Sunday, 2007-08-26, community garden in Hell's Kitchen, W. 48th St. between 9th and 10th Aves
Attending: Gretchen, Alycia, John, Melissa M., Melissa G.,
Shannon, Meg, Jonathan, Jenna, Julie
1. Tenant resources workshop – Melissa G. is organizing. Space and time being confirmed, and Melissa G. will post to list. Most likely will not be officially co-sponsored by Radref depending on space, but RR volunteers plan to attend to be trained.
- Theme: what kinds of public information are available to tenants? (General info, not specific to certain tenant organizations, which are very active.) Topics: how to report problems, investigate landlords/ownership, building violations. Specific instruction in accessing online resources.
2. Website – to start working/volunteering, go to Guidelines section on Volunteer page.
- Sign up for email alerts when new content is posted.
- Site moderation: request for volunteer moderators to be posted once a year, and reminders sent to volunteers already on mods list.
- Moderators commit to maintaining formats/grammar/looking for unanswered questions
- Current system allows for more collaboration.
- "In progress" status is definitely gone.
3. NYC @ Bookfair – Gretchen, Jenna, and Melissa M. worked on last year (held April 14, 2007). RR initially had intended to help in terms of resource/info aspects of planning; assistance ended up more amorphous/hands-on. RR had a successful table.
- 2007 debrief: included organizers; notes posted to wiki but not linked – Jenna will send to list. No major negative criticism; info from feedback forms still being looked at.
- 2008 planning to start soon – first meeting in September, probably evening/LES. Melissa M. to post to nycrr list.
4. HOWL Festival – September 8-9, Tompkins Sq Park
- Catch-all LES arts festival including book mart 11-6 each day. RR shared table with ABC no Rio and Books through Bars. John made sign, fliers, and binder with literary-related questions/answers from RR site.
[ The Progressive Library Skillshare also took place September 7-8 – anyone attend?]
5. Mid-Atlantic Radical Bookfair and Infoshop Gathering– October 20-21, Baltimore (+ rad filmfest on Oct. 19)
- Organizers have requested a RR workshop – Lia and Tori might be coming from San Diego and participate.
- Talk on rad libraries with Alt Press Center – Jenna to moderate panel; one other RR person to participate? Jenna will post to list.
6. NYC Anarchist Black Cross – contacted RR volunteer who manages Green Scare page on RR reference shelf to request assistance compiling biographical info on political prisoners.
- How much info already exists and could be compiled?
- Another reminder/request for participants could be posted to list. NYC ABC person may attend an upcoming RR meeting.
7. Survey from US Social Forum about what RR can offer – results forthcoming from Melissa M.
8. RR + social networking sites – Shannon has set up a Facebook page; Shannon and Julie will work on a Myspace page.
9. September salon/meeting – Sunday, Sept. 23, ABC no Rio.
Possible schedule: meet at 5 pm in computer center for intro to website/work. Salon at 6. Topic: how to affect change/change in the workplace (bottom-lined by Jenna).
Agenda items:
- intro to RR/radical librarianship;
- clearinghouse for programs/info sources already available on topics of interest to RR for future trainings/reference pages/areas of expertise (including health, legal, environmental, tenants info) – attendees to come prepared with lists.
- discuss trading off with Interactivist for their Sunday pm skillshares.
Retired to Gretchen's for "some chips and salsa" aka awesome spread of snacks.
