Main Page/Meetings/Philly2021/Notes

Notes

Using wiki markup formatting

• all kinds of info about markup formatting is here: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting
• asterisks are how you make bullet points
  • more asterisks give deeper levels

1. likewise, number signs make numbered lists
2. and this
   1. more number signs make deeper levels

• if you want to make section subheadings, use the equals sign (=) on either side of the heading text. The number of equals signs should be one more than the heading itself, eg this section uses five equals signs for its heading, so a subheading in this section would be formatted with six equals signs like this:

subheading

• this is just demonstrating a subheading :)

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Community Agreements

• Inclusivity
  • Progressive stacking
• Remembering our/my context
• Forgiving
• Write big, speak up, and use the mic
• Provide grace
• Freedom to move
• Acknowledgment for CA(? notetaker note: idk what this means) flexibility
• In lieu of clapping (loud, takes up time) silent applause by waving hands
• Recognize power & privilege
• One mic, one speaker
• Ask up - jargon gesture and/or explain your acronyms

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Future of LFP

When you talk about LFP to others, how do you describe our values, goals, and culture?

• Very accessible, no imposter syndrome
• Not part of ALA
• Some code switching depending on the audience - with trusted people might talk more about our anti-capitalist values, with others might just mention the justice orientation or that we use a power analysis, but with less detail.
  • Difference in language talking to peers rather than library admin
  • However for some laying out explicitly what we are about is a way of weeding out folks who might not really align with our values. It's a feature, not a bug.
• More depth-than-breadth oriented. The level of activity commitment is a bit of a barrier to entry, so to some might feel exclusionary, but it speaks to the work and practice that is part of the expectation
• Thinks of it in contrast to ALA - ethic of care
• When thinking about the goals, often don't know exactly what the goals are. Lots to learn, but difficult to imagine 5 year goals, application, etc, without clearly stated goals.
• A community of practice rather than a professional membership org. It's about both the community component (being actively in community) and the practice. Some might consider it a higher barrier to entry, but perhaps this is something we should explicitly lay out in our values about our members, that we don't want to become a membership org where people just pay dues and join and do nothing further. If you want to be part of our community, that does require some work -- not beyond what you are able to commit to, but it IS more than just something you join on paper.
• Values - pro-labor, pro-racial-justice, abolitionlist
• Someone would like clarity as to whether we should call our members information workers, librarians, etc....
• Educate, Advocate, Examine

How do we want to be perceived? What are the steps we could take together to encourage that perception more broadly?

• Want people to take us seriously! "Oh crap, LFP is involved!" let us strike fear into the hearts of the powerful
  • Could be easily embargoed/written off if perception goes too far in either direction of "super leftist extremist group" OR "just another membership entity"
  • As to what that would take, perhaps some more visibility. Not sure what that would take.
  • Outreach to MLIS students, teaching librarians about the issues around police, etc, bc many of us did NOT learn about this in library school and have to learn about this extracurricularly
  • One person assumed they couldn't participate until they had graduated with their MLIS and an "official" librarian
• Highlight the word grace in perception - esp in context of tech literacy, etc, we can get a bit cliquish and have an us-versus-them mentality. This is something we could work on, and adjusting that mentality will help with outreach as well
• Focusing more on empowerment than advocacy. Not just a semantic difference - empowerment is helping people be their own advocates in the ways most helpful for them.
• As experts and instructors, would like for when people think about issues around privacy, etc, we are seen as the first resource to locate expertise, speakers, etc.
• We want to be seen as a group that people can be called upon for assistance not just education
• "If it's not about ending white supremacy, I'm not a part of it." Want the anti-kyriarchical (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyriarchy#:~:text=In%20feminist%20theory%2C%20kyriarchy%20(%2F,domination%2C%20oppression%2C%20and%20submission.) perspective to be a critical part of our perception (and practice, and goals!)
• Need to be an alternative to neutral-to-outright-terrible perspectives and orgs that is visible and clear
• Bat signal! There is need for help beyond education, especially in point-of-crisis. We have some who are working on a project related to this but could be expanded upon.
• LFP has been helpful to many in our group in their personal journeys towards radicalization, and we could work towards actively thinking of ourselves as being helpers on that journey
• Re: perceptions of cliquishness - how can we be more useful to library workers directly, and how to we build further then ways that this is an org that is of use to people who are not members/more central to our organizing body? Do we have capacity to do things like offer toolkits for local library staff? Local level kitchen-table privacy crews?
• One remarkable thing about this org is our agility and flexibility (unlike certain orgs where change is glacial at best)

Within LFP, how can we best appreciate and celebrate each other? What skills or resources do we need to make this happen?

• Suggestion for some kind of quarterly newsletter, bc the various listserv threads and signal chat are difficult to keep up with
• Would also be nice to have that documentation for purposes of institutional memory, as it helps us see the progression of LFP and what has already been done
• Some kind of online community space that isn't the listserv or signal chat
• Changing our title/name for ourself? Listing ourselves as Privacy Advocates with expertise who are clearly available for consultation, not just student/participants or members.
• Need help with nouns generally! What to call ourselves, this org, our events, etc.
• Internal directory of our various interests and skills

Work Discord to come!!

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Unscheduled time sessions

Saturday after-dinner activities

The Green Knight movie outing -- time and location TBD, see Deborah