<
https://theconversation.com/the-state-library-of-victoria-is-in-crisis-is-it-time-to-rethink-how-libraries-are-governed-228903>
"The State Library of Victoria, founded in 1854, is one of the most visited
libraries in the world. And right now it is in the middle of a crisis.
Leading Australian authors such as Grace Yee, Michelle de Kretser and Tony
Birch have resolved to no longer work with the library – unless its leaders
demonstrably change course. Library staff, too, have been strongly critical of
management; its head of audience engagement has resigned.
Public disputes between staff and managers have happened before, but the
current controversy is unusual in its scale and intensity. Unusual, too, is the
boycott by respected authors, who have hitherto been among the library’s most
natural allies and partners.
The dispute began with the decision to cancel or postpone (both verbs are
contested) a program of “Teen Bootcamp” workshops – funded by the Serp Hills
Foundation and the JTM Foundation – for young writers. The library had engaged
six authors, including Jinghua Qian, Omar Sakr, Alison Evans and Ariel Slamet
Ries, to conduct the workshops.
On social media and elsewhere, the writers had voiced their support for the
Palestinian people in the face of Israel’s full-scale invasion of Gaza.
The writers have since written an open letter asking the library to better
explain its decision. Hundreds of people have signed the open letter, and more
than 100 staff have written to Paul Duldig, the library’s CEO, condemning the
cancellation or deferral of the workshops.
Jinghua Qian labelled the conduct of library management “breathtaking” and
“disgusting”. Journalist Tony Walker placed the dispute in a wider pattern of
intimidation, preventing “free and respectful speech” inside public
institutions.
In response to the criticism, library management defended the workshop decision
as “apolitical”. Meanjin editor Esther Anatolitis tweeted in reply, “There is
no such thing as an apolitical cultural institution”.
A boycott, open letters, petitions, resignations: these are definitive evidence
something has gone wrong with the library."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
