It's been a hell of week to launch a project centred on how we share knowledge. Anyone who is paying attention knows exactly why, and the stuff closest to our particular orbit is just one part of a g mess that started well before January 2025 and extends well beyond the bounds of any one country's politics.
Now is not the moment to try to make sense of the senseless. It's bad, people are doing what they can, and we won't fully understand the impact of this moment for years to come, if we ever do. There isn't much a tiny whisper of a thing like OTL can offer, but letting the moment pass unacknowledged doesn't seem right, either.
People are organising, salvaging what they can, and sharing resources. Here are a few places where:
Katherine E Skinner
Amanda Wyatt Visconti
Library Innovation Lab Team
People are looking for wisdom. Here's some we're taking to heart:
Y'all pick a lane. Then make a little progress in your lane each day. Every serious, experienced organizer I know is Doing Their Thing. Instead of freaking out about each bit of bad news, we're in our lanes rapidly building dual power infrastructure and networks that don't rely on the goverment.
— borderless (@borderless.bsky.social) 2025-02-04T01:13:02.629Z
Janus Rose
(Irony acknowledged.)
People are talking to each other. Sharing stories. Connecting and commiserating.
If you find yourself wanting to capture this moment in some way, to preserve some part of it so we can look back and remind ourselves that it was real, or to reach out to others in solidarity, maybe we can help. Share your story, anonymously if you want*. Documentation is an act of resistance.
As a final note, it's important to recognise that while we as a collective will persist, many individuals will not survive this. Those are the stakes when our collective knowledge is attacked. It is heartbreaking. If this is the moment that radicalises you, know that you are joining a long tradition of activism, and you have to learn from those who came before you. A saying attributed to the queer community during the peak of the AIDS crisis has been doing the rounds lately: bury your friends in the morning, protest in the afternoon, and dance all night. Grieve, resist, and find joy.
Grieve. Resist. Find joy.
*Note: the linked form does not collect IP addresses or other identifiable data as far as we can determine, but there is always risk in a digital trail. Be safe out there.