Radical Brighton

Title: Librarians for Social Change
Date: Winter 1972
Number of Pages: 22
Format: local press, stencil duplicated, photo-stencils
Keywords: Trade Journal, Public Services, Media, Comics
Created By: John Noyce
Place Created: Brighton
Related Collections: Alternative Brighton

Librarians for Social Change (PDF)

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Librarians for Social Change

no.l 15p .

Librarians for Social Change no .1 : winter 1972.

Editor: John Noyce, A.L.A.,B.F.

Contents

Editorial

Whole Earth Library & Switchboard, Keele University
Libraries in the service of science & technology(in N.Vietnam)
Poem on Vietnam by Keith Armstrong
Libraries in Vietnam:· a bibliography
Rob the rich to give to the nouveau rich an inky story
Censorship in Merton Public Libraries

Library humour: a typical L.A. Part 1 exam. paper.
·+ letters, cartoons, reviews
(LfSC is abstracted in Librarianship and Information Science
abstracts -and we hope elsewhere in the course of time)

This first issue of Librarians for Social Change is the
fruition of an idea which I’ve had for over a year now. My
basic premise is that librarians need to work for change in
society, and this means a progressive view of our job- not
merely following the status quo. I have no sympathy at all
for those who want to ‘keep politics out of libraries’. With
Public Lending Right looming up we can’t afford to be nonpolitical.
Secondly, I believe a publication is needed which
can include the fringe subjects either not covered, or at
most regarded as trendy (and therefore worth a short article)
by the rest of the librarianship press.(A.L.and, on occasion,
New Library World excepted). Thirdly, a new organisation is
needed for the radical end of the profession.

It would appear that others agree with me. Richard Alexander
and Anne Colwell have been trying to form a radical group
for some time. They suggest that interested people should form regional branches of a national organisation which would
use LfSC as its central organ and perhaps take its name from
the journal . Each regional group could then produce LfSC in
turn (like the Womens Liberation Workshop produce ‘Shrew’),
and also do regional newsletters. These regional branches would
also faciliate distribution of LfSC.
Keith Armstrong writing from Northumberi and has offered to
guest-edit an issue of the magazine (before he’s even seen the
first issue-what confidence!) R.M.Major of Coventry writes
to say that some alternative is needed to counter the apathy
he’s met in the West Midlands.
So views please. I personally favour Richard and Anne’s idea
of a national organisation with regional groups, I shall be at

the AAL Alternative Communications Conference in Falke stone
(Nov.l0-12th) and look forward to discussing ideas with
people there.

Do write with your views on the journal. If you think, it’s
bloody awful, obscene, pornographic, etc, then say so: On
the other hand if its an improvement on the rest of the
librarianship press, well, that’s some recompense for the
effort and cash I’ve put into the production. A last word
on the production- stencil duplicated. Not brilliant but
its cheap. Many thanks to Mike of Unicorn Bookshop, Brighton
for printing the front cover and for making the photo-stencils
at cost price. All typing and printing was done by your editor,
who can therefore be blamed for typing errors and grotty
printing.

“So,. I hope you enjoy reading the journal, if its contents
make your think about librarianship and your role in the
profession so much the better. And when you’ve thought,
how about writing an ‘article for no’.2?
John Noyce .

Dear John .
‘Pleased to hear of your new publication ‘ Librarians for

Social Change I ‘ and on the basis that anything is better
than the L.A.Record I am prepared to give it a try.

Enclosed is a P.0. for 45p., which I understand is to
be the sum required from single males. I look forward to seeing the first issues.
Yours sincerely, Simon Lawrence.
london N8

Dear Mr .Noyce ,
For God’s sake! “Librarians for Social Change”! It
sounds like a new Group proliferated by the L.A, Best wishes

for the journal but please do something about he title. John

Coodwillie. Dublin·.

The mag, was going to be called the ‘Head Librarian’

originally
– Ed

Write on! Please bond me further news of forthcoming

‘Librarians for Social Change’. particularly details of annual subscription.
‘Regret hasty letter bucket once more full of ‘Records’ and
needs emptying. Bob Dunsire, A.L.A. (Alternative Librarians Assc.) . Edinburgh

Dear Comrade,
I’ve at last seen your article in A.L.(I hadn’t
paid my subs.). I’d very much like to see a Copy of Librarians
for Social Change, & I hope to write something later. Can you
send me a copy and let me know about subscriptions, donations etc.? Fraternally Yours Tony Horne Blackourn.

Dear John,
Please put me on the list for your spiffing now mag.
Dave Quayle. London W1

Dear Sir,
I was wondering what became of your venture since news of it appeared in the ‘Assistant’, perhaps you could let me know.

With the apathy I’ve encountered here in West Midlands, particularly among younger librarians, I am convinced that some alternative is needed, particularly for librarians who are concerned with more than the ladder to the top. Although my time is well filled at the moment, I should be only too pleased to help you in any way I can,

Yours sincerely, R.M.Major, Coventry.

Like all good mags, this one came out late… Ed.

STOP PRESS!!! FAME AT LAST!!
Dear John:
I see from the current issue of Liaison that your
new journal ‘Librarians for Social Change’ has appeared. I wonder if I could ask for a copy of the first issue, both to circulate to the Library Advisors and to see for myself. Who knows if I like it I might subscribe.
Richard Arby, Librarian  Division, Department of Education and

Science.

Whole Earth Library Switchboard
Editorial note:

These extracts are from a pamphlet circulated in the University of Keele. They ’embody some interesting concepts,which is why we are reprinting them here.

A.1 • BASIC CONCEPTION OF WHOLE EARTH LIBRARY

Normal libraries are generally made up of two groups, the
organisers get a collection of books and an available ·room
t hen arrange for people to be hired to do the day to day book
shuffling. The borrowers are passive till they feel the need
for a book when they go to the library and sort through t hose
that the organisers have collected. The organiser-s and

borrower
s never really meet and do not talk to each other much(at
the most they scrawl little notes to each other vi a the ‘book
pucr·chase suggestions box’).

In contrast to this conception of a Library, the whole
e rth library is an attempt to make U.”lderstanding a communal
activity. This involves net only passing round bocks but’also
writing our own ideas down, telling each other about our
thoughts and generally hslping each other to follow tbrough
the• process of understanding. This broadening of the function
of a library will ‘inv.il.ve us in making a switchboard to go
.with it. The Switchboard wili be a way of arranging mee,tings
between individuals and groups who use the library. It is up
to any of us if we want to .get a me~ting together,. after all
this is the main function of the library to follow on where
the books leave off. People with the sa~ kinds of problems
and interests will be able to meet and learn from each other
through the Switchboard. We. ho:_Je that the Library and

Switchboard
will be used together t o put the exchange of books i nto
a social context so t hat i”‘.eas and information .flow·

freely.

A.2. MORE NOTES ON THE LTI3RARY

We hope the Library will begin to break down the existing
artificial way in which we attempt te .learn. Simply sharing
our ideas and interests is quite a big break from the normal
way of academic learning which is usually dome in an ‘every
man for himself’ way . The persistence of the exam. system

shows us that educat ion i R nri mAri l1r nT’.aAn; ~or1 f”l’n ~

rH”\mT’\A+

L1bro ry g
Switch boord
l<eele Unvers1ty.
Editorial noJ&.:
These extracts are from a pamphlet circulated· in the

University
of Keele . . They “embody some interesti ng concepts,whi3}1
is why we are reprinting. them here.

A.1 • BASIC CONCEPTION OF WHOLE EARTH LIBRARY
Normal libraries are generally made up of two groups, the
organisers get a collection of books and an available room
then arrange for people to be hired to do the day to day book
shuffling. The borro~ers are passive till they feel the need
for a book when they e;o to the library and sort through those
that the organisers have collected. The organiser-s and

borrowers
never really meet and do not talk to each other much(at
the most they scrawl little notes to each other via the ‘book
purchase suggestions box’).
In contrast to this conception of a Library, the whole
e rth library is an attempt to make understanding a communal
activity. This involves not only passing round books but “also
writing our own ideas dovm, tellir,g each other about our
thoughts and generally helping each other to follow through
the•process of understanding. This broadening of the function
of a library will “inv.::Uve us in making a switchboard to go
.with it. The SwitChboard wil:J. be a way of arranging

mee.tings
between individuals and groups who use the l ibrary. It is up
to any of us if we want ·t;o .get a me~ting together,. after

all
this i s the main function of the library to follow on where
the books leave off. People with the sarre kinds of problems
and interests will be able to meet and learn from each other
through the Switchboard. We. hope that the Library and

Switchboard
will be used together ·(;o put the exchange of books into
a social context so t hat i-‘.eas and information .flow·

freely.
A.2. MORE NOTES ON THE LIBRARY
We hope the Library will begin to break dovrn the existing
artificial way i n which we attempt te .learn. Simply sharing
our ideas and i nterests is quite a big breruc from the normal
way of academic learning which is usually dome in an 1 every
man for himself’ way. The persistence of the exam.system
shows us that education i s primarily organised on a

competitive
basis,which no amount of rubbish from the establishment
of the University as a ‘community of learning’ can explain

away. We hope the W.E.L,S, will encourage us to share our
learning. This means we are automatically in a situation
v1here our learning may clatJh with the.ir work that we are
supposed to be doi ng for courses , There are two ttrings we
can do about this·; first we cab. reduce the time we take to
do boring essays etc. by creating,pools of ess’Ys on. different
subjects v1hich people can copy out(with some alterations)
to ·saoo themselves work and t i me. Also v1e can incorporate
interesting parts of the course work into our own learning
process end share as ,much of this as possible with other
people .
. \17ith this emphasi s on creating intersting work, which
we do because we viant to, we hope to begin breaking
down the separations between living/learning and work/play
which exist at the present. They are at least partly
sustained by the structure of the education system which
demanC’.s that we do things which we find irrel event to our
development,boring and even contrary to our ideas of what
the w·rld is r eally like.
Using the set roles of teacher and pupil is not the best
way for .two people to approach a learning situation.
Authoritarian diktat is no way to devise a research programme
or co-operative series of seminars, Learning with people
should be a mutual exploration of ideas and experiences;for
the expert has much to l~:z;:n from the unstructured approach
of the questioner. The Library will encourage us to learn in
this ·unstructured way firstly by having our own writings and
criticisms catalogued alonside the ‘big name ‘ authors and
secondly by us deha ·ng amongst ourselves.
On second thoughts we won’t be learning in unstructured
ways but i n construc.ted ways, ways we construct.
B HOW WI LL IT WORK?
B,l, TRUST
Trust is a vital weapon against a system that encourages
distrust by demanding competition. The W.E.L.S. will not be
impersonal like the University library but in order for it
to function there must be trust. Although the library is there
to encourage the pooling of minds; worthwhile books are an
essential part of its structure. When one of us gives a book
to the library we demonstrate that v<e trust others wi ll use
the book and tr.at we will gain by others giving worthwhile
books as well. We hope that each one of us will give a book
which we think useful t want a load of old useless,
no one does.

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