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!

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!

Wo ist die Bibliothek in Leipzig 3.0?

We'll be amongst the blooms and Gothic, so come on over!

Wo/Where?
saltoflorale * Katharinenstraße 11 * 04109 Leipzig *

Wann/When
Samstag 13.09.2008 * 14:00-18:00 hrs



saltoflorale
Katharinenstr. 11
04109 Leipzig
Tel.: 03 41 / 1 49 89 23
E-Mail: info@saltoflorale-leipzig.de


View Larger Map

Wo ist die Bibliothek in Leipzig 2.0?

vom Regal Die Kassette

We are delighted to announce that the next library will be at
Die Kassette.



Thanks to all the peeps who threw us the tip [& Die Kassette for takin' a likin' to us immediamente]. We are very excited as we think this place is a very natural home from home for us, and so look forward to establishing a highly irregularly regular Library relationship forthwith. In the meantime, you can catch our first one . . .

Wann/When ?
Mittwoch / Wednesday 10.09.2008 * 15:00 - 20:00 hrs *

Wo/Where ?
Demmeringstrasse 23
04177 Leipzig—Lindenau

Was Das I 'ear you say or Was ist hier los?

Es it . . .

"Die Kassette

HEUTE LECKER TORTE

In der Demmeringstraße in Leipzig-Lindenau ist mit DIE KASSETTE ein Laden, in dem die über die Jugend hinaus aufgestaute Leidenschaft für das MIXTAPE ausgelebt werden darf.

DIE KASSETTE bietet einen Raum an, in dem die Wände von TAPES geschmückt sind und weiterhin es sich natürlich bei Kaffee, täglich frischem Kuchen, Sekt oder Bier gemütlich gemacht werden darf.

Das Konzept ist der TAUSCH, und so ist DIE KASSETTE ein doppelt analoger Ort des Musikaustausches, des Treffens und des Timekillings
(bei Tageszeitungen und Magazinen).

Neben dem fröhlichen Nutzen von iTunes und Netzwerken wie mySpace sind wir glücklich einen Ort zu präsentieren, der den Liebhaber_innen des guten alten MIXTAPES und gutem Kaffee eine willkommene Abwechslung sein wird!"

Seein' as our German is a-comin' along, but not that great, we took the opportunity in this world-wide-wonderful-web-o-sphere to try a bitta translation engine software. We rather like the results! Here's what the machines think the above says:

"The Cartridge

TODAY LECKER CAKE

In the Demmeringstrasse in Leipzig Lindenau is also THE CARTRIDGE a shop, in that the passion for that, accumulated beyond the youth MIXTAPE to be realized may.

THE CARTRIDGE offers an area, in that the walls of TAPES are decorated and further naturally with coffee, daily fresh cake, sparkling wine or beer cosy to make itself may.

The concept is that EXCHANGE, and like that is THE CARTRIDGE similar place of the music exchange, the meeting and the Timekillings doubles (with daily papers and magazines).

Apart from the merry use of iTunes and we are to be presented to networks like mySpace lucky a place, that the Liebhaber_innen of the good old MIXTAPES and good coffee a welcome alternation will be!"

Rad. Time killings, beer cosies and daily fresh cake on the walls. It sounds like some interesting wallpaper. . . wait a minute . . .



Sweeeeeeeeet!

And chez nous, la bibliotheque, well whaddya waitin' for?


View Larger Map

Here is a Die Kassette infovid if you'd like to know more [recommended you understand German, if not, look at the nice images!]

See you at the library - the music's on [around] us!

Where's the Library in Leipzig?

In case you hadn't noticed . . .



We made it to Leipzig!

So, where's the Library in Leipzig?

First up, we're at the brand-spanking-new
mzin graphic design, pop + streetculture
shop - gallery - studio



Wann/When?
Donnerstag/Thursday 04.09.2008 * 13:00 - 18:00 hrs

Wo/Where?
paul-gruner-straße 64

You can catch the tram 10 + 11 -> station: hohe straße / bus 89 -> station: robert-schumann-straße

You can also mail 'em if you need to.


View Larger Map


Then, we'll be out and about @ SPINNEREI initially c/o Café Mule . . .




Wann/When?
Samstag/Saturday 06.09.2008 * 14:00 - 18:00 hrs

Wo/Where?
mule - cafe/garten, spinnereistraße 7


View Larger Map

You can also mail 'em if you need to.

Not bad for a day's library-locatin' we say. 'Nuff said.

Leipzig,
We look forward to reaching the parts other libraries have yet to reach!

***Today's library announcement comes with special Leipzig thanks to Simone, Leif & Suzanne***

Word.

Redhill Books Renegade Library kicks in to touch!

We're delighted to announce that we recently struck another voluble agreement in the highly irregularly regular library installation stakes, with the ravishingly redolent Redhill Books on Cortland Avenue.

This means that every Monday until we blow this joint, all you Valued Patrons of the Library [VPLs] -as well as you lovely Valued Non Patrons we've yet to meet- can come and get some weekly library love if this is your area.

Redhill you say, aint that a cool bookshop kinda like Dogeared and Phoenix? Yup. And not only that, but founder of all three bookshops, Kate, just happens to be a VPL who signed up back in 2007 on over at Dogeared Books, during our library installation at their regular reading series Babble On...here's what Redhill has to say for its self: "Named after Bernal's communist past, Red Hill has been experiencing a growth spurt to accommodate the store's big ideas. The small space nearly tripled in size and is poised to become not only a hub for great books but for community events like art openings, book clubs and writing groups." Or, indeed, a free travelling library of "lost & forgotten' poetry we dare say.

Don't forget Mission VPLs have Fridays, 4-10pm at The Marsh on Valencia, and Inner Richmondites gotsa Sundays, 1-6pm at the fruity Frankenart Mart at 515 Balboa...

...Hang on a ssssec, we feel some library stats coming on...what with Redhill Books in the bag, that means, you wonderful, whimsical "27,414" winning "San Franciscans" -are you a winner?- have officially got 15 hours a week of free travelling library experience in tha house. Word.

So come on down, and especially down, to our newest kid on the block:

Every Monday from 3 - 7pm! The Itinerant Poetry Librarian at Redhill Books!

Where's Redhill Books you say?

Why it's at 401 Cortland Avenue. In other words, here . . .


View Larger Map

****

Stop Press Special

Saturday 19th April from 6.30pm onwards we're giving an introductory Library talk and installing the Library at Redhill Books ready to rock on into our coming up Monday session . . . Come Join B4 We Travel On Yo!

****

Meanwhile, Library-life has rioted. We've got words, pictures, video, audio, tales of renegading the Naughty Librarians Convention and much, much more. We shall meet again soon! Here's a sneak preview:

Frankenart Mart . . . Get Your Weekly Library Love!

We're delighted to announce that the Fab-U-lo-so-so frickin' cool gallery Frankenart Mart in the Inner Richmond district have decided they would be honoured to host one free travelling library of 'lost & forgotten' poetry, since they had such fun with us and the one-off installation we did back in June '07 - before we nipped off to other climes and climates North American.

We say . . . damn right!

So. We like 'em so much we're going to don our highly irregularly regular hat and aim to turn up and install our Library & Itinerant Poetry Librarian there pretty much EVERY Sunday we have left here. Yes. We said have left, since come December folks, we're hip-hop-skip-jumping back to that place known as the European Union, so that the folks that joined there in 2006 can get a chance to get their library borrowing privileges back. So, you'd best come along and borrow the rest of our stock you'd yet to get your hands on in the first place when you came and joined, or come along and sign up if you aint been yet, plus the plethora of newly acquisitioned items from Portland, Seattle & Vancouver that came our way in July and August will be out in the collection too.



So look out for us starting this Sunday, 16th September, from 1-6pm. We're then there pretty much every Sunday from 1 - 6pm until December unless we write otherwise (for starters on Sunday September 30th we'll be at the Gandhi Birthday Celebration event with the Library rather than here, just so you know!)

Here's a map to get you to us:


View Larger Map

To the Library and Beyond! Tally-ho!

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?

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.

Seattle Joins the Library. Librarian Joins Teenagers For A Free Meal. Sweet.

So. We have been installed at the raucous, righteous Richard Hugo House these last few days.

Raucous, cos the House is hosting its annual teen scribe event, which has meant a gaggle or group or we thinks cacophony of teenagers, hanging out round the corner from us and scribbling away all week in their notebooks a series of words which appear to be shock horror awfully like poetry. Ye gads. It's infecting us all! We had nothing to do with it . . . honest guv'nor. Mostly we've been ignored by the posse, except for the lovely young lady called Marcy who wandered over finally today to check out what this weird thing in the corner might be. So we promptly signed her up. She then dug the library enough to go off and find her own chair, which she then pulled over to us, borrowed an item from today's selection out on our table, and proceeded to sit and read. And since these guys get fed everyday our librarian has been getting a feed too. Alright! Four members on Friday makes it a medium day, except for what happened next:

Richard Hugo House also houses . . .



. . ZAPP the awesome zine library, which means that it's the kind of place our highly irregularly regular library member, Simone from Leipzig (who joined in Portland last month - see our previous blog posts for details) would more than likely want to check out. And just as we're packing up and telling Jesse on reception about our biggest library fan, who should walk in the door . . . but Simone. All the way from Portland. Who decided to visit ZAPP and then happened to check our blog on her way over to the House and discovered . . . her favourite library was also there! That's what we call Library Karma. And we love it. Nice one Simone.

Wednesday & Thursday at the House were much more chaotic, and saw us sign up 9 and 8 members respectively to the library, including a good number of the good folks who work there, as well as acquisitioning a new library item, after running through our Acquisition Policy with the chap who donated the item, while informing him that the Library's "Policies of selection, retention, disposal, misplacement and deterioration reflect the current state of the world."

Both days also caught us dealing with one of the basic ByeByeLaws of the library, namely #5a, which we'll take the opportunity to quote from ourselves here:
"5. Except with the consent of a library officer, no person shall:

a) who is offensively clean in person or in dress, or who is suffering from an offensive disease or hairstyle, enter or use the library."

It seems that Seattle does appear to suffer from an overpreponderance of offensive hairstyles.

We've caught two of you, blatantly out and about in the open, and attempting to gain library membership, which was given and then immediately withdrawn on the basis of said offensive hair. We then made you alter your hairstyles to what we deemed were mildly inoffensive variations upon the follicle theme, rescinded the ban and re-admitted you to the library. We're quite worried as we have a WHOLE ANOTHER WEEK to go in Seattle, and at this rate. Well. To put it mildly. That's potentially a whole lotta more offensive hair to go. Indeed.

Anyway. 72 hours of library mayhem equals =

Yay Seattle! You could slide into third place in the Library charts at this rate!

Meanwhile. Inbetween installing our library . . .







We squeezed in a spot of flyposting . . .


And

Saw

A lot

Of the Water

Around here



while remembering the cyclists of Portland . . .

Where's the Library in Seattle?

By the power of rideshares (thanks Amy!), the power of couchsurfing.com (thanks Marta!) and the power invoked by Librarians Upon High who enable us to function (er, thanks Librarian Upon High Wherever Ye Might Be Currently ELevated!) the Library & Itinerant Poetry Librarian have made it to Seattle and we're Good To Go with the Library Programme. So.

Where's the Library at?

First up, the wonderful . . .



Richard Hugo House, located at 1634 11th Ave, Seattle.

We'll be installing our Library & Librarian on: Wednesday 8th, Thursday 9th, Friday 10th, Tuesday 14th & Thursday 16th Aug 2007 from 11am - 6pm.

Here's a map to get you to us.

Richard Hugo House is "...a 16,206-square-foot Victorian house that dates to 1902. Before the organization bought it in August 1997, the house was the New City Theater, and before that the Bonney-Watson mortuary and funeral home. Originally, it was an apartment house. In addition to administrative offices, the House includes:

* an 92-seat theater (that can be reconfigured to hold 148);
* a café with a cabaret stage;
* a Member Library with computers;
* the 'Zine Archive and Publishing Project (facilities for independent magazine publishers);
* two multi-purpose rooms;
* a conference room;
* an art gallery."

How cool is that? Their Zine Library is probably the most extensive in the entire United States of America, holding over 17, 000 titles . . . somehow we don't think our Librarian will run outta reading material these next two weeks! YIPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Where's the Library in Seattle 2.0?

We are also installing our Library & Librarian in . . .



The Travel Loft of the Elliott Bay Book Company, which is located at 101 South Main Street, Seattle, Washington 98104, U S of A indeedy.

We'll be installing our Library & Librarian on: Wednesday 15th & Friday 17th August 2007 from 10am - 7pm.

Here's a map to get you to us.

We've also got some installations planned for the library outside the back of Wessel & Lieberman Booksellers,



...who are niftily located just a few doors down from Elliott Bay Books, and have a back entrance they're more than happy for our Librarian to gather in, apparently! It takes a brave man or woman indeed . . . hee hee . . . so look out for us by walking through their awesome antiquarian bookshop or approach us from behind via Occidental Square! We'll post up days and times ASAP.

In the meantime, while we're on Johan-the-wunderkid- from-vaguely-nr-Hamburg's computer, we'd also like to officially thank our awesome, excellent, extraordinary, awe-inspiring, and finally, outstandingly wonderful Portland hosts: Ariana & Jeffrey who made our Portland and month of July visit so darn frickin' lickin' goooooooood. Thanks from a well-fed Librarian folks!

We also know we have Library Statistics to fill you in on, final Portland membership numbers, as well all our exciting itinerary stops and starts, which we will do once we get better computer access.

Alrighty! To the Library and Beyond Boys & Girls! Let's go!

Where's the Library in Portland 3.0?

The Library @ The IPRC

on Tuesday July 24th, from 4pm until 10pm & Thursday July 26th from 4pm until 6pm at 917 SW Oak Street (hit numbers # 2.1.8. on the door pad to get in if it's not wide open), Portland, Oregon 97205, USA

Library @ Reading Frenzy, Independent Press Emporium


on Wednesday July 25th, 3pm - 7pm & Friday July 27th, 12 noon - 7pm, at 921 SW Oak Street, Portland, Oregon.

Then . . .
Library @ In Other Words Women's Books & Resources

on Saturday July 28th, 12 noon - 6pm,
at 8 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, Oregon.

Where's the Library in Portland, Oregon?

We arrived Monday straight from San Francisco, hoiking our heavy books on over to our Portland couch. Tuesday we sent out our intrepid librarian to tramp the Portland streets and seek out new civilizations...hang on...we've not got the flying-library-saucer engine working yet...so we mean...new library venues. Which was accomplished with a not insignificant amount of a. getting lost b. meeting lovely library enthusiastic Portland people and c. help from the dude who gave us a free bus ticket at the MLK intersection upon hearing we intended to walk what we thought was not that far but it turns out was at least a 6 mile hike. Thanks random Portland dude! Potential venues sought, sourced and secured, we will update you with confirmed locations, dates and times as they come in but it currently appears that Reading Frenzy, In Other Words and the offices of Alberta St. small press will be graced and book-gardened with our librarian & library's presence in the coming July weeks. Yay for these guys! In the meantime, our very* first Portland library installation is courtesy of the wonderful people at the Independent Publishing Resource Center after our librarian had a nice chat and wander round their own library and offices with IPRC main man Justin.

When?
Saturday July 7th, from 12 high noon until 6pm

Where?
At IPRC! 917 SW Oak Street #218, Portland, Oregon 97205, USA

Library go go go!

Portland, Oregon citizens the Library has arrived!

p.s. We also have a ton of news updates to post to the blog regards our last few weeks in San Francisco, which we promise our Librarian will get round to doing ASAP, not least because she's just today finished her Library Statistics spreadsheet and so we'll be able to update you on membership numbers, awesome completed library installation antics (retirement complex in Oakland anyone?) AND how poetry saved our Librarian's life the other week. Stay tuned for details folks!

* hmmm...First Thursdays....tomorrow is such a Thursday....the street you say...hmmm...Librarian pauses to think...give us a table and chair and we're there!

Marsh Membership Drive (cont.)

The Marsh was . . .


You came and saw us . . .


You joined up . . .


. . . but not quite in enough numbers to overtake our current reigning champs Norwich and Budapest yet.

No fear! We're out and about ALL this week. So, not only can you catch up with us in our usual Marsh spot (every Friday, 7 - 10pm in the Marsh Theatre cafe at 1062 Valencia Street, near 22nd street in the Mission) but also this week come on down to . . .

The Babble On reading series at DogEared Books on Thursday, March 29th. Featured readers for this event are: Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket, Alvin Orloff, Chantal Okeeffe, and Adam Balbo.

Our Itinerant Poetry Librarian and library will be installed from 7pm onwards for your every poetry object borrowing need.

It's all at: Dog Eared Books, 900 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. Call 'em: (415) 282-1901, fax 'em: (415) 282-0213, they be open 'em: M-Sa: 10am-10pm; Su: 10am-8pm. And here's a map.

San Francisco membership current total = 33 members
Current Top-of-the-Pops-Library-Chart-Winners = Budapest & Norwich (joint first) = 34 members

Oh my god it's so close. Our Librarian is practically falling off her chair with an-tic-i-pation. The next SF library member to sign up should make sure there's a suitable distance between her/himself and the librarian in situ in case a poetry object landslide occurs. You've been warned.

In the meantime, in our ongoing 'what's been left on the street outside the librarian's house this week?' series:



Love it!

Two cigarette breaks doth a library installation at Adobe Books make

So between 7 and 11pm last night we had one Librarian & Library installed over at Adobe Books. It was quiet. Not quite as quiet as the day we spent in Dresden last year when er, no-one turned up to join the library at all and our librarian packed up and felt very sorry for herself (especially as she was wearing her wool librarian suit and it was a very hot June German day). However, as is always the case, things turn out alright in the end. In Dresden it was at the point of packing up that a German novelist happened to walk by. He came and asked what on earth we were doing and once told, he insisted on joining even though we'd closed the library for the day. Being as we'd had no members to speak of (let alone anyone to actually speak to) for the entire library outdoors Dresden session, we were more than happy to oblige and briefly re-opened to sign him up. Andreas then took us over to his friend Eric's house the next day, where we interviewed Eric (as he was a poet) and installed the library in his house just for him and his girlfriend (here's our Germany ConVerses podcast if you want to listen in to what Eric and his fellow German poets had to say). So we are always ready for A. quiet nights and B. happy endings (and sometimes C. not so happy endings - see our Barcelona post on our Europe ConVerses blog if you really want to know). Adobe Books was an A and B gal. But we are delighted to welcome another four members to the library cause. We'd also like to thank Kathe for sending a dude on over to us to return her borrowed item, who read out a note she had written thanking us for not considering she has an offensive hairstyle. All in day's work for The Librarian, Kathe, and don't forget we still owe you a free poem. San Francisco you're on nine members currently, which means that if you keep up the good work, in no time at all you'll have stolen the library membership crown from current reigning champions Budapest, who have 34 in the bag. Keep on truckin'.


Rock on!


Adobe Books have lots of books . . .


and shelving . . .


and with our office intact . . .


we insinuate ourselves in a likely position . . .



plus grab a new library addition . . .

Meanwhile. We do actually have another life. It involves A. Poetry books and B. Libraries. Hah hah. And you don't think we read in our sleep huh? Actually, sleeping is very good poetry time. Anyway. Here's a picture of what modern women do nowadays. Anyone for Salon time? And here's us thinking a salon was to do with erm books or somemut . . .



This is near where our Librarian often is . . .


This is not terribly reassuring


This is a San Francisco Step. We like it anyway


We got the caltrain all the way here once from in the middle of nowhere


Nowhere has a very nice porch swing though


Since our suitcases on the way over here were full of books our wardrobe was limited. Very limited.


We are awfully good at writing letters though


. . . in which we tell people about the carpet outside our home . . .


. . . and the nice murals we see around . . .

. . . this city we are beginning to grow accustomed to. Well, it only takes 2 weeks and we feel like we've lived somewhere since 2 weeks is a long time for us to be in the same place . . .


. . . even though we stayed in this place for quite a long time (Norwich is very nice though and very difficult to actually leave - go and visit and see what we mean)