is a decentralized, horizontal network of library and information workers, researchers, and activists dedicated to challenging the status quo of modern librarianship. The organization’s ideology is rooted in anti-capitalism, critical theory, and social justice, positioning the library not as a neutral repository but as a contested political space.
The following essay describes the website’s vision, mission, and methodology as a blueprint for a transformative approach to information science.
The Ideological Foundation: Anti-Marketization and Radical Neutrality
At the heart of the RLC is a fierce opposition to the marketization of libraries and the commodification of information. The collective rejects the neoliberal trend of treating library users as "customers" and information as a "product." Their ideology is built upon the premise that information should be a common good, free from the constraints of corporate profit or state surveillance.
A key pillar of their philosophy is the rejection of "professional neutrality." While traditional librarianship often prides itself on being apolitical, the RLC argues that neutrality in the face of oppression is a form of complicity. They advocate for a critical librarianship (or "critlib") that acknowledges how libraries can inadvertently reinforce systemic inequalities, such as racism, classism, and the "hostile environment" policies of the state.
Scope and Scale: A Global Vision with Local Roots
The RLC’s vision is expansive, seeking to redefine the role of the librarian in the 21st century. Their scope transcends the physical walls of the library, reaching into the realms of digital privacy, scholarly communications, and border politics. While the collective began primarily in the United Kingdom, its scale is intentionally non-hierarchical and distributed. They do not operate as a traditional professional body with a central executive; instead, they function through regional groups (such as in Oxford or Ireland) and a global digital network. Their vision is to build a "solidarity of the critical," creating a safety net for workers who feel alienated by the institutional constraints of traditional library management.
Mission: Resistance and Reclaiming the Commons
The mission of the RLC is twofold: resistance and reclamation.
* Resistance: They aim to resist the encroachment of state surveillance and commercial interests into library spaces. A primary example is their vocal opposition to deals between library associations and government immigration agencies (like the SCL/UKVI deal), which they argue turns librarians into "border guards" and destroys the library’s role as a trusted, safe space for vulnerable populations.
* Reclamation: They seek to reclaim the "scholarly commons." This involves promoting Open Access, protecting intellectual freedom, and ensuring that knowledge is accessible to everyone, regardless of their geopolitical or economic status.
Methods: Solidarity, Technology, and "Radical" Tactics
The RLC achieves its mission through a variety of practical, grassroots methods:
* Gatherings and "Unconferences": Eschewing the formal, expensive structures of corporate conferences, the RLC holds "Gatherings" (in cities like Leeds, Glasgow, and London). These are horizontal spaces where participants set the agenda, share skills, and build interpersonal solidarity.
* Digital Sovereignty: The collective promotes high-level digital resistance. This includes teaching encryption and "key signing," supporting the Library Freedom Project, and even hosting library repositories as Tor onion services to allow users in oppressive regimes to access information without being tracked.
* Radical Publishing: Through the Journal of Radical Librarianship, the collective provides an open-access venue for critical research that might be sidelined by mainstream academic journals.
* Direct Action and Advocacy: The website serves as a platform for open letters, petitions, and statements that hold professional bodies and government agencies accountable. They use their collective voice to pressure institutions to return to ethical foundations—funding libraries as essential public infrastructure rather than outsourced service points.
Conclusion:
The website of the Radical Librarians Collective is more than a digital archive; it is a manifesto for the "radical" step of returning libraries to their roots as instruments of liberation. By combining technological sophistication with grassroots organizing, the RLC offers a vision of librarianship that is fiercely protective of privacy, unapologetically political, and dedicated to the belief that information is a fundamental human right, not a commodity to be traded.
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