Federation of Radical Booksellers collection
TitleFederation of Radical Booksellers collection
ReferenceORG/RADBOOK
Date
1975-1993
Production date 1975 - 1993
Scope and ContentThe Federation of Alternative Bookshops was established in November 1975 in a conference at Grass Roots Bookshop in Manchester with the aim of promoting and supporting 'a network of autonomous worker controlled radical bookshops making available a wide range of constructive radical literature'.
At the beginning of 1981 it was renamed the Federation of Radical Booksellers, reflecting the wish to include a wider range of shops. Its aims and membership criteria were somewhat changed. The Federation remained committed to favouring non-hierarchical working practices, while not excluding shops solely on the basis of hierarchical structure or party affiliation.
For most of its existence, the day to day administration was through a Co-ordinator, based at one of the member shops.
The Federation ceased to exist in 1992. Within the last few years an Alliance of Radical Booksellers has been formed.
Material contained in the collection includes:
Constitutions, Proceedings of Conferences and other meetings, newsletters, Co-ordinators' Reports, membership lists and questionnaires, material from member shops, internal memos, external correspondence, publications, and financial records.
Some files in the collection relate to issues in which the Federation and its members had a direct interest. These included attacks on bookshops, censorship problems, the Net Book Agreement, and the 'Stop the Clause Campaign' (relating to the Local Government Act 1988).
The Federation had links with many other organisations, and it and its members participated in Conferences and Book Fairs. Examples include: Women in Book Trades, Centres for Change, Socialist Bookfairs, and Bookshop Joint Action.
At the beginning of 1981 it was renamed the Federation of Radical Booksellers, reflecting the wish to include a wider range of shops. Its aims and membership criteria were somewhat changed. The Federation remained committed to favouring non-hierarchical working practices, while not excluding shops solely on the basis of hierarchical structure or party affiliation.
For most of its existence, the day to day administration was through a Co-ordinator, based at one of the member shops.
The Federation ceased to exist in 1992. Within the last few years an Alliance of Radical Booksellers has been formed.
Material contained in the collection includes:
Constitutions, Proceedings of Conferences and other meetings, newsletters, Co-ordinators' Reports, membership lists and questionnaires, material from member shops, internal memos, external correspondence, publications, and financial records.
Some files in the collection relate to issues in which the Federation and its members had a direct interest. These included attacks on bookshops, censorship problems, the Net Book Agreement, and the 'Stop the Clause Campaign' (relating to the Local Government Act 1988).
The Federation had links with many other organisations, and it and its members participated in Conferences and Book Fairs. Examples include: Women in Book Trades, Centres for Change, Socialist Bookfairs, and Bookshop Joint Action.
Extent11 boxes
LanguageEnglish
Related object
Persons keywordFederation of Radical Booksellers, Federation of Alternative Bookshops
SubjectLiterature
Conditions governing accessOpen
Levelfonds
Normal locationAG Federation of Radical Booksellers Boxes 1-11 (Room 36)