Projet MOBILIVRE--BOOKMOBILE project comes to Gainesville

Projet MOBILIVRE-BOOKMOBILE project comes to Gainesville
September 2002

The Projet MOBILIVRE-BOOKMOBILE project, a traveling exhibition of 'zines, artist book works, and independent publications, brings its collection of more than 300 books to Gainesville on September 13 and 14 with stops at the Alachua County Library District (ACLD) Headquarters and the Civic Media Center.

The Projet MOBILIVRE-BOOKMOBILE project is a community arts initiative founded by the BOOKMOBILE collective, a diverse group of emerging North American artists and community activists. The project aims to introduce communities to the world of independent publishing and word art production, and to teach folks new skills for self-expression. During their U.S. and Canadian cross-country excursion, BOOKMOBILE project collective members facilitate 'zine and bookbinding workshops, conduct artist talks and create educational forums for communities to learn more about independent media.

The project debuted in 2001, and traveled across Eastern Canada and the North Eastern and Midwestern United States. On this year's tour they plan to cover much of Western Canada and the West and Southwest of the United States as well as several stops on the Eastern seaboard.

Sponsorship of the BOOKMOBILE's visit to Gainesville is a collaborative project of the Civic Media Center and the Alachua County Library District. CMC volunteers view Projet MOBILIVRE's stop as an expansion of a cooperative relationship with ACLD. The two organizations have been engaged for a number of years now in an ongoing project where ACLD has catalogued much of the CMC's unique book collection to provide expanded public access to the CMC's resources. The BOOKMOBILE's mission is to popularize the work of grassroots, independent artists, to help them break out of the counterculture ghetto that much of their work is traditionally produced and distributed in, and reach a wider audience. The Alachua County Library District's participation in this venture will help ensure that they succeed in doing so here in Gainesville. CMC Volunteers are proud to have the Library as a partner in bringing this fun, inspiring showcase of truly grassroots, democratic "civic media" to the larger community.

More than 1,000 visitors have already experienced the unique collection of independently produced books housed inside the BOOKMOBILE group's 1959 Airstream trailer. Gainesville area visitors will be able to discover many similar political titles, and a widely divergent array of other literary and creative endeavors as well, from a broad spectrum of North American communities and cultures. Librarians at Liberty, a newsletter for progressive and radical librarians published by Gainesville's own Crises Press, is one of the many titles that visitors will find in the trailer.

The Projet MOBILIVRE BOOKMOBILE will be at Headquarters Library, 401 East University Avenue on Friday, September 13, 2002 from 10:00a.m. -5:00pm, with a free bookbinding workshop scheduled for 2:30p.m. On Saturday, September 14, throughout the day, the BOOKMOBILE will be open to visitors at the Civic Media Center, 1021 W. University Ave., and there will be an artists' talk in the Center at 6 p.m. Come on out to support these pioneering artist activists, and join in the exchange of ideas, inspiration, and fun!

For more information about the project, check out www.mobilivre.org or contact Sheila Bishop, Civic Media Center, 352-373-0010.