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0liver-hope · 1 year

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if you love books, save a library!

I hear people on Tumblr talk a lot about the importance of libraries; now’s your chance to help save one!

At Vermont State University is a newly merging Uni in so-called North America, pushing together three previously separate universities: Castleton University, Northern Vermont University, and Vermont Technical College.

Just last week, the new VTSU administration sent out an email to faculty, staff and students announcing that all the libraries at each of the 5 campuses contained within these universities would be moving to an ‘all-digital’ model. Librarians will lose their jobs if this plan goes ahead; in fact, librarians were only informed of this change 11 minutes before the email was sent out.

We have come to understand that this means that all physical material will be removed from the library. They seem to want to do other things with the space, such as set up ‘a coffee or smoothie bar’ and determine ‘what students want’ to do with the space. This plan would go into effect on July 1st, 2023.

The fact is, students want to keep the library as it is. Quiet, and full of stacks and stacks of physical books. The administration cannot claim they are listening to students when we have demonstrated, via hundreds of emails and impassioned testimonies in front of the administration at a forum last week, that we hate this plan and oppose it vehemently. And the faculty and staff are with us, and they too have been speaking out. Not only that, the communities that surround these colleges greatly value having access to a research library, particularly in rural Vermont, and are opposing the plan as well, because, as far as I know, they will completely lose access to these resources if everything goes digital.

The image of the books above are what I just checked out today. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed browsing the stacks, in one case (not pictured above) finding a tiny book of Milton’s poetry inscribed with a reader’s name and the year 1865. So many important and precious books like that one are to be found in our library. Each book I checked out hasn’t been checked out for at least 10 years, and that’s one of the administration’s excuses for taking all our books away: that circulation is down, and that, somehow, it costs money to let books sit on a shelf. As many people have rebutted, though, just because books aren’t being checked out doesn’t mean they aren’t being read within the library and, most importantly, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have value.

Below I will post some links to various local news article on this subject as well as one radio broadcast that will probably be able to articulate this situation better than I can.

I’m just so angry and upset about this. I’ve seen students and faculty alike crying about this situation, and an old lady braver than me telling the administration that maybe they should consider lowering their own salaries before taking away our books. I think everyone here feels powerless, because the administration isn’t backing down, despite all our protests, because ultimately their goal is profit and to make sure that this new ‘equitable’ University makes as much money as possible.

At the Castleton forum, the president of the University said he was ‘deeply humiliated’, by the outrage, by the heckling, the ‘throwing of verbal tomatoes’ as I have taken to calling it, by having his and his fellow’s bullshit exposed and questioned.

Please, please, if you care about books, about libraries, about the problems with big tech and the way it continues to invade all our lives, replacing physical experiences with their more hollow, less engaging counterparts; if you care about the interests of the people triumphing over the interests of capital, about students, about education, then please -- help save our books by spreading the word however and wherever you can, by flooding the inboxes of the capitalists below; tell them how you feel about this decision and its larger implications for books and libraries in general! Not so much to convince them that they’re wrong (they already know that and don’t care), but to make going forward with this plan more of a nuisance and a PR nightmare than cancelling it would be.

I don’t know if anyone will read or see this post, but please if you do and you care, reblog, educate yourself on what’s going on, and take action if you can.

A few disclaimers:

Any specifics I mention pertain primarily to what I, as a student at Castleton University, have either heard via word of mouth or seen with my own eyes. I am not officially speaking on behalf of anyone but myself.

The only exception to all the physical materials being removed from the libraries seem to be the books deemed ‘most used’ and some valuable historical collections. This was not clear from the beginning and not yet fully clear in any further specificity.

please try not to use violent rhetoric - as much as I’m not into policing people’s speech and anger, I don’t want this to backfire and I don’t want them to crackdown harder on us or make a big stink about it if they receive those kinds of messages

Email addresses of administration officials responsible for this decision:

VTSU President Grewal: [email protected]

VTSU Provost Atkins: [email protected]

VSC Chancellor Zdatny [email protected]

VSC Board of Trustees Chair: Eileen “Lynn” Dickinson [email protected]

News articles + broadcast:

https://www.vermontpublic.org/show/vermont-edition/2023-02-10/vermont-state-university-president-on-move-to-all-digital-libraries-changes-in-athletic-programs

https://www.rutlandherald.com/news/local/castleton-community-protests-vtsu-library-cuts/article_100d9539-c6ca-569e-a9b9-ecd6b3cef0ad.html

https://vtdigger.org/2023/02/08/vermont-state-university-to-close-libraries-downgrade-sports-programs/

http://www.castletonspartan.com/2023/02/12/vtsu-library-plan-sparks-outrage-and-emotion/

#signal boost #save libraries #books #total liberation #my post #anarchism #public services #capitalism #fight back #boost #please help #mutual aid #libraries #libraries are the best #support local libraries #academic libraries #school libraries #librarians #workers rights

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vooruitmariek · 4 months

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The Bear and the Nightingale - Katherine Arden

#vooruitmariek #the bear and the nightingale #illustration #the bear and the nightingale fanart #the winternight trilogy #traditional illustration #watercolor illustration #vasya petrovna #katherine arden #book fanart #ever since i got my library card i've been reading a lot more #mainly ebooks (never thought i'd like that)#i had forgotten how much fun it is to read a book in one sitting because you're obsessed #libraries are the best #also i know that's not the way the two other books are gonna go but #loved the ace vibes :)

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ziskeyt · 6 months

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Actually that last post reminded me that on friday my building had the guy come to check all the hvac units on my floor. Same guy as last season, we chat every time but i have forgotten his name in the past two days (this is not uncommon for me recently). Anyway i convinced him to go to the library because they have 3d printers and it’s like 10 cents per some weight of filament.

Really, if the library wasn’t a public institution for community good i’d be like they should pay me to be an external advocate because i am always convincing people to use the library system, informing them of services they didn’t know about, and letting them know that even if they don’t live in the service area of TPL, if their work is then they can get a card. TPL is one of, if not the, best library systems out there. While you may not live in Toronto, i encourage you to look up your local and see what services they have that may be new to you. There’s something for everyone at the library.

#Public libraries #libraries #libraries are the best #and toronto public is a gem of a system #Lbr if the library wasn’t a public good i wouldn’t be out here lauding its greatness so really i do not want pay #More monetary support for libraries and protections from censorship happy idiots though would be fab

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luvvyd0vey · 4 months

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I totally understand that a lot of people get serotonin from just buying books for a physical TBR list but also that must be sooo much money?!

Personally I get the book(s) from the library and if I liked them THEN I’ll buy it so I can reread it and have a physical collection of the books I really enjoyed. I feel like it saves a lot and makes me way more proud with my little book collection.

This also helps support your local library!

It just makes more sense than wasting money on a book you might not like when you could save and buy a special edition of a favourite book or something.

Especially when I see those TikToks where someone turns around every book they haven’t read on their bookshelves and it’s it ends up being MOST of them.

No hate if buying books is your thing though, cause I also feel soo satisfied every time I leave Waterstones with anything, but just a thought I had.

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princessmacabre · 29 days

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day 49/100 days of productivity

got up at 7.30am

morning tea & french poetry

meditating (figuring things out)

did the dishes, cleaned the kitchen & cooked lunch

cleaned and tidied my room

took a bath

study work (managed to complete two tasks)

reading (finally started reading ACOTAR)

workout

it’s good to find my back into my work flow…

bisous

xx

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tired-of-straight-lines · 4 months

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encouraging stats from my local library

#amc iwtv #amc interview with the vampire #sam reid #jacob anderson #libraries are the best

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supportstudies · 2 months

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100 Days of Productivity (36/100)

March 12th 2024

LIBRARY HAUL WOOOOO I LOVE THE PUBLIC LIBRARY LETS GOOO WOOOOOOO!!!! They had all of the ms marvel graphic novels and all of fruits basket! I’m gonna go insane theres so many manga on my to read list there lots of good old stuff. I’m a pre 2015 anime/manga supremacist that was the Time the Peak. Today was pretty productive, I got my book club book, worked, made my mom come visit me at work and then we played some of the games when I clocked out- It was a really sweet and nostalgic moment because I used to go to the cec I work at as a kid! it’s changed a lot but we still have the sketchbook machine and so we took a pic on that to put on the fridge. Anyways I’m gonna read before I go sleep time and tomorrow is gonna be cleaning and rest day!

🎧 - Maneater, Daryl Hall & John Oates

Productivity/Self Care

work!!

went to library and got books

finally started reading kenobi I’m so late but we speed run

started reading the first ms marvel graphic novel

checked in with my bestie mary mwah @drp3rky

brought a friend a covid test!! they’re negative!! woo!!!

planned for tomorrow

napped

see you guys tomorrow !

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1mnobodywhoareyou · 7 months

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Technically, *technically* Inu Yasha was my first fandom. Back in the 2000s when I had exactly zero idea about anything regarding my sexuality and was reading smut on ff.net. But I loved everything I could get my hands on by Takahashi and I'm visiting my new library for the first time and they have THE biggest Ranma 1/2 selection I've ever seen in one place and now I'm rereading it and 🥰. I love this story.

#rumiko takahashi #ranma 1/2 #libraries are the best

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monstrousproductions · 7 months

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So there was a problem I had (which I don't want to get into details about), and due to all the drillions of times you've said "go ask a librarian", yesterday when I was in town I asked a librarian where I should look for someone to help with that, and somehow that person was able to parse my normal incoherent mess and give me the name and address of a local thing. And the problem hasn't been SOLVED yet, but that place apparently was the right place to go, judging from how they said "we'll get on that" instead of directing me somewhere else. So yeah, thanks.

Oh, well done for thinking of going there and asking! I hope your problem gets sorted soon xx

And yeah, I think a lot of the time people think libraries are just about books but I find its more accurate to consider them like "community media and information points". They can point you in the right direction even if they don't know themselves!

#monstrous askbox #libraries are the best #im going to mine later today!

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hobohobgoblim · 7 months

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Library of things in Reykjavik. The screen reads "the more we share the more we have"

youtube

#public libraries #libraries are the best #library economy #fuck capitalism #library of things #andrewism #Youtube

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zorlok-if · 2 years

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Coding Tip: Books & Libraries

Was just looking at this post and thought of some new advice for learning to code. Check out books from your local library.

This may seem a little counter-intuitive or strange for learning about computers, but it's extremely helpful. As someone who has ADHD and would get overwhelmed trying to find the correct/exact answer I was looking for when I knew very little about coding terminology, books are fantastic. There are so many different options that explain (in plain language) how to code for beginners in addition to easily-readable compendiums that have all the essential information you need about a programming language (so there's no frantic searching online). Here's some that I've been using recently: ( * = my favorites)

CSS(/HTML)

CSS, The Definitive Guide: Visual Presentation for the Web (4th Edition) by Eric A. Meyer & Estele Weyl

CSS: The Missing Manual (4th Edition) by David Sawyer McFarland *

JavaScript

Sams Teach Yourself JavaScript in 24 Hours (7th Edition) by Phil Ballard *

Learning JavaScript: Add Sparkle and Life to your Web Pages (3rd Edition) by Ethan Brown

Other

An Artist's Guide to Programming: A Graphical Introduction by Jim Parker (this one is part of a series of "no-nonsense books" from No Starch Press with books aimed at teaching code visually for visual artists, I know the series has several books for learning Python—what Ren'Py uses—too)

Speaking from my experience with American public libraries, you can go online to your library's digital catalog, see what's available, and reserve books (or whatever else) to pick up. In addition to picking materials up in person, libraries may also have books lockers, drive-up windows, or curbside options if you want to minimize exposure or just avoid interacting with humans (in general I recommend looking into what your library offers for accessibility services too, both on and off-site).

In the library, if they use the Dewey Decimal System, then the coding books will be in the early 000s (around 005-006). If not or if you want help, librarians will happily show you where to look, what's available, and (if necessary) can use inter-library loans to order in books from other libraries so you can pick them up and check out from there.

Note I: This is also helpful for writing books (like how to craft intriguing plots, how to stay motivated, prompt books, improving creative writing/thinking, etc.). Creative writing and screenwriting books will be shelved around 808 in the DDS. Game writing/design is around 794 (and try checking the children's section if you don't find any in the main one).

Note II: This is helpful for learning widely-used languages like JavaScript, CSS, Python, etc., not for coding with Twine specifically (I don't think there are any books that have been written about Twine). For Twine, it's best to stick to online tutorials/templates. You can find a list of the resources I've used to learn Twine by running this template and clicking the link in the menu called "Credits + Resources". I'll also be streaming a tutorial on Twitch this Friday (July 29th) about beginning Twine and plan on uploading that/future video tutorials to this Youtube channel.

#libraries are the best #like seriously #if you haven't been to or looked into your library in a while #go check it out #you won't regret it #coding #resources #on writing

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evenaturtleduck · 1 year

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When I was a kid, I used to spend what felt like several hours a week at the public library. My parents took the library seriously--our town didn't actually have its own library so we had to go to the next one over and pay a fee for our household to get cards. And we went all the time, because my sister and I were homeschooled through most of elementary school so we could do that. I don't actually have any memory of what my mom did while we were there--as far as I can remember she just disappeared and let me do what I wanted as long as I was quiet.

The children's librarian was one of my favorite grownups and always had book recs for me, but my very favorite thing to do was to wander into the adult stacks and sit on the floor of the sci fi/fantasy section and take interesting books off the shelves and open them in the middle to read them for awhile and then put them back.

Keep in mind I was like, maybe in 3rd or 4th grade.

There was some weird stuff in there. Whenever I see people freaking out about what sort of reading material children can have access to (both the ones wanting to ban books at school libraries and the ones who want to ban certain types of fics on AO3) I remember all the graphic violence and rape and body horror I stumbled across as a small child loose in a public library. But also, of course, there were all the wonders of authors exploring all the different ways that people and worlds could be.

I was just remembering this because I read Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold this weekend (the fandom has some surprising overlaps with some others I'm in, so I decided to check it out) and it felt like the kind of sci fi novels I used to read on the floor of the library when I was a kid--just non stop adventure-violence-wonder-scheming-atrocities-romance etc (not necessarily in that order). It starts with two enemies trying to cooperate to survive in a hostile landscape, with the classic 'oh no he's hot' (and a good person!) and then just accelerates from there. It was so much fun, but then it also had that last chapter that reminded me of all the parts of Record of a Spaceborn Few that made me cry my eyes out. So, you know. It's got a lot going on. I liked it.

Tl;dr: kids are going to read what they want, libraries are great, but I'm a little disappointed in mine that it only has a couple volumes of Vorkosigan Saga.

#libraries are the best #shards of honor #lois mcmaster bujold #favorite books #vorkosigan saga

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princessmacabre · 1 year

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day 8/100 of productivity

submitted my coursework portfolio and applied learning archive, basically all my work from this semester… yeyyyy!!! (deadline no. 1 completed > one final assignment still to go)

house cleaning and cooking (new recipe-creation…🍜)

watched the live stream of Leigh Bardugo‘s Yale Library Book Talk. Omg it was soooo good and I am still so happy that I got the chance to attend via Zoom omg I just love her, her books and everything omg. One of the best things I’ve got to experience 🐍🐇🌘

evening teatime with my mum & my sisters

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darkacademic42 · 1 year

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Collect books, even if you don't plan on reading them. Nothing is more important than an unread library.

John Waters

#john waters #books #books and quotes #books & libraries #libraries #libraries are the best #i love to read #reading is an art #reading and writing

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meriishungry · 2 months

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If you write a book and there's no sneaky library makeout scene then I don't want to read it 👎

#come on people its not that hard #libraries are the best #libraries are cool #makeout in libraries #theyre there for a reason #knowledge and makeout scenes #(the two genders)

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dapperenby13 · 5 months

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Hey, everyone. You got a library near you? Go there. It’s fun it’s cool it’s interesting. I promise you you’ll find something interesting there. Even if you don’t have a library card (which I highly suggest you get, it’s completely free) you can still look at the books in the library. You have homework to do or need to get some writing done, try the library. They usually if not always have somewhere to sit. Go to the library.

#i love the library #libraries are the best #go to one #look at books on plants or something #v says things

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