The corporatization and privatization of the commons "of public space" as it relates to language, to books, to knowledge, and to the process of democratization is a central concern of the Union of Radical Workers and Writers. We support the Progressive Librarians Guild.s commitment to providing a forum for the open exchange of radical views on library issues; to conducting campaigns to support progressive and democratic library activities locally, nationally and internationally; to supporting activist librarians as they work to effect changes in their own libraries and communities; to bridging the artificial and destructive gaps between school, public, academic and special libraries, and between public and technical services; to encouraging debate about prevailing management strategies adopted directly from the business world, to propose democratic forms of library administration, and to foster unity between librarians and other library workers; to critically considering the impact of technological change in the library workplace, on the provision of library services, and on the character of public discourse; to monitoring the professional ethics of librarianship from a perspective of social responsibility; and to facilitating contacts between progressive librarians and other professional and scholarly groups dealing with communications and all the political, social, economic and cultural trends which impact upon it worldwide, in a global context.

Given our commitment to these issues, the URWW is proud to endorse Samantha Smart.s candidacy for the Minneapolis Library Board. Smart's dedication to participatory democracy and anti-neoliberal policies as they relate to language, to books, to knowledge, and the future of the Minneapolis Public Library makes her an ideal candidate for this position. We strongly encourage other organizations and institutions who value these ideals to also support the candidacy of Samantha Smart.

Union of Radical Workers and Writers