Category: New Librarianship Field Guide

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Stories and Fiction: Join the Radical Conversation

Today we start the second in our series of radical conversations, this time about the role of fiction and storytelling in knowledge creation. What is the role of narratives in the work of librarians, and what is the work of libraries in creating the stories of our communities?

How can librarians serve their communities in terms of fiction beyond a collection? Come join us, and make sure you give a listen to a conversation with the New Librarianship Collaborative and Jennifer Ilardi on lessons from Ferguson, MO.

Join the conversation via Twitter using the hashtag #NewLibFiction or at the conversation’s page:

https://davidlankes.org/?page_id=6757

Also, we’ll be pulling all of these discussions together for an event at ALA MidWinter in Chicago. Let us know if you can make it February 2, 2015.

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Join the Radical Conversation on Defining a Library

This week the folks behind the upcoming Radical’s Guide to New Librarianship are looking for your help in defining what a library is…from a New Librarianship point of view. As part of the Radical Conversations series, we need your help in understanding what differentiates a library from a community center, classroom, bookstore, or warehouse.

Watch the introduction:

Hear some folks struggle with the topic:

Join the conversation via Twitter using the hashtag #NewLibLibrary or at the conversation’s page:

https://davidlankes.org/?page_id=6442

Also, we’ll be pulling all of these discussions together for an event at ALA MidWinter in Chicago. Let us know if you can make it February 2, 2015.

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Announcing a Series of Radical Conversations

The announcement of the Radical’ Guide to New Librarianship has prompted a lot of interest, including folks asking how they can help. Well, here you go. We need your input, stories, and ideas.

There are several new topics we’re working on for The Radical’s Guide: notably libraries as institutions, the role of collections, and a deeper understanding of the concept of community. We are seeking input from the library community on these topics. To facilitate this input, we’ve set up a series of online and in-person conversations. Each question consists of a brief introduction to the topic and mechanisms for community input.

Here is the link to the conversations with more information on the questions:

https://davidlankes.org/?page_id=6461

As you will see rather than just posting a bunch of questions, we’ve structured them in topic and time. So we’ll be rolling the questions out over the next two months concluding in an in-person gathering at the ALA MidWinter Conference in Chicago. Here is the schedule:

How Do We Define a Library?

Dates: December 8-12, 2014

What is the Role of Fiction and Storytelling in Knowledge Development

Dates: December 15-19, 2014

What is The Value of a Collection?

Dates: January 5-9, 2015

What is the Definition of a Community?

Dates: January 12-16, 2015

Community Gathering at ALA MidWinter

Date: February 2, 2015

Please (please please please) join the conversation on the web and through Twitter. If you see a future conversation you’d like to join me for a Skype conversation starter, please let me know [email protected].

Also, please let us know if you are interested in attending the MidWinter session:

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Announcing the Radical’s Guide to New Librarianship

I have just signed a contract with MIT Press for the publication of The Radical’s Guide to New Librarianship, a follow up to The Atlas of new Librarianship. Over the next few weeks and months I will be reaching out to you for help in ensuring the Radical’s Guide helps you to better serve our communities, become better librarians, and transform librarianship into a profession of radical positive change.

I am not doing this alone. To help make the Radical’s Guide a reality Kimberly Silk, Wendy Newman, and Lauren Britton have joined me in a self-titled group calling itself the “New Librarianship Collaborative.” Together we’ll be reaching out to look for stories, ideas, and contributions (and yes, we are always looking for more members).

What will the new book offer (besides being paper back, lighter, and also have an ebook version)? I have three major goals:

  • Expand the ideas of the Atlas into libraries as institutions and a deeper look at communities
  • Provide a curricular view of New Librarianship for easy incorporation into classes and continuing education
  • Provide hands on tools for implementing New Librarianship in your community.

This is not another edition of the Atlas. Rather it focuses on making things happen by building upon the Atlas’ focus on deep theory and concepts.

Because of the new effort you will see a few changes in the very near future:

  • I have set up a page on New Librarianship and a sub-page specifically for the Radical’s Guide that includes ongoing information on the new effort, and New Librarianship in general. The new page will include calls for feedback and polls on topics in the new book.
  • The existing Atlas website is being folded into my personal site (over time). This will make the incorporation of new materials from the Radical’s Guide will be easier to maintain and update. Eventually the domain newlibrarianship.org will point to this site. So if you want to keep up with developments, you are int eh right place.

I am thrilled to say MIT Press is again the publisher of this new effort. Our goal is to make a book that is immediately useful, as well as easily accessible in content and form. In that light we are hoping for a final book that is portable and very affordable (seriously, like plus or minus 20 bucks).

I hope you will join Kim, Wendy, Lauren and myself in creating a tool for radical positive change agents seeking to unleash the potential and knowledge of their communities.