Occupy Wall Street and The People’s Library

I learned a few weeks ago (Yes, I know I’m long overdue for a post. Don’t fine me!), that Occupy Wall Street has a library! If I were opposed to the movement, I would be scared pants-less. Libraries belong to communities, and OWS has definitely established itself as a community that does not intend to leave until it sees the country change for the better.

Unfortunately, the NYPD has repeatedly destroyed the library. That’s right; in twenty-first-century America, books are still being destroyed as a way

The People's Library of the Occupy Wall Street Movement has very flexible hours.

to control the population. The People’s Library of the Movement (also referred to as Library 3.0 because it has been destroyed and resurrected twice thus far) has been collecting poetry about the protests, legal reference works, and books about past revolutions, as well anything a kind donor brings or sends to the collection. You can check out their collection on LibraryThing.

The library is a living, breathing entity that is doing its best to serve a community with specific needs. Being a librarian is difficult enough when your work is paid and sheltered from the elements. Imagine being a volunteer librarian in a makeshift shelter in constant fear of the police. Occupy Librarians and Library Volunteers, I salute you.

Presently, the library is entirely mobile as a way to protect it from city officials looking to destroy it. Librarians are currently using carts to ferry books to and from the protest site until a better solution is found. If you would like to help, the People’s Library needs volunteers, reading and reference materials, storage containers, and shelter material.