This week @ rabble.ca: The future of libraries

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17 Jan 2014

Hey rabble readers!

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans science library recently consolidated 11 locations to four. What does this say about the Harper government, the actions at DFO and the future of libraries? Find out what's really going on from science librarian John Dupuis and tell us what you think in our poll.

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Looking for activist inspiration in 2014? Check out the Activist Toolkit blog -- with weekly roundups of newly added tools, highlights of featured tools and extra multimedia content, you'll... get up-to-date info on grassroots organizing. This week, we feature a collection of resources and tools from the prison justice movement.

This week's top news

Child welfare system echoes residential schools to communities, hears tribunal
This week, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal heard from Elder Robert Joseph that there is a connection between residential schools and the large number of Indigenous children in child welfare.
By Jocelyn Formsma

Evictions for all? What effects will Bill 14 have on co-op residents
Co-op residents await the effects of Bill 14 that allows co-ops to bring evictions before the Landlord and Tenant Board and leaves residents without a neutral organization to report transgressions.
By Josh Hawley

Question! What is really happening at the DFO libraries?
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans science library recently consolidated 11 locations to four. What does this say about the Harper government, the actions at DFO and the future of libraries?
By John Dupuis

Mass protests grow as military elite take Egypt back to dictatorship
The military-dominated regime that seized power in July 2013 has escalated its attack on freedom and democracy, including banning the Muslim Brotherhood.
By Roger Annis

Toxic rocks and declining health: 3.5 years after Enbridge's tar sands pipeline disaster
As we await NEB's decision on the Line 9 reversal, new details about the devastating impacts of Enbridge's Kalamazoo River Spill raise questions about health impacts of exposure to spilled dilbit.
By Sonia Grant

Ezra Levant lives up to his own controversies at NASH conference
Ezra Levant gave his keynote speech at CUP's NASH conference on Saturday and it lived up to most expectations: calling people 'assholes,' disrespecting feminists and relying on 'shock value.'
By Justin Smirlies

This week's top blogs

'Kicking It' at the Homeless World Cup
This documentary about the power of sport for change follows athletes from seven countries around the globe. The year is 2006. The sporting event is the Homeless World Cup.
By Amira Elghawaby

But you have such a pretty face!
Being fat, eating in public and being shamed for it.
By Laura Brightwell

Don't believe the lies: Eulogizing 'man of peace' Ariel Sharon
The tributes lie. Ariel Sharon was not a 'man of peace' or a 'hero.' He was brutal, greedy, uncompromising and dishonest, with an insatiable appetite for power, glory and fortune.
By Miko Peled

Augury, omen and prognostication: Divining the Canadian body politic
As the countdown continues towards the October 19, 2015 Canadian federal election (Doomsday or Bastille Day depending on your perspective), what political signs do we divine?
By Christopher Majka

Faculty at the University of New Brunswick walk off the job
After months of meetings, the University of New Brunswick and its full-time faculty were unable to reach a collective agreement as of Sunday night. The University's professors are now on strike.
By Cherise Letson

Deputy minister testifies officials prepared anti-labour bill 'proactively' long before cabinet asked for it
A strong case can be made parliamentary privilege was created to protect parliamentarians from harassment by the monarch, not to avoid demands for information and fairness by the monarch's subjects.
By David J. Climenhaga

From #sirJAM to the National Post: Racist historical myths live on
A comment on the fight to hide Canada's racist history.
By Nora Loreto

This week's top columns

The loonie returns to earth after a long flight of fancy
The present downturn of the Canadian dollar is a welcome, but overdue, reversal to a decade-long, pointless and destructive financial detour for our currency.
By Jim Stanford

The new soma: How viral fluff took over the Internet
Social media has always had its share of noise to signal. But lately it feels like the social web has gotten markedly stupider, tackier and has had its bullshit detector smashed to atoms.
By Wayne MacPhail

Thinking outside the mailbox to save Canada Post
Other companies and organizations that faced Canada Post's problems thrived, not by doubling down on their old mandates but by refocusing on a new purpose.
By Marc Zwelling

Make America green: Time for a worldwide peaceful revolution
Building an ecologically sustainable economy requires overthrowing the marketing-driven economy, individually and through collective action.
By Duncan Cameron

Harper's corporate governance: The problem of running government like a business
Getting caught, throwing your friend under a bus, being repeatedly and publicly exposed as liars and cheats -- that's just the cost of doing business. But it shouldn't be the cost of doing government.
By Murray Dobbin

MORE FROM...
Naomi Klein, Linda McQuaig, Rick Salutin, Duncan Cameron, Wayne MacPhail, Murray Dobbin and others! Read columns...

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This week's top podcasts

Achieving tax justice in Africa
Tax Justice Network Africa fights to close the loopholes in legal systems that allow multinational corporations to avoid paying taxes.
By Heather Yundt

A\J Heroes #3: Interviews with Elizabeth May and Tzeporah Berman
Unlike the big-name environmental heroes of the last few decades, the people inspiring Elizabeth May and Tzeporah Berman today are largely unknown and without the backing of big NGOs.
By Emily Slofstra

Day of Feminist Dialogue
Excerpts from the Day of Feminist Dialogue, an event hosted by the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres to discuss racialized and sexist violence in 2005.
By The F Word

Watch Me: Frances Ha - a new brand of chick flick
Love Lucy? Enjoy Annie Hall? Get a kick out Meg Ryan? Try Greta Gertiwg! A new brand of chick flick's in town and she's not Bridget Jones.
By Cathi Bond

NOFRAC: A coalition against fracking in Nova Scotia
Jennifer West and Catherine Abreu talk about their work with NOFRAC, the Nova Scotia Fracking Resource and Action Coalition.
By Scott Neigh

This week's top rabbletv

Not Rex: Harper government should represent Canadians, not corporations
Canada Post's Deepak Chopra did the Dickens and chimed the death knell for Canada Post just before Christmas. But if we have the means to expand the post office, why isn't Harper doing it?
By Humberto DaSilva

This week's top books

'Savage 1986-2011': Adolescence, isolation and Macho Man Randy Savage
Nathaniel G. Moore's new book provides an accurate portrait of young adulthood complete with familial struggles, adolescent isolation and wrestling's Macho Man Randy Savage.
By Kathleen Yamazaki

In this issue

Upcoming events

LondonLondon Regional Social Forum planning meeting
All parties interested in participating in planning for the 2014 London Regional Social Forum can come out and take part in a discussion.
By London Regional Social Forum and Common Frontiers

KelownaPoet Don McKay - Free public reading
Canadian poet Don McKay will be one of the Visiting Scholars in 2014 sponsored by the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan.
By Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies UBC

VancouverMi'kmaq Warriors - West Coast Speaking Tour
Members of the Mi'kmaq Warriors Society who have been arrested and incarcerated will be on a speaking tour in January and February to raise awareness about their struggle against fracking.
By Various

This week's top in cahoots

Preventing occupational breast cancer
Exposure to pesticides, chemicals used and released in plastic manufacturing, and chemicals used for motor vehicle mechanical work may increase the risk of breast cancer.
By United Food and Commercial Workers

Union shares concerns with travel agents over Carnival Cruises
Travel agents are advised to act cautiously and responsibly by making their clients fully aware of the risks they may be taking if they decide to book with Carnival.
By United Steelworkers

CETA access denied, federal government refuses to disclose working text of Canada-EU deal
How is anyone expected to say yes or no to this EU deal if Ottawa is not prepared to release it publicly before CETA is signed, sealed and delivered?
By Council of Canadians

Open for Justice: Increasing corporate accountability in Canada
Those who have been harmed by Canadian mining operations overseas need to be able to seek justice in Canada.
By Inter Pares

Active babble topics

Destruction of science libraries
By chamberred

How will parties approach the legality of sex work after the Supreme Court decision?
By Unionist

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This week's top tool

Prisoner Correspondence Project
A support and letter-writing program for isolated queer and trans prisoners.

What do you think of the DFO library consolidation?

The recent consolidation of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) libraries from 11 to four resulted in a chaotic dumping of books and staff layoffs. Questions arose about the protocol that was followed during the consolidation -- if librarians and staff were able to secure unique documents -- and why this consolidation actually occurred.

The reasons for the consolidation given were low public access, digitization of materials and, of course, saving some money.

What do you think of the DFO library consolidation?

Choices It makes sense. Low attendance, digitizing materials, saving money seem like good reasons from Harper. Consolidation isn't the issue -- that happens. It's whether or not the government allowed librarians to conduct a thorough weeding process. This is terrible! Researchers use those libraries! Library use can't be assigned a uniform value, it's transformational! I don't know much about this situation, but it seems Harper is up to his usual tricks. None of the above.

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