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"an activist organisation that examines issues of censorship, freedom and ethics amongst library and information workers..." |
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NewsStatements & PetitionsLWPM - Celebrating a part of the origins of ISC.On November 5th we will celebrate twenty years since the founding meeting of Librarians Within the Peace Movement (LWPM). The inaugural meeting of LWPM was held in Bloomsbury on November 5th 1989. The European Social Forum is coming to Malmö, Sweden!From September 17th to 21st 2008 the European Social Forum (ESF) is being held in Malmö, in the south of Sweden. More than 20 000 people are expected to participate in the forum, which is a meeting place for social movements in Europe. During five days seminars and workshops will be mixed with culture, music, activism and demonstrations. Freedom to Read Week (February 24th - March 1st 2008)Freedom to Read Week (see official Website) is an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Freedom to Read Week is organized by the Freedom of Expression Committee of the Book and Periodical Council. Aerospace and Defence Librarians Group (ADLG)ISC Calls for the decision to make the Aerospace and Defence Librarians Group (ADLG) a Special Interest Group within CILIP (the Chartered Institute of library & Information Professionals) to be rescinded... (A motion to this effect will be presented to the next CILIP AGM). Read more on our Statements and Petitions page Forthcoming UK Agency Staff BillWith increasing use of agency staff in libraries, education and other sectors, there is a need to regulate and establish rights for agency employees. If you are in the UK you can use this form to petition local MPs to support an agency workers bill on 22/02. http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/takeaction/ 26 January - Global Day of Action of the WSFAlso see the WSF 2007 Proposals on Women: http://www.wsflibrary.org/index.php/Proposals_on_Women_from_WSF2007 OBITUARY: Ruth Frow: Keeper of our past (1923 - 2008).AFTER service in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, Ruth's interest in labour politics led her in 1945 to join the CPGB, in which she found "enormous comradeship and warm-hearted generous people." Read More... Proposed POSITION STATEMENT ON INFORMATION ETHICS IN LIS EDUCATIONALISE - Information Ethics Special Interest Group, November 5, 2007 Read More... Toni Samek is winner of the first annual LJ Teaching Award"Her work goes far beyond the three standard measures of academic performance: teaching, research, and service. Her teaching “is deeply informed by her commitment to, and scholarship in, human rights and the core values of the profession...” Blockade of Cuban LibrariesThe UN General Assembly has voted for a 16th consecutive year to recommend that the US ends its trade embargo on Cuba, imposed more than four decades ago. The resolution is non-binding and previous resolutions have had no effect on US policy. The 192-member General Assembly passed the measure by 184 votes to four, with one abstention. The vote comes shortly after US President George W Bush reaffirmed that the US embargo would remain in place. The US, Israel, Palau, and the Marshall Islands voted against repealing the embargo, while Micronesia abstained. Last year's resolution was passed by 183 votes to four, also with one abstention. The resolution calls on the US to end its economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba "as soon as possible", in line with the UN charter and international law. Cuba's foreign minister Felipe Perez Roque told the General Assembly ahead of the vote that the US blockade had been enforced more fiercely than ever over the last year. But in a speech last week President Bush said the US would maintain its embargo as long as the government in Cuba keeps a "monopoly" on power. UK Government approves 14 firms to help the NHSThis week, the UK government approved the use of 14 private firms to
work within the NHS, these include BUPA, AXA and other US health care
companies (announced by the Labour health minister Ivan Lewis). Many
commentators feel this represents a further step towards privatisation
of the UK health services and transformation from a public service to
a non-tax funded and profit-based system. Reviews of Books involving ISC membersJohn Pateman has reviewed Toni Samek's 'Librarianship
and Human Rights: a 21st century guide' which has been published
in the October 2007 edition of Update, the CILIP journal. Online Tactical DiscussionsThe New Tactics in Human Rights Project [New Tactics in Human Rights] will feature monthly tactical discussions on a specific tactic and its adaptability to other contexts and issue areas. Join the on-line community at www.newtactics.org between 19 and 25 September to ensure your immediate participation in the “Information is Power: Librarianship and Human Rights” discussion taking place September 26 - October 2, 2007. Featured on-line discussion resource practitioners for September are Sa¹a Madacki, Toni Samek and Bert Verstappen. Public Libraries in the 21st CenturyThree members of the ISC editorial board - John Pateman, John Vincent and Shiraz Durrani - are featured in a new book about public libraries. 'Public Libraries in the 21st Century' presents a comprehensive analysis of the impact of recent policy initiatives targeted at public libraries along with broader developments in the public sector environment within which they operate. Key features include:
This book provides a unique and thorough guide to the contemporary discourses surrounding issues of identity, social purpose, value and strategy facing the public library service. 'Public Libraries in the 21st Century: defining services and debating the future' is by Ann Goulding, Ashgate, 2006. St. Athan Military Academy (Wales)A first meeting has taken place of people and groups opposed to plans to build a huge, privately-run military academy at St Athan near Cardiff. This vast, privately-owned training school will be run by a consortium ‘Metrix’, with partners including arms manufacturers Raytheon and the Open University. More information and how to get involved in the campaign here: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/07/375464.html Libraries & The War on Terror - Presentation by John PatemanJohn Pateman presented a paper on Libraries & The War on Terror at the CILIP Umbrella Conference (29/06/07), focusing on the threats that the so called War on Terror poses to:
A copy of this paper will be published on the CILIP website and will appear in a forthcoming issue of ISC. Reed Elsevier pulls out of organising arms fairsAnti-arms trade campaigners and writers at Reed Elsevier's scientific journals today welcomed the publisher's move to pull out from organising defence shows. While Reed had indicated that it will pull out of the
arms trade, it did not state that this septembers DSEi arms fair is
cancelled. The statement which the company put out about pulling out
of the arms fair stated that it is still is going to go ahead with its
existing commitements. For more info see the Campaign Against the Arms
trade & the Disarm DSEi If you can't get to any Reed Elsevier protests, then please contact you local Reed/ Elseivier office & register your protest against their continued involvement with this years DSEi arms fair. 2007 CLA award for the Advancement of Intellectual Freedom in CanadaCanadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) received the 2007 CLA award for the Advancement of Intellectual Freedom in Canada. Press release here: http://www.cla.ca/top/whatsnew/wnmay08awards13-07.html Library able to privatizeThe Tennessee Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling, stating that the Madison County Library Board had the right to seek privatization of the library management. Founding a Library - another report from the World Social Forum in Nairobi - by Mikael BöökWest Virginia Labor History Association Votes Unanimously to Support Preservation of Blair Mountain at Press Conference[Charleston, WV April 24, 2007] The West Virginia Labor History Association voted unanimously on Saturday, April 21, 2007 at its monthly board meeting to support the preservation of the Blair Mountain battle site. There will be a press conference in support of the nomination at noon on May 1 in the lower rotunda of the State Capitol. Members of WVLHA will attent the press conference in support of preserving Blair Mountain, the site of one of America's greatest labor events. Between August 25 and September 4, 1921 more than 10,000 armed coal miners marched to Blair Mountain to fight for their union and their lives. Last year the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed Blair Mountain as one of the most endangered historic sites in America. Read More... Information for Social Change Polices Information for Social Change has undertaken a review of policies
and procedures, a process which reflects the formalisation of ISC as
a voluntary led, progressive and collective-based organisation. The
new policies and procedures are intended to define the aims and objectives
of ISC as an activist organisation and as a periodical, but also to
outline the means through which ISC undertakes its stated aims to reflect
and comment on the broad range of social, cultural and economic issues
in the context of information, education and related spheres of activity.
The policy document also defines the submission and publication process
for contributions to the ISC journal and Web site, ensuring the mechanisms
and procedures of ISC are transparent to ISC members, contributors and
general users. Exhibition Reviews by John PatemanFallen Angel: The Political Cartoons of the Daily Worker Cartoonist
Gabriel This Was England: a Skinhead exhibition from the 1980s Library of Congress to Outsource Auxiliary Cataloging FunctionsWashington, D.C., March 30, 2007 - The Acquisitions and Bibliographic Access Directorate of the United States Library of Congress this morning announced a new initiative for its cataloging workflow. A pilot program -- expected to launch by late spring -- will involve outsourcing several resource description operations to Mountain View, California-based Google. New Web log (blog) by Ruth's Rikowski at: http://journals.aol.co.uk/rikowskigr/ruth-rikowski-updates/This blog includes news updates on Ruth Rikowski's publications and talks, and the events and campaigns that she has been/is involved with. The primary focus is on library and information related topics Feminist Library Under Threat Of ClosureHot on the heels of the threats to close Wanlockhead library, certain libraries in Dorset and Painswick library, comes the shocking news that the Feminist Library in London is threatened with closure. Read More on Managing Information... PAINSWICK LIBRARY CAMPAIGNPainswick library in the Cotswolds, is under threat of closure. Philip Booth, Green Party Stroud District Councillor, Gloucstershire has been drawing attention to this on his blog, 'Ruscombe Green', and relates it to Ruth Rikowski's work. Seminar with Ruth Rikowski - What Have Global Trade Agreements Ever Done for Library and Information Workers?Date: Tuesday 13 February 2007 Ruth will discuss the meaning of globalisation and the significance of the World Trade Organisation's GATS and TRIPS agreements, arguing that library and information services, along with other public services (such as education) and intellectual property rights, are being commodified. See the Flow of Ideas site for further details Knowledge Management: Social, Cultural and Theoretical Perspectives Edited by Ruth RikowskiThis book includes contributions from a variety of academics and professionals, looking at KM from different perspectives. The book is divided into 4 parts: Social, Economic, Political and Philosophical Perspectives; Practical Perspectives; Cultural Perspectives and Theoretical Perspectives. Both Ruth Rikowski and Paul Catherall have contributed chapters to this new book (also edited by Ruth), Ruth's chapters include:
Paul's chapter is entitled Accessibility issues for web-based information systems. See the Flow of Ideas site for further details From Social Inclusion to Community CohesionJohn Pateman and John Vincent have written a chapter 'From Social Inclusion There was more activity with regard to public libraries and social
exclusion Occupation of Sidgwick Lecture Theatre at Cambridge UniversityOrganised by Cambridge Education Not for Sale I took part in a very important and optimistic event at Cambridge University, on 24-25th October 2006 – which in essence seemed to me to be about students fighting back against the rule of capital... Read More Two Cheers for InclusionJohn Pateman's article 'Two Cheers for Inclusion' has been published in the 20th anniversary edition of the Public Library Journal (Vol. 21, No.4, 1986-2006). In this article John looks back at all the articles which he has written for PLJ over the past 20 years. Some common themes emerge - social class, internationalism and social exclusion. John concludes that, while there has been some progress with regard to public libraries tackling social exclusion, he can still only give them 'Two Cheers for Inclusion'. From Equal Opportunities to Tackling Social Exclusion - Book chapter by John Vincent and John PatemanJohn Vincent and John Pateman have written a chapter on 'From Equal Protest against Tuition Fees and the Marketisation of Higher Education, and For a Free Education - a Student Action Week event at Cambridge UniversityRuth Rikowski gave a presentation on the marketisation of education at a 'teach-in' on the state on higher education today, set in the context of the monetisation (fees), marketisation, commodification and capitalisation of higher education services in the UK. See the Flow of Ideas site for a write up and photos of this event Additional information on the national campaign against top up fees and the marketisation of education is available from the NUS (National Union Of Students) Website. Never be silent : publishing & imperialism in Kenya, 1884-1963The complete version of "Never be Silent" is now available
under "Creative Commons" rights. Social communications are central to any social struggle. There is a sizable body of literature from other countries on the use of oral medium, newspapers, books and other forms of communications being used as tools for organising against a powerful enemy, as a training ground for cadres and for clarifying and developing revolutionary theory, ideology, organisation and practice... The Full text is available in PDF format. National Climate March Saturday 4th November 2006Part of the International Demonstrations planned for the next round of UN Climate Talks in Nairobi. Rally at US Embassy, Grosvenor Square, London, 12.00 noon Fore more details and full timetable see here. The International Convention of Local Communities against
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