is named to help people identify what’s on the stacks. This is a book project alone.
“Healing justice…identifies how we can holistically respond to and intervene on generational trauma and violence, and to bring collective practices that can impact and transform the consequences of oppression on our bodies, hearts and minds.”
– Cara Page and the Kindred Southern Healing Justice Collective
but what if i fall deeply in love with a book? can i keep it?
Oh, my dear kindred. I understand this desire. I only keep books I love (unless I’m lending them out). If you cannot bear to part with a book that you’ve borrowed, contact me and we’ll get one ordered for you so I can keep my curated collection alive and well.
TLDR; No.
how can I add a book to the library?
Click here to expand the HJ Lending Library by donating your own books or paying me to purchase new ones that have a focus on Healing Justice. All books purchased for this library will come from independent bookstores like Socialite Society, The Robin Theatre, or Everybody Reads in Lansing, MI.
Drop offs are only possible if coordinated through me. Please do not attempt to drop books off at the Robin Theater without my/our consent.
drop some honey in the jar.
There will never be a cost for borrowing a book from the Healing Justice Lending Library and there’s no such thing as late fees between friends.
But sometimes we lose treasured things or we want to offer something in return for a kindness. No matter the rhyme or reason, you can use the info below to fold up some dolla’ bills and slide them into my book-buying pocketbook.
CashApp: $Tashmica
Venmo: Tashmica Torok LLC @tashmicatorok
For more consistent support of this project, consider joining my Patreon ➡️ patreon.com/tashmica
there’s no sponsorship here.
The Robin Books is generously offering space on its shelves for this project. This is reciprocity and community. Support them by purchasing from their used book selection and attending their upcoming concerts, shows, and community events.
Can I host a lending library in my space?
Definitely. Maybe. As the HJLL community grows, I imagine the number of books included in the selection will also grow to fill other shelves in other commercial locations or local free library stands. Be sure to subscribe + follow me for updates!
Thank you for creating safer spaces, cultivating care practices + seeding dreams with me. I look forward to seeing you in the shelves.
Reading with you,
Tashmica
PS – Tag me in your #shelfie on Instagram. I’d love to see what you’re reading.
The Healing Justice Lending Library was originally seeded by The Firecracker Foundation and funded in part by a Seed & Growth Grant from the Community Literacies Collaborative (Mar. 2023- Mar. 2024).
Tashmica Torok 