Sunday, August 18, 2013

How libraries can use living archives to support, engage and document social movements #wlic2013

I'm at the IFLA World library and Information Conference in Singapore, another post from the Librarians and social movements: a force for change session.
Tamara Rhodes talked about A living breathing revolution: how libraries can use living archives to support, engage and document social movements. In saying why she thought this was relevant to libraries she mentioned the American Library Lssociation's Social Responsibilities Round Table and the goal area the ALA currently had of "Transforming libraries". She explained what "Living archive" meant, tracing its meaning through time. The speaker gave examples of a theatre company performing neglected plays, and a person who was a living archive of history. She also mentioned oral history projects. Examples of "capturing the act of living" were the William Mcdonough archive at Stamford University and DOK Agora which has enabled people to film their stories and have them displayed on a video wall. As a new theme is announced, stories are archived on the library's website.
The speaker finished by talking in more detail about #searchunderoccupy (which is about the Occupy Wall Street movement), which has an archive, visuals, social media elements, performance art and teach-ins. Tamara's paper, which outlines this better than I have (she was winner of the best IFLA student paper award), is at http://library.ifla.org/52/1/084-rhodes-en.pdf

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