I spent most of my day yesterday in an un-conference hosted by Radical Reference. The “un” element of the un-conference was to build in a safe distance from the “official” events at this year’s ACRL conference in Seattle. Having what you might call an acquaintance with Radical Reference, the un-conference was a great chance for me to get to know some of the members, discuss crucial (often intellectual freedom-related) issues, and get involved. It will no doubt turn out to be the most constructive, engaging, and lasting element of the entire conference for me.
At the un-conference, we had a great set of discussions, most notably one that focused on promoting critical pedagogy in academic libraries. Critical pedagogy is not only a more interactive, engaging, and diplomatic way of teaching, it also promotes a levelling of the traditional teacher-student hierarchy and inbues the entire teaching/learning experience with a more substantial foundation of intellectual freedom. If you’ve not done so already, visit Radical Reference‘s website and check out the un-conference wiki, which highlights the topics and events as well as provides notes and further resources about many crucial issues in libraries.
