About

Neo-liberal and managerialist attitudes are now prevalent within the library and information workplaces. Their pervasiveness has threatened the stability of library and information services, the very nature of organisations and employment within these.

There is no doubt that there are complexities surrounding these issues, from the global political pressures that they stem from to the impact they have on individuals. However, the ideological drive behind the shifts impacting on libraries and information cannot be ignored.

Radical Librarians Collective aims to offer a space to challenge, to provoke, to improve and develop the communications between like-minded radicals, to galvanise our collective solidarity against the marketisation of libraries and the removal of our agency to our working worlds and beyond.

All are welcome to these non-hierarchical events and anyone is welcome to contribute to the ongoing dialogues or to offer and suggest something new and radical: we want to facilitate dialogue in order to organise and bring about positive changes for a holistic, collective future.  However, although dialogue in itself is important, we’re also keen to create something from these discussions, something that can help facilitate further discussion and mutual support.

To that end, not only do we welcome and encourage engagement on the day, but also in finding ways to build upon the discussions. Ensuring that we are not in isolation, and that like-minded individuals can be part of a constructive and supportive network is crucial for Radical Librarians.

Radical Librarians Collective is not owned by a single group or individual. It is not centrally run by committee. Anyone can host or organise a Radical Librarians Collective event (provided it reflects the concerns expressed above) and anyone can contribute to the ongoing discussions.

Radical Librarians Collective operates on a donations policy to allow anyone who would like to come access to the event, irrespective of their financial ability to pay for a ticket whilst also ensuring it remains free from sponsorship. We also encourage those that can afford to do so to contribute a donation at gatherings in order to cover the albeit low overheads that such events build up.