Dear colleagues, the meeting text to come work on the "Study Circle on Library and Social Policy (CEBI) developed from Mexico to the current. We thank the authors
: Felipe Meneses Tello and Oscar Corzo May be made available to this group intellectual work allowing us to "shred" and mean some concepts that seem encrypted ...
request preliminary reading of the text in order to maximize the time of the meeting.
Organizing Group - Current
Library Workers for Social Change -------------------------------
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WORK LIBRARY AND THE LIBRARY WORKER SOCIAL CHANGE AROUND
[May/2010]
Felipe Meneses Tello May
Óscar Corzo
First, members of the Circle of Library Studies and Social Policy (CEBI) sent from Mexico, cordial greetings and solidarity to the current Library Workers for Social Change. We hope that this first meeting will be fruitful in order to begin to build a solid foundation, a force of library workers in the Republic of Argentina, a territory where reading and information services collectively have made significant progress through the remarkable development libraries, such as the popular character.
The search for alternatives for those who embody library institutions is consistent, no doubt, a process known as social change, which, as we understand it, tends towards changing social structure, ie, points to the innovation of relations between institutions and social groups that make up society.
librarians, professionals and assistants, so that we influence the processes involved can motivate social change through the diversity of economic, political, social, ideological and cultural factors that directly or indirectly affect our job.
often read, see and hear that libraries are institutions that contribute to social change. This is true because they contribute to the transformation and social development. The history of these public spaces, free and free for all community residents, is clear in this regard. But you have to add that library facilities are also agents of political change. James Thompson, in his book Power Library, says that libraries, from a general perspective, "are instruments of social and political change." However, libraries are not only devices that promote social change but also are a product of social and political changes that have occurred over time.
In this perspective, libraries and social change are two correlated phenomena. The library center is designed to be present at all stages and relationships that make social life and individual people. In this way, it works around the world to become library institutions and consolidate a social force, capable of producing changes in the different layers and institutions that make up the organization in society. From this angle, the libraries are symbols of important social changes, are cultural drivers that can cause significant changes in citizen behavior in the different spheres of society and the state. So libraries are still in keeping with advances in technological and scientific knowledge as a factor and purpose of social change. From this perspective, they are, in effect, an institutional source of change, however, by virtue of their nature, are also subject to different processes of social and political changes. In this situation, librarians are the minority protagonists, and most are mere observers of these changes.
The model considers the library as an element of social change is built on the conviction that these institutions can produce significant impacts on society through access and free use of the collections and to develop information services that manage library workers. Acts of professional and support staff work together to involve social action. Consequently, library workers are invited to participate actively en el fomento del cambio social y político. Y así es porque somos personas constitutivamente sociales y políticas; porque las bibliotecas y quienes las hacemos funcionar no estamos al margen de lo social ni fuera de lo político; porque, en fin, las bibliotecas sirven en un entramado de política social. En razón de esto, necesitamos esforzarnos para crear foros de diálogo, círculos de estudio, grupos de intercambio de ideas, centros de formación política, clubes de debate comunitario, entre otros mecanismos de reflexión y acción, de praxis bibliotecaria. La práctica bibliotecaria (biblioteconomía) es tanto social como política porque reconoce e involucra valores, proyectos, actos y utopías that reproduce, legitimize, question and change the dominant relationships that prevail in society library work has never been nor is or shall be neutral, it always has been, is and will be in favor of the oppressor or the oppressed, domination or liberation. Nuances this.
Traditionally, in the professional field has been imposed perception tends to identify libraries as institutions "neutral." That is, on the assumption that libraries must be entities inclusive, open, where to avoid (or minimize) the contradictions and conflicts of class, gender, political affiliation, sexual orientation, religious belief. Thus, we have implemented a model that avoids controversial aseptic or representation of breaks. Everything concerning political, social commitment, ideological identity, often being reduced to the contents of the texts under the responsibility of their authors, conveniently located off the shelves and filing cabinets. This suggests that libraries and their staff are just actors, and actors ever, incomplete projections of reality.
While the above is not necessarily a negative event as libraries seek, generally, never marginalize or exclude on the grounds of dogma or prejudice if it is at the time that groups or individuals (including library staff) show the need for change, or simply participate in any civic or rupture. This is where the aseptic institutional modeling tends to be an expression of immobility, permanence conservative, non-action, denying in practice the same support of the library as a social institution. This is evident in many libraries
installed in marginalized areas, populated urban areas or rural communities. The libraries are identified, no doubt, as "beacons of knowledge" or "islands of knowledge" and as such, isolated from their social circumstances, except those that have been created or maintained by a community or group that promotes or participates in social change actions (Unions, community, work groups or nongovernmental organizations).
social participation of libraries is then reduced to a presence of no consequence, although almost all put on their slates multi-activity programs, well regarded, are part of taking positions on issues related to political or civic exercises. However, to be signed under the framework of non-use or critical praxis of some kind of contamination is not personal opinions or collective reflection, the potential benefactor and change is diluted by the institutional correction. And then, the libraries are reduced to windows (some, indeed, very beautiful) that reflect the environment but do not allow it takes ownership of the institution to represent scenarios where uncritical versions, correct, immaculate even reality.
What then? The solutions do not seem to be easy. The boundary between good intentions, commitments, the need for change and demagoguery, is very thin. The boundary between personal opinion and pontification, individual choice and collective choice, the decision of the party and the common interest, may also be fragile. There are also ingredients such as should be, the kindness of ideology, or the spirit of support that can undermine the best programs of solidarity and social participation. Urge then define the nature, meaning, direction and how libraries and social commitments take collective participation, beyond the romantic views of personal ambition and the limelight that often end in authoritarian exercise of power and control, so call or proclaim "revolutionary." Urge decision to create a library of twenty-first century may not be as isolated as an island, but is built like a cell and an array of ongoing social action.
social behavior of us library workers must be based on values such as cooperation, solidarity, respect for differences, freedom, equity, equality, and justice. Our work is guided by these values \u200b\u200bthat reject the social exclusion they grow, hence the inclusion. Today is inevitable a new paradigm of library work, the same that is based on a theory of principles, social ethics, necessity of deep and widespread social changes, not only guided by the series of technical processes which undervalues \u200b\u200bthe social and political role both the library and those who make it function as a public good. Thus, library practice requires a cultural revolution that will help drive along with other cultural practices, social change aimed at the gestation of the emancipation of women and men.
The fight against social exclusion should be in favor of economic, social, ethnic, cultural and political, but not only of library users, but also of librarians. This struggle involves making collective action against, for example, segregation, unemployment, discrimination against minorities, gender harassment, denial of opportunity, legal obstacles and the marginalization of users and library staff. Social and political battles that challenge the social order Founded in evils like injustice, domination and huge inequalities. Struggles, therefore, based on actions that break the unjust preset schemes. Librarians can not and must remain on the sidelines of the disputes which means social change.
problems of libraries, as a result of the employees of these, are always social and political problems, having to do with the world every day we strive to build through the service and coping with the various communities of readers and users with society. In difficult times the actions of alternative organization, collective work, both in theory and in practice are preponderant. The sum of points of view and individual and collective efforts can point to the motto: "building projects for social change." These actions should be public policy aspirations. Without this kind of social actions, there can be no such social movements and social change movements there. Consistent with this, we suggest progressive slogan is: Service, Labour and Social Change!
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