Progressive Librarians Guild UA Chapter-- Spring 2009 Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 2 from the Editor from the President Kristen Curé Nicole Pagowsky

Nicole PagowskyProgressive Librarians Guild UA Chapter-- Spring 2009 Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 2 From the Editor From the President Kristen Curé Nicole Pagowsky

This newsletter gives just a glimpse into the wide scope Fall semester 2008 brought some changes to PLG- of PLG-UA members and SIRLS student interests. UA with the addition of new members and becoming Some of us who are involved with small libraries share more widely known on campus and in the commu- insight in the progressive ways that such projects nity. With these changes, we also have some exciting respond to their communities. Molly Osborn’s experi- plans for Spring semester 2009. ence starting a small library in Belize led her to look at a much larger-scale literacy and library project that We officially became a campus organization in Febru- works in many developing nations—Room to Read— ary of 2008, using that Spring semester to establish and analyze how to measure its success. In another our structure, complete necessary paperwork, and article, I share from my experi- participate in other groups’ ences organizing the small library events. Over the summer, we at the local Girl Scout Council’s published our first newsletter new youth lounge and invite you and geared up for Fall semester, all to the Grand Opening. in which we attracted a broader membership and organized a We have also included articles variety of our own very success- on our major activities from the ful events. past semester: a panel on progres- We had a panel event on sive librarianship organized by September 17th, 2008 at the Rachel Cannady, the Lost Film Main Library, with a theme to Festival organized by Jacy Bell, better introduce ourselves to a yoga and relaxation fundraiser SIRLS and the campus: What organized by Rebecca Bliquez. is a Progressive Librarian? Mary See the letter from the President, Feeney, Tom Wilding, and Kay Nicole Pagowsky, for a highlight Mathiesen participated in the of the activities planned for next panel, creating a very lively and semester. informative discussion.

In this issue, you can also glance at what we have been On October 30th, 2008, properly timed pre-election, reading. Nicole Pagowsky gives a review of Radical we planned a visit from Scott Beiben and Lost Film Cataloging: Essays at the Front. Patricia Escarcega pro- Fest, which through grants and funding by the Gradu- vides a look at Scrolling Forward and shares a question ate and Professional Student Council (GPSC), School of Media Arts, Hanson Film Institute, and SIRLS, the and answer session with author David Levy. event was able to be free to attendees, and was open to all of campus and the greater Tucson community. Finally, I’d like to direct your attention to our web publications. Last Spring, Sho Ikeda served as PLG- Our Fundraising Coordinator, Rebecca Bliquez, led UA’s first webmaster, establishing our presence on the another Yoga Fundraiser Workshop for us on Novem- ber 16th, 2008, as she is a certified yoga instructor.

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1 Continued from previous page (From the President) Incredibly relaxing and suitable for all levels of fitness, celli to organize a panel or roundtable discussion event the workshop helped attendees to de-stress before the on the controversial topic of the Google Books settle- busiest portion of the semester began. This fundraiser ment. This event should be towards the beginning of was followed by a social brunch at Govinda’s. the semester.

A number of new members joined us as well, and we Dawn Hunziker from the Disability Resource Center have been lucky to have a variety of perspectives and will be working with our group to present to PLG-UA voices participating in our group. Because our group members how to make web documents (PDF’s) more focuses more on positions of Project Managers to plan accessible to those with disabilities. events and work with the community, we follow more along the lines of consensus decision-making, rather An Intellectual Property Workshop for Progressive Li- than being heavily led by a select few officers. Officers brarians is also in the works to inform participants and are elected through a democratic voting process, and discuss topics affecting progressive librarians within these individuals take on leadership roles in regards the realm of IP. A group of law and copyright librar- more so to administrative tasks. We edited our con- ians are planned to be included in this event. stitution this semester to eliminate the Events Coor- dinator and Social Coordinator positions so we could As part of our interest in and commitment to col- focus more on Project Management. Anyone, officers laboration with the community at large, we are in the and non-officers alike, can volunteer to be a Project planning stages with community groups such as Read Manager (or part of a Project Manager’s support team), Between the Bars (a Tucson books-to-prisoners group), allowing greater involvement from a wider number of Dry River (an activist community space, written up members. This helps to make PLG-UA more diverse; it in our first newsletter), and potentially the National also opens up more opportunities to more members for Lawyers Guild. We feel establishing these connections leadership and teamwork experiences. We are able to is extremely important, and we hope to work together focus on events and projects we all care about, with the through the means of community service and activism ability for individuals to participate in project manage- to improve our community by utilizing our skill sets of ment for events they feel are particularly of interest to LIS students and professionals. them. If not already a member, we hope you will consider Other changes to our structure and constitution in- joining PLG-UA this semester, whether you are new clude making the Treasurer position a stand alone one, to SIRLS, have been in the program for some time, rather than an addition to another officer position. are alumni, or a LIS professional in town. Everyone is We also changed Vice President to Co-President. This welcome and we encourage as much participation as structural change allows for a more seamless transition individual members are comfortable with. Information when new elections occur, as well as better retention on how to join is located in this newsletter, as well as of information. When one is elected to Co-President, in our online wiki. Membership forms are included in he or she works with the President closely during the these places as well. semester to get a feel for the position, to then become the new President the following semester. The previ- Cheers! ous President then rotates out of office, and a new Co-President is elected to repeat the process again. We Continued from previous page (From the Editor) hope this also encourages more new members to run for these and other officer positions since the respon- web and in print with our first newsletter. The fall -se sibilities might seem less intimidating with a period of mester brought PLG-UA a new, Drupal based website introduction. and me, the new webmaster. You can find our new website here: http://sirls.arizona.edu/PLG. Our Finally, a peek into our plans for Spring semester 2009: new website is still a work in progress and we look forward to seeing how Jez Gaddoura, our webmaster We are going to be collaborating with Professor Botti- for 2009, will develop it.

2 PLG Yoga Fundraiser

On Sunday, November 16, 2008, the Progressive Librarians Guild (PLG) held its second Yoga Fundraiser in Room 313/314 of the Main Library. This fundraiser was a yoga class designed to create a state of relaxation and calm and has been traditionally held towards the end of the semester to help alleviate the stress of papers and class deadlines. The class was led by Rebecca Bliquez, the PLG Fundraising Coordi- nator who is also a certified yoga instructor. Attendees learned poses designed to stretch and strengthen the body, breathwork to enhance a state of calm and completed a “Release and Relaxation” meditation. Eight attendees participated in the class and afterwards carpooled to Govinda’s Natural Foods Buffet at 711 E Blacklidge Dr in Tucson (www.govindasoftucson.com) for a social gathering and to sample Govinda’s delicious vegetarian brunch buffet! PLG raised $45 from this fundraiser for our coffers. We are excited to have completed yet another successful fundraiser and had a wonderful time. Thank you to all who participated and Namaste!

What is a Progressive Librarian? Panel Rachel Cannady On Sept. 17th, twenty people gathered to hear what one current librarian, one retired librarian, and one philosophy professor could offer on the subject. Mary Feeney, Associate Librarian at the UA Main Library, started the panel by discuss- ing what progressive really means when it comes to core library values. She then went on to discuss SRRT (Social Responsibilities Roundtable), which is part of the ALA’s round tables. Mary also discussed an SRRT task force with which she is personally involved: the Task Force on the En- vironment (TFOE). She mentioned the Round Tables and Task Forces as means that librarians can use to create and promote progressive interests within the profession.

Tom Wilding, Professor of Practice at SIRLS, and retired librarian and library director, provided some The panel was rounded out by SIRLS Senior Lecturer additional background information on SRRT’s origins. Kay Mathiesen’s presentation. Kay asked a series of pro- He also discussed how a Task Force becomes a Round vocative questions and quotations about what the role of Table in ALA, how our parent PLG organization a librarian is. She asked whether neutrality was possible originated, and the effectiveness of grassroots activ- and if it was the responsible thing to do. Many audience ism within the library profession. Tom emphasized the members were involved as the gears started working on importance of being as proactive as possible within the what progressivism really means within today’s libraries. profession, rather than being merely reactive. Continued on page 8 3 Featured Community Group: Sahuaro Girl Scout Council Kristen Curé

The Sahuaro Girl Scout Council (SGSC) is a not-for- to develop their skills as agents of change. Whether profit organization that serves more than 13,000 girls organizing a program for kindergarten or high school and has over 3,000 adult volunteers from communities girls, SGSC follows the philosophy of facilitating girl- in Southern Arizona. Chartered by Girl Scouts of the led activities and cooperative learning. U.S.A. since 1935, SGSC is responsible for organizing, maintaining and developing the quality of Girl Scout- Always working to better serve ever larger percentages ing within its jurisdiction of eight counties in Southern of the girl population in Southern Arizona, SGSC Arizona. The core of SGSC’s work is exemplified in builds partnerships with other community organiza- its mission that “Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, tions and businesses to develop and improve their confidence and character, who make the world a better services. One of SGSC’s latest projects is the re-vision- place.” ing of their Resource Center library as an after-school library and lounge. The library’s original collection of When most about 1,000 people think books has been of Girl Scouts, weeded and they immedi- updated. For ately think of the first time, it cookies and will be digitally camp. Thanks to organized in an SGSC, the scope online catalog of Girl Scout- (LibraryThing ing in South- was the most ern Arizona cost-efficient builds upon the option for the traditional Girl small library) Scout experi- as well as in a ence (troops led relational data- by girls’ moth- base for internal ers) and through maintenance outreach and and circulation community management. partnerships, ex- As an intern, tends the reach I have been of Girl Scout- working with ing to bring programs and activities to girls who do SGSC to develop a controlled vocabulary to apply to not have other opportunities. In addition to managing LibraryThing’s tagging system. The goal is to create outreach troops on local Native American reservations, tags that will be accessible to girls and reflect the Girl within immigrant communities as well as at schools Scout community while being appropriate descriptors with large low-income and at-risk populations, SGSC for items in the collection. Feedback from both adult organizes a wide variety of programs and events for and girl users will be especially important in regard to girls of all age levels. SGSC strives to provide quality, the library’s special collection of historic as well as lo- age-appropriate experiences for registered Girl Scouts cally made Girl Scout items. and non-Girl Scout girls including: summer camp opportunities, possibilities for volunteering and engaging The library has also been redecorated to be made into with local community groups, fun and educational or an inviting and warm place where girls will feel com- creativity-themed activities and even interactive work- fortable lounging, studying and socializing. SGSC shops where teen girls can explore contemporary issues Continued on page 8 4 Promoting Sustainable Literacy Growth in Developing Countries: Are Libraries the Answer? Molly Osborn Literacy is a major issue not just for librarians and to the physical materials supplied is the quality of educators, but for communities in countries across the training provided. Wood has stated that new librarians world. According to UNESCO (2008), 776 million in these developing nations would receive only three adults lack minimum literacy skills. The need for ad- days of training (“Straight answers from John Wood,” equate literacy education, especially in the world’s least 2004), but on the website, it said that there would developed countries, is massive. One program attempt- be “three years of support, which includes … further ing to meet this need is Room to Read. But how effec- training” (http://www.roomtoread.org). Creating a tive is this organization at helping alleviate the issue of literate community from one that contained little or illiteracy? What influences sustainable success? no print is a process that can take three generations (Daniel, 2002). Though it is important to ensure that Room to Read the local communities are not dependent on outside aid (Olden, 1995), on-going support would help en- Moved by the deplorable primary school conditions sure sustained development. and lack of books in rural Nepal, former Microsoft ex- ecutive John Wood started the nonprofit organization The Local Language Publishing Program Room to Read (“Straight answers from John Wood,” 2004). Room to Read addresses literacy issues by As the entire process of publishing books takes place providing reading materials, publishing local authors, within host countries, local talent is cultivated and building schools and computer labs, and offering local economies benefit (http://www.roomtoread.org). scholarships to girls. After three years, communities According to the International Reading Association assume sole responsibility for the programs (Topper, and the National Council of the Teachers of English, 2008). Communities collaborate with Room to Read children who learn literacy in their first languages can by providing community members to be trained to run use that as a bridge in learning new languages; this the facilities, and also either identify existing facilities program takes advantage of that (http://www.ncte.org/ or help construct new ones for the programs. Room to about/over/standards/110846.htm). It does not, how- Read has established more than 5,160 libraries and 442 ever, address sustainability. Do the fledgling publishers schools, donated over 2.2 million English language have a plan for funding the printing of children’s books books, published 226 new local language children’s once they lose their main client (Weber, 2007)? For titles which created over 2 million books, started 155 ongoing success, Room to Read must make room to computer labs, and granted over 4,000 girls scholar- address the sustainability of this very valuable publish- ships to complete secondary school (http://www. ing program. roomtoread.org). Monitoring and Evaluation Evaluation Room to Read stands committed to increasing the Room to Read delivers a comprehensive program of availability of reading resources and “fostering a culture services for the development of literacy. But do they of reading” (http://www.roomtoread.org). But are result in sustained literacy development within the they improving literacy? Currently, the program has communities? neither a system for assessing literacy rates before the implementation of the program, nor for assessing the The Corporate Model communities over time. Such information would be beneficial for future decisions concerning the direc- Wood has created a results-driven organization with tion and focus of the program (UNESCO Institute for the numbers to show it. But sustained development Statistics, 2008). involves more than numbers. Equally important Continued on page 11 5 work or not, as these issues affect all aspects of librari- On the Stacks anship. Non-librarians who are interested in activism and who may do a lot of research will also find relevance in Radical Cataloging: Essays certain essays within this book. at the Front edited by K.R. Roberto -Nicole Pagowsky – Book Review –

What is radical cataloging? Anxiety in a Digital World: Roberto explains that although difficult to define in specifics, Q&A with David M. Levy generally, it is cataloging from a progressive point-of-view. Two years after finishing a PhD in Computer Science He posits, “why not just call at Stanford, David M. Levy left the high tech world it progressive cataloging?” and of Palo Alto to study calligraphy and bookbinding in answers with the explanation of London. He was disillusioned with the lack of “cultur- there being a tradition of referring to various aspects of al and historic perspective” in his graduate work, and library work of a progressive and socially responsible so (despite protests from family members) he made mindset as “radical.” the choice to immerse himself in the meditative world of traditional crafts. In Scrolling Forward: Making A wide variety of issues within cataloging are covered, Sense of Documents in a Digital Age (Arcade, 2001), but also areas surrounding and affected by it. Catalog- Levy describes the moment of epiphany in which he ing is often thought of as the backbone of librarianship realized the two worlds could be merged. The book is because it is how all materials are organized; access a meditation on the history of documents and the im- would be greatly hindered without it. This, in turn, portant, yet often invisible, roles they play in our lives. can also depict how political cataloging work can be. Levy offers an expansive definition of documents: Subject headings can be connotative of one meaning they are “talking things,” he says, “artifacts to which or another, influencing users of what to understand we delegate the task of speaking for us.” In one of the the essence of an item is. How items are cataloged and book’s opening chapters, Levy traces the history and classified can also shape historical events and popular role of a seemingly insignificant document—a slightly thought. crumpled deli receipt—to illustrate the way documents operate in our daily life. He writes: “For here, Sandy Berman provides an introduction, and topics right under our noses, too close and intimate to be discussed in this book include the history of queer seen clearly, are creatures that share with us the ability subject access, bias in Library of Congress subject to speak. And we have created them. Some of them— headings, a critical review of OCLC, metadata for books in particular—aspire to nobility and long life. digital libraries, cataloging zines, user-centered catalog- Others, such as cash register receipts and personal ing, the politics of cataloging, and much more. notes, typically have a less exalted status and a shorter useful lifetime. But all of them are bits of the material Radical Cataloging was inspiring in regard to how world we have taught to talk.” catalogers are examining problems and working to effect change, but it was also frustrating to learn how One of the book’s central arguments is that much many issues there really are. This book was informative of our anxiety concerning the digital world is not and thought provoking, as it helped to explain the ba- so much about the properties of digital documents, sics, history, current climate, and future of cataloging but how these raise questions about our mode of for a library student continuing to gain experience in life. Compare, for example, the slow-paced process cataloging herself. This is recommended for students of penning a hand-written letter, versus the quick, and professionals alike, regardless of doing cataloging Continued on next page 6 efficient act of typing and sending an email. These You argue that part of the anxiety about the changing documents—email and letter—represent two differ- nature of documents is that they are not yet stable. Do ent modes of life. One corresponds to a slower paced, you see some digital documents achieving more fixity? perhaps more thoughtful existence, while the other represents the speedy transmissions of a fast-paced DL: I think to some extent we are beginning to see world. If we resist the onslaught of constantly chang- greater stability and fixity. An example that comes ing digital documents, Levy argues, it’s probably not to mind right away is news, and newspapers. As I’m the documents themselves that we are protesting, but sure you’re aware, there’s a lot of concern about the what this change represents in our lives. Levy has ad- future of the newspaper. But look at something like dressed this issue in his recent work. In March he gave the New York Times. If you look at their website, a talk at Google—”No Time to Think”—on bring- they’ve begun to establish certain rhythms to the ing contemplative awareness to our online practices ways news stories are put online. Everyone has the that is available for viewing on YouTube. entire corpus of the New York Times Levy is a professor at the University of stories available to them, there online. Washington, where among other classes, And if you are a member of the New he teaches a course roughly based on the York Times website, you can even save material in Scrolling Forward. articles indefinitely. I also feel some notion of the news story is becoming -Patricia Escárcega a bit more stable and fixed. We also see more developments happening as You write about the invisibility of doc- to digital books. We see collaborative uments—how we absorb them with- projects like Google Books. And Kindle out even realizing it (advertisement on with Amazon, which may be the first billboards, street signs, or cash register successful e-book endeavor. These are receipts, for example). What kind of reac- examples of forms that were stable on tion did you receive after the publication paper and now we see them becoming of Scrolling Forward? Have documents more established in digital form. become more visible since then, or is it in their nature to act more or less invisibly? With products like the Kindle and the Sony ebook Reader, there seems to be an attempt to David Levy: When Scrolling Forward was writ- merge the world of paper books with the digital realm. ten, it was right at the height of the dot.com boom. The products seemed designed to emulate the feel of a I wrote the book between 1998-2000. Times have book. I was wondering if you have any experience us- changed. We’re at a different stage in the developing these products, and what that experience was like. ment of digital materials. My feeling is that many of our paper-based documents are still pretty invisible, DL: I actually have very little experience. I played and for the most part are considered inconsequen- with some of the early readers. I haven’t actually tial. There’s a continued debate within some digital used the Kindle, only seen it from a distance. But forms. But look at what’s happened with blogs. I friends sound enthusiastic and report good things. don’t know that blogs existed yet back then. But blogs are very visible now. Look at what’s happened You devote one of your chapters, at least in part, to with texting. Twitter, for instance. For certain types the subject of greeting cards. You write that they are of documents, especially certain digital documents, immensely popular documents of strong cultural value people have become more aware of their presence in that help mediate our social relationships. It occurred their lives. But I think that a lot of the little hand- to me that greeting cards, like your deli receipt, are a written documents, those still act invisibly. type of document that perhaps collectively we take for granted. I’m curious how you arrived at this subject matter. As you noted, very little serious writing has

Continued on page 9 7 Continued from page 4 envisions the new lounge as an alternative for girls who Contact Information: would normally go home to an empty house. With Sahuaro Girl Scout Council Headquarters and Re- lounge chairs, a couch, custom-made window benches source Center and a new computer area, the new library lounge will 4300 E. Broadway Blvd., serve not only as a resource library for adult volunteers Tucson, Arizona 85711 and registered Girl Scouts, but as a fun and safe place 520.327.2288 or 1.800.331.6782 where all local girls can go after school to study, hang http://www.sahuarogsc.org/ out with friends, use the internet, participate in events, as well as, of course, fall in love with reading. On-line Catalog: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/LowLounge The local chain of bookstores, Bookmans has partnered Continued from page 3 with SGSC to redecorate the space and develop the collection of the library lounge. Named after Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., the Bookmans Low Lounge provides girls an expanded and updated collection. The rich non-fiction section offers; in addition to science, art, world history, career development, outdoor and craft books; special collec- tions on Girl Scout history, local history and women’s issues. The fiction section includes a variety of books for all reading levels from early readers up through young adults.

Girls will be encouraged to use the books at their leisure and will have the opportunity to participate in a book club to earn reading badges. The lounge will have three computers for girl use as well as free wi-fi. Addi- The evening ended with Dorothy Hemmo winning the tionally, SGSC will be collaborating with organizations raffle for a PLG: UA Chapter and PLG Parent Chap- such as the YWCA to program leadership and youth ter membership. People stayed to enjoy the vegan and development activities in the Bookmans Low Lounge. vegetarian finger foods as well as discuss progressivism. Two YWCA facilitated programs that are scheduled PLG was every excited by the great turn out and excel- to take place in 2009: “Let’s Get Real,” a workshop lent discussion that came from the panelists’ presen- that will look at the complex issue of bullying and tations. We are already generating ideas for another sexual harassment in schools and in social internet panel next year. If you have any ideas for a panel, don’t sites; “Journey to a hate-free millennium,” a workshop hesitate to suggest a topic by going to the PLG wiki. that will focus on creating a vision of a positive future where senseless acts of violence and hate will be some- Think that this panel sounds like something you are thing of the past. sorry that you missed? Don’t worry! The panel has been made digitally available for you. Go to http://milton. Located at the council’s Resource Center in midtown sbs.arizona.edu/~sirls/20080917plg.html and you Tucson at Broadway and Columbus, the new library can listen to the podcasts and download Mary and lounge is along major bus routes, at the edge of a Kay’s PowerPoint presentations as well. major residential district and not far from Reid Park. As a vibrant, centralized and safe space, the new lounge This panel was also featured on the front page of the is a place that girls can take ownership of through use, Arizona Library Association November/December participation and even planning of future activities. Newsletter. You can read it here: http://www.azla. org/associations/2837/Nov.%2008%20newsletter. Come celebrate the Grand Opening of the Bookmans pdf Low Lounge on Saturday, January 31! You still have lots of time to ponder and explore progressivism within the vast library field!

8 Continued from page 7 been done on the subject of greeting cards. It’s my attempt to make time for contemplation and reflection when working in digital environments. DL: The truth is, I can’t remember. I think once I focused on greeting cards, I realized that there was You write that “libraries are places not just where books something very colorful or important about them. can be found, but where people can temporarily remove You can watch people as they try to pick a card. I themselves from the speed and busyness of life, where suspect it’s something that almost all of us do—that they can read and write and reflect. They are (or can be) really careful reflection and emotional sensing we shared, sacred spaces in a secular, common world.” do as we look at different cards and try to imagine the moment in which they are received. Do you think this analysis is at odds with the notion of libraries as community centers—places where people You sought to bring “the spirit of calligraphy” to your might hold community meetings and forums, where work with digital documents. Do you still practice children might receive homework assistance, for exam- calligraphy? Have you been able to bridge the two ple. In short, the library as a not-so-quiet place? worlds? DL: Yes, the library can be both. The idea of a library DL: I don’t practice calligraphy anymore. The as a contemplative space doesn’t have to be at odds practice of calligraphy and the things I learned with these other roles. I’ve talked to various academic about the Arts and Crafts movement—I have other library directors, and they talk about the fact that outlets now in my life for these things. The work students want quiet spaces, but they also want talking I’m doing now is all about bringing contemplative spaces. There’s an agreement that you can find spaces awareness into mainstream culture in relation to where you can do your homework alone, and where online practices. I gave a talk at Google in March you can do it with others. The ecology of the library based on my work called “No Time to Think.” ought to be diverse enough to sustain both.

PLG-UA Officers Fall 2008

President: Nicole Pagowsky Vice President & Treasurer: Rachel Cannady Secretary: Jacy Bell Webmaster: Kristen Curé Events Coordinator: Rebecca Bliquez Fundraising Coordinator: Rebecca Bliquez Faculty Advisor: Tom Wilding

PLG-UA Officers Spring 2009

President: Nicole Pagowsky Co-President: Kristen Curé Treasurer: Diana Olivares Secretary: Rebecca Bliquez Webmaster: Jez Gaddoura Fundraising Coordinator: Patricia Escarcega Faculty Advisor: Tom Wilding

9 “Lost Film Fest is a testament to the importance of PLG-UA was interested in bringing Scott Beibin free media in a democracy. Using Creative Commons and the Lost Film Fest to Tucson to promote less- licensed and open source materials, Beibin has crafted prominent viewpoints around election time, as well as an accessible new presentation format that success- support tenets of progressive librarianship regarding fully introduces people to complex issues bridging the expansion of access to alternative media. This pertains gap between academia and popular culture. Through to the goals of the Social Responsibilities Round Ta- the Lost Film Fest, Beibin empowers his audiences to ble (SRRT) Alternative Media Taskforce, but also to realize the power of their own voice in a postmodern our mission as a chapter of PLG, as well as our parent world” (Lost Film Fest website). organization, in which it states, “We strongly oppose the commodification of information which turns the Lost Film Fest was an admission-free event that took 'information commons' into privatized, commercial- place at the University of Arizona on October 30, ized zones. We will help to dissect the implications of 2008. It was sponsored by the Graduate and Profes- these powerful trends, and fight their anti-democratic sional Student Council, School of Media Arts, Hanson tendencies” (PLG website). Film Institute, and the School of Information Resourc- es and Library Science. Progressive Librarians Guild: -Nicole Pagowsky University of Arizona Chapter organized the event.

Scott Beibin is the host, curator, video jockey, and Resources and References travelling Renaissance man of Lost Film Fest. Al- though based in Philadelphia, Beibin is often visiting Lost Film Fest website: http://www.lostfilmfest.org other cities and countries to present Lost Film Fest Evil Twin Booking: http://eviltwinbooking.org/ around the globe. He plays videos interspersed with SRRT Alternative Media Taskforce: http://libr.org/ comical and thought-provoking commentary to inspire amtf// discussion amongst audience members. The Alternative Press Center:http://www.altpress.org/ Listing of Alternative Libraries and Infoshops: http:// Topics for the evening included election montages, www.radicalreference.info/altlibraries collages, and commentary; U.S.-Mexico border is- Progressive Librarians Guild: http://libr.org/plg/state- sues; footage not presented by mainstream media of ment.php the Democratic and Republican National Convention riots; racism; and a variety of other issues and events.

10 Continued from page 5 Conclusion Room to Read. (2008). Room to Read. Retrieved Thousands of children are benefitting from the -ef August 3, 2008 from www.roomtoread.org. forts of organizations like Room to Read, but those Standards. (2008). National Concil of Teachers of efforts still have room for improvement. Just as we, English. Retrieved August 7, 2008 from http:// progressive librarians in the United States, must www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm. think about sustainability in our projects, designing Straight answers from John Wood, (2004). [Electronic development programs rooted in sustainability-- version]. American Libraries, 35(8).Retrieved August through host community participation, planning, 3, 2008, from Academic Search Complete database. training, and monitoring and evaluation--is neces- UNESCO. (2008). Education for All (EFA) interna sary for ensuring the long-term benefits of creating tional coordination. Retrieved August 7, 2008, from libraries in developing countries. http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php URL_ ID=47044&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SET References ION=201.html UNESCO Institute for Statistics & Division for the Daniel, J. (2002). Literacy: The 877 million left Coordination of UN Priorities in Education. (2006). behind. Education Today newsletter. Retrieved Education for all (EFA) in least developed countries. August 4, 2008 from http://portal.unesco.org/ Retrieved August 7, 2008, from http://unesdoc. education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=4898&URL_ unesco.org/images/0014/001472/147259M.pdf DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html Weber, E. (2007). Improving the integration of public Olden, A. (1995). Libraries in Africa: Pioneers, reading in cultural policies of Francophone devel policies, problems. Lanham, MD: The Scare oping countries. [Electronic version]. IFLA Journal, crow Press, Inc. 33(7). Retrieved from Education Abstracts Full Text. doi: 10.1177/0340035207074073 Considering membership with PLG: UA? Here’s a rundown on joining our chapter!

1. WHO CAN JOIN PLG? Library and Information Science students at SIRLS, alumni of SIRLS, and current library workers in Tucson at any level can join.

2. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? $20 for 2 years of membership

3. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF JOINING? PLG: UA is one of only six student chapters of PLG in the country, and currently the newest, so you would have the opportunity to shape the direction of our chapter and help build our programs, events, and structure. You would be able to participate in creating our newsletter, work with Tucson community groups to create ties and organize events, and get to know fellow students in the SIRLS program, alumni, and community library workers. Please complete the membership form and pay the appropriate dues to join.

If you are interested in joining the PLG parent organization, please go to their website for more information on dues and benefits: http://libr.org/plg/index.php Continued on next page 11 Continued from previous page

4. HOW MUCH OF A COMMITMENT DO I NEED TO MAKE? As much or as little as you would like. We have bi-weekly meetings, collaborate on our wiki, and 8. I’VE NEVER REALLY DONE ANY ACTIV- promote discussion through our listserv. We don’t ISM IN THE PAST; WOULD I FEEL AWKWARD require a certain amount of participation, but do en- JOINING? courage at least some. However, if you choose to run No; you do not have to be a “seasoned” activist to join for an officer position, most will require a substantial PLG: simply an interest in progressive librarianship time commitment. and hopefully a willingness to participate and collaborate with us is all we ask. 5. WHERE DO I SEND MY DUES? You can send them C/O our Treasurer to the SIRLS 9. I’M STILL NOT SURE IF I’M INTERESTED building: OR NOT, WHAT ELSE CAN HELP ME DECIDE? That’s okay -- you can still join the listserv and come School of Information Resources and to our meetings to get a feel for PLG to see if you Library Science want to become a member. To subscribe to the list- PLG: UA Chapter -- C/O Treasurer serv: 1515 E. 1st St. Send an email message to: [email protected]. Tucson, AZ 85719 edu with an empty subject line, and with the following as the only line in the body of the message: -Checks should be made out to -- subscribe UA-PLG Yourfirstname Yourlastname “Progressive Librarians Guild: UA Chapter” Because the list engine registers your email address as a subscriber instead of your name, only the email 6. WHAT IF I’M A DISTANCE STUDENT IN account you registered will be allowed to receive THE SIRLS PROGRAM OR AN ALUMNI WHO postings or to post messages. You may register all of HAS MOVED OUT OF TOWN? your email addresses. We discourage students from Distance members are able to attend meetings subscribing with a Hotmail email address as this has through Breeze, collaborate on the wiki and through caused problems the LSO listserv in the past. the listserv, and contribute to our newsletter. Dis- tance students can also run for certain officer posi- 10. I’M NOT A LIS STUDENT, ALUMNI, OR tions (Webmaster/Newsletter Editor and Fundrais- WORKER; HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE? ing Coordinator). We are unable to take individuals as members who do not fall in the above categories; however, we are very 7. WHO CAN BE AN OFFICER? interested in collaborating with community groups, so Because we are a University group, only students please do get in touch with us if you are with another can run for officer positions; however, any paying group! member can become a “Project Manager.” A Project Manager (PM) takes the lead in organizing a particular even, and reports information to the group. There can be more than one PM per project.

12 Progressive Librarians Guild: UA Chapter Membership Form

Name: ______

Email Address: ______

Mailing Address: ______

______

Student – Expected Graduation Date: ______

Are you a virtual student? YES NO

SIRLS Alumni – Graduation Date: ______

Current Library Professional – Library: ______

Areas of Interests/Specialization: ______

______

Membership Dues:

$20 for 2 years of membership Please make checks payable to “Progressive Librarians Guild: UA Chapter”. Send checks and membership forms directly to the UA Chapter.

Submit Form and Dues to:

School of Information Resources and Library Science PLG: UA Chapter -- C/O Treasurer 1515 E. 1st St. Tucson, AZ 85719

PLG USE ONLY:

Entered into Database – Date: ______

Payment:

Cash

Check - Check no.: ______