Hello out there in Library Land,

Some librarian friends of mine are putting together an incredible Radical Librarianship track for the 2015 Allied Media Conference, which is “a collaborative laboratory of media-based organizing strategies for transforming our world, held every Summer in Detroit.”

Think you might have something you want to contribute to what will probably be a very fun, exciting, and enlightening track? Think you might be interested in attending? Check out this description! Contact info is at the bottom. Also, here’s a link to a website with this info too:

https://www.alliedmedia.org/amc/radical-librarianship-track

Radical Librarianship

Libraries are not only collections of print and digital media, but also spaces for critical engagement with information, creative and collaborative work, and preservation of community memory.

The Radical Librarianship Track invites participants to go beyond the traditional understanding of the function of libraries. We will explore the ways that libraries can provide innovative services which facilitate the development of ideas and practices for strong communities. Participants will develop strategies for effectively organizing information, media resources, and library spaces to be more accessible to their communities.

The Radical Librarianship track seeks proposals for presentations, panel discussions, and hands-on workshops to be held at the Allied Media Conference on June 18-21, 2015 in Detroit. We are looking for presenters and facilitators who have developed innovative, progressive, and radical programs both inside and outside the traditional library setting

We are especially interested in sessions that:

• Challenge traditional library structures, institutions, and organizations.
• Discuss tailoring library services to underserved populations.
• Explore how libraries can serve as hubs for civic engagement.
• Highlight how to provide services to a community without imposing outsider values and norms.
• Discuss helping library users transform from consumer to creator.
• Offer strategies for libraries sustaining communities in crisis.
• Examine new ways libraries can support community education.
• Engage participants in developing best practices for grassroots, alternative and DIY libraries or archives.
• Connect with other Tracks, Practice Spaces, and Network Gatherings at AMC2015.

Beyond the themes outlined above, if the idea of Radical Librarianship resonates with you, we want to hear about the work you’re doing!

Deadline for submissions: Tuesday, March 2nd, 2015

This track is coordinated by Andrea Perez, Westland Public Library; Katie Dover-Taylor, Westland Public Library; Rachel Thompson, Seraphine Collective

To submit your proposal online, please fill out this form:
https://www.alliedmedia.org/amc/propose-session

Please help spread the word!

In gratitude,

Rachel Thompson, MSW

Community Organizing & Mental Health

Seraphine Collective

(703) 625-9546

Ben Miller