Libraries providing students with resources to 'resist' Trump
Librarians across the country are organizing a mass resistance against the Trump administration in an effort to fight its alleged “policies, laws, and trends that impact” the free “sharing of all types of information.”
A movement called “#LibrariesResist” has provided “library workers in the resistance” with a “curated list of resources” for combatting the young administration, asking fellow librarians to consider how they can “help communities made (more) vulnerable by the new administration.”
Meanwhile, the Association of College and Research Libraries released a statement reaffirming its commitment to “protecting inclusive learning environments” in the wake of the “transition of power in Washington D.C.,” calling the “recent disappearance of pages from the White House website and attempts to silence scientists and the media” a serious “concern” to the association.
“We oppose actions used to suppress free expression, academic freedom, and intellectual freedom in academe and condemn the use of intimidation, harassment, bans on entry to the United States from Muslim-majority countries, and violence as a means with which to squelch free intellectual inquiry and expression,” the statement concludes.
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Similarly, the Association of Research Libraries has released at least three statements of a similar nature, including one condemning President Trump’s immigration executive order and another promising to “redouble efforts to promote diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice in and through research libraries and archives,” with the latter statement issued just one week after Trump’s election.
As the #LibrariesResist movement notes, many librarians have been putting their keyboards to use by writing op-eds about the role of “activist librarians” in the age of Trump, some of which explicitly reference “libraries in the age of fascism,” but nearly all of which discussing the imperative of librarians to “resist Trumpism.”
At least one school, the City University of New York, has put #LibrariesResist’s resources to use, providing students with an online library guide featuring a collection of “resistance resources” for keeping up with the latest anti-Trump protests.
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One portion of the online library guide, dubbed “Trump Resistance and Activism,” offers students a list of several calendars and archives highlighting upcoming anti-Trump protests, such as “The Resistance Calendar,” which contains a seemingly exhaustive list of both national and international anti-Trump actions, including events schedule for as far out as December.
Another resource, referred to as “2 Hours a Week,” encourages students to set aside time each week in an effort to foster “a new level of civic engagement following the 2016 election,” informing students of potential “actions” to participate in, such as stopping “Steve Bannon’s appointment” and supporting “Keith Ellison for DNC Chair.”
Other libraries, such as those at Harvard University and Gustavus Adolphus College, have taken it upon themselves to combat the alleged rise of “fake news” by deeming popular conservative news sites as “fake news” or “utter garbage” while their liberal-leaning counterparts, like The Huffington Post, are labeled as meeting “high standards.”
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @AGockowski
