Blogs

Suppress the Vote?
By BOB HERBERT
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/16/opinion/16herbert.html?hp
Published: August 16, 2004

The big story out of Florida over the weekend was the tragic
devastation caused by Hurricane Charley. But there's another story

Hot off the presses, the People's Guide to the Republican National Convention is out. This amazingly handy guide/map is a must for all. Download it, order it, or pick one up at New York Civil Liberties Union RNC Office (F8: 520 Eighth Ave), Bluestocking Books (O8: 172 Allen St), Times-up! bike convergence space (N7: 49 E Houston St), or Chisholm Gallery (I7: 56 W 22 St, 2nd flr).

Thanks everyone. There are now 50 volunteers registered on the website and 78 members on the listserv. That's a great big pool of reference! Even the largest research libraries don't have 50 reference librarians chomping at the bit to get answers for people.

This Approval vs alert chart and the timeline of alerts below it clearly shows a correlation between news events (especially BAD news) and the release of terror alerts.

"They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
--August 5, 2004

rprogreso.com is a bilingual source of current and relieble news that covers topics of interest to Latinos. A recent survey published in rprogreso.com shows how much Bush support has fallen off since the latest restrictions on travel to Cuba were announced.

I see that James has posted a blog entry about third spaces. I read a book on that subject around 20 years ago. I think that infoshops are a good example of third places and they are becoming an alternative to public libraries. I've been involved in two infoshops, the most recent one being the Crossroads Infoshop and Radical Bookstore here in Kansas City. It opened last month and we are doing well. Much of my time this week has been spent on putting out organizational fires. Right now I'm supposed to be finding people to staff the space this week, so I'd better stop writing here...

The state is awash with anxiety about voting machines. Jeb Bush is still governor. The St.Petersburg Times had an article on August 2, 2004 that demonstrates the depth of the state government's involvement in depressing the vote:
=======
Secretary of state knew of voter list flaws in May
By Associated Press
Published August 2, 2004
..
Secretary of State Glenda Hood held out two months before scrapping a database of felons barred from voting, despite knowing about problems with the list and the vendor responsible for compiling it.

A May 2 internal memo requested by Hood details missed deadlines, failed software programs, personnel problems and a long list of mistakes, the Miami Herald reported Sunday.

This was originally posted on Jessmyn West's Librarian.net. This post from TechnoBiblio is talking about third spaces -- those places in our communities where people naturally gather -- and how librarians can use technologies to infiltrate those spaces. Two things stuck out for me: most "third spaces" mentioned were centered around consumer activity (Starbucks, cafes...); and there was mention of prisons as a third space for the economically disadvantaged in our society.

Are we becoming "Mybrarians" with this radical reference service? Are libraries 3rd spaces? Can this radical reference site be a virtual 3rd space? Thoughts?

Shout Out to radical
library workers!

Library workers are launching
a project in support of the demonstrations surrounding the Republican National
Convention in New York City August 29-September 2, 2004. We will offer blog,
chat, street, and news reference, responding to questions from demonstrators.

Sound ambitious? It is,
so we need help.

Please contact info@radicalreference.info
if you would like to:

• answer e-mail reference
  questions
• use your foreign language
  skills to answer questions and make the site more accessible
• perform chat reference
• participate in street
  reference
• be a news librarian,
  teaching and researching for independent media journalists
• help with the website
• gather "Quick Facts
  & Contacts" info for street reference
• rally together as library
  workers at the protests
• send us money (for hats
  to identify us, materials, technical costs)

All will be welcome to
participate regardless of skill level or proximity to NYC. Indicate in your
message in which areas you will participate.

NOTE: our website is under
construction. We hope to have it ready to receive reference questions by the
end of the week.