Alternative Library Literature 1996 1997

Libraries tout themselves as bastions of democracy. They're supposed to be accessible, egalitarian, and neutral -- not peddling any one ideology or product, not shill for any particular class or party or world view" -- from Sanford Berman's "Talking the Talk and Walking the Walk. "This highly acclaimed biennial provides a reminder of the roots of librarianship and a prod to a profession that has sometimes forgotten those principles. Women, Censorship/Human Rights, and Cyberspace are just a few of the topics covered, with writings from Chris Atton, Heather Moorcroft, and others. Articles come from such sources as Multicultural Review and Progressive Librarian. A special feature examines the Hawaiian outsourcing scandal.

Foreword by Mitch Freedman, a reprinted Counterpoise interview and 45 of Sanford Berman's U*L columns dealing with book-burning, genocide, government secrecy and repression, cataloging, indexing, classism, self-censorship and free speech for library staff (et cetera!). Index by Chris Dodge.

This work presents the history and impact of the seven most important progressive library organizations worldwide—in Austria, Germany, South Africa, Sweden, United Kingdom, and two in the United States. Each organization is considered within its national context, and in fact, the English word “organization” does not quite fit the nature of all of the groups. The South African organization, LIWO, was transitional in that it helped bring South African librarianship from apartheid to majority rule and then disbanded. The other organizations or their successors are still working in one form or another. Some of the organizations have had or continue to have vibrant local chapters, though many of the original activists have recently retired or died. The author has interviewed many of them at a time when they were assessing their life work, and handing off to new generations.

This book looks at the pervasive naming of information that libraries undertake as a matter of course through representation of subjects. It examines the 19th century foundations, current standards, and canonical application of internationally used classification (Melvil Dewey and his decimal scheme) and subject headings (Charles Cutter and the Library of Congress Subject Headings). It will be of interest to librarians, information scholars, professionals, and researchers.

What are `alternative media′? Are they the same as underground, radical or oppositional media? In this book, Chris Atton offers a fresh introduction to alternative media: one which is not limited to `radical′ media, but can also account for newer cultural forms such as zines, fanzines, and personal websites. Alternative Media: · Examines how and why people produce and use alternative media - to make meaning, to interpret, and to change the world in which they live · Encompasses a wide range of alternative media and draws on examples from both the United States and United Kingdom · Locates contemporary alternative media in their cultural, historical and political contexts Alternative Media provides a timely corrective to media theorizing which focuses almost exclusively on the output of the media conglomerates. As such it will be an essential purchase for all students and researchers with an interest in the true nature of the contemporary media environment.

Library Juice Concentrate is a compilation of the best of Library Juice, an e-zine published by Rory Litwin between 1998 and 2005 that dealt with foundational questions of librarianship during a period of rapid change. Library Juice served as the record for the "library left" during this period, including its veterans and newcomers, while at the same time offering original reflections on traditional questions. The book includes essays and other artifacts that investigate professional neutrality, intellectual freedom, alternative literature, the social effects of technological change, the cultural identity of the librarian, "anarchist librarianship," the Cuba debate, Google's scanning project, subject heading reform, and other issues. The aim of the essays in Library Juice Concentrate is to provoke original thought and to encourage newcomers in the field to participate in professional discourse with confidence and with attention to the intellectual and political struggles of the past.