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Revolting Librarians
This book is one of the lasting monuments of the library underground, though the contributors surely never imagined this kind of respectful archiving. Thirty years on, its mixture of wild-eyed idealism and bleary-eyed realism is still a testament of solidarity with the enthusiastic, disgruntled or just plain bolshy librarian, the sort of thing that the Association of Assistant Librarians did so well before putting on a tie and becoming the Career Development Group.
158 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1973
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 17, 2020
I really enjoyed reading this classic of library philosophy, though it certainly shows its age here and there nearly 50 years later. In some cases, it was heartening that ideas that were counter-cultural at the time are now in much broader play. In others, it was depressing to know that the battles for radical ideas in library service continue much the same. In general, though, the spirit was inspiring and some of the historical details were super interesting (I loved reading about the "No Silence" sign campaign, for example). So much has changed with the internet - I look forward to reading the "Redux" volume to see some of those changes reflected.
August 22, 2011
LOOOOOOVED IT! I was struck by how much of the content was still applicable to us 40 years later, which is sad in some cases and liberating in others. This is a wonderful read for anyone with an interest in radical librarianship because it has so many different takes on what that constitutes.
November 9, 2019
We love a good library science book, and this is one of the best. It's honest, unabashed, and delightfully truthful. Yes, we chose to be librarians for a reason, yes we love our patrons, yes we will do what we can, but sometimes there really are stupid questions, sometimes our committees are just too ineffective, and sometimes all we really want is our paycheck and to go home. There's a lot of the job to love, and there's a lot of it that leaves a lot to be said.
Featuring prominent library science authors such as Celeste West and Sanford Berman, this anthology gathers essays, poems, and comics from various librarians and compiles them into like categories, aiding for perusing and visuals. It's incredible to me that this hasn't been republished (as far as I know), because to me, this and Revolting Librarians Redux seem to be a core text as far as non-academic texts go. Besides, I think this book is well-deserved of a second printing, or for Library Juice Press to pick it up and give it another round, or even if perhaps a group of librarians pooled some money for it to get republished. I don't know how this works, but dang it, I want my own copy!
Some of the charm within this text has to do with its type-writer font, zine-like layout, and inclusion of zodiac signs next to each author's name. It's little things like that which keep this text entertaining beyond the already brutally honest text.
Please please please give this a read if you're already in or looking to be in a library. It's so worth the read, so worth the time, so worth learning the ins and outs and the quick and dirty of our profession.
Review cross-listed here!
Featuring prominent library science authors such as Celeste West and Sanford Berman, this anthology gathers essays, poems, and comics from various librarians and compiles them into like categories, aiding for perusing and visuals. It's incredible to me that this hasn't been republished (as far as I know), because to me, this and Revolting Librarians Redux seem to be a core text as far as non-academic texts go. Besides, I think this book is well-deserved of a second printing, or for Library Juice Press to pick it up and give it another round, or even if perhaps a group of librarians pooled some money for it to get republished. I don't know how this works, but dang it, I want my own copy!
Some of the charm within this text has to do with its type-writer font, zine-like layout, and inclusion of zodiac signs next to each author's name. It's little things like that which keep this text entertaining beyond the already brutally honest text.
Please please please give this a read if you're already in or looking to be in a library. It's so worth the read, so worth the time, so worth learning the ins and outs and the quick and dirty of our profession.
Review cross-listed here!
July 13, 2008
Hey! This book is great! It's a collection of essays by radical librarians about revolutionizing the profession, and even though it's 36 years old, a lot of it is still relevant today! There's material about creating unbiased subject headings, serving non-mainstream populations, crushing censorship, organizing both materials and workers, and generally having a righteous attitude about things. What use does the future have for stodgy reference librarians, redacted reading material, a blind eye turned towards entertainment and alternative viewpoints, and an institution that does not truly serve its patrons? And some of these people are still fighting the good fight - Sanford Berman, for example, hasn't stopped his crusade for fair terminology and classification.
On the down side, it's been 36 years and we're still struggling with these problems all the time. Sigh.
On the down side, it's been 36 years and we're still struggling with these problems all the time. Sigh.
May 7, 2020
Librarianships was one of my ghost ships. But this book allows me to imagine what Id have been like--radical and a little subversive.
December 10, 2022
I found out about Celeste West's Revolting Librarians from my friend Lisa, who called me to gleefully inform me that this book she had gotten from my wife had sold for $70. After my asking what the hell she was talking about, she told me that it was an old book, from 1972, and apparently quite rare. Following a brief argument, I did what I always do when I can't find a book at any of the three NYC libraries -- I turned to World Cat on the web, which revealed that The Internet Archive had a copy that was readable online.
Now I love The Internet Archive, don't get me wrong. However, it can be a pain to use. For one thing, while some books can be borrowed for 15 days, most are only available as one-hour loans, which means you have to keep borrowing a book in order to finish it. It also is not user-friendly in that while you are trying to make a page large enough to be readable, it will randomly resize the page and it takes a lot of time to get back to where you were.
That said, since it was the only way I was gonna get to explore this book (actually more of an APA [Amateur Press Association] collation), I dove in, and I'm glad I did!
First, the book is delightful. It's a wonderful look at the state of libraries from 1972 when the major changes we are now accustomed to were first being thought of and fought for by librarians, usually with stiff opposition from administrators and those in real power.
Second, it was just fun to read. It's a nice mix of stories, poems, art, and some audio (which I did not listen to, but maybe next time...) and feels like the librarian equivalent to the free-form radio I came of age listening to.
Third, there is the nostalgia factor. I was in college (my first attempt) in 1972, and the book, with its many bits about college libraries, brought back a lot of memories -- notably about why I preferred the Queens Borough Public Library's Central Branch to my college library (better hours, better organization, more audio choices, more items for pleasure reading, a greater likelihood of finding the material I wanted, etc.). At the time, of course, I had no idea how frustrating this must have been to the college librarians since I had no idea of the battles they were fighting to be taken as relevant to the students.
At any rate, if you can get your hands on a copy, or are willing to deal with the idiosyncrasies of The Internet Archive, you should definitely try to read Revolting Librarians. (And there is a sequel, Revolting Librarians Redux: Radical Librarians Speak Out, edited by Katia Roberto and Jessamyn West, that I will attempt to read in my copious free time.) It's time and effort well-spent.
Now I love The Internet Archive, don't get me wrong. However, it can be a pain to use. For one thing, while some books can be borrowed for 15 days, most are only available as one-hour loans, which means you have to keep borrowing a book in order to finish it. It also is not user-friendly in that while you are trying to make a page large enough to be readable, it will randomly resize the page and it takes a lot of time to get back to where you were.
That said, since it was the only way I was gonna get to explore this book (actually more of an APA [Amateur Press Association] collation), I dove in, and I'm glad I did!
First, the book is delightful. It's a wonderful look at the state of libraries from 1972 when the major changes we are now accustomed to were first being thought of and fought for by librarians, usually with stiff opposition from administrators and those in real power.
Second, it was just fun to read. It's a nice mix of stories, poems, art, and some audio (which I did not listen to, but maybe next time...) and feels like the librarian equivalent to the free-form radio I came of age listening to.
Third, there is the nostalgia factor. I was in college (my first attempt) in 1972, and the book, with its many bits about college libraries, brought back a lot of memories -- notably about why I preferred the Queens Borough Public Library's Central Branch to my college library (better hours, better organization, more audio choices, more items for pleasure reading, a greater likelihood of finding the material I wanted, etc.). At the time, of course, I had no idea how frustrating this must have been to the college librarians since I had no idea of the battles they were fighting to be taken as relevant to the students.
At any rate, if you can get your hands on a copy, or are willing to deal with the idiosyncrasies of The Internet Archive, you should definitely try to read Revolting Librarians. (And there is a sequel, Revolting Librarians Redux: Radical Librarians Speak Out, edited by Katia Roberto and Jessamyn West, that I will attempt to read in my copious free time.) It's time and effort well-spent.
March 18, 2019
This is an absolutely amazing book of essays written by the (maybe?) first wave of librarians who were determined to change the way libraries were functioning. What was most amazing (and possibly most depressing) was how many of these essays could describe things that we are still trying to change and overcome as a profession today. About the only thing that kept the book from feeling like it was written today were the occasional bits of 1960's counterculture lingo and references. But I really encourage all of my librarian friends to go out and find a copy of this book (you should be able to get it via OhioLINK). You will no longer feel like you're among the first to be working on these issues, or that you've been working on them alone.
June 4, 2019
Librarians and Library school students collaborate to revolt against the system and express their concerens about librarinship.
May 30, 2020
Radical librarians speaking out in a censor-free (=self-published, self-typeset!) book in 1972. An absolutely fascinating time trip. Available to borrow free at Internet Archive.
March 26, 2008
This book is from 1972 and it shows in both the language and ideas it uses. "Groovy" "Hip" Tuned in". In addition to the word choice, many of the ideas in the book also clearly shouted Hippy. "Dance with the life force, open on the edge of experience," for example. Or the somewhat joking suggestion that the hard drugs should go in the AV department. The book was written in a time of free schools, free love, draft resistance and communal living - none of which are so prevalent today. This makes some of the information feel less relevant, though is an interesting look into how people envisioned their job at that point in history.
Once you get past how dated the book is, the articles are hit or miss. There are a few essays that discuss alternative visions of education in ways I think could still be applicable. There's also a couple good essays talking about how the categories created by the Library of Congress are racist, sexist and homophobic. They note that a classification system that makes sense to "most" people (i.e. straight white men, according to the LC) reinforces widely held stereotypes and alienates queer people, women and people of color from using the services. Books by Angela Davis, for example, were originally classified under "Mammies." There's also an article talking about how libraries need to be run like a "tribe" - something I found just as a offensive as many of the examples given attributed to the Library of Congress in the previously mentioned article.
Many of the essays were just complaining about bosses and hierarchies in ways that weren't specific to librarianship or particularly new (albeit I'm reading 35 years later.) Few authors talked about why they thought the work of being a librarian was radical, which was most of what I was looking for in this book as a new MLS grad student. It's a really fast read though and worth a skim if you're into the library world. Most of it can be found online at http://owen.massey.net/libraries/revo....
Once you get past how dated the book is, the articles are hit or miss. There are a few essays that discuss alternative visions of education in ways I think could still be applicable. There's also a couple good essays talking about how the categories created by the Library of Congress are racist, sexist and homophobic. They note that a classification system that makes sense to "most" people (i.e. straight white men, according to the LC) reinforces widely held stereotypes and alienates queer people, women and people of color from using the services. Books by Angela Davis, for example, were originally classified under "Mammies." There's also an article talking about how libraries need to be run like a "tribe" - something I found just as a offensive as many of the examples given attributed to the Library of Congress in the previously mentioned article.
Many of the essays were just complaining about bosses and hierarchies in ways that weren't specific to librarianship or particularly new (albeit I'm reading 35 years later.) Few authors talked about why they thought the work of being a librarian was radical, which was most of what I was looking for in this book as a new MLS grad student. It's a really fast read though and worth a skim if you're into the library world. Most of it can be found online at http://owen.massey.net/libraries/revo....
March 11, 2012
Revolting Librarians was published 40 years ago by a small group of liberal and radical librarians. Reading this book in the new millenium shows you how much has changed in the library world (technology, subject headings in online catalogs are more socially and culturally relevant and sensitive) and how much hasn't changed (inept management). Most of these essays were written by "hippie-type" librarians which made it hard for me to relate to and made the first half of the book difficult to read. The essays that I did identify with were "How to Annihilate Teenagers," "Dear Supervisors," and "Trials of a Paraprofessional."
May 15, 2015
Like reading 160 pages of back to back zines. It's hard to say good or bad about a foundational text. While I'm happy to have read it, I didn't really... enjoy it. I read bemused. Joint review with Revolting Librarians Redux: Radical Librarians Speak Out here: http://hacklibraryschool.com/2015/05/...
February 7, 2008
While obviously a little dated (like 1970s groovy dated) this book is an energizing look into radical librarianship and the politics behind librarianship in general. If you love books and working towards a better world, READ THIS BOOK, librarians can be more helpful and more on board with your "agenda" than you'd expect.
October 8, 2011
This book is obviously dated, but I find that to be so charming. The art, the small press feel, and the fuck the man, hyperbolic hippie revolutionary language just makes me smile, what can I say. Not super relevant to current issues in the field, but it is really interesting what the current issues were in 1973. Just got the Redux, curious to see how it compares.
Want to read
April 4, 2013http://users.ox.ac.uk/~bodl0842/revol... "As much as possible has been reproduced here, respecting the copyright of those contributors who chose to retain it, and the "D© Copy. Do Something." exhortation for the rest."
October 4, 2014
I read this for school but it is amazing. It's obviously very dated, but it's a great artifact of 1970s activism in the library world. It's one of the only places you can find writing on many of these issues, and that makes it even better.
December 10, 2008
...as soon as I can find a copy.
Read
November 19, 2009Self-published cooperative book under creative commons before it existed.
May 19, 2016
This book had a profound impact on my decision to become a librarian over 35 years ago.
July 21, 2016
Awesome look into the underground movements of the early 70s.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews