Dylan Flesch

@dylanflesch.bsky.social

199

Followers

122

Following

Posts

Libraries, archives, radio and music. Digital Asset Manager at New York Public Radio. Views my own. He/him.

Posts Replies Media Lists Feeds

“These selective condemnations may be hypocritical, but hypocrisy doesn’t describe the political work the condemnations are doing.”

I made this into a proper response to the absolutely misplaced calls to "turn down the heat": newrepublic.com/article/1838...

Where Were Calls for De-Escalation When Libraries Were Being Targeted?newrepublic.com Trump’s fans seem determined to blame this shooting on their victims.

“Ironically, as industrialists imagined they could use libraries to mollify populations subject to the ravages of capitalism, library buildings stood as temples to democratic access to ideas.”

“For many library workers, the material consequences of unchecked capitalism are the stuff of everyday life.” Emily Drabinski on why defending libraries is fighting capitalism: inthesetimes.com/article/publ...

The Library Is a Commonsinthesetimes.com A socialist former president of the American Library Association on why defending libraries is fighting capitalism.

Not benevolence, but interest convergence. I appreciate Drabinski calling out the Carnegie lore and pointing to his strikebreaking activities.

During the Homestead Strike, Carnegie's righthand man Henry Frick led the efforts to attack striking workers with a private security force, resulting in 7 workers being killed and ultimately resulting in cut wages and expanded hours (from 8 to 12 per day). en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeste...

Homestead strike - Wikipediaen.m.wikipedia.org

Reposted by

Dylan Flesch

Everyone is (perhaps rightly) fixated on bad things - but I'm finding some cool historical examples of outdoor libraries ("Reading in the Open Air," Recreation, 1937; "Outdoor Libraries," Hygeia, 1938; Los Angeles Public Library park pop-up, 1937, via the LAPL's sesquicentennial exhibition)

Glad we clawed Sundays back for the (few) locations that offered it previously. Now let’s fight for MORE locations to offer Sunday service and increase hours where needed as well. gothamist.com/news/new-yor...

New Yorkers rejoice over return of Sunday service to city librariesgothamist.com The city budget approved by the mayor and City Council last month restored $58 million in funding for the library systems that had been stripped away.

“You do not have to be me in order for us to fight alongside each other. I do not have to be you to recognize that our wars are the same. What we must do is commit ourselves to some future that can include each other and to work toward that future…”

“We know what it is to be lied to, and we know how important it is not to lie to ourselves.” Have your read this recently? I just re-read it & I can’t imagine there is a better way to spend 10 minutes of your day.

(1982) Audre Lorde, "Learning from the 60s" •www.blackpast.org In February, 1982, Audre Lorde delivered the address, “Learning from the 60s” as part of the celebration of the Malcolm X weekend at Harvard University. Her presentation appears below. MALCOLM X is a...

Reposted by

Dylan Flesch

What a world it would be if our nation’s leaders’ stance against violence - political or otherwise - extended beyond acts against them and their peers. To fund wars and genocides abroad and enable police brutality here and then turn around and say, “Violence is never the answer”? 😒 Sure, Jan.

Reposted by

Dylan Flesch

Too long for a comrade card, but a great quote by Fred Moten. (Though I heard him say on a podcast that he regretted the final “stupid motherfucker.”)

Reposted by

Dylan Flesch

If they’re comfortable killing other people, they will eventually be comfortable killing you. You can learn that lesson the easy way or the hard way.

“Expressions of love have not generally resulted in stable or secure funding for libraries. This means that public expressions of library love are implied reminders of the distance between people's affections, and dependable material support for libraries.” muse.jhu.edu/article/879128

Project MUSE - Love Is a Lens: Locating Love in Library and Information Studiesmuse.jhu.edu

Join For the People Leftist Library Project on August 1st for an event co-hosted by Run For Something. We’ll start by covering how public libraries work and then dive into specific ways you can get involved in strengthening and transforming them. www.mobilize.us/runforsometh...

Love Is Not Enough: How We Can Strengthen & Expand Public Libraries · Run for Somethingwww.mobilize.us Most public libraries are governed by elected and appointed officials on library boards. And even if you love your public library, odds are you might be in the dark about how your local library board ...

Great news! Now we can start fighting to EXPAND funding in the next cycle and push for a way to avoid library funding being threatened in every single budget.

After month of public outcry, NYC libraries to get budget funding back — and reopen on Sundays

NYC libraries to get budget funding back — and reopen on Sundaysgothamist.com In November, the mayor's budget cuts forced libraries to close on Sundays. The issue has been a thorn in his side ever since.

From the article: “As part of the 11th hour negotiations, the Adams administration also agreed to provide $43 million annually for the libraries in future years, according to the sources.”

“…we cannot treat these institutions as the fail-safe mechanism for public education and the social safety net on the one hand, and undercut their operations with the other.” #CareNotCuts citylimits.org/2024/06/26/o...

Opinion: Book Banners Are Going After Libraries. But So Is New York City's Mayor.citylimits.org "Efforts to censor and prohibit books are not the same as municipal negotiations about library operating budgets. But they are not entirely unrelated either. Both are clear indications of how the valu...

Reposted by

Dylan Flesch

A lovely zine by the Penn Libraries unionizing staff (“Collective Cardiganing”) on “busting union busting”: drive.google.com/file/d/1F36_...

Go Penn libraries staff!!! pennlibrariesunited.github.io 📚📜

PENN LIBRARIES UNITEDpennlibrariesunited.github.io The unionization effort at Penn Libraries

busting-union-busting.pdfdrive.google.com

Dropped off some books at The People’s Library outside BPL Central Library this morning and picked up a new picture book for my little one. This library shouldn’t be closed! Stop cop city and open the libraries.

Reply to

Prisonculture

There’s a registration link for the event here: airtable.com/appHdMXM83mq.... This was emailed to the friends of the library group I’m in with encouragement to “share the rally details with your friends, family, and anyone interested in saving our libraries.”

Reposted by

Dylan Flesch

New zine from Librarians and Archivists with Palestine: Exposing Ex Libris 📚 to read online librarianswithpalestine.org/wp-content/u... to print librarianswithpalestine.org/wp-content/u... Libraries who use Clarivate, Aleph, ProQuest, EndNote, and even (sob!) Ulrich's are COMPLICIT in genocide. 🍉

librarianswithpalestine.org

Hind's Hall arrestees are refusing the state's efforts to divide "legitimate" and "illegitimate" protests. Feels like this would fit perfectly as an example in: Five Questions for Cultivating Solidarity When Responding to Political Repression. bit.ly/cultivatesolidarity

In a show of solidarity with those facing the most extreme repression across the pro-Palestine movement, Hind's Hall arrestees who have been offered deals by the Manhattan DA have chosen not to accept them. Press conference at 4pm today:

Five Questions for Cultivating Solidarity When Responding to Political Repression — Community Justice Exchangebit.ly

Friends of Sunset Park Library are having a book sale today from 11-4pm! You can also buy a rad tote bag designed by my neighbor and fellow library friend Yukiko Izumi. $15 each, or “fill as many books as you can in one tote bag" special for $20.

Hesen Jabr was our nurse during our son’s birth and made us feel SO cared for and safe with her communication, compassion, and skill. She was fired by NYU Langone for using the word genocide. Join me in demanding NYUL apologizes to Hesen and condemns the genocide. TinyURL.com/I-Stand-With-Hesen

Previous link opens a template email. There’s also a protest today at NYU Langone’s Tisch hospital at 3:00pm. www.instagram.com/p/C8DopvIt4O8/

You can read about what happened here: amp.theguardian.com/us-news/arti...

New York hospital fires nurse after calling Gaza war a ‘genocide’ in speech | New York | The Guardianamp.theguardian.com Hesen Jabr says New York University’s Langone hospital fired her after she made remarks while accepting award for her work

NYC libraries face a $58.3 million cut that could force Saturday closures, meanwhile @NYCMayor announced a $225 million Cop City. Budgets are moral documents: libraries amplify human thriving and cops amplify violence. @NYCCouncil #NoCutsToLibraries investinlibraries.org/dayofaction

Day of Action for Libraries: #NoCutsToLibraries — Invest in Librariesinvestinlibraries.org Your library and your community need your help! Our public libraries are facing a potential $58.3 million cut.

Reposted by

Dylan Flesch

#NYC leaders are in the process of finalizing a budget that proposes $58.3 million in cuts to library funding. On Wednesday, June 12, join us online and at our branches to send a clear, united message to City leaders: #NoCutsToLibraries! investinlibraries.org/dayofaction #Libraries 📖📚

For the People: A Leftist Library Project has a new publication detailing our understanding of the current struggles around public libraries, and sketching out the beliefs we plan to center as we build better futures. Link in the latest newsletter: librariesforthepeople.substack.com/p/for-the-pe...

For The People Newsletter Vol. XVIlibrariesforthepeople.substack.com For everyone working to strengthen and expand public libraries

Reposted by

Dylan Flesch

angry about book bans and attacks on libraries and want to do something about it? Minneapolis: library patrons union - librarypatronsunion.com Elsewhere: get involved with For the People - you can volunteer to do remote data work or more! www.librariesforthepeople.org

Poor people use libraries. Rich people shut them down because they don't *want* poor people to read.

For The Peoplewww.librariesforthepeople.org

Reposted by

Dylan Flesch

"this is a to-scale MK-84 2000lb 13ft missile. Hundreds have dropped on Gaza. One (1) would level Columbia" --from the new Columbia University Apartheid Divest encampment

Reposted by

Dylan Flesch

re: KOSA but also everything in “tech policy”

People assume the deanonymization and censorship are a side effect of "protecting children" rather than "protecting children" being the vehicle by which the deanonymization and censorship will be made acceptable in the court of public opinion.