I recently gave a talk about indie press to a group of librarians, and I tried to communicate the level of enthusiasm the zine and DIY community have for libraries. They were an essential part of an enriched childhood, allowing us to sate our voracious book nerd appetites — the fact that there was no financial risk to taking out something new encouraged us to read widely and expand our tastes. As adults on a broke artist budget they allow us to research and read while saving our money to produce our next book or CD or movie or zine.
To participate, buy a book here and add in the notes field that it’s for a library, and if there’s a region you’d like to specify.
I’m interested in strengthening the ties between indie culture and public libraries, because it’s a political alliance: we both fight corporate power. Just by being there we provide an alternative to our increasingly commodified culture and preserve the diversity of the public sphere. I think there’s a lot of really interesting things that can be done between these two communities, once we become aware of each other’s intersecting mutual interests. “It’s kind of like having all the rats of the city on your side,” is how I put it at the librarian inservice. “We’re ornery, but resourceful.”
One no-brainer for me is that indie kids would be happy to do a workshop on knitting or video-editing in exchange for the use of a library room for an event. Feel free to leave your ideas in the comments below.
6 responses to “Returning Your Bucks to the Library”
As a punk librarian, I feel compelled to remind you that librarians ARE working a job, and for that reason all the dispair, frustration, and fruitlessness of selling time and effort for money.
Even socialism has whores!
A Flyboy is heading to the Chicago area courtesy of Margaret Bruns;
A Spaceman blasts towards the Jonathan Bourne PL, MA thanks to Carrie Tobey;
3 Silicos infiltrate Southern Oregon courtesy of Mark Madsen.
Thanks guys!
Reiko Tagami caused Flyboy and Spaceman to appear in the Nelson Municipal Library, British Columbia.
Ralph Giles’ generosity inspired Unspeakable Evil to lurch into the Vancouver Public Library.
I first borrowed and read Angry Young Spaceman from a library in Vancouver.
After that I downloaded Flyboy from this website
Eventually Jim Munro got some cash out of the deal (I hope) as i purchased Everyone in Silico from Chapters.
As a low income earner I greatly appreciate the library facilities in Vancouver and how it has introduced me to some interesting Canadian authors.
Thanks for the comment, Simon. As it happens, I also get money from something called the Public Lending Right Commission:
http://www.plr-dpp.ca/PLR/about.asp
They give me a annual payment (which has been usually $300-400) based on how often my books are in a library’s catalogue. I’m not sure if they have this in the US, but I know they have something similar in the UK.
the library in Nelson BC allows people to pay for a book and the library will buy it and you become the first person to borrow it. I think it’s a great concept.
I just finished reading Flyboy am going to loan it to my brother. Is this like terrorism? Am I helping terrorists?