The Itinerant Poetry Library

Since May 2006, The Itinerant Poetry Librarian has been travelling the world with a library of ‘Lost & Forgotten’ poetry, installing the library & librarian and archiving the sounds, poems and poetry of the cities, peoples and countries she meets. Welcome to the project's blog . . . Our Itinerant Poetry Librarian lives wherever her library is - come join the cause!

FAQs: • Yes we carry our entire life and the library with us as we go • Yes, it is quite heavy • No, we're not mad. As Charles Simic said, 'But what if poets are not crazy?' That's the spirit boyo!

We exist to: remind people of the importance of free public libraries...subvert mainstream channels of distribution...remind people that access to knowledge should be free and not dependent upon economic wealth hierarchies... show people that poetry/art can provide answers to questions we ask of life...experiment in existing outside of 'the market' – thereby, instead, investing in social capital, social innovation and community.

We aim to make life taste better. Word.

Where have we been . . . ?

(2006) Amsterdam, Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Munich, Paris, Barcelona, London, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Norwich, York, Antwerp, (2007-2008) San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Leipzig, (2009) Ulm, Chemnitz, Rotterdam, Huntingdon, Callander, (2010) Cork, St. Andrews . . . Where'd you like us to go? Can you help? Get in touch!

What We Are Up To Right Now . . .

Archive

Wednesday 28 January 2009

"When I write, I aim in my mind not toward New York but toward a vague spot a little to the east of Kansas. I think of the books on library shelves, without their jackets, years old, and a countryish teenaged boy finding them, and having them speak to him."

R.I.P. John Updike, 18 March 1932 – 27 January 2009

Tuesday 4 November 2008

Bibliothek 5.0

Don't forget!

Heute, Dienstag Nov. 04, Die Kassette cafe, Demmering Str. 23, 17:00–22:00 hrs
Google map: http://tinyurl.com/wherelibrary6

Mittwoch Nov 05, Schriebmaschinen cafe, Gutsmuthsstraße 47, 20:00-24:00 hrs
http://tinyurl.com/wherelibrary8
NOTE After consultation with our beautiful leftbankish Schriebmaschinen VPLs we've extended our every Wednesday hours until Midnight [ah, the witching hour...wha-ah-ah-ah {evil laugh}]

Donnerstag, Nov 06, MZIN, Paul Gruner Straße 64, 13:00-18:00 hrs
http://tinyurl.com/wherelibrary5

And...Coming Soon...



Yes, yes, we've not written anything for ages...

That's because it's all too exciting but we'll report back soon, as for a start there's some seriously astonishingly exhilarating new statistics in the Top of the Library Membership Chart to let you know about.

Right, back to the Library chaps! Tally-ho!

Sunday 5 October 2008

Q: What happens when you combine a Bibliothek, DJ HausBitch, und die Schreibmaschinen?

A: A hungover Librarian who can't see the keyboard for the keys: but still has fragments of MGMT, Feist & Ella Fitzgerald swimming in her head from a marathon 4 hour DJ session. She blipped, do you? Blip.fm/librarian

88INOTHERNEWS8888INOTHERNEWS8888INOTHERNEWS88



SCHREIBMASCHINEN-CAFE is GO!

The plan: Jeden Mittwoch kiddies.

We'll trial our first week with an 8-10pm session, starting this week, and discuss with our patrons/soon-to-be VPLs extending and shifting hours as the weeks extend by...since, as we believe we clearly state in our Library Basic Beliefs and Core Purposes, as well as Guiding Principles, we "view the Library as a dynamic system requiring continuous evaluation and adjustment in order to provide the flexibility to accommodate changing geo-spatial, existential, post-structural and individual Member and Designated Library Authority demands"

because by...

"Recognising that learning and life resources can consist of a broad and expanding array of traditional and contemporary tools ranging from basic scrawled or nearly illegible handwritten texts such as that which the Designated Library Authority's mother produces as a medical Dr, through to printed text and digital electronic media and formats we can not yet articulate, the Library exists as a structure which enables it to provide the most comprehensive, efficient, flexible and Fluxible integrated resources and services"

and so...

"The Library offers point-of-use instruction, personal assistance and hindrance when required, in conducting research in the Library and accessing the Library at all times when it is open at convenient and inconvenient hours and locations except when it is conveniently closed."

Similarly, our clear Staff Anal Retention Policies underscore this same commitment:

"The Library Staff shall be organised in a way that permits easy and rapid communication for the interchange of ideas.

The Library Staff shall consist of one.

This one shall be known as a Library Officer or Librarian."

So here's TIPL herself with the news...



And a bit about the place itself "Dieser macht in der Guts-Muths-Straße 47 in Leipzig ein Schreibmaschinen-Café. Im Eingangsbereich des Cafés stehen in einem Regal zahlreiche Schreibmaschinen, die mensch sich zum schreiben mit in das Café nehmen kann. Jeden Mittwoch Abend ist das Café dann geöffnet und es werden Schreibmaschinen-Sessions gemacht. Das heißt, dass sich die Leute zusammensetzen und schreiben, dabei ein Getränk zu sich nehmen, sich austauschen, reden, abgucken und sich von der Umgebung inspirieren lassen. Oft finden auch spontan Schreib-Sessions statt." From the blog aergernis

What this does also mean is that we're flexibly fluctuating on over at Die Kassette - as you may recall we've been Jeden Mittwoch-ing there, and, obviously despite apparent appearances to the contrary, we do not currently operate the facility to exist in two places at exactly the same time. Note we say currently, as this is something we're working towards, heh.

Here's TIPL again with that news...


So, all in all it goes like this:

Jeden Dienstag @ Die Kassette * Oktober 7 & 14 --> 15:00-20:00 hrs * ab Oktober 21 --> 17:00-22:00hrs
Map: http://www.tinyurl.com/wherelibrary6

und

Jeden Mittwoch @ SCHREIBMASCHINEN-CAFE * ab Oktober 8 --> 20:00-22:00 hrs.
Wo zur Hölle ist ...? Gutsmuthsstraße 47, 04177 Leipzig: Germany, Alles klar! Map link: http://tinyurl.com/wherelibrary8


View Larger Map

And finally,

**INOTHERlibraryNEWS**INOTHERlibraryNEWS**INOTHERlibraryNEWS**

We've been signing up Leipzig bodies like, er, a serial librarian! Mitt our grand gummistempeltechnik! This means that . . .

Heilige Scheisse!

Not only has Leipzig zoomed past Amsterdam, in the top-of-the-library-pops membership chart . . .



. . . but with the latest library action on the go this week, we dare say that by the end of the woch you'll have jumped straight into the Top 5! Blimey! We can't wait to find out...stay tuned for details kids!