Occupy Boston Audre Lorde to Howard Zinn Library records

The Audre Lorde to Howard Zinn Library (also known as the A-Z Library) was formed in 2011 by Metacomet Books (Plymouth, Massachusetts), the Boston Radical Reference Collective, and the Simmons College Chapter of the Progressive Librarians Guild to meet the information needs of the Occupy Boston protest. The protest was inspired by a similar protest in New York City called Occupy Wall Street, which began on September 17th. The protestors called for social reform particularly in the area of the financial industry and the activities of special interest groups in politics. The volunteer-run organization, which rallied around the slogan, “We are the 99%!”, remained in Dewey Square until they were forcibly removed on December 10, 2011. The Audre Lorde to Howard Zinn Library’s mission was “to foster inquiry, learning, critical analysis and information-sharing among Occupy Boston occupiers, participants and visitors in order to better understand, challenge and transform interlocking systems of oppression.” They did this by providing reference services, computer access, and children’s programs as well as books, magazines, pamphlets, zines, and newspapers both in physical formats and online via Occupy Boston’s wiki page. Most of their collection was non-fiction, with a focus on political and activist history and contemporary movements, but they also had a small collection of fiction, poetry, and children's collections. The entirety of their collection was donated, and the Library was run by over 35 volunteers. The A-Z Library also archived the records created by Occupy Boston, focusing on milestone events, and organizational and legal documents. Although the Dewey Square camp was dissolved on December 10, 2011, Occupy Boston groups continued to meet through at least 2012.

September 30, 2011

Occupy Boston protestors establish camp in Dewey Square.

October 10, 2011

Police conduct a nighttime raid of the Occupy Boston camp, arresting 141 people.

October 13, 2011

Meeting of Boston Radical Reference Collective where it’s reported that John Ford (the owner of Metacomet Books) had set up a large library tent and stocked it with books that night (afterwards considered the first meeting of the A-Z Library).

October 20, 2011

After a discussion and vote, the library is officially named the Audre Lorde-Howard Zinn Library.

November 15, 2011

The National Lawyers Guild and the American Civil Liberties Union go to court on behalf of Occupy Boston regarding the right to peaceful protest and assembly, and request an injunction to prevent the removal of Occupy Boston protesters from Dewey Square.

November 17, 2011

The Superior Court Department of the Trial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts orders the City of Boston to refrain from removing individuals and/or their belongings from Dewey Square; mediation and a hearing on the preliminary injunction set for December 1, 2011.

November 29, 2011

Declaration of Occupation officially adopted by the General Assembly at Occupy Boston.

December 7, 2011

After a hearing before the Honorable Frances McIntyre of the Superior Court, the temporary restraining order against City of Boston is vacated and the motion for a preliminary injunction denied. The A-Z Library collection is cataloged almost entirely in one night in preparation for a police raid.

December 10, 2011

Dewey Square camp is dissolved, but the General Assembly, working groups, and A-Z Library continue to meet in other locations.