Movements and libraries convo set for Friday

After a year dominated by social-media led protests in Egypt, Syria and the United States, many might assume libraries could be the last place to go during one of these movements.

According to Amanda Click, a University of North Carolina student who worked as a librarian in Cairo during the Egyptian uprisings, that idea couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Click will talk about her experiences during a convo called “Social Movements and Libraries: From Tahrir Square to Occupy Wall Street.” It will spotlight the non-traditional roles libraries play in social movements around the world and here in the United States.

The event, part of the Lila D. Bunch Library’s celebration of National Library Week, will be held on Friday at 10 a.m. in room 117 at the Leu Center for the Visual Arts. Students will receive academic lecture credit.

Click, who worked at The American University in Cairo during the nation’s historic protests last year, was invited to speak at Belmont by Claire Walker, the library’s reference librarian, She said people will be surprised by the roles libraries play in society.

“Our goal as libraries is to preserve the information, not promote or side with any kind of political agenda. It is just about preserving the fact that it happening, and then providing access to that information for years to come,” said Walker.

Click will also speak about how libraries are connected to other social movements like the Occupy movement. She will specifically focus on “The People’s Library” located at Occupy Wall Street in New York.

– Jessica Auville

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