#Death of Public Libraries

[karliahs]

The average public library is not only a provider of the latest Anne Enright or Julia Donaldson: it is now an informal citizens advice bureau, a business development centre, a community centre and a mental health provider. It is an unofficial Sure Start centre, a homelessness shelter, a literacy and foreign language-learning centre, a calm space where tutors can help struggling kids, an asylum support provider, a citizenship and driving theory test centre, and a place to sit still all day and stare at the wall, if that is what you need to do, without anyone expecting you to buy anything. [...] The trouble comes when libraries – and the underpaid, overstretched people who work in them – start to become sole providers for all these things: when years of cost-cutting mean that the state has effectively reneged on all but the most unavoidable of its responsibilities to the troubled, the poor, the educationally challenged, the lonely, the physically unwell, the lost or the homeless. “We risk becoming a social care safety net,” said Nick Poole, the outgoing CEO of the library association Cilip, and “our staff are not clinical staff”.

[bibliosauruswrecks]

Act 372 goes into effect a week from today. The injunction hearing is going on right now.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried.

It hurts that my livelihood is being attacked this way. It hurts that the job I love has become so hated that people feel the need to send us death threats. It hurts that colleges are adding classes to their library science programs to teach future librarians how to deal with public ridicule and harassment.

But I think what hurts the most is all the people saying we deserve it.

We deserve to be scared. We deserve to lose our jobs. We deserve to go to jail. We deserve to have our lives ruined. We deserve to be publicly harassed and stalked. We deserve death threats.

Think about that.

Librarians deserve death threats.

And ask yourself “How did we get here?”

[detroitlib]

From our stacks: Cover detail from Cheating Death. H. R. F. Keating. The Mysterious Press, 1992. Jacket design by Diane Luger. Jacket illustration by Earl Kelleny.

[thanatoseyes]

My paired down list of spirit work and death magic. (Obviously this is what works for me and I'm kind of a picky person when I aquire written work)

Physical Media:

Cunning Words: A Grimoire of Tales and Magic by Marshall WSL (This one I pre-ordered and haven't gotten through the whole text but it's a good read. It incorporates the art of story telling with distinct spells and magic. I think it's very unique but I wouldn't recommend it unless you want something with flavor)

Riding the Bones by the three little sisters (this one is an anthology of particular practices from different walks of life pertaining to death and transition. I've only read a few of the stories but for what it's worth I think its good insight)

Botanical Curses and Poisons by Fez Inkwright (I only list this because it's always good to know what's good and bad for you. Know what can kill you and you can probably avoid it)

The Bones Fall in A Spiral by Mortellus (again I've mentioned this before but I think this is a good work for someone getting into the field and needs someone that's direct and experienced in what they do. One of my favorites.

Consorting with Spirits by Jason Miller (I feel like this is a staple of the craft and while I personally don't connect with the material it works and it has some good points)

Metamorphosis by Ovid (I think it's always necessary to deal with primary texts. Go with the classics. Ovid has a beautiful way of writing and you get to really understand the stories and myths that spirits of the dead living etc are connected to and if you do any deity work I highly recommend it.)

Of Blood and Bone by Kate Freuler (I have mixed views on this one. some of the stuff is informative and it provides some good spells, but it lacks transparency and depth. I find Mortellus book far more student minded.)

The complete language of flowers by S. Theresa Dietz (if you work with the dead, deities, spirits or hey plant spirits. Chances are you've come across Victorian flower language. I use this book as a reference guide for symbolism/folklore/ and as a way to connecting with spirits)

Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes (hey no library is complete without an encyclopedia. I personally like this one because it's very indepth without being too overwhelming. Not sure where to go? Just pick up this book and you can do more indepth research later. It's what it's there for. Reference guides are one of my favorites.)

Okay that's it for my physical media.

I also have a list of digital copies I keep.

Morbid Magic by Tomàs Prower (I think if you buy any book from this collection buy this one. It gives you an over all guide of most death practices around the world)

Historical:

Death, Dissection and the Destitute by Ruth Richardson

The Work of the Dead by Thomas W. Laqueur.

(I list these because they are a good source guide to how we treated the dead and spirits in the past. It's always important we learn from those that came before us.)

Greek Customs: (if you're going to do any type of work with Greek chthonic deities I suggest these three articles/books. I'm not saying its mandatory but these are very helpful guides to understanding ancient thought and how to bring them into today.)

Burial Customs, The Afterlife and the Pollution of Death in ancient Greece by Francois Pieter Retief and Louise Cilliers (free on research gate)

Underworld Gods in Ancient Greek Religion Death and Reciprocity by Ellie Mackin Roberts

Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion Volume 1 by Andrej Petrovic and Ivana Petrovic (this one's my personal favorite)

[ashtons-lemon-tree]

when hozier's ass got you out here requesting death of a salesman from your public library

it's cause of the line from nobody's soldier that everyone on tiktok's using for their blorbo edits currently; / I don't wanna choose between being a salesman or a solider /

and my brain taking and going salesman -> death of a salesman? cause ik that dude likes to reference literary shit. granted this one, I'm pretty certain it'll be a dud.

also haven't listened to the song outside of the bit from tiktok so shall be doing that before the book arrives at me library branch

[minglana]

now who thought it was a good idea to make a library meant for studying and put giant tables but only put electrical outlets on the walls😐

[denimshortsdean]

god they have got to stop taking away public spaces where you can get out of the heat/sit down and not fucking pay to be there

[neonphoenix]

Hate the number of people I know who just want to leave the US because of xyz political issues that don't exist in the imaginary other country they hope to move to. Not One of these people ever puts in the leg work to make the world around them better (at least one isn't even registered to vote) and it is literally the height of privilege to think you can just go live somewhere else where someone else has made everything work without doing anything to participate in your community first.

[whosebob]

Every time you reply to an email, there’s a good chance of provoking a reply to that email, which itself may require another reply, and so on and so on, until the heat death of the universe

Life Is Short. What Are You Going to Do About That? - The New York Times

[sollucets]

im in a library in a city i've never been to half an hour out from home on two hours of sleep but i got a start on my next prompt so it's okay(?)

[detroitlib]

From our stacks: "Death symbols for the devil dance in a hidden temple of Mongolia. Over the ceremonies performed during the festival of Tsam broods the melancholy influence of death, for the celebration marks the end of summer, the autumn season of death in the fields. Everything possible is done to emphasize the presence of the god of death. Mongolia is a land where the priesthood flourishes, and the Lamas are the performers in the drama that is enacted on this occasion. Of the strange masks and head-dresses worn by the priests for the Tsam dances many have a direct bearing on the actual ritual as well as some association with spirits of the underworld. In this group of Lamas at the monastery of Usersky Dazan it will be noticed that the decoration of some of the head-dresses takes the form of human skulls. W. Pudovkin," From Manners and Customs of Mankind. An Entirely New Pictorial Work of Great Educational Value Describing the Most Fascinating Side of Human Life. Edited by J. A. Hammerton. Over Fifteen Hundred Photographic Illustrations from All over the World - and twenty-Seven Plates in Color. Volume One. London: The Amalgamated Press, Ltd., n.d. (c193-?)

[milkshakes-and-poetry]

Perhaps I was wrong, for writing about death is intriguing but love will remain a poet’s best friend.

[makingdonalddrumpfagain]

[hamsterdiaries]

oh yeah, i finished reading eileen by ottessa moshfegh. i enjoyed how weird it was and a certain appreciate for eileen, so i picked up a couple other books by her. returned the other books i got at the same time as eileen cause i wasn’t feeling them as much and just wanted to keep reading stuff.

what i have checked out from the library right now:

my year of rest and relaxation - ottessa moshfegh

death in her hands - ottessa moshfegh

downeast: five maine girls and the unseen story of rural america - gigi georges

the madwomens ball - victoria mas; translated from french by frank wynne

i also renewed devotions by mary oliver so i could keep dipping in and out of it. the other night i decided to read the first chapter of every book i got and it actually feels good for my brain to be reading a couple books at once. thinking i might go and spend time in the library again tomorrow.

[smbhax]

“Man stands on top of enormous pile of buffalo skulls; another man stands in front of pile with his foot resting on a buffalo skull; rustic cage is at foot of pile. Handwritten on back: ‘C.D. 1892 Glueworks, office foot of 1st St., works at Rougeville, Mich.’”

“LD/Industries & business houses-Michigan Carbon Works”

Detroit Public Library - Burton Historical Collection