Happy International Workers' Day!
Thanks so much to everyone who took action during National Library Week! We saw a lot of #LibraryDefenders out there and appreciate you all.
Check out details on an upcoming event of interest below, and then keep reading to learn about our monthly prize giveaway for Data Collection Project volunteers.
Also, May 1st is a great day to read an article on labor movements, and attacks on public libraries and school libraries are commented on in this piece from Jacobin: “Right Now Is the Most Exciting Moment to Join the Labor Movement in Decades.”
Upcoming Event
If you happen to be in New York, please mark your calendars for an exciting in-person event from Reclaim the Commons coming up at CUNY: For the Public: Linking Struggles in Schools, Libraries, and Prisons. In this conversation (moderated by Emily Drabinski), librarians working in city, school, jail, and CUNY libraries will discuss austerity, policing, and attacks on Black, queer, and radical books, as well as organizing happening in these spaces and how we can join forces across public institutions in New York to build a stronger movement.
This event is happening on Tuesday, May 9 at 6:30pm in the 8th floor dining commons at the CUNY Graduate Center (365 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016).
Data Collection Project Update + Volunteer Scoreboard and Monthly Prize Giveaway
For The People is compiling the first-ever nationwide database of public library board seats to support leftists in running for office (or seeking appointment). Back in early March we launched our Data Collection Project volunteer task force - since then we've had 400+ people help out in one way or another, and just over 100 people have signed up to work on batches of 25 or more.
In order to recognize these incredible volunteers (and hopefully encourage more folx to sign up for a batch), starting today and continuing through January 1st, 2024, we are recognizing top contributors with a shout-out in the form of a volunteer scoreboard and prizes for the top three contributors each month. Read through to the end to see this month's winners!
The prizes are incredible, as you can see below:
1st place🥇: Two items from the For the People Bonfire Store (not to exceed $70 in total value) + A signed copy of Mariame Kaba's book Let This Radicalize You (or a $10 Bookshop gift certificate)
2nd place🥈: One item from the For the People Bonfire Store (not to exceed $30 in total value) + A signed copy of Mariame Kaba's book Let This Radicalize You (or a $10 Bookshop gift certificate)
3rd place🥉: A signed copy of Mariame Kaba's book Let This Radicalize You (or a $10 Bookshop gift certificate)
The scoreboard rankings are based on volunteer activity from the previous month (although today's ranking tallies all efforts up through the end of day yesterday, April 30th). Points are determined based on commitments, i.e. "check-outs", (1 point for each public library system) and completions, i.e. "returns" (2 points for each public library system).
So if you check out and returns one batch of 25 and then check out another batch of 25, that would be equal to 100 points (50 points for completing 25 public library systems, and 50 points for committing to work on 50 public library systems). The scoreboard is an opt-in situation, so volunteers by default will just be named "Anonymous Volunteer Extraordinaire" unless they explicitly agree to have their name or an alias included on the scoreboard.
We've now seen 60% of the total dataset checked-out (someone’s committed to working on it), and 20% of the total dataset has been returned (completed). This is incredible progress so far, but to meet our goal of 100% completion before the end of 2023, we are going to need another 150 people to each sign up to collect data on a batch of 25 public libraries.
If this is a way you feel like you could help out, please know that your help would be super appreciated!
And now, drumroll please, we have our first monthly...
FTP Data Collection Project Volunteer Scoreboard!
Huge congrats to Anonymous Volunteer Extraordinaire for coming in 1st place! And massive thanks to Kelsey W, and Meave G. for being our next two highest level contributors. Since this is a tie for 2nd place, both volunteers will receive the 2nd place-level prize package!
We really appreciate all of the amazing volunteers who have helped out with this project so far. Don't miss out on the fun, sign up for a batch here!