Fostering Civic Engagement: Models and Practices for All Libraries American Library Association Annu

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Fostering Civic Engagement Models and Practices
for All LibrariesAmerican Library Association
Annual ConferenceJune 2005

• Radical Reference
• Library Workers LIS Students
• Serving Activist Communities and Independent
  Journalists Online And in the Street

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we are the people we serve

• Origin
• Launch site participants
• In the street during the Republican National
  Convention
• Waiting by the phone
• Web queries
• Teaching outreach

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after the Republicans left town

• Local collectives so far Austin, Boston, New
  York, San Diego, San Francisco
• Collaborations with Independent Media
• Participation in alternative media events
• Improved image of library workers
• Still getting plenty of website traffic
• Nifty tech projects
• Library school education summit

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challenges

• Accountability
• Quality control
• Collaboration in a virtual environment
• Decision making in a large group / taking stands
• Working styles anarchists, and Democrats, and
  socialists, oh my!

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411

• The site http//www.radicalreference.info
• Our activities at ALA http//www.radicalreference.
  info/ALA
• Contact us info_at_radicalreference.info
• Contact our web team web_at_radicalreference.info
• Join us!!! http//radicalreference.info/volunteer