so much going on in the world these days affecting libraries, some of it so enraging that i just want to SMASH. SOPA/PIPA. RWA (not my high school, the Research Works Act). Golan v Holder. (and i know these are all American bills/decisions, but given the political climate in My Home and Native Land these days, there’s no reason why we couldn’t enact similar legislation.)
until i can calm down enough to be less Rambina, i’m going to quote from David Weinberger’s post about the blackout yesterday by a buncha organizations (Internet Archive, Wikipedia, lots more).
First, This is our Internet. We built it. We built it for us, not for you. We get to turn off the lights, not you.
Second, we are better custodians of culture than are culture’s merchants because we understand that culture is what we have in common. We feel pain every time something is held back from this Commons.
Third, just as we can make someone famous rather than having to passively accept the celebrities you foist upon us, we can make an idea politically potent. Going dark was the self-assertion with which political engagement begins.
Fourth, there’s a growing “we” on the Internet. It is not as inclusive as we think, it’s far more diverse than we imagine, and it’s far less egalitarian than we should demanand. But so was tbe “we” in “We the People.” The individual acts of darkness declared a start of the We we need to nurture.
the internet is ours and we must fight those who seek to impede our access to it. be outraged.
amy posted this December 27th, 2011 | filed under:moi | no comments »
i was curious about “where he ate”…
Beautys – good food but crazy long lines in the morning when you’ve probably been out too late at other establishmens in the city. (also, if you want a mishmash, you go to Cosmos Café in NDG. hands down.) (and Montreal bagels ALWAYS WIN.) St Viateur – hellz yes. like i said. Club Social – hipstercentral though supergood coffee. Jean Talon market – i miss having a car. WILD ASPARAGUS WINS. as does raw cheese (pretty sure they are at the Buckland cheese stand at Jean-Talon.) (no, i have no insider info) Atwater market – 2 blocks from my house. seriously great, but a bit pricier than than Jean Talon. Club Chasse & Peche – never been, but i know someone who used to work there. also, you can never stop Adam from talking ; ) L’Import Piece – never been. damn. Marven’s – classic. don’t miss. calamari FTW. crossing the street in montreal – ya, game on, muthafuckas. have your wits about you. the Tam Tam – hippie drumming. superfun. Guerriers de la Montagne – LARPish Montreal. St Lawrence surfing – sure. why not. Brasserie Capri - this is my ‘hood. now on my list. (any place that serves quarts of Export and real pea soup…) Dominion Square Tavern – excellent drinks and the sink in the women’s loo is wonderful. Gros Gibeau – go see cars, and have Orange Julep. well worth a summer night. Joe Beef – JUST GO. YOU WILL NEVER REGRET IT. the garden out back, the smoker, the oysters, the staff (esp Vanya who will help you find the good wines)… JUST GO. L’Express – get the steak frites. Romados – Portuguese chicken will ruin you for all other rotisserie. Brasserie T – never been. but Normand Laprise is fanfuckingtastic. Big in Japan – totally on my hit list. noted: don’t mess with Martin Picard. Grumman ’78 Taco Truck – well, when it’s open, ’tis the best thing in life, but it’s not open that often. blame Drapeau. (he really monkeyed the province.) Nouveau Palais – late night eats. the only thing better is a poutine at La Belle Province, or peanut noodles at that place on St Laurent and des Pins which is probably closed now. Schwartz’s – his order is perfect. and smoked meat is way better than pastrami. ya, i said it.
you can keep Celine Dion. most of us are pretty okay with that.
read this. and this.
so so angry.
but even more, so so proud to be part of a profession (vocation? calling? AWESOMEST POSSE EVAR?) that makes sure such things as the #peopleslibrary exist.
i’m just home from 3 conferences in 3 weeks. since october 15 i’ve been at Internet Librarian (Monterey), Access (Vancouver), and DLF Fall Forum (Baltimore).
my brain is positively filled with awesome ideas and inspiration. lists and lists of tools and services that could work at mpow. so much to do. so much fun.
my heart is also full. damn, did i ever make the right call joining libraryland. so many passionate people who want to make sure our communities have access to the information they need. particularly inspiring over these past few weeks:
Sarah Houghton’s video looking at recent Amazon loans bullshit (go watch it. now.)
the folks who attended our “new modes of publishing” session at DLF and took our challenge to add their thoughts to the google doc we had live on the screen. (the attendees took a list of recommendations – you know, those kinds of recommendations that are both great because they answer “why”, but kinda useless because they don’t answer “how” – and made them actionable. as i tweeted, “way to not just sit on your arses #dlfforum”)
Bess Sadler (arguably one of the top coders in libraryland) talking about how it’s not about the code, it’s about the community, at Access.
Michael Porter’s passionate and articulate calling-out of vendor disregard for user privacy, while sitting on a panel with OverDrive and other ebook vendors at IL.
the librarylanders at Access who made trips down to OccupyVancouver (and those of you who are attending Occupy events in other cities) to support the movement, because libraryland lives outside of libraries – it’s wherever our users are.
there will be more posts coming as i start getting everything out of my head and into action, but until then, libraryland, i love ya.
so the panel that michael and i proposed was accepted for sxswi. and i’m happy to say that the incredible nate and the awesome char are joining the party.
this is such a kick-ass opportunity – to talk to non-librarylanders about our awesome – i’m really looking forward to it.
also, march in austin? sounds pretty sweet to me. (hullo barton springs!)
even better – i’m not the only librarylander speaking at sxswi – everyone in bold on this list will be there too!
participation in our democracy that isn’t funded by news cameras.
#fuckyeahbuttercup
(also, i luv him)
i feel very privileged to have worked in a major media organization (and frankly, loved every gawddamn moment of it), but media and news cameras are the PERFECT reason why critical thinking is more important now than ever.
also, i equate critical thinking with owning your shit. don’t talk about things (thoughts or actions) you aren’t ready to be responsible for. (<momvoice> never end a sentence with a prepostion. </momvoice>)
i’m reminded of a quote from walt whitman from a body shop tshirt i once owned (alright alright, it was the 90s and i was a kid. shuduppayoface.)
“re-examine all you have been told… dismiss what insults your soul.”
dear aggregators, ILS vendors, publishers, computer companies, library-equipment companies, and various “cooperatives”:
some good friends in libraryland are having a rough few weeks dealing with you. this makes me unhappy. first off, i appreciate that:
for the most part you are in this for the benjamins while we are in it for our communities.
to stay competitive you can’t tailor things down to meet absolutely everyone’s needs.
you are responsible to your board members who are mostly concerned with #1.
given all of that (and i’m more “appreciative” than some) i still demand an explanation for the abominable customer service, foggy service contracts, condescending sales reps, tech support folks who treat libraries like guinea pigs for a new bug-tracking system, or ridiculous charges for “packages” (mpow has the economist from 8 different sources – it’s a great mag, but, srsly?).
OH! and these librarians? they are moving into upper management (aka: where the buck stops).
so it’s your call really, continue to treat us poorly and then face the inevitable smackdown when i’m running the library. or up your game now, and become a true partner.
a bunch of librarylanders have proposed sessions for sxsw interactive. talking to non-librarylanders about libraries – [insert sarcastic voice here] what a novel concept! i think it’s great that so many librarians are getting the word out about we do, especially in an environment like sxswi (which just seems like a natural fit for libraries, really. innovacation + community + information = libraries!)
Good libraries are community-minded, technologically-aware, devoted to increasing access to information, and interested in preserving the local cultural heritage. Good newspapers aggregate and curate information for their readers, prioritize the local population, and are the record of a place, a time, a citizenry. Both believe they must tell stories for everyone, not just themselves. Libraries have experience with media production, and are already a known community resource. Supporting communication within their community falls within the library’s mandate to increase access to information. Building on the “maker” ethic, how can libraries help their communities make their own news, write their own stories, publish their own histories?
voting closes this friday, september 2, so go register an account and start voting!
canada lost an inspirational leader on monday. i’m still a bit gobsmacked that jack layton, the man who said “we can look after each other better than we do today” and “don’t let them tell you it can’t be done” died of cancer.
for those of you who have not read his final letter to canadialand, please click here.
i was pretty upset about jack’s death, and on monday, i posted to facebook that “i wanted to live in [jack's] canada.” i was reminded, by my awesome friend barb, that not only could we live in his canada, but “we must… we have no other choice.”
and she is right. if i want to live in the canada jack talked about, it’s on me to do all i can to make that happen.
