Alternate Thursdays 7.30 - 10.30
Browse the book catalogue here
Contact us here; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or here; www.1in12.com/contact1in12.html
1in12 Library Collective
Opened in 1996 by veteran anarchist Albert Meltzer, the 1in12 Library continues to curate a sizeable collection of literature, and also to maintain the space which plays host (in addition to the book-related activities) to films, meetings, internet access and meals.
And cake.
Internet facilities are mainly concerned with accessing the catalogue at LibraryThing (more later - see below), though for many club members access to social networking websites seems to be the principal attraction. Hey ho.
1in12 Cinema
Cataloguing
We generally meet fortnightly on Thursdays from about 8.30 - 10.30 in an attempt to catalogue the books and journals, and deal with the inevitable mess which will have accumulated in the preceding 13 days.
Check the event listings here to see which Thursday is meeting day. We also aim to be open as part of the cafe opening hours on Saturdays from 12.00 to 5.00, though due to repeated misuse of the kitchen the cafe volunteers have all thrown in the towel in the last few weeks of 2008. Perhaps in 2009 they will have another go.
We regard access to the collection as an important matter: people give us their books in the hope that they will be read, rather than just collecting dust. So turning up for a couple of hours on a Saturday or Thursday evening, even if you just hang out, is playing a vital part in keeping the library open. Better yet, get involved in the cataloguing. If you don't find a book you desperately want to read while you're at it you are an odd fish indeed.
The catalogue is held online on a system calledLibraryThing (catalogue / profile) which means you can check if we have a book before you start to look for it. If you have an internet-capable mobile phone you can even check while you're in the bookshop (see here for a demonstration - the user name is 1in12Library) so as not to squander your funds on a book you can read at t'1in12. Buy something else instead then give it to us when you've read it.
Music
Provided the space is used responsibly, members are welcome to put on music in the library. The cinema sound system is a couple of hundred watts and has a mixer attached, although unplugged probably works best. There's a big room downstairs for the noisy stuff.
Meals/Socials
We can't take too much credit for it, but as we share a space with the cafe collective it would be remiss to fail to mention the opportunities for cuisine on the top floor. Often the cafe types dish up "filling" food for those occasions when there's a busy gig downstairs, and people have travelled, and don't wish to try their luck finding vegan food in the city centre. But then, periodically, some complicated food with starters and everything will get served up by some real cookery types. Credit here, then, to the 1in12 Peasant's Collective (who actually grow some of the stuff), Bradford Language Exchange, Treehouse Cafe and, memorably, The Cunningham Amendment (even more notable for their very fine publications, which we jealously treasure) who provided waiter service and kept topping up the under-librarian's-sidekick's glass.
We like to think that, somehow, looking after the books and journals keeps alive the possibility of these events to taking place in aspace which, despite showing all the signs of wanting to collapse into something resembling a tabloid editor's idea of anarchy, actually has sufficient energy and organisation put into it to represent our own vision of that dangerous idea.
Talks/Reading Groups/Creative Writing
We've had some great talks by visiting speakers over the past few years, and we think the library is a great space for this. Doubtless there'll be more in the years to come. We have had people enquiring about reading groups and creative writing. Obviously we wish to encourage all these things. But if you want them to happen, you'll have to do the leg work as the present collective is low in numbers and time. Pick up a membership form, attend a few meetings, and get your hand on the levers of (word) power.
****************************************************************
All of these endeavours are works in progress, we thank you for your encouragement and request your forebearance.
Thanks