Unknown; Occupy Wall Street Archives Working Group
Object Type
Signs
Description
It is unclear if this cardboard sign that reads, "Organizing through a Racial Justice Framework-OWS People's Free Library" refers to a topical section with the Library that contained resources related to Racial Justice organizing work, or if this sign is meant to indicate that the People's Free Library was a space informed by Racial Justice frameworks. The People's Library held a collection of more than 5,000 items in November 2011, including a wide range of books and periodicals from multiple points of view. The American Library Association (ALA) stated that the Library "reflected many of ALA’s core intellectual freedom values and best practices—a balanced, cataloged collection, representing diverse points of view, that included children’s books and reference service often provided by professional librarians." The NYPD seized the Library in the early morning hours of November 15th during its raid of Zuccotti Park, destroying more than 5,500 books, laptops, and other critical infrastructure for the Library.
Image Description
This cardboard sign reads, "Organizing through a Racial Justice Framework #OWS People's Free Library." The sign is handwritten in black marker, and it has several large, vertical creases running through it.
Citation
OWS People's Free Library sign, 2011; TAM.630 Occupy Wall Street Archives Working Group Records; box 5; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University