Ourshelves

06/24/2015

New website!

The first step to building a new life is to imagine different lives Learn More

06/17/2015

PLEASE READ!
Ourshelves seeks a new home.

After 1.5 years without a retail space to take in dues, donations, and proceeds to establish free libraries for nearby shelters, we've come to fully acknowledge that a retail space is necessary to our mission.

There are thousands of San Franciscans without adequate access to free books of their choice. Women and children in domestic violence shelters, seniors and disabled individuals, homeless persons, and low-income families without proof of residency or time to make it to the public library.

There are thousands of books discarded each year by libraries, booksellers, publishers, and individuals looking to restock or refocus on ebooks.

Please help me - help us - connect unwanted books with new, underprivileged readers.

The solution is simple but does require some early funds to make it a self-sustaining enterprise.

Feedback: What campaign perks would compel you to donate $100 per year to help us meet our goal?

12/02/2013

Last Excerpts is one week away! Monday, December 9th at 8pm. Bring food, books and drink. Bring your own writing (post-Excerpts open mic for people to share their own work. Why not?) but keep Excerpts as is - five minute passages of your favorite literature. Please share this post!

10/02/2013

David Byrne could easily be an Ourshelves curator.

David Bowie Is, the newest exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario, is an essential destination for fans of music, fashion and pop culture.

09/22/2013

Thank you, Rusty Rebar (Facebook wants me to link to Reba McEntire, so sorry) for your $50 donation of books to Ourshelves. Thanks, too, to Leef Smith, owner of Mission Comic, for three boxes of graphic novels for an upcoming shelter library. More books for all!

09/18/2013

Ourshelves recently resorted its shelves by author's country of origin. Asia, Africa and the West Indies are sorely underrepresented - in part because many books are out, but also we just don't offer enough. Also, the Egyptian section makes it look like Mahfouz is the only important writer from Egypt, and that's absurd. We have little to no books from Syria, either. Can you please pass this along and offer suggestions?

08/28/2013

Elizabeth. Sunday's at Ourshelves 4 - 7pm.

Ourshelves, a communal library curated by a group of editors and readers lives inside Viracocha in the Mission. Elizabeth, one of the librarians, has the heart of a poet.

07/13/2013

It's Ourshelves two year anniversary!! Potluck and Excerpts at 8pm.

Come say hi!

06/18/2013

How can we help?
http://oaklandlocal.com/2013/06/oakland-commits-to-helping-all-kids-learn-to-read/

With future graduation rates, crime, and children's very happiness in life at stake, the Mayor of Oakland, its Superintendent of Schools, and 100 community organizations launched an initiative Mond...

05/28/2013

Next Excerpts is Tuesday, June 11th at 8pm! Event page coming soon.

OURSHELVES TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY - SATURDAY JULY 13TH
If you have borrowed a book, donated a book, recommended a book, shared an excerpt on stage - if you have supported our shelter projects or smiled at our threshold, then will you please come say hello SATURDAY JULY 13TH? ALL DAY, ALL EVENING, ALL NIGHT. 12pm to Midnight.
We're so damn grateful and we want to give back. We're working on free drinks, food and music for the evening.
Thank you thank you thank you!!!

05/18/2013

Anyone involved in the current dialogue surrounding gender and cultural representation in America's publishing industry should look toward what Aunt Lute's been publishing for over thirty years. It's fantastic.

And yesterday they donated eight books to Ourshelves!! Thank you Aunt Lute!!

We share with you on our community forum an excerpt from Chapter 2 —“The Body and its Discontents,” in which Judy shares how she came to be a part of the revolutionary movement in the Bay Area.

05/01/2013

Ourshelves benefit tonight at 7pm!
50 Mason Social House
Dawn Oberg and Ira Marlowe

This benefit was put together by the talented and gracious Dawn Oberg in order to help us purchase shelving for Thomas Paine Apartments. We have hundreds of books ready to donate - now all we need are the shelves to host them! Please come and give love two these two talented musicians.

Behold the pleasures of literate songwriting: In case it wasn't clear from the first song — entitled 'The Girl Who Sleeps With Books'— S.F. raconteur Dawn Oberg's latest album, Rye, is full of the kind of tel