The 1st one took place this past May in Milwaukee and all materials are online. It was even videotaped. I spoke to the Dean of the school supposedly hosting the 2nd one–Ed Cortez–at ASIST this past week & it looks like it may go every other year.

If you send him an email expressing interest he will add you to a list he is compiling on those interested. https://www.sis.utk.edu/user/60

I certainly will be watching for the 2nd conference!

I don’t quite agree with you.

Take a look at this paragraph from the first item in ALA’s own Policy Manual:

ALA recognizes its broad social responsibilities. The broad social responsibilities of the American Library Association are defined in terms of the contribution that librarianship can make in ameliorating or solving the critical problems of society; support for efforts to help inform and educate the people of the United States on these problems and to encourage them to examine the many views on and the facts regarding each problem; and the willingness of ALA to take a position on current critical issues with the relationship to libraries and library service set forth in the position statement.

The first list, though — getting involved in a variety of political issues that having nothing directly to do with the core principles of librarianship — seems to me to fly in the face of one of those core principles — that of intellectual neutrality. We have an almost sacred duty to political neutrality, a duty which we abdicate when we take vocal stands on the War in Afghanistan, Freedom to Travel to Cuba, and Health Insurance.

It’s not enough for libraries to “provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues” (from the Library Bill of Rights). If we take a public stand on these issues, we put a decidedly biased dampener on the free exploration of views which differ from ours. Is that practice not hypocritical in the extreme?

Could you expand a bit on what you see as the connections between “queer theory, information access, and information organization?”

I’m thinking of problematic subject headings for queer topics and access to queer info in libraries as some examples of the intersection between queerness and information work. Yet I’m particularly interested to see how you envision connecting queer theory to information access and organization. Of course, I’d love to hear how others see this connection as well.

It’s long struck me that there’s always been tension in SRRT/PLG circles between viewing ourselves as “Left/Progressive Librarians” (attuned more to the items on your list) and “Progressives/Lefties who just so happen to be librarians, too.” (the current SRRT list).

It is also possible, through a Marxian critique of imperialism, to argue that the war(s) in Iraq/Afghanistan ARE library issues insofar as funding that could otherwise go to improving the public sphere (libraries, schools, etc.) are siphoned off and funneled to the largely unaccountable, unelected National Security State apparatus.

We may feel strongly as ordinary citizens about the items in list 1, but our unique contributions as librarians make it possible for us to actually speak with some authority and DO something about the items on list 2 more directly. List 1 represents spheres of action already being addressed by other activist formations. The issues in group 2 are things we can and need to contribute to as library and information professionals, joining hands with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, AAUP, ACLU, etc.
Yeah, on some level it’s all interconnected, but it’s also a question of focus, where can we do the most good with our skills and experience?

I continue to appreciate Library Juice, and Rory’s gifts as an essayist.

There are probably so many of our other members who agree with you and haven’t said anything. We need to continue this discussion…L