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COTR Museia to feature award-winning researcher
As filmmaker Michael Moore once said, “I really didn’t realize that librarians were, you know, such a dangerous group. They are subversive. You think they are just sitting there at the desk, all quiet and everything. They’re like plotting the revolution, man.”
Mike Selby, Deputy Director of the Cranbrook Public Library, knows this truth well. On June 18, he will discuss his award-winning research on Freedom Libraries as part of College of the Rockies’ Museia Lecture Series.
The presentation will take place from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the College’s Cranbrook Campus’ main Lecture Theatre (Room KC250). Pre-registration is required.
“Libraries are in the crossfire yet again, as conservative groups mount a historic number of challenges to books to remove from public bookshelves literature dealing with race, racism and LGBTQ identity,” Selby said. “The book-ban campaigns have turned so nasty that some librarians have lost or left their jobs. But this is not the first time library workers have faced anger.”
While completing his Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) at the University of Alabama, Selby discovered the largely untold story of Freedom Libraries – grassroots libraries established in the American South during the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement. These libraries provided access to African Americans who were barred from public libraries.
“Freedom Libraries were created and staffed by people who faced beatings, bombings, and even murder – all to ensure others could read a library book,” Selby said.
Having published over 900 newspaper articles – many exploring libraries during the Civil Rights era, Selby offers a compelling, deeply informed perspective on the enduring power and necessity of free access to information.
Don’t miss Selby’s powerful presentation on the hidden history of libraries as sites of resistance and justice. Preregister today for The Freedom Libraries, taking place on June 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the College’s Cranbrook Campus main Lecture Theatre.
Learn more and register at cotr.ca/events.
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College of the Rockies
