Community – newCardigan

cardiParty 2025.10

Library Portal

library portal is an independent library, arts centre, and meeting place for the community.

The library’s collection of over 10,000 borrowable books asks questions about who and why we are. It is also a salon for thought-exchange, a place to experience art and music, to learn, and to make friends. portal is a process of consistent, considered donations of labour, books, performances, thoughts, artworks, pictures, furniture, etc. from a community of people unified by a shared belief in the goodness of accessible, open, and communal lifelong learning.

The library holds over 10,000 books for all kinds of readers, including philosophy, history, theology, esoteric & occult, science, gender & sexuality, religion & spirituality, colonial and postcolonial theory, cultural studies, poetry, and a collection of fiction.

at a time when many are questioning how to build new institutions of decentralised power and learning, portal offers a unique opportunity for members of the library industry (and outsiders!) to experiment with how a library can function. whereas other libraries are bound in heavy processes of governance and bureaucratic administration, portal currently operates predominantly via conversation, making our organisation uniquely responsive to our communities.

At this event, library portal volunteers will take us on a tour and tell us more about their vision and motivation.

Getting There

Train: Northcote Station (Mernda line)
Tram: Route 11 (stop 28)
Bus: Route 508 (Athurton Road stop)

Accessibility

Portal endeavours to be a welcoming and accessible space, however it is located in a heritage building. Please contact us if you need information about your particular accessibility needs.

Health and safety

Facemasks are always welcome at newCardigan events.

When

11th October 2025 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Location

7 Hartington Street
Holy Monastery of Axion Estin
Enter from opposite 11 Hawthorn Road
Northcote, VIC 3070
Australia

Show large map

Contact

Email: hellolibraryportal@gmail.com

21 September 2025

cardiCash & cardiCord

Hi cardies, we’re doing a fundraiser, or ‘the Great newCardigan September Donation Drive’ to use its full name. We haven’t run a fundraiser in almost four years. We’ve drawn down our funds, reduced our costs, and relied on a small number of regular and ad-hoc donors – thank you, we appreciate you a lot! However, we need to keep newCardigan solvent, meaning we need your help to keep going for another year.

We’re also revamping our Discord server to foster more discussion and sharing. Alissa has all the details for you.

Theme Music by Professor Kliq – ‘Work at night’, sourced from Free Music Archive under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA licence.

Recorded on unceded Wadawurrung country.
Edited on unceded Wurundjeri country.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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5 September 2024

Fundraiser and Discord adventures

Hi cardies, we’re doing a fundraiser, or ‘the Great newCardigan September Donation Drive’ to use its full name. We haven’t run a fundraiser in almost four years. We’ve drawn down our funds, reduced our costs, and relied on a small number of regular and ad-hoc donors – thank you, we appreciate you a lot! However, we need to keep newCardigan solvent, meaning we need your help to keep going for another year. Our fundraising goal is $1000 – this will cover admin costs associated with being incorporated, website and database hosting, and room hire for forthcoming cardiParties. We know money is tight these days for a lot of people, which is why we try and keep our events free as much as possible.

At the moment we are already halfway towards our goal – a huge thank you to those who have donated so far. If you can spare a few dollars to help keep the servers whirring and the cardies partying, head to https://newcardigan.org/donate. Please be aware that donations are not tax-deductible. Thank you for your support!

We’ve also relaunched our new and improved discord server! Following our recent cardiCast series on life after Library Twitter, the cardiCommittee decided to revitalise our existing server, to give our members somewhere free, friendly and anti-fascist for online chatting and networking. Some of you may recall joining us for online cardiParties during lockdown. The server is still a work in progress, so we’re very open to your ideas for cardiCord. Just head to https://newcardigan.org/discord to join up.

4 September 2024

cardiCast 96 – Sae Ra Germaine and Conferences after Twitter

In the second in our GLAM After Twitter series, Hugh speaks to Sae Ra Germaine, Deputy CEO of CAVAL, volunteering addict, and conference organiser. Sae Ra has run over twenty conferences both in the technology and GLAM communities, and the overlap between them.

Sae Ra talks about the differences between community and corporate conferences, the work that conferences do for a profession or group, and what Twitter did for and to conferences as learning opportunities, community events, and spaces.

Linux Australia
CAVAL
VALA
Choice overload: Finding the right tool for the job (conference)

Theme Music by Professor Kliq – ‘Work at night’, sourced from Free Music Archive under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA licence.

Recorded on unceded Wurundjeri country.
Edited on unceded Wadawurrung country.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

31 July 2024

cardiCast 92 – The Aftel Archive of Curious Scents, with Mandy Aftel

Clare Presser interviews museum owner, writer and perfumer, Mandy Aftel.

Nestled in Berkeley, California, the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents is a micro museum that offers a unique olfactory experience curated by Mandy Aftel, a renowned figure in natural perfumery.

With exhibits ranging from rare botanicals to ancient artifacts, the museum invites visitors to explore the rich history and artistry of perfume. Our conversation explores the challenges of running these community spaces, how rewarding they can be and whether best practice and best use always align.

In a world filled with noise and chaos, the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents offers a moment of tranquility and wonder—a testament to the enduring allure of fragrance.

^{Videos of the conversation where Mandy shows some of the objects from the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents}

_{Mandy Aftel discussing the visitor experience – showing photos of the perfume organ, a fragrance wheel and scent strips}

_{Mandy Aftel showing illustrations from her book ‘Musuem of Scent’}

_{Mandy Aftel ilustrating Narcotic Florals with a fragrance wheel}

If you would like to find out more:

The Aftel Archive of Curious Scents website
Mandy’s book ‘The Museum of Scent.

Recorded on unceded Wadawurrung and Ohlone country
Edited on unceded Wadawurrung country.

Theme Music by Professor Kliq – ‘Work at night’, sourced from Free Music Archive under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA licence.

newcardigan.org

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

24 April 2024

cardiCast – Did Someone Say ‘Reboot’?

After a 12 month break (almost to the day), we are are getting back in game with a bit of a reboot to cardiCast. Shorter seasons that focus on specialist subjects and a touch of project development time in-between. Good quality conversations that, hopefully, spark community conversation with a framework that will allow a little more consistency for our listeners.

Welcome back to cardiCast!