Welcome
to the Progressive Librarians Guild
Welcome to the home of the Progressive Librarians Guild! Here you'll be able to become a PLG member, see what chapters and members are up to, read our journal, access useful resources, and so much more! Don't forget to let us know how you're representing progressive librarianship in your community via the PLG listserv, Facebook, and Twitter.
News | Last updated
Statements on Gaza
11 November 2023 | PLG members wish to share statements released by library organizations and publishers calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
- Asian/Pacific American Library Association
- Librarians and Archivists with Palestine
- Social Responsibilities Round Table, ALA (This resolution is endorsed by SRRT Action Council. The resolution has not been approved by ALA Council.)
- Publishers for Palestine
2023 Braverman Award Winner Announced
23 August 2023 | Maggie Grabmeier, recently awarded her MLIS from the University of Wisconsin, is this year's winner of the Braverman Award for her essay "Out of Bounds: Sexual Harassment from Patrons in the Public Library." Read more about Maggie in her write up of her experience attending the ALA conference in Chicago.
2022 Braverman Award Winner Announced
7 August 2022 | The Progressive Librarians Guild's (PLG) Miriam Braverman Memorial Prize Committee is pleased to announce that Daniel Fisher from Western University is the 2022 winner of the Miriam Braverman Memorial Prize! Daniel's essay was titled "A Promised (but Ultimately Unreachable) Land" and his anticipated graduation date is June 2022. Fisher's essay presents a critical history of the concept of neutrality which Progressive Librarian fosters. He categorizes neutrality as "functionally impracticable" despite being a "touchstone of contemporary librarianship." As a case study, Fisher asserts that the selection of former President Obama as ALA's 2021 keynote speaker is at odds with its organizational values.
PLG Hiatus Status Announced
15 April 2022 | After considerable reflection and deliberation, PLG's current coordinating committee members have placed several PLG activities on hiatus until organizational responsibilities can be passed on to the next leadership group. Activities that will continue include: Braverman essay contest; listserv; Union Library Worker blog; PLG's website, including the archive of all issues of Progressive Librarian. For details see the April 2022 letter sent to members.
Prison Education Programs Resource List
3 November 2021 | Building on the energy and work within the field of Library and Information Science, increased focus and solidarity with incarcerated people must be an integral aspect of larger renewed calls for racial justice and equity. This list provides information on higher education programs operating in state correctional institutions. This list is intended as a resource for librarians, faculty and students looking to get involved in prison/prisoner advocacy; a tool in conversations re: how libraries (your library) can support social justice efforts; and useful information for friends, family and support systems of incarcerated people.
