All sessions are listed on the etherpad. If you have an idea for a topic for discussion, head on over and share it with the community (don’t worry about whether or not your idea sounds “academic”, many of us that have attended previous RLC gatherings aren’t schooled in the language of academia or philosophy. All that matters is that it is consistent with the RLC ethos.)
I’d like to do a thing about other forms of radicalism in academic libraries – not just radical librarianship and radical politics but radical live art, radical DIY publications etc. It shouldn’t just exist in public or zine libraries or libraries in art spaces and social centres. This is sparked by seeing how radical performance art has been used in medical education and thinking about the academic library’s role both in supporting learning and teaching and providing spaces that cross disciplinary and cultural boundaries. Most art in academic libraries is part of the university collection or a display of student work and often a) static and visual b) controlled.
(Proposer: pennyb)
I would like to pitch a session on ‘teams’/what do we mean when we describe something as a team/management speak within the organisation. This follows from my MSc research where I discovered that people tend to quote definitions of what certain words mean without linking them to their actual working practices or experiences. I’m also interested in looking at the “professional divide” in libraries and how this impacts team working.
(Proposer: Jesshaigh)
I’d like to put forward an idea for discussion 🙂 I think the introduction of fees has changed the perceptions of higher education (HE) library users, and resulted in some visitors going beyond the very common use of a favourite spot to claiming ownership of whole areas of the library. This isn’t to say librarians own it (although some will suggest so!), but claiming the space in such a way can deter other patrons, and in some cases has resulted in aggressive or overtly intimidating behaviour. Libraries should be flexible to accommodate most usage, but not to the point where visitors feel unsafe – libraries should be safe places. How can we deal with this?
(Proposer: bryonyramsden)
I’d be interested in discussing the Leiden Manifesto http://www.nature.com/news/bibliometrics-the-leiden-manifesto-for-research-metrics-1.17351 and how it might help librarians in research-intensive institutions to resist: the obsession with bibliometrics/scientometrics being used as a way to measure performance; the bias towards ‘high impact’ Englishlanguage publications rather than the most appropriate form of dissemination of information; and the broader, worrying trend towards using quantity (of citations, of publications, downloads, whatever) as a proxy for quality (originality, integrity, uniqueness (is that a word?)).
(Proposer: Tanya Williamson)
Ian and I would like to run a session on starting local networks with the aim of helping people feel more comfortable about going away and doing this if they want to. We’ll discuss practicalities of getting things off the ground regarding things like communication and space as well as talking through difficulties and things that have/haven’t worked. We’re still in the process of working on how the session will be run but we’re hoping it will be collaborative with plenty of discussion.
(Proposer: Sarah Arkle and Ian Clark) Sarah and Ian would appreciate folk completing the short survey available here ahead of the gathering on the 4th July.
I’d like to talk about HE libraries as sites for cultural reproduction and/or contestation in light of the neoliberalisation of Education following Browne. I’m also interested in what people think about the way public and academic libraries are painted as totally different (eg. why is it normal to talk about social justice issues in public librarianship but not academic – as if universities are beyond that somehow).
(Proposer: Katherine Quinn)
Another from me! Not fully fleshed out etc, but I’d like to know how we can promote critical thinking and social responsibility to library visitors (public or academic) if we have little to no contact with them. I liked the HE example of using a search that linked up to it in info skills teaching e.g. feminism (although we are often expect to use searches specific to assignments as examples as priority). At Hud, we’ve been creating small book displays on a regular basis and often sneak in something that might be counted, but we don’t know how far that reaches (we do know people borrow items from the display so we know it does reach someone!).
(Proposer: Bryony Ramsden)
Information services and mutual support for international librarians. This relates to the trips I recently went on to Singapore and Palestine and how RLC can try and support librarians and information workers to develop skills, knowledge, resources, technologies, access etc. With funding being so scarce in many marginalised and oppressed environments and communities, I would like us to talk about our role as a radical community that wish to share and develop a strong network that is not bound by the traditions of statehood, economy, limitation and restriction. I would really like it to be an open discussion (whereby I don’t really plan a lot but could happily talk about some the experiences I had in Singapore and Palestine that have informed this suggestion) rather than me banging on and on about things as I get sick of my own drab monotones, so if there’s interest, that’s cool, but if not, then I’d happily let it fall to one side and let other suggestions take precedent.
(Pro)poser: Kevin Sanders
I’d like to do a journal chat club type #critLIS thing, looking at Althusser’s Ideological State Apparatus (ISAs) as described in Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses [source: https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/althusser/1970/ideology.htm] ]. Rather than read and discuss the whole piece, however (it’s 18,000 words long!), I prefer to focus on the part of the essay specifically focused on the section entitled “The State Ideological Apparatuses”. I would like to discuss this theory with others in the context of libraries (both public and academic). The extract is also available in a Google Doc here. I might add that I am not very theory orientated, but I am interested in having a discussion with others in relation to Althusser’s theory, how it is reflected in libraries and what, if anything, can we do to tackle the consequences of this. Might be better as an afternoon session to give people a chance to read it beforehand. I’m also happy to ditch this session if space does not permit it and run at later date as an online chat (particularly as I am already running a session with Sarah).
(Proposer: Ian Clark)
I’m somewhat shooting from the hip here, but I’d like to talk about the issues surrounding internet security and surveillance, linking these topics to the wider importance of library and information practices for political activities. It may be more of a theme than a session, as I can see related elements cropping up in the other sessions, but thought I’d just pop it down here. NB: I’m not claiming to be any kind of an expert in these things! I’m very new to it all in practice, so have only a veneer of technical knowledge, but do think it ties in very closely with my general interests in autonomy, (intellectual) freedom etc., and is significant for RLC.
(Pro)poser: Kevin Sanders
The day itself is currently scheduled as follows:
10-10:30 Introduction and session proposals
10:30-11:15 Parallel Session 1
11:15-12:00 Parallel Session 2
12:00-12:45 Parallel Session 3
12:45-13:30 Lunch
13:30-14:15 Parallel Session 4
14:15-15:00 Parallel Session 5
15:00-15:45 Parallel Session 6
15:45-16:30 Plenary
With two rooms available, this should ensure 12 sessions will take place. However, the above schedule may be subject to change depending on the number of sessions that folk are willing to deliver.
