Lowrider Librarian

  "I'm back out on that road again Turn this beast into the wind There are those that break and bend I'm the other kind, I'm the other kind" Steve Earle 

Coming in November!

Image source: Millenial Grind [Please note--this is not an extensive, comprehensive definition--it is my working definition.] I'm sure you have probably heard the term antiracist recently.  It is a current trend for organizations and businesses to use the term antiracist in their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion documentation and activities.   But what does the term Antiracist really mean? Not being racist is NOT antiracism.  In fact, nobody in the americas can escape being racist in some way.   Being antiracist is actively working toward creating a society that does not view individuals as representations of their entire people.   Being antiracist is being actively engaged in bringing about this change in your organization. We must root out the idea that certain groups of people are superior, by their nature, and force structural change in our workplaces, organizations and society. A way of thinking. Here is what Ibram X. Kendi says about it in his boo...

Hush puts out nothing but quality medicine for Oregon Medical Marijuana Program patients. They have a close relationship with Green Source Gardens--which provides the cannabis that is then made into HUSH BHO oil cartridges.  There has been a flood of cartridges into the market, but HUSH has some qualities that make them different.   Organic ingredients Sustainable practices Great variety High THC available Green Source Gardens! From the  Green Source Gardens  Website: Green Source Gardens is committed to creating rich diversity in our soils which in turn will grow the highest quality medicine possible.   In order to achieve a healthy biological soil ecosystem it requires a commitment to not disturbing the communities of soil life that thrive if left undisturbed. We understand the importance of poly-culture gardens where diverse plant species work in collaboration with one another to achieve their highest potential as medicine. Our gardens ...

Librarians and Self-censorship Free speech for librarians comes with unspoken conditions I encounter many (often young) librarians in real life and online.  One of the most frequent things people tell me is, "How come you are so free with your speech?  I could never talk about those things--I would get fired." or more often, "...I would never land a job!"   It is striking that librarians consider themselves defenders of free speech and intellectual freedom, but that the above sentiment is held by so many librarians.   Why are librarians scared to speak about important issues? I understand about library constituencies, but I'm not talking about library directors here--I'm speaking about regular librarians, or librarians searching for a job. Last month, I had a session at the Oregon Library Association Conference.  My session was on cannabis resources for librarians.  The session consisted of a panel.  I had invited another kn...

This book is amazing on so many levels. Poetically, it stands almost alone as an example of relationships, alienation, microaggressions, and racism in the 21st century US. Quote from Citizen A friend recommended this book to me over the break--as we were all freshly cut wide open from the Ferguson coverage, revealing local discussions and ongoing murder of POC from any age and area in the US. I finally got a hold of it via the library and read it in earnest. The descriptions of racial microaggressions in 2nd person narrative poetry are so powerful I was shaking as I read them. Quote from Citizen Each page is condensed emotion, reaction and analysis of a lifetime of experiencing relationships that bite while smiling.  Her poetry describes how inescapable it is to be a POC in the US at this time and place.  The relentless assault upon our senses of 21st century lynchings and their impact the mental health, awareness and identity of POC is explicated in de...

Lowrider Literacies and Fluencies * 10 Point Program 2015 1. Technology: We demand free access to technology and technology instruction, training and applications that meets our community needs. 2. Mechanics: We demand free access to mechanical technology and instruction. By this we mean we want motor vehicle, heavy equipment and other mechanical training and access that meet our community needs. 3. Reading: We demand free access to books that meet our needs. By needs, we mean: Cultural, Political, HIstorical, Language, Social, Psychological, and Health needs. We also demand books in a variety of formats. 4. Writing: We demand free access to writing and publishing technologies as well as the instruction to become fluent with them, and the ability to apply them to our needs. 5. Critical Political Analysis: We demand free access to critical political science analysis instruction, training and applications of this critical thinking to our nee...

I haven't been excited about anything on the Web in a long time. That has changed recently. My wife and a few other friends recently turned me onto Pinterest. Pinterest is like Flickr on steroids. It is a service/site where you can easily share images with people. Each image you pin or repin appears on your Pinterest wall, which is similar to a Facebook wall. The feed is live and comes in similar to how Twitter updates itself as you watch. My Pinterest Wall Users can follow other users’ feeds, and other users can follow your feeds. Images may be added from a website using the Pin It button, or you can upload images from your computer. The Pin It button can be placed onto your browser bar, thus allowing one to pin images by simply clicking on the button when viewing an image you like on any given website. After a user clicks the Pin It button they are then presented with a window displaying the lined up images from the page the...