Journal of Radical Librarianship
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Review of Digital Degrowth: Technology in the Age of Survival
Get PDFReview of Kwet, M. (2024). Digital Degrowth: Technology in the Age of Survival. Pluto House
The Bib Record in the Age of Digital Reproduction
Get PDFTaking both structural and thematic inspiration from Walter Benjamin’s “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” this article posits that the movement from physical card catalogs to ALSs [Automated library systems] and ILSs [Integrated library systems] was not solely the result of technological progress. Rather, this transition had its genesis in a process Marx called primitive accumulation—in this case a form specific to the library profession. In other words, this article seeks to recast the history of digitized catalogs within libraries, seeing them, first and foremost, as harbingers of disenfranchisement and dispossession, specifically of catalogers. The article then turns towards a broad critique of the scientifically progressive tilt within the field before ending with a call for a more skeptical form of librarianship, one that privileges the well-being of library workers over technological advancement
Critical Cataloguing and Contradiction Analysis: Using Mao Zedong’s Dialectical Materialism to Address Classificatory Antagonisms
Get PDFThis article pioneers the application of Marxist theory in the field of critical cataloguing. I take the recent Library of Congress ‘Illegal aliens’ controversy as a case study to demonstrate how dialectical materialism—specifically Mao Zedong’s contradiction analysis—can serve as a useful approach for addressing ruptures in classificatory language. I identify three advantages to using contradiction analysis in critical cataloguing research. First, by giving equal attention to all aspects of a phenomenon, contradiction analysis accounts for the inherently biased nature of library classification systems. Second, by insisting that all phenomena are in motion from one state towards another, contradiction analysis accommodates the fluid and contextual nature of language. Third, contradiction analysis is not limited to a single discipline—it can be effectively applied alongside a range of other approaches, such as feminist theory, queer theory, and critical race theory. My analysis reveals how dialectical materialism can be applied both retrospectively and in future critiques of classificatory antagonisms. I also call for an extension of the challenge to the language of undocumented migration beyond the realm of library classification and into the field of legal discourse
Progressive Library Organizations Update 2018-2023
Get PDFThis is the second update article for my book, Progressive Library Organizations: A Worldwide History (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2015). The first update article was for 2013-2017 and was published in this journal in volume 4 (2018). This second update includes all the organizations, or their successor organizations covered in the book except for Library and Information Workers Organization of South Africa (LIWO) which folded in 2000. The organizations covered are: Bibliotek i Samhälle (BiS) of Sweden (functioning at reduced capacity), AK Kritische Bibliothek (Kribiblio) of Germany (disbanded in 2022), Verein kritischer Bibliothekarinnen und Bibliothekare (KRIBIBI) of Austria (disbanded in 2022), Information for Social Change of the United Kingdom (in hiatus), Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association (SRRT) of the United States (functioning as usual), and Progressive Librarians Guild (PLG) of the United States (in hiatus). This description and analysis is based on research done in 2024, and includes new interviews in Sweden, documents from websites, email correspondence, and much personal experience. I used Google Translate for documents in Swedish and German
David's Paradox: The Limitations of Textual Analysis of Gender Representation in Picture Books
Get PDFVarious authors have counted gender representation in picture books using textual analysis, notably Crisp and Hiller in 2011. However, text-only analyses such as theirs are problematic because they do not adequately address inequalities in visual representation of gender, nor consider the focalization that informs a book’s text. Ultimately, these text-only studies serve to reinforce rather than challenge lopsided gender representation in picture books
Building and Researching Queer Community-Driven Archives in the Pacific Northwest: Relationality, Counter-Storytelling, and Self-Determination as Praxis
No full textThis paper explores approaches to developing and sustaining queer community-driven archives. Authors utilize autoethnography, critical race theory, and critical archival studies, to interrogate institutional power structures and move towards more equitable and reciprocal learning models. The authors will outline the founding of the Washington State University Queer Archives through the reflexive process of developing guiding principles that center relationality, community-driven decision making, counter-storytelling, and self-determination for queer communities. Original research conducted at queer archives throughout western Oregon will be analyzed and discussed using structural, relational, and curatorial lenses. Lessons will be tied to reflecting on the role of memory work in queer communities and the role of archives towards queer cultural re/production
Beyond a Land Acknowledgement: : Taking a First Step Towards Reparative Action
Get PDFThe Logistics Committee of the Conference on Academic Library Management (CALM)’s 2023 conference posed a question early on in conference planning: what if we rejected the traditional model of land acknowledgements? In answering that question, the committee embarked on a year-long process to radically revise the statement to one focused on reparative action. This article covers the revision process, including what inspired it and how the committee structured their work
Information Hegemony, Transcending Positivism, and Applying Critical Legal Information Literacy Concepts in the Legal Research Classroom and Beyond
Get PDFThis paper provides an overview of critical information literacy, critical information theory, critical legal research as well as how information hegemony impacts the legal information industry. To prepare law students for the practice of law, a discussion of ways to embed critical information literacy and critical legal research in a legal research course is provided
Building the Path for the Last Mile: : Developing Critical AI Literacy for Library Workers
Get PDFThis article examines the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and libraries by looking at the evolving research process through the framework of critical librarianship. Through a review of relevant literature and case studies, we discuss how AI tools are reshaping higher education amid a backdrop of budgetary cuts and an increasingly siloed academy. In this environment, library workers are increasingly anxious to defend their role in the research process and illuminate harms perpetuated by algorithmic tools. By engaging with the concept of the “last mile,” an analogy for AI in the research space, we consider the intersections of labor, pedagogy, and professional practice. We argue that librarians enhance and facilitate deeper learning as researchers and students strive to reach milestones in their research journey. Further, we emphasize the importance of being proactive with advocacy in our academic communities by highlighting this unique role. Through exploring these critical perspectives, we advocate that librarians actively challenge algorithmic biases, advocate for users to engage with AI ethically, and increase focus on relational labor in the research process. This article contributes to the ongoing dialogue of AI use in libraries, but offers a critical lens and a path forward for actionable insights for librarians and library workers
Review of Feeding the Machine: The Hidden Human Labour Powering A.I.
No full textReview of Muldoon, J., Graham, M., & Cant, C. (2024). Feeding the machine: The hidden human labour powering A.I. Canongate Books