Reading group news

It's a whirlwind of activity in the library at the moment as we jump from our hugely successful zines event last week (thanks to all that came, we will be blogging our report of the event next week) to our new library reading group beginning next week.

We have received an overwhelming level of interest from those wanting to be a part of the reading group and we can't wait to get down to some interesting discussions and debates with you all. Our first meeting will be next Thursday 14th October 6-7:30pm and we will meet on the second Thursday of each month until March 2011.

Our first text is Kobena Mercer's essay 'Diaspora didn't happen in a day: reflections on aesthetics and time' in R. Victoria Arana (ed.) Black British Aesthetics Today. Cambridge Scholars, 2007.



You can find a copy of this text in the Stuart Hall Library for reference use only prior to the first reading group meeting.

If you are unable to attend the first meeting you can still take part in the online discussions which will appear here on the library blog. A summary of discussions will appear here on the blog following the first meeting as well as a series of follow up questions, so please feel free to take part and get involved in any way you can.

If you still haven't booked for the reading group next week please email us library@iniva.org to reserve your place.

New library user guidelines

As the new academic year begins we are introducing new library guidelines for all new and existing library users beginning Tuesday 5th October.

Please take the time to familiarise yourself with the new procedures. If you have any questions about visiting the library and registering with us then please contact the library library@iniva.org or contact us via the comments below.

Using the Library

New users: please fill out a registration form on arrival at Rivington Place reception and show proof of identification and current address. Hand in the completed form to staff on arrival in the library. You can download a copy of this form (see below)

Visitors: short-stay visitors are welcome to browse the library, but are required to sign in and register to use the facilities and collections.

All users: please sign the visitors' book at the Library enquiry desk.

The Library is open to the public for reference, research and browsing. Items cannot be borrowed.

Please ask Library staff for access to wireless internet and photocopying facilities. Laptops are available for use on request at the enquiry desk. Library users are discouraged from using the laptops for recreational internet use.

Security

Please store bags, coats and jackets in the lockers provided on the ground floor. These items will not be admitted into the Library. Rivington Place reception staff will be happy to advise you.

The Library and Rivington Place accept no responsibility for the loss of or damage to Library users' personal property.

Portable scanners or other copying equipment should not be brought into the Library. Please do not use mobile phones while in the Library.

Caring for the Library space and collections

Stuart Hall Library staff are dedicated to caring for and preserving the collections. It is important that no food or drink (except water) is brought into, or consumed in the Library.

Tweet tweet

Today is International Follow a Library Day on twitter giving us all a chance to shout about our favourite libraries.

Which is perfect timing really as you can now follow The Stuart Hall Library on twitter @StuartHallLib. You can follow our daily updates, ask us questions, and find out more about related libraries and institutions to help you with your research.

The London Art Book Fair

If you are in London this weekend then make sure you stop by The London Art Book Fair.



The London Art Book fair is held at the Whitechapel gallery from 11am 24-26 September 2010 presenting new international art publications for sale. Unfortunately the library needs its librarians today otherwise we would be there in person browsing some of the amazing stalls and purchasing new exciting publications.

If you do attend this weekend then please make sure you stop by the Iniva stall and say hello to some of our colleagues where you can buy a selection of Iniva publications.

Spotlight on journals

We have over 80 current journal titles in the library and one of my most time consuming but enjoyable tasks is the job of indexing individual journal articles and creating abstracts. This involves going through key journal titles and researching the most interesting and exciting articles, reviews, and essays for our library users, and creating new catalogue records to make them accessible to everyone.

While this is usually a very lengthy process it's always worth it, and the job is made so much more enjoyable when you come across genuinely engaging and exciting articles.

We are always happy to see the latest issue of N.Paradoxa arrive in our library as the process of indexing and creating abstracts doesn't seem quite so time consuming with this journal.



N.Paradoxa is the international feminist art journal providing spotlights on female artists and feminist theory in an international context. And it's not just loved by the library team, at the end of each day I can guarantee you will find at least one issue left out on the tables having been consulted by library visitors during the day.

N.Paradoxa have now published their fantastic online Twelve Step Guide to Feminist Art History and Criticism. Each step asks a series of important questions while providing links to key texts, artists, and exhibition catalogues, many of which you can find in the Stuart Hall Library!

This is a fantastic online resource for anyone researching feminist art history and criticism, particularly in an international context, please do check it out. And the next time you are in the library make sure you take a look at our full collection of N.Paradoxa.

Race Revolt zine

The new issue of Race Revolt is out now and is available in the Stuart Hall Library!



Race Revolt is one of our favourite zines in the library and we are hopefully planning a Race Revolt related event sometime in the future. The zine started in 2007 as an intervention into the silences around race in queer, feminist and activist communities that. Although articles may not address activism or queer-feminist politics directly, many of the voices in the 'zine can be located within these concerns.


In the meantime if you would like to catch up on any previous issues of Race Revolt you can now read earlier issues online.

Black British Lesbian Timeline

Please check out this amazing interactive archive project created by Nazmia Jamal. From talking to some of our regular library users throughout the years, I'm hoping that this is a project you will really want to get involved with.

The Black British Lesbian Timeline is a new herstory project documenting lesbian, queer and feminist events, groups and publications within black, asian, minority ethnic and refugee communities in the UK.

Your contributions are needed, please visit the blog or contact Nazmia to find out more information. You can add your contributions to the blog, volunteer to collect information or interview someone, or record your own oral history.

This is an opportunity for you to get out your old diaries, fliers, badges, zines, meeting minutes, conference notes, and photos, and make sure these stories are not lost.

You can add dates, events etc directly to the timeline at
http://blackbritishlesbian.typepad.com/blog/

For more information, offers of help or advice please email nazmiaijamal@gmail.com

Save the Arts campaign

We would like to draw your attention to the recent Save the Arts campaign. This campaign is organised by the London branch of the Turning Point Network, a national consortium of over 2,000 arts organisations and artists dedicated to working together and finding new ways to support the arts in the UK.

Iniva is one of the many institutions represented in the London Turning Point Network. We would like to direct all our library visitors and researchers past and present to take a look at the campaign and direct you to the online petition appealing to the government to reconsider funding cuts for the arts. Our library users consist of artists, curators, researchers, educators, students, young people, and the general public and we hope that you will all see the long term benefits of supporting the arts in this way.




Unfortunately as of yet there is no national campaign to save existing library services which are also severely under threat. It was recently announced that the MLA is to be disbanded and there are increasing cuts being made to library services across all sectors, particularly public library services. Libraries, archives, and the heritage sector are unfortunately suffering just as much as the arts, although with less sympathetic media attention. We hope that you continue to support libraries and recognise their cultural and social significance. The CILIP website currently has a brief overview of ways in which you can support all library services found here. Library and Information professionals are also encouraged to contact CILIP to defend the role of libraries across a wide range of sectors. For more information please visit the CILIP website here

Look what arrived in the library...

The Stuart Hall Library was very kindly nominated by Naomi Robinson to receive a donation of £500 to buy books! SAGE employees are invited to nominate education and research libraries and institutions to receive the money for new books each year. Naomi Robinson nominated the library after spending some time here using the unique library and archive collections during her research last year.

We would like to thank Naomi for this nomination, and we are thrilled to announce that the Stuart Hall Library has been successful and we have now received a cheque for £500! We are quickly drawing up our shopping lists and we are extremely pleased that we are able to introduce some new publications to the library very soon courtesy of SAGE.

Zine collection launch

A big thanks to everyone who has donated their zines to us so far. We have recieved some very exciting publications and our small collection of zines is now growing.

To celebrate our new zine collection we are holding a zine launch event Thursday 30th September 6:30pm at the Stuart Hall Library. This event is open to the public and free to attend. A selection of artists and zine writers will provide an evening of presentations and discussions to explore cultural diversity in the worlds of zines, self publishing, and artists' books.

The zine launch event will feature 3 presentations by current artists and writers in the zine community. The panel of guests include:

* Cazz Blaze is a zine maker, writer and social historian and a regular contributor to The F-Word

* Hamja Ahshan is a member of Other Asias, an artist-led initiative challenging contemporary navigations of Asia

* Storm in a Teacup collective, promoting women in the arts.

We are also asking for zine donations on the evening. If you would like your zine to be added to the new collection in the library then please bring it with you and speak to a member of the library team at the event.

The event is taking place in the Stuart Hall Library, Thursday September 30th 6:30pm.

To book a place at this event please contact bookings@rivingtonplace.org 020 7749 1240