thevessel:

thebronzemedal:

Here’s a project mapping public library closures in the U.K. The red markers are libraries which have been marked for closure, the blue are libraries at risk for closure. This is absolutely terrible. I’m scared that a map like this for the U.S. wouldn’t look that much better.

DARK TIMEZ MY FRIENDS. For detailed info see: http://publiclibrariesnews.blogspot.com/ which has handy links for taking action.

Cameron, F. and Kelly, L. (eds) Hot Topics, Public Culture, Museums, Cambridge Scholars Publishing

‘Hot Topics, Public Culture, Museums’ engages the highly problematic and increasingly important issue of museums, science centres, their roles in contemporary societies, their engagement with ‘hot’ topics and their part in wider conversations in a networked public culture. Hot topics such as homosexuality, sexual, and racial violence, massacres, drugs, terrorism, GMO foods, H1M1 (swine flu) and climate change are now all part of museological culture. The authors in this collection situate cultural institutions in an increasingly interconnected, complex, globalising and uncertain world and engage the why and how institutions might form part of, activate conversations and action through discussions that theorise institutions in new ways to the very practical means in which institutions might engage their constituencies.

Launch of the campaign we are more

WITH A PERSONALISED ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT BARROSO AT LAUNCH OF EUROPE-WIDE ARTS ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN

On Thursday the 7th of October 2010 at 6pm, Culture Action Europe - the umbrella advocacy organisation for the arts and culture in Europe - will launch the large-scale campaign we are more. As well as mobilising Culture Action Europe’s membership that covers over 100 members and 50.000 arts and culture players across Europe, the campaign will seek to mobilise everyone who cares about culture in Europe.

The campaign launch will be hosted by BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels, in the presence of the European Commissioner for Culture Androulla Vassiliou and campaign ambassadors Marie Daulne (BE) and Péter Forgacs (HU), as well as a personalised address from the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso.

The we are more campaign, that will run until 2013, calls on European decision-makers to strengthen the recognition of the role of arts and culture in the development of our European societies, by explicitly supporting culture in the upcoming EU political negotiations on the 2014-2020 budget.

The campaign objectives focus on improving the quality and quantity of support that the sector receives from 2 key EU policies (the Culture Programme and the EU cohesion policy). The aim is thus to increase support for cultural activities that will affect all European inhabitants and stimulate their participation in and enjoyment of the arts in the next ten years, whether at local, regional, national or European level.

The name we are more sends a positive message that communicates the multiple ways in which individuals, communities and arts organisations do more and contribute more than is superficially apparent. - “We believe that it is necessary to go beyond the hesitation and fear stemming from the current crisis, and to re-imagine public investment to contribute to developing human, cultural and social capital - Europe’s most precious assets”, says Culture Action Europe’s President Mrs Mercedes Giovinazzo.