Subversive Magic and Libraries – Presentation

Ruth Rikowski
Framlingham Castle

SUBVERSIVE MAGIC: LIBRARIES, EDUCATION AND CAPITALIST FUNCTIONALITY – PRESENTATION POWERPOINT

 

Ruth Rikowski, London South Bank University & Series Editor for the Chandos Information Professional Series

This is Ruth Rikowski’s presentation at the recent International Conference on Critical Education VIII, held at the University of East London, 25 – 28 July 2018.

The Presentation PowerPoint can be viewed at: http://www.academia.edu/37142301/Subversive_Magic_Libraries_Education_and_Capitalist_Functionality_Presentation_

 

 

ABSTRACT

A Magical Marxism – as writers such as Andy Merrifield and Derek Ford have noted – can illuminate the future whilst helping to shatter the shackles of the past. Shining this light on libraries and education in contemporary capitalism allows us to glimpse the subversive magic which, on the one hand is dreaded by representatives of capital, and on the other generates hope for humankind. A brief autobiographical account of how libraries hold a certain kind of personal magic is included. Then the notion of ‘subversive magic’ is outlined, with reference to ideas drawn from Giordano Bruno and his ‘Essays on Magic’ (1588). This is contrasted with Abstract Magic: a form of magic ground in the capitalist impulse. From these preliminary points and in the context of libraries in England, the first stop in the analysis is the Mechanics Institutes. This is followed by examining the capitalist state’s attempts to curtail, or at least control, their subversive magic through establishing constraining cultural spaces; that is, a public library system. The strange cases of John Passmore Edwards and Andrew Carnegie libraries are considered at this juncture: specifically, their effects in terms of possibilities for enchanting the public library system. The falling apart of the capitalist state’s paradigm for libraries is then taken up, with an examination of Thatcherism and neoliberalism from the 1980s. During the 1980s, and 1990s, but especially after the capitalist crisis of 2007-09, together with Tory austerity policies and related cuts, public libraries have faced a resulting atmosphere of disenchantment. Today, the state library system has given way to capitalist functionality, together with desperate local attempts to re-enchant them. This point is illustrated through developments in libraries in the London Borough of Newham. The paper ends by discussing prospects for a new subversive magic in libraries. It also explores whether it is possible for state-financed libraries to ever let the subversive magic that is required to flourish, and whether they can nourish the dangerous imaginative qualities required for nurturing the communist impulse.

 

The Paper is available at: http://www.academia.edu/37112556/Subversive_Magic_Libraries_Education_and_Capitalist_Functionality

 

***END***

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski

Glenn Rikowski at ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Glenn_Rikowski

Glenn Rikowski at Academia: http://independent.academia.edu/GlennRikowski

Ruth Rikowski at Academia: http://lsbu.academia.edu/RuthRikowski

Subversive Magic: Libraries, Education and Capitalist Functionality

Ruth Rikowski

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruth Rikowski

London South Bank University & Series Editor for the Chandos Information Professional Series

 

Thisd is Ruth Rikowski’s paper that she will be presenting at the Internatioanl Conference on Critical Education VIII, at the University of East London, Stratford Campus, on Saturday 28th July 2018.

Ruth’s paper can be down loade at Academia, at:  http://www.academia.edu/37112556/Subversive_Magic_Libraries_Education_and_Capitalist_Functionality

 

ABSTRACT

A Magical Marxism – as writers such as Andy Merrifield and Derek Ford have noted – can illuminate the future whilst helping to shatter the shackles of the past. Shining this light on libraries and education in contemporary capitalism allows us to glimpse the subversive magic which, on the one hand is dreaded by representatives of capital, and on the other generates hope for humankind. A brief autobiographical account of how libraries hold a certain kind of personal magic is included. Then the notion of ‘subversive magic’ is outlined, with reference to ideas drawn from Giordano Bruno and his ‘Essays on Magic’ (1588). This is contrasted with Abstract Magic: a form of magic ground in the capitalist impulse. From these preliminary points and in the context of libraries in England, the first stop in the analysis is the Mechanics Institutes. This is followed by examining the capitalist state’s attempts to curtail, or at least control, their subversive magic through establishing constraining cultural spaces; that is, a public library system. The strange cases of John Passmore Edwards and Andrew Carnegie libraries are considered at this juncture: specifically, their effects in terms of possibilities for enchanting the public library system. The falling apart of the capitalist state’s paradigm for libraries is then taken up, with an examination of Thatcherism and neoliberalism from the 1980s. During the 1980s, and 1990s, but especially after the capitalist crisis of 2007-09, together with Tory austerity policies and related cuts, public libraries have faced a resulting atmosphere of disenchantment. Today, the state library system has given way to capitalist functionality, together with desperate local attempts to re-enchant them. This point is illustrated through developments in libraries in the London Borough of Newham. The paper ends by discussing prospects for a new subversive magic in libraries. It also explores whether it is possible for state-financed libraries to ever let the subversive magic that is required to flourish, and whether they can nourish the dangerous imaginative qualities required for nurturing the communist impulse.

 

***END***

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski

Glenn Rikowski @ Academia: http://independent.academia.edu/GlennRikowski

Glenn Rikowski @ ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Glenn_Rikowski

Ruth Rikowski @ Academia: http://lsbu.academia.edu/RuthRikowski

 

 

WriteIdea Festival 2017

Idea Store – Whitechapel

East London’s Free Reading Festival

Sun, 19 Nov 2017, 13:00

Idea Store, 321 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1BU

The ninth Writeidea Festival, Tower Hamlets Council’s unique free reading festival, will take place at Idea Store Whitechapel over the weekend of 17 – 19 November 2017

The festival is an integral part of the reading offer of Idea Store, the innovative library, learning and information service created by Tower Hamlets Council.

There are some fantastic speakers again this year including Stella Duffy, Alan Dein, Gregor Gall, The Gentle Author and Irenosen Okojie.

Programme & Tickets: https://www.ideastore.co.uk/writeidea and https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/writeidea-festival-2017-14917965862

Critical Education

 

 

 

 

 

***END***

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski

Glenn Rikowski at ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Glenn_Rikowski

Glenn Rikowski at Academia: http://independent.academia.edu/GlennRikowski

 

Why Library is Not a Dirty Word – Presentation Slides

Ruth Rikowski
Framlingham Castle

WHY LIBRARY IS NOT A DIRTY WORD – PRESENTATION SLIDES

The presentation slides for Ruth Rikowski’s talk at The Froud Centre, Manor Park, London, on 10^th June 2016 –are now available at Academia.

Why Library Is Not  A Dirty Word: Reclaiming Its Power And Possibility

Presentation slides @ http://www.academia.edu/30467128/Why_Library_is_Not_a_Dirty_Word_Reclaiming_its_Power_and_Possibility_Presentation_

Ruth Rikowski @ Academia: http://lsbu.academia.edu/RuthRikowski

 

Glenn Rikowski

In addition, Glenn Rikowski also has a new post at Academia: The Woodhead Federation? The Business Takeover of Schools in England

This can be viewed at: http://www.academia.edu/31544770/The_Woodhead_Federation_The_Business_Takeover_of_Schools_in_England_Presentation_

 

Glenn Rikowski @ Academia: http://independent.academia.edu/GlennRikowski

Glenn Rikowski @ ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Glenn_Rikowski

Dr. Glenn Rikowski

Additions to Academia Posts: October 2016 – RUTH RIKOWSKI

Ruth Rikowski
Framlingham Castle

ADDITIONS TO ACADEMIA POSTS: OCTOBER 2016 – RUTH RIKOWSKI

 

Ruth Rikowski has posted some new papers to Academia. These are as follows:

Rikowski, Ruth (2001) GATS:  private affluence and public squalor? Implications for libraries and information, Managing Information, Vol.8 No.10, December, pp.8-10, online at: http://www.academia.edu/27814491/GATS_private_affluence_and_public_squalor_Implications_for_libraries_and_information

Rikowski, R. (2002) The Corporate Takeover of Libraries, Information for Social Change, No.14, winter 2001/02, online at: http://www.academia.edu/27807996/The_Corporate_Takeover_of_Libraries

Rikowski, R. (2002) The WTO/GATS Agenda for Libraries, Talk prepared for a public meeting at Sussex University, 23^rd May 2002, online at: http://www.academia.edu/27815712/The_WTO_GATS_Agenda_for_Libraries_Talk_prepared_for_public_meeting_at_SUSSEX_UNIVERSITY

Rikowski, R. (2002) A First-Time in Glasgow: impressions of the IFLA Conference, 2002, IFLA Journal, Vol.28 Nos.5/6, pp.278-280, online at: http://www.academia.edu/27807485/A_First_Timer_In_Glasgow_Impressions_of_the_IFLA_Conference_2002

Rikowski, R. (2003) Globalisation and Libraries – House of Lords Paper, in: Report by House of Lords, Select Committee on Economic Affairs, Session 2002-03, 1^st Report, Volume of Evidence, Part 2, HL Paper 5-11, London: The Stationary Office, online at: http://www.academia.edu/27807221/Globalisation_and_Libraries_House_of_Lords_Paper

Rikowski, R. (2003) The Significance of WTO Agreements for the Library and Information World, Managing Information, January / February, Vol.16 No.1, p.43, online at: http://www.academia.edu/27814793/The_Significance_of_WTO_Agreements_for_the_Library_and_Information_Profession

Rikowski, R. (2003) Tripping Along With TRIPS? The World Trade Organization’s agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and its implications for the library and information world, Managing Information, Vol.10 No.3, April, pp10-12, online at: http://www.academia.edu/27814936/Tripping_Along_with_TRIPS_The_World_Trade_Organizations_agreement_on_Trade-Related_Aspects_of_Intellectual_Property_Rights_TRIPS_and_its_implications_for_the_library_and_information_world

Rikowski, R. (2003) The Role of the Information Professional in Knowledge Management: The Beginning of the End or the End of the Beginning for the Library and Information Profession? Managing Information, Vol.10 No.4, pp.44-47, online at: http://www.academia.edu/27814711/The_Role_of_the_Information_Professional_in_Knowledge_Management_The_Beginning_of_the_End_or_the_End_of_the_Beginning_for_the_Library_and_Information_Profession

Rikowski, R. (2004) Creating Value from Knowledge in the Knowledge Revolution, Information for Social Change, No.20, winter 2004, online at: http://www.academia.edu/27807687/Creating_Value_from_Knowledge_in_the_Knowledge_Revolution

Rikowski, R. (2008) Digital Libraries and Digitalisation: an overview and critique, Policy Futures in Education, Vol.6 No.1, pp.5-21, online at: http://www.academia.edu/27815559/Digital_Libraries_and_Digitisation_an_overview_and_critique

Rikowski, R. (2008) Computers / Information and Communications Technology, the Information Profession and the Gender Divide: Where are we going? Policy Futures in Education, Vol.6 No.4, pp.482-506, online at: http://www.academia.edu/27815632/Computers_Information_and_Communications_Technology_the_Information_Profession_and_the_Gender_Divide_where_are_we_going

 

For all of Ruth Rikowski’s papers at Academia, see: http://lsbu.academia.edu/RuthRikowski

For all of Glenn Rikowski’s papers at Academia, see: http://independent.academia.edu/GlennRikowski

 

New Academia Posts – Ruth Rikowski

Richmond, River Thames, May 2016

NEW ACADEMIA POSTS – RUTH RIKOWSKI

 

Ruth Rikowski has posted some new papers to Academia. These are as follows:

 

Rikowski, R. (2005) Traditional Knowledge and TRIPS, Information for Social Change, winter, Issue No. 22, at: http://www.academia.edu/27738384/Traditional_Knowledge_and_TRIPS

 

Rikowski, R. (2004) On the impossibility of determining the length of the working-day for intellectual labour, Information for Social Change, summer, Issue No.19, at: http://www.academia.edu/27738919/On_the_impossibility_of_determining_the_length_of_the_working_day_for_intellectual_labour

 

Rikowski, R. (2003) TRIPS into the Unknown: libraries and the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, IFLA Journal, Vol.29 No.2, pp.141-151, at: http://www.academia.edu/27738723/TRIPS_into_the_Unknown_libraries_and_the_WTO_Agreement_on_Trade-Related_Aspects_of_Intellectual_Property_Rights

 

Rikowski, R. (2003) Library Privatisation: Fact or Fiction? Information for Social Change, summer, Issue No.17, at: http://www.academia.edu/27765073/Library_Privatisation_Fact_or_Fiction

 

Rikowski, R. (2002) Globalisation and Libraries – Summary Paper, House of Lords, Select Committee on Economic Affairs, Inquiry into the Global Economy, 22^nd January, London, at: http://www.academia.edu/27768077/Globalisation_and_Libraries_-_Summary_Paper

 

Rikowski, R. (2002) The WTO, the GATS and the meaning of ‘services’, Public Library Journal, Vol.17 No.2, summer, pp.48-50, at: http://www.academia.edu/26196746/The_WTO_the_GATS_and_the_meaning_of_services

 

For all of Ruth Rikowski’s papers at Academia, see: http://lsbu.academia.edu/RuthRikowski

 

Glenn Rikowski also has a new post at Academia:

 

Rikowski, G. (2002) The great GATS buyout, Red Pepper, No.101, November, pp.25-27, at: https://www.academia.edu/27735716/The_great_GATS_buyout

 

For all of Glenn Rikowski’s papers at Academia, see: http://independent.academia.edu/GlennRikowski

Forest Voices Choir – Singing at the Gate

Forest Voices Choir

FOREST VOICES CHOIR – SINGING AT THE GATE

 

On 16th June 2016, from 6.30 to 8.00pm Forest Voices will sing at The Gate Library and Community Centre, 4 – 20 Woodgrange Road, Forest Gate, London E7 0QH.

Come and join us for a free evening of song and enjoyment!

Light refreshments provided.

Funded by a “Let’s Get the Party Started” grant from the London Borough of Newham

See: https://forestvoicese7.wordpress.com/ and for the flyer relating to the event, see: https://forestvoicese7.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/flyer-forest-gate-sings-16-jun-164.pdf

Ruth Rikowski is a member of the Forest Voices choir, and will be singing with them at The Gate on 16^th June.

***END***

‘Human Herbs’ – a song by Cold Hands & Quarter Moon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au-vyMtfDAs

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski

Glenn Rikowski @ Academia: http://independent.academia.edu/GlennRikowski

Ruth Rikowski @ Academia: http://lsbu.academia.edu/RuthRikowski

Volumizer: http://glennrikowski.blogspot.com

Rikowski Point: http://rikowskipoint.blogspot.co.uk/

Ruth Rikowski at Serendipitous Moments: http://ruthrikowskiim.blogspot.co.uk/

Why Library Is Not A Dirty Word: Reclaiming Its Power and Possibility

Archive

WHY LIBRARY IS NOT A DIRTY WORD: RECLAIMING ITS POWER AND POSSIBILITY

Friday, 10^th June, @ 19:00 – 20.30 (BST)

A talk and discussion about library campaigns, radical librarianship and re-imagining the library as a public space

 

Why Library Is Not A Dirty Word

VENUE & PROGRAMME CHANGE

There have been some changes to the venue and programme: though the day (Friday 10^th June) and time (7.00 – 8.30pm) are still the same.

Apologies for the short notice

 

New Venue:

THE FROUD CENTRE

The Coffee Bar

1 Toronto Avenue

Manor Park

Newham

E12 5JF

(In fact, only 3 minutes’ walk from the original venue, the Rabbits Road Institute. Just walk along the Romford Road towards Ilford, and The Froud Centre is easily recognisable: it’s on the corner between Toronto Avenue and Romford Road)

 

New Programme:

Speaker: Ruth Rikowski – writer, lecturer at London South Bank University, libraries professional and campaigner, author of Globalisation, Information and Libraries: The Implications of the World Trade Organisation’s GATS and TRIPS Agreements (Chandos Publishing), and a freelance editor for Chandos Publishing.

 

Followed by Discussion

 

Free Admission

No Registration Necessary

Soft drinks provided

 

Blog Version: http://ruthrikowskiim.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/library-is-not-dirty-word-reclaiming.html

 

Best wishes

Ruth

Ruth Rikowski @ Academia: http://lsbu.academia.edu/RuthRikowski

Glenn Rikowski @ Academia: http://independent.academia.edu/GlennRikowski

Ruth Rikowski at Serendipitous Moments: http://ruthrikowskiim.blogspot.co.uk/

 

 

12th Working Class Bookfair

12th WORKING CLASS BOOKFAIR

31st October 2015
Saturday at 11:00–17:00

Museum Vaults
Silksworth Row, SR1 3QJ City of Sunderland, UK
Directions: About 11 minutes walk from Sunderland rail station

Sunderland Working Class Bookfair 2015

Books, magazines and pamphlets will cover at least: local and general history, Marxism, environment, football and other sport, culture, railways, mining, fiction, social science, co-operatives, economics, Anarchism, international relations, Socialism, trade unions, sex, drugs & rock n’ roll… smile emoticon
Stalls confirmed so far include Unite Community, Clothing Bank, Active Distribution, PM Press and Mayday Books

What is going on?

Despite the accidental way Jeremy Corbyn has become Labour leader this has opened up new spaces for politics, and we aim to welcome all progressive people.

Immediately, the Tories are in crisis with the defeat in the Lords, but this doesn’t mean we are happy with things as they are, no – we want lots more!

REMEMBER Remember the 5th of November is coming up soon and we hope everybody’s making their Tory dummies to burn. Andrew Lloyd Webber is the latest candidate to add to our list of dummies.

On a wider level the Liberals have collapsed because they’re career opportunists; its class against class now and you have to take sides. Recent media scare stories have proven that the spectre that haunts Europe is no longer that of communism but of anarchism, and on this Halloween we can note the importance of this haunting.

Our side are the poor, workers, unemployed, the NEETS, disabled, the pensioners and those trying to get a decent pension, migrants and the otherwise oppressed such as the trainee workers – THE STUDENTS. We want to spread great literature that is useful for our people.
Words are not enough though and we have to put ideas into practice on a large scale.

Come and plan for the day out in London when the massed ranks of education workers, students and the otherwise pissed off at the TORY government will be making their voices heard for once on the large STUDENT protest on November 4th in London.

A spectre is haunting Europe – the spectre of anarchism

In London a large Anonymous march on November 5th will see Class War dragging an effigy of Zac Goldsmith, the posh Tory boy Mayoral candidate, down Downing Street where it’s going to be burnt.

Hopefully we will be hearing from those who went to the Manchester Tory conference about what a great time they had too.

This is an open invite to all fellow travellers to come on down to the 31st October Bookfair and have a great time; Teesside Solidarity Movement, Steelworkers, Sunderland Welfare Action group, the Industrial Workers of the World, SPGB, Class War, NUM, Mayday books, North East Anarchists, the Black Bloc (if we can find them), UKUNCUT, syndicalists, students, teachers and lecturers, and many more are invited as well.

First Published in http://www.historicalmaterialism.org/news/distributed/12th-working-class-bookfair.-31st-october-2015.-sunderland

***END***

‘Human Herbs’ – a song by Cold Hands & Quarter Moon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au-vyMtfDAs

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski

Glenn Rikowski @ Academia: http://independent.academia.edu/GlennRikowski

Ruth Rikowski @ Academia: http://lsbu.academia.edu/RuthRikowski

Volumizer: http://glennrikowski.blogspot.com

Rikowski Point: http://rikowskipoint.blogspot.co.uk/

Ruth Rikowski at Serendipitous Moments: http://ruthrikowskiim.blogspot.co.uk/

Changing Suns Press

CHANGING SUNS PRESS

 

Announcing A New Press:

Changing Suns Press is a volunteer-run, collective anti-authoritarian publishing project. We are committed to the production and dissemination of engaging political, Do-It-Yourself and scholarly publications. We publish both original manuscripts and translations.

The first line of books will be released in January 2016.

On the website there are blogs by authors and collective members. Author Blog: “It Is What It Isn’t” by John P. Clark and Collective Member Blogs: “Firebrand Dictionary” by Chris Kortright and “Unsettled” by Michelle Stewart.

 

Changing Suns Press: http://www.changingsunspress.com/

info@changingsunspress.com

@Changing_Suns

2138 McIntyre Street, Regina, SK S4P 2R7, Canada

 

First Published in http://www.historicalmaterialism.org/news/distributed/announcement-changing-suns-press

 

***END***

‘Human Herbs’ – a song by Cold Hands & Quarter Moon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au-vyMtfDAs

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski

Glenn Rikowski @ Academia: http://independent.academia.edu/GlennRikowski

Ruth Rikowski @ Academia: http://lsbu.academia.edu/RuthRikowski

Volumizer: http://glennrikowski.blogspot.com

Rikowski Point: http://rikowskipoint.blogspot.co.uk/

Ruth Rikowski at Serendipitous Moments: http://ruthrikowskiim.blogspot.co.uk/

Ruth Rikowski @ Academia

Ruth Rikowski

RUTH RIKOWSKI @ ACADEMIA

Ruth Rikowski is now a member of Academia and a collection of her published papers and articles can now be found there.

Ruth Rikowski at Academia: http://lsbu.academia.edu/RuthRikowski

Ruth Rikowski is a Visiting Lecturer in the Business School at London South Bank University, UK. She is also a Freelance Editor for Chandos Publishing, Oxford, UK.  Ruth is an Associate of the Higher Education Academy (AHEA) and a Chartered Librarian. Ruth Rikowski is the author of Globalisation, Information and Libraries (Oxford: Chandos Publishing, 2005) and editor of Knowledge Management: Social, cultural and theoretical perspectives (Oxford: Chandos Publishing, 2007) and Digitisation Perspectives (Sense Publishers, 2010). She has written numerous articles in journals such as Business Information Review, Policy Futures in Education, Information for Social Change and Managing Information and given many talks and presentations, focusing in particular on globalisation, knowledge management, information technology, Marxism and feminism. She is currently engaged in writing a series of novels.

The Rikowski website, ‘The Flow of Ideas’ can be found at http://www.flowideas.co.uk  and Ruth’s blog, ‘Serendipitous Moments’ is at http://ruthrikowskiim.blogspot.co.uk/.

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski

Discussion on the Education White Paper for England and Extensions of the Commodification Process in Libraries and Schools

Ruth Rikowski

DISCUSSION ON THE EDUCATION WHITE PAPER FOR ENGLAND AND EXTENSIONS OF THE COMMODIFICATION PROCESS IN LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS

This, rather long title, pertains to the only paper / article written by us (Ruth and Glenn Rikowski) jointly. It appeared in the winter 2005/06 edition of Information for Social Change, Issue 22. We were both mightily concerned with processes and policies relating to the commodification of public services at the time, with Ruth focusing on libraries and Glenn on schools in England.

Furthermore, at the time, both of us were interested in the international dimension to the commodification of public services. Specifically, we were concerned with the likely impact of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). This joint interest brought us together in a practical political sense too, when we became members of Attac London in 2000 and along with others organised a conference on the commodification of state services.

Of course, these topics have gained renewed importance with the current development of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Maybe the halting of significant advances in the WTO’s GATS process since Seattle 1999 in some way precipitated this development.

It is a shame that we have not written more together, and this is something that we aim to rectify in the future.

Meanwhile, this ‘Discussion’ piece can now be found at Academia:

For Glenn, it is at: http://www.academia.edu/12010645/Discussion_on_the_Education_White_Paper_for_England_and_Extensions_of_the_Commodification_Process_in_Libraries_and_Schools

For Ruth, it is at: http://www.academia.edu/12010645/Discussion_on_the_Education_White_Paper_for_England_and_Extensions_of_the_Commodification_Process_in_Libraries_and_Schools

Glenn Rikowski’s papers and articles at Academia can be viewed at: http://independent.academia.edu/GlennRikowski

Ruth Rikowski’s papers and articles at Academia can be viewed at: http://lsbu.academia.edu/RuthRikowski

 

Ruth and Glenn Rikowski

London

September 2015