Headshot of Robert Montoya

Libraries are deeply integrated into our community spaces; and, while we always need more libraries, they pepper the entire landscape of the United States.

The Radical Librarianship Institute is rooted in humanitarian work Dr. Robert Montoya engaged in in the wake of the Kosovo War—at a time when the library network and infrastructure there had been destroyed. 

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The act of collecting information with intention and through a social justice framework can make people more visible, and in turn, help them to imagine more just and equitable futures. 

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Dr. Montoya (middle) stands with Sean Pessin (left), a PhD student and director of the California State University, Northridge Book Arts Lab, and PhD student Liza Mardoyan (right).

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An article about the Radical Librarianship Institute, a project that aims to provide training and resources to librarians and archivists who are working in libraries today. 

Radical Librarianship Institute

Radical librarians aim to center community voices and scrutinize how institutional resources are allocated. 

Three people stand in a library with shelves on either side of the group. Together, they hold a book in front of their faces so they are not visible to the camera.

Libraries Are Vital Community Spaces (and, They Need to Evolve)

Artists as Catalysts

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Beyond Incarceration

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Civic Engagement

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Evolving Higher Education

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Expanding Public Knowledge

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Monuments and Memory

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Multivocality

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Power of the Word

Five colorful neon signs hang on the wall with messages that include, "Freedom cannot wait," "Brown owned," and "America is for Dreamers."

Public Places‚ Public Stories

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Puerto Rico and Its Diaspora

In a vertical image, a black leather vest is adorned with colorful pins across the front of it. Embroidery on the vest reads: "Felícitas "La Prieta" Méndez" 

University Everywhere

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Grantmaking areas

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