San Francisco . . . We Back in Business Baby!

So we have landed back in SF.


After a delightful, debonair departure of 2 months, from the ole SF base, and crikey, it looks like you missed us San Francisco, as even though 1 in every 4000 of you good citizens is already a carded-up member of our library, we've already had people bangin' on the door to get the poor Librarian outta the bed she just got in to (and which aint even hers) to kick start the SF Library programme all over again. Sheesh. Give the girl a break! Or not. Not to worry, as we are already on the case, and sorting out our latest SF installation venues, so you can look forward to another session at the library very soon. It is looking more than likely that we will be able to reprise our highly irregularly regular weekly installation slot at The Marsh Theatre cafe, and we also hope to start up a new similarly styled slot at Frankenart mart, as well as our habitual mix of off-the-cuff up-outta-nowhere Library By Stealth^p™ versions which you'll need to check back here to find out about, as per The Way We Work!

We do, however, already have one first date for your library diary, which is:

The 2nd Annual Gandhi Birthday Poems & Performances For Peace hosted by Diamond Dave Whitaker and Arnie Passman. The event also features poetry, music, and dance, and you can come sign up for the open mic. It's all at the Gandhi statue, east of the Ferry Building (Embarcadero at Market). It is also all free. As we are too. Sunday 30th September, 1-6pm.

Come Join Before We Travel On^p™!

In the meantime, while you whittle down the hours until we launch into San Francisco Library mayhem, here are some visual treats . . .


The statue commemorating Canadian soldiers in past conflicts at the old Canadian Pacific Railway station in Gastown, Vancouver BC


The Vancouver BC water and skyline



Time-lapsed while we waited for a BC bus late one early Canadian morn


Graffiti & Mural art: Vancouver BC style




Our Library - minus Librarian - installed at The Gaff Gallery


While the San Francisco Center For the Book [sic American spelling pah!] . . .


. . . this weekend held a Steamroller lino cut and print party


which produced these cool . . .


. . . lino prints!

Sweet! We ♥ SF!

Where's The Library in Vancouver 3.0 ?

Another one just in and confirmed folks . . .

The Library & Itinerant Poetry Librarian will be stationed at the sleeky . . .


. . . Six Acres, on Wednesday 29th August from 6pm until the witching hour AKA midnight. Hustle on over to get your library card and partake in the only open public library in Vancouver! It's at 203 Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2J2

View Larger Map

We'll also mention here, as we got so caught up in actual library installations in Seattle that we didn't get a chance to previously, that The Seattle Post Intelligencer newspaper put our Itinerant Poetry Librarian on the front page of their Arts Section as Seattle was so down with the Library programme. You can read their article here


Librarian in situ in Seattle
Image © Grant M. Haller / P-I

This also then meant the story hop-skip-jumped its way round the internewfangledelectronicwebthing so that at one point it was on the front page of Librarian and Information Science News. Our Librarian nearly fell off her chair in excitement . . . it was her library dream come true. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

Meanwhile, since we appear to be on the subject of press blah de blah, we notice that the hour and a half interview we participated in with Frank Moore

on his internet radio show Shaman's Den on Luver FM has just been archived, so if you missed the live transmission, or indeed the video stream on Berkeley Cable TV, then the mp3 file is here. We babble on about poetry, our project, libraries, digital audio archives and much more!.

Where's The Library in Vancouver 2.0 ?

A Vancouver citizen suffers from
Public-Library-Withdrawal-Syndrome
The public service strike is still on . . .
so Vancouver Public Libraries are still closed.

The Itinerant Poetry Librarian To The Rescue!

More library venues just in chickadees!

As well as:

Spartacus Books from Wednesday (22nd) through Friday (24th) this week, 10am - 6pm


View Larger Map

we've also just scored



The Regional Assembly of Text, a gallery, shop, event, workshop space all geared to producing, distributing and celebrating...the word! Huzzah! They are celebrating their second birthday on Saturday, so we're proud to present . . . The Itinerant Poetry Librarian In The Window Display! We'll be staring out the pavement hordes and daring them to come in and sign up to the library from 1pm - 6pm on Saturday 25th August, so come along and Join Before We Travel On!™

Our plan is to also then join the entertainment fun, and provide a library service for the party celebrations taking place round the back. So, expect more library mayhem from 6pm onwards if you've an invite!

The Regional Assembly of Text is at 3934 Main Street, Vancouver BC V5V 3P2, Canada yup. Here's a map:


View Larger Map

This means we've jumped to The Gaff Gallery courtesy of the great Gabriel on Tuesday August 28th from 1pm - 7pm

Here's a map for them too:


View Larger Map

Meanwhile, we're waiting to hear back from 6 Acres who may have us on Wednesday 29th August...stay tuned for details, and in the meantime, don't forget we can come to you: need a library on Sunday (26) or Monday (27) or possibly Wednesday (29)? Just email us to ask if our Librarian can come to you! We look forward to signing you up!

Meanwhile, in-between locating venues, our intrepid Librarian walked the sights of the city and this is what she found:


Power


More Power


The kinda milk we lika da drink!


We walked round aboot


And more aboot


And even more aboot (it was a long library locatin' kinda day)




Caught this cool graffiti


Oh yeah. And the day we arrived, we got on a bus, which then 'hit' a bentley. Or at least nearly. So then we had to get off the bus. And find another one.

Blimey. Public Service strikes, Bentley bashes, awesome art galleries: There's some vacillation going on in Vancouver, thatsawhattawesay.

Where's The Library in Vancouver?

First up: it's the smashing, super Spartacus Books, who say about themselves:

"Since 1973, Spartacus Books is a non-profit, volunteer & collectively run bookstore & resource center located right on the edge of Vancouver's Eastside. The store has been successfully run for over 33 years by a collective of volunteers.

Please come use our safe and inclusive space to:

* read in peace on the couches
* use the free computers and internet connection
* chat and network with diverse and interesting folks
* learn about and advertise your upcoming events
* buy books, zines and parapharnelia relating to struggles against classism, racism, sexism, war, corporate greed, environmental destruction, and other institutional atrocities
* attend movie nights, poetry readings, and many other unusual and often artsy community happenings
* host an event of your own!"

As they are a collective, we're including the caveat here that we managed to ask 2 people at the space who agreed they would like to host the library: but they have to get the word around to everyone to ask for permission also. But. We and the 2 people we spoke to think that everyone else is going to agree. . . as our project chimes with the ethos of Spartacus so well. So! All going well, we'll be installed at Spartacus on:

Wednesday 22nd, Thursday 23rd & Friday 24th August from 10 am until 6pm.

They are located at: 319 West Hastings, Vancouver, BC V6B 1H6, Coast Salish Territory, Canada.

Here's a map to get you to us.

Followed by:



The Gaff Gallery, who say about themselves:

"The Gaff Gallery is an independent space for art exhibitions, movie screenings, music and other events. Located in the artistically vibrant Strathcona neighborhood. The Gaff is a hub of creative activity in a culturally diverse area. The gallery is owned by Gabriel Deerman and operated by a volunteer staff.

The gallery is open to curatorial proposals and personal submissions of images.

We also offer coffee and grilled cheese sandwiches for your satisfaction."

The Gaff Gallery is at: 684 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 1R1, Canada. Here's a map to get you to us.

We'll be installed at The Gaff Gallery on:

Tuesday August 28th from 1pm - 7pm

You know what we think . . . Come Join Before We Travel On!

Get Your Library Books In The Here And Fragile Now . . .

To The Library And Beyond! Hurray!

Library Arrives in Vancouver . . . Just In The Nick Of Time

Talk about timing.

Well. We're here to save (some of) the day!

For all you Vancouver citizens currently suffering Library withdrawal - perhaps we can ease your need?

We'll be up and running ASAP ... we're just locating our Vancouver library venues right now

We'll post up the locations as they come in. Stay tuned for details folks!

Here's some of the info on why the Public Libraries of Vancouver are closed, from Union Librarian blog and The Vancouver Sun newspaper.