You’ve all been following what’s up in Turkey, right? Of course you have.
Turns out that park occupations continue to produce libraries. Seems that folks have up and built one in Taksim Gezi Parki in Istanbul.
Further images & text in Turkish here; brief article in English here.
[crossposted at LibrarianShipwreck]
ETA: This following photo landed in our inbox this morning. Enjoy.
Filed under Friends of the Library, Jaime, Photographs, Solidarity
For the month of April, the Jefferson Market Library is holding an exhibition of poems from the OWS Poetry Anthology on the wall of the spiral staircase leading up the beautiful tower. It’s a great chance for library goers to absorb the many, varied poems in the anthology and simultaneously enjoy voices from those directly involved with the movement and from supporters from around the world.
On April 14th, we’ll be hosting a reading at the library from 2-5pm. Everyone is encouraged to bring a poem to share! Poets will get 3-5minutes depending on the amount of people that show up, and the event will start out with quick lecture on the significance of the GENERAL STRIKE the occupy movement has called for on May 1st. We’ll also be giving the NY Public Library copies of the OWS Poetry Anthology on the 14th to add to their collection! One copy will go to the archives at 42nd street and another copy will remain at the Jefferson Market location. If you want to check out the exhbition but aren’t sure when to go, I really suggest saving date, Saturday afternoon on April 14th!! If you want to add a poem to the copy of the anthology that will be given to the NY Public Library, please send poems by the evening of April 8th, 2012 to “stephenjboyer(AT)gmail.com.
Here’s a couple photo’s taken by one of the librarians at the Jefferson Market Branch, Marie Hensen… it seems all the librarians are really excited about the exhibition!
And here’s a photo of Frank Collerius (head librarian at the branch) and I… when you stop by, be sure to say hi!
And here’s a few more photo’s, taken by the poet Lee Ann Brown…
My partner in crime, Miranda Lee Reality Torn, her poem “Corporations!” is hanging up now…
Another partner in crime, the poet Patrick Hammer, thanks again for all your help!
AND AGAIN~~THANK YOU AGAIN, JEFFERSON MARKET LIBRARY, AND WE’LL SEE YOU ON APRIL 14TH AND CHECK OUT THE CAMPAIGN TO PRINT THE ANTHOLOGY ON INDIEGOGO!!!!
Filed under Art, OccupyLibraries, Party time!, Photographs, Poetry, Stephen
A couple weeks ago we got invited to the librarian social event of the season, Biblioball. Aren’t we pretty?
Filed under Jaime, OccupyLibraries, Photographs
What was once the People’s Library is now a crime scene.
Filed under 11/15 Eviction, Free Speech, Hristo, Photographs
I want to write all about the day in detail – our working group (aka, our library family) spent the day of action spread out all over the city working independently and also working together. We had our online and off-site folks in charge of keeping the blog and twitter updated and running info for those who were on the street. We were marching; setting up the library at Liberty, Union Square, Foley Square and on the Brooklyn Bridge; running mobile libraries from carts; coming up with awesome chants; meeting people and taking donations; telling our story and so much more. At the end of the day we stopped at an Irish bar across from the WTC site and had dinner, beer and a meeting. There’s so much to write, and I’m exhausted and have to work/school tomorrow. So instead, here are some of my photos. <3 and solidarity.
Full resolution slideshow here.
Filed under #N17, Photographs, Rob
Our Guest Announcement Board
The People’s Library at Occupy Wall Street has been fortunate to host a number of special guest speakers in recent days including Carl Mayer, Jonathan Lethem, Lynn Nottage, Jennifer Egan, and Douglas Rushkoff. Upcoming are Michael Zweig and Daniel Pinchbeck.
And one more photo of our lovely (Canadian!) librarians with the lovely and Canadian Naomi Klein, at the first Spokes Council:
Laura, Naomi, Naomi's husband Avi Lewis, and Sean
Filed under Announcements, Photographs, Steve S.
A quiet moment in The People’s Library, just past midnight October 23, 2011
Filed under Photographs, Rob
Mickey Z and Johanna Lawrenson (Abbie Hoffman’s widow) stopped by the library yesterday. Jesse Jackson also passed through.
Filed under Photographs, Steve S.
“Amid one of the most dynamic political events in recent American history lies one of the most harmonious of places – a library.
Occupy Wall Street has become known for its animated protests and run-ins with police, but walk inside Zuccotti Park – the movement’s unofficial headquarters – and you get a different story. Organizers have created a medical center, food station, and donation drop-off point. But it’s “The People’s Library” that has become an example of the group’s mission and outside support.” Read more…
Filed under Media, Photographs, Rob
On Saturday we had our first formal working group meeting at the library. Prior to this meeting, our decision making process has been to reach consensus within the group who are on the ground at the library or through conversations on this blog. On Saturday, we put the same process used by the General Assembly into use and spent three hours discussing the items on our agenda (agenda items were posted in advance here). Minutes from our meeting will be posted soon, in the meantime, here are photos of the process in action at your library.
While the General Assembly meetings serve as a forum for participation, decision making and announcements about the movement and occupation as a whole (as well as report-backs from working groups), a working group is a decision making body for a specific project within the occupation of Liberty Plaza. Both General Assemblies and Working Groups use the same process for conducting meetings. The meeting is facilitated by a facilitator and a stack keeper. People are also responsible for checking the vibe (the feeling and response of the group) as well as taking minutes.
The process involves many tools for giving everyone a voice, for respecting speaking and listening and for using hand signals. This video on YouTube is a good introduction to how it works.
Filed under Photographs, Process, Rob, Working Group Meeting
Here’s Beth Gutcheon donating a copy each of all of her books—and in the rain! I asked her to pose for a photo and inscribe her donations. Because, how great is this?
If you meet any other writers who want to donate their own books, I encourage you to post photos! Nobody has turned me down yet. Don’t let those camera shy authors get away too easily!
Filed under Photographs, Steve S.
During our Library Working Group meeting today, we were thrilled to get a hand delivered letter from the Occupy Portland Library (Oregon). We put the courier on the spot and asked him to read it to us. Here’s the video, as well as the letter. We’re excited to connect with our fellow Occubrarians in Portland (yeah, I know that word is awful, but I’m addicted to it now). Much love and solidarity to you Occupy Library in PDX!
The text reads:
Dear Occupy Wall St.
We stand in solidary with you and wish to share best practices and an open line of contact with your library. Please shoot us an email: [email address]Much Love,
[signed]In solidarity, brothers and sisters
[signed]Much love from Portland! Stay Strong.
[signed]
Filed under #OccupyPortland, Media, OccupyLibraries, Photographs, Rob, Solidarity, Video
Thursday, in preparation for the eviction resistance, the park was cleaned by sanitation and many volunteers. Here the New York Times features a photograph of the area where the library usually sits being scrubbed. This paper was sitting on a table in the spot depicted in the photo. Droste.
Filed under Media, Photographs, Rob
Photographs by Stephen Boyer of the People’s Library wrapped up and ready for the eviction resistance Friday morning.
Filed under Brookfield, Emergency Actions, Photographs, Rob, Solidarity
Lovely people both and excited about what we’re doing.
Filed under Photographs, Steve S.
A day in the life of the People’s Library Reference desk.
Filed under Announcements, Photographs, Steve S.
Hungarian artist Gabriella Csoszó has posted a series of photographs of the People’s Library on her blog Public Image. The photos reveal often overlooked layers of the processing of our books, the architecture of the spaces we’ve built to hold them, the ways the labels and systems are edited and re-edited as the collection changes and grows. There is a record here of the many voices speaking through the library, both those that are historical and those of our volunteers. And of the lightness and potential weight of these volumes carried by the expectations of big ideas.
Csoszó’s work “explores the historical traces of the cold war, including the documentation of locations that have been lost or have changed meaning and the photographic exposition of objects and public spaces that do not hold the same value in the present.” The artist is currently in residence at ISCP.
Filed under Art, Photographs, Rob
Incoming Books
Occupy Wall Street Library 