Librarians and Archivists for Palestine

This summer, a delegation of 18 librarians, archivists, and other library workers will travel to Palestine:

copy-nablus-municipality-library-with-text-2The delegation, which has been in the works since the summer of 2002, is set to arrive in Palestine on June 22 and stay until the 5th of July. They write on their blog:

We will connect with our colleagues in library- and archive-related projects and institutions there, applying our experience in the form of skillshares and other types of joint work. We will travel as truth-seekers and information-skeptics, eager to dispense with the superficial and inaccurate portrayals of life in Palestine/Israel that we see in the west and to learn about the realities of life under occupation and settler colonialism. As library workers, we support access to information, and we recognize that this goes in more than one direction. Our trip will shed light on how Palestinian voices and information about Palestine reach us (or do not) and how Palestinians access (or cannot access) information.

Organizer Melissa Morrone, a public librarian in New York City, said, “Yes, we are fundraising! Anyone interested in contributing to offset our travel costs can go here: http://librarians2palestine.wordpress.com/donate/. We will appreciate any amount!”

You can find out more at their website, librarians2palestine.wordpress.com, including a rough schedule of the trip.