Kate Sharpley Library

Kate Sharpley Library

Anarchist historian Barry Pateman (left), at the Kate Sharpley Library booth at the 2011 Bay Area Anarchist Bookfair.
Abbreviation	KSL
Purpose	Historical society
Website	katesharpleylibrary.net

The Kate Sharpley Library (or KSL) is a library dedicated to anarchist texts and history. Started in 1979 and reorganized in 1991, it currently holds around ten thousand English language volumes, pamphlets and periodicals. The library has texts in English and other languages, near complete collections of several anarchist newspapers, and collections of reports and literature from various anarchist organisations. The library is maintained by donations and money made from sales of pamphlets and other publications.

Kate Sharpley

Main article: Kate Sharpley

The Kate Sharpley Library was named after a Deptford-born World War I anarchist and anti-war activist. She worked in a munitions factory and was active in the shop stewards movement. Her father and brother were killed in action and her boyfriend was listed as missing believed killed (though she suspected he had been shot for mutiny). At the age of 22, when called to receive her family's medals from Queen Mary she threw the medals back at the Queen, saying "if you like them so much you can have them". The Queen's face was scratched, Kate Sharpley was beaten by police, and imprisoned for a few days, though no charges were brought against her. She married in 1922 and dropped out of anarchist activities until a chance encounter with Albert Meltzer at a train station during an anti-fascist action. This led to her meeting many younger activists and so, when Brixton anarchists came to name the archives they had collected from the movement, her name was chosen in preference to a more famous one.

Publications

As well as preserving the physical artifacts of anarchist history, the library also publishes books and pamphlets on anarchism and anarchist history, covering many subjects that would otherwise be forgotten. Its activities are recounted in its regular Bulletin, available online and by mail to its financial supporters.

Authors it has published or re-published include Miguel Garcia, Albert Meltzer, David Nicholl, Abel Paz, Antonio Téllez, and Bartolomeo Vanzetti.

See also

• List of anarchist organizations

External links

• The Kate Sharpley Library homepage
• The Kate Sharpley Library Wiki
• Video interview with Barry Pateman, of the Kate Sharpley Library. (2007)
• "Interview with Barry Pateman", "Jonathan", YouTube, May 12, 2009.
• “Anarchism and Anarchy: A Historical Perspective” Barry Pateman at the 2009 NAASN Conference
• An Interview with Three Members of the Kate Sharpley Library
• Barry Pateman, Then and Now: Thoughts on Anarchism (Santa Cruz at the Anarchist Cafe on January 6th 2007)
• The Kate Sharpley Library Then, Now and Next: An Interview with Barry Pateman