Navigating Politics in Libraries: Challenges and Resistance

Beatrice and Jules speak with Mariame Kaba and Melissa Gira Grant about the importance of understanding the library as a site of political contestation and a rare expression of the commons in contemporary US life, and how left organizers are fighting back against right wing attacks on public space. Transcript: https://www.deathpanel.net/transcripts/library-mariame-kaba-melissa-gira-grant Join up with For the People: A Leftist Library Project here: https://www.librariesforthepeople.org/ And find the latest updates here: https://librariesforthepeople.substack.com/p/library-solidarity-with-palestine Read Melissa’s piece, “Librarians Didn’t Sign Up to Be Queer Activists—but This Year, They Are” here: https://newrepublic.com/article/175567/librarians-new-queer-front-lines Referenced in this episode: “The Prison in Twelve Landscapes,” directed by Brett Story (2016) https://www.prisonlandscapes.com/ “The People and the Library: Reflections on Grass-Roots Efforts to Preserve and Expand the Library As a Commons” here: https://justseeds.org/the-people-and-the-library-reflections-on-grass-roots-efforts-to-preserve-and-expand-the-library-as-a-commons/ Find our book Health Communism here: www.versobooks.com/books/4081-health-communism Pre-order Jules' new book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/733966/a-short-history-of-trans-misogyny-by-jules-gill-peterson/ Death Panel merch here (patrons get a discount code): www.deathpanel.net/merch As always, support Death Panel at www.patreon.com/deathpanelpod