Intersectionality
Call-outs, shaming, and other forms of “weaponized” communication shut down conversation and political debate, and more importantly, limit the number of social spaces where differing points of view can be heard and respected.
Free speech and hate speech
Can we open our doors to all points of view and also say that our libraries are safe spaces? I think not.
Reviewing The public
The public is my kind of movie. The hero is a flawed character who has been given a second chance that he uses to help those who are also in a bad place.
Is librarianship a profession?
Open for all? offers a “think piece” rather than an intellectual analysis. Columnist John Pateman shares his personal observations on issues, and his columns…
The shock doctrine: Cuts to OLS – N an onslaught on public services
The provincial government has made a 50% cut to the funding that it provides to Ontario Library Service – North (OLS – N). This loss of funding is already sending shock waves through our library infrastructure.
The last bastion of democracy
When bad things happen, we should become even more open rather than follow the normal but very human response of condemnation and then censorship.
Intercultural competency
Open for all? offers a “think piece“ rather than an intellectual analysis. Columnist John Pateman shares his personal observations on issues and his columns…
Unlevel playing field
White middle class professional library values can create an unlevel playing field for Indigenous organizations and individuals. How? By privileging one world view over another.
Race matters
When I was thinking of a suitable title for this month’s column a number of ideas came to mind including “Decolonization is not a metaphor” and “Acknowledgement is not enough.”
Class matters
Social class is the most significant single determinant of public library use and non-use. A recent study in the U.K. found that 46 per…
John Vincent: Libraries, the universe & everything
I interviewed John Vincent by email in February, 2018. I have known John since we were both chief librarians in London in the 1990s.…
Decolonization
Decolonization is a powerful and contentious word. What does it mean exactly? Is it feasible? Is it desirable? And what does it mean for…
The Great October Socialist Revolution
October 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of the Russian revolution which began a new stage in the development of librarianship by creating the objective…