GGIP@Glastonbury Latest Images

The G Spot stall looking very busy in what was a great success for the campaign.

Thousands of badges were distributed by the GGIP team.

David at the core of the G Spot!

G is For....Geography in Bookshops

It does not stop with Bookshops John has created a letter for libraries here

Follow the progress of this sub campaign on the sln thread (thanks Kate)

In your local bookshop take a look around, do they have a Geography section? If so , what types of books does it include? How long is the section? Are the Geography books in a section called “Geography”?

Action Committee member John Tomlinson has introduced me to this issue and so I went down to my local bookshop (a well know chain) and as John suggested not a Geography section in sight. When I asked where the Geography books were located I was directed towards the “Travel” section, and then onto a shelve of OS maps.

It is not only important that Geography is labelled as a section by Bookshops, its lack of acknowledgement has wider consequences for public awareness of the importance of the subject. Some of the key issues we face now and into the future are Geographical in nature, however are not called so.

Geographers lets do something about it…

Visit your local bookshop(s) before Friday 1^st June and complete a quick survey:

1. Does the shop have a Geography section?
   
2. If so, is it called a Geography section?
   
3. Are their Geography books within this section?
   
4. How long (if they have one) is this section?
   

On Monday 4^th June if you are not happy with the Geography focus of the bookshop:

Print off and send them this letter, (Scottish version here) or even send by fax or email. You can adapt the letter in anyway you see fit.

Make sure you send a copy to your local paper also

Any Bookshops that you were impressed with in terms of their “Geography ” section please email me adtastic2001@yahoo.co.uk with the details and I will contact them directly.

Please visit as many bookshops as you can. Take photographs if you like and pretty much do anything to Give Geography its Place.

Some well known Bookshop's contact information here:

Waterstones including Ottakars

http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayMailUs.do

WH Smiths

http://www.whsmith.co.uk/whs/go.asp?menu=WHSmithnet&pagedef=/help/contact.htm&promotion=footer_contact_us#customerservice

Blackwell

http://bookshop.blackwell.co.uk/jsp/contact.jsp;jsessionid=48B6B0A276EB505823270548C5E238F5.bobcatt2

Borders

http://www.bordersstores.co.uk/contactus/

Sky Learning

Well done to Sky Learning who have a Geography section on their website, which is actually titled Geography.

Thanks Danny C who alerted me to this.

GGIP Links

Here is a text document that includes all html code for link buttons for the GGIP Campaign.

Download here

Give Geography its Place is Evolving

2007 – a fresh start: Give Geography its Place is evolving.

GGiP is evolving to promote Geography through the work of Geographers. GGiP aims to develop into a stronger and more sustainable organisation by emphasising the strengths and positive benefits of Geography.

After seven and a half months (225 days) of active campaigning on the neglect of Geography, GGiP will in 2007 focus on those positive aspects which will help to ensure a secure future and a higher profile in the media by:

• improving communication within and between all Geographers
• actively promoting Geographical ideas and expertise to each other and the media.
  

Geography is already providing a pivotal role in all our lives – we need to make sure that more people understand and recognise this in 2007.

In order to facilitate these changes, the structure of GGiP is also going through positive change. The co-founders of GGiP Dan and Dave would like to invite Geographers and supporters of Geography to nominate themselves during January 2007 to be part of a new GGiP Action Committee. There will then be an election to decide on six people to take GGiP forward during February with an election result on the 1st of March 2007. GGiP needs students, teachers, academics, professional Geographers and anyone else with a keen interest in securing the future of Geography as an academic subject.

If you are interested in helping to promote the work of GGiP in 2007, please click HERE.

While future policy and decisions will be made by the new GGiP Action Committee, GGiP will maintain its original mission of promoting Geography to the public, especially within the media.

Let us celebrate what GGiP has achieved so far in 2006…

• nearly 2000 people signed the petition of support and this will continue to grow in 2007

• e-mails and supportive comments came from over 30 countries around the world

• GGiP coverage in local, national and international broadcast and print media
  

• a letter of warning was sent to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport signed by over 100 leading Geographers from more than 50 different UK universities and educational organisations
  

• public support from the Geographical Association, the Field Studies Council, politicians and tens of famous geographers
  

• 50,000 participants in the transatlantic Geography Cup with coverage on the BBC, within the Guardian and the Reuters news agency

• a Geography team winning the competition to edit the listener's edition of the BBC Radio 4 New Years Day Today programme

• a five by fifty metre aerial sign, one hundred GGiP t-shirts (and more to come), online videos and many more smaller 'big' things…

• strength by numbers, debate and a greater sense of pride for many Geographers

Are you willing to help continue the work of ‘Give Geography It’s Place’ (GGiP) in 2007?
Please click HERE.

Note:

• GGiP is still taking orders for T-Shirts and Blank Maps

• The Global Geographer newsletter, the Passion4geography website and givegeographyitsplace.blogspot.com are suspended until elections are complete