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Civic Media Center

Coordinates: 29°38′53″N 82°19′29″W / 29.64797°N 82.32464°W / 29.64797; -82.32464
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Civic Media Center
Logo
Logo
Front of building
Exterior of CMC in 2009
Map
General information
Address433 South Main Street
Town or cityGainesville
CountryUSA
Relocated2009
Website
civicmediacenter.org

The Civic Media Center (CMC) is a nonprofit infoshop, library and reading room in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It was set up in 1993 and in 2009 received the book collection of activist Stetson Kennedy.

History

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Stetson Kennedy dedicates the CMC's current venue

The Civic Media Center (CMC) was set up as an infoshop and library in 1993 in Gainesville, Florida.[1] Founded as a nonprofit organization, the center was first located at 1021 West University Avenue, near to the University of Florida and housed a library cataloged by the American Council of Learned Societies. It was financially supported by benefit campaigns and member donations.[1] It held its eighth birthday party at the Thomas Center in 2001, with folk singer Doug Gauss.[2] For its twenty fifth birthday it hosted a talk from Amy Goodman.[3]

The CMC began an annual fundraising dinner program in 1999 called SpringBoard. Guests pay from $10 to $20 for a dinner cooked by volunteers and speakers have included Diane Roberts, Nadine Smith and Ann Wright.[4] The CMC moved location again in 2009, to 433 South Main Street in Gainesville.[5] It then became the repository for Stetson Kennedy's personal library, which contained around 2,000 books and publications collected over his career as a folklore archivist and activist.[5][6] It took several years to catalog the collection.[7]

As well as being a library, the CMC developed into a community resource as a meeting space, music venue and arts center.[8] It hosts film screenings, talks and meetings.[9] It also has a zine collection.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Dodge, Chris (1998). "Taking Libraries to the Street: Infoshops & Alternative Reading Rooms". American Libraries. 29 (5): 62–64. ISSN 0002-9769. JSTOR 25634969.
  2. ^ "Doug Gauss helps the Civic Media Center celebrate 8th birthday". Gainesville Iguana. Archived from the original on 2005-11-10. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Amy Goodman at the Civic Media Center's 25th Anniversary Celebration". Democracy Now!. 19 October 2018. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  4. ^ Sullivan, Esteban O. (4 April 2010). "Annual SpringBoard at the Civic Media Center". The Fine Print. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  5. ^ a b "CMC opens new locale; will be given author's collection". Gainesville Sun. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15.
  6. ^ Edition, Front Page (30 August 2011). "Civic Media Center receives Stetson Kennedy's book collection". WUFT News. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  7. ^ Sturgis, Sue (4 October 2016). "Commemorating the life of Stetson Kennedy, the Florida muckraker who helped bring down the Klan". Facing South. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  8. ^ Schmidt, James (1998). "How To Maintain An Alternative Library: The Civic Media Center Five Years On". Librarians at Liberty. 4 (2). ISSN 1069-0832.
  9. ^ Mills, Alexa. "A Day in Gainesville, Florida". CoLab Radio. Archived from the original on 23 January 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  10. ^ Staff writer (13 September 2013). "Remember the zine? Fans want you to, and here's how". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
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29°38′53″N 82°19′29″W / 29.64797°N 82.32464°W / 29.64797; -82.32464