Notes from the BRRC meeting, May 26, 2010

We met at Boston Common, 5 members attended, and Andrea brought cherries and kiwis to share.

Update on Community Change/Yvonne Pappenheim Library for Antiracism

Collection is already cataloged, goal is to increase use of circulating collection, RR plans to help with collection-building & outreach
Met 2 weeks ago with members of group previously in charge of the library and new volunteers
Next meeting: June 7, probably at 6:30 (Susie will email BRRC list)

BPL update

Trustees have identified 4 branches for closure
Decision now in city councillors’ hands
A number of local groups have joined together to advocate against closures & in support of a public decision-making process and give the BPL system a year to conduct a public, investigative process. Groups involved include: AFSCME Local 1526, Boston Firefighters Local 718, Massachusetts Jobs With Justice, BPL Library Professional Staff Association, and us (among others).
Rally & hearing at Boston City Hall on June 3, 2010 – Rally at 5 p.m., Hearing at 6 p.m.
More info available from People of the Boston Branches.

Queer librarian contingent at the Dyke March (June 11, 2010)?

Alana & Andrea will coordinate a get-together to make HQ76.3 patches or labels to distribute at the parade

Critical Library Instruction event

Reading group/salon to discuss selections from Critical Library Instruction: Theories and Methods
Alana will identify a date & location so we can then publicize (looking to Aug/Sept)
Outreach to PLG, other local library groups & chapters of professional orgs
Suggested locations/collaborators: Brookline Booksmith, Porter Square Books — Alana will follow up

Discussion: What does membership in BRRC mean/involve?

Volunteering to take on responsibilities that help maintain the group, on a rotating basis, i.e., coordinating meetings, organizing events, taking notes & posting them. Length of term could be flexible, as long as there’s a schedule for this & a plan for knowledge-sharing in advance
Alana and Heather have been responsible for coordinating meetings & taking notes thus far — AK will talk to HM about when we could rotate out of the meeting-organizing role (end of summer?); perhaps note-taking could happen on a meeting-by-meeting basis?
How can we support the work happening through the main Radical Reference website? >> BRRC could provide rotating volunteer service, e.g., two members at a time could commit to weekly shifts, on a rotating basis
Q & A: How does discussion between RR collectives happen? What is Rad Ref (history)? Can non-reference librarians join? (answer to that last one, if there was any doubt, is yes!)

Boston Radical Reference Collective