June 25, 2002

2:47 PM

Intellectual Freedom Issues,
from the American Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Roundtable.

"Intellectual Freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored. Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate ideas."

American Library Association Code of Ethics: "We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted."
posted by sheauga (5 comments total)

Isn't this a double post, more or less?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 2:53 PM on June 25, 2002

Well, that's all pretty much out the window now, isn't it? The bastards.

I'm really amazed not to hear more of an outcry among librarians. Maybe they're just too used to shushing everyone to speak up.
posted by me3dia at 2:53 PM on June 25, 2002

Did you put a <br> in the title line? It looks funky.
posted by insomnyuk at 2:59 PM on June 25, 2002

(yup, insomnyuk, there's a < br>) So, is "double post" all it takes to get this crew to stay mum regarding the Four Freedoms "freedom of expression?" I want the library practitioner's point of view to get front page status too, not get buried somewhere after comment number 50.

There is an outcry among librarians-- you weren't at the ALA conference last week to hear the speeches and sessions on this topic. Librarians are very concerned about the implications of providing information about library patrons to government officials. Nobody likes the idea of being forced into the position of spying on the people walking into their library!

Last week, the UK online community staged a Fax Machine Uprising and "scored a dramatic victory over government plans to give all sorts of public bodies access to records of everyone's e-mail and phone records."

No, this stuff is not "out the window." The question is, what has to be put in place so you feel comfortable reading anything you want?

-- Clearcut restrictions that only antiterrorist investigators get this information?
-- Tell law enforcement what's their problem, if this stuff is so important why don't they just get NSA to hack in and grab the info?
-- Improved oversight of law enforcement agencies so that they are not in a position to conduct personal harassment campaigns against individuals?
posted by sheauga at 3:20 PM on June 25, 2002

Our library doesn't keep a record of what we've checked out. I'd actually like a record of everything I've checked out, but I'm glad they're protecting privacy. Suddenly the privacy wonks are sounding more and more plausible.
posted by mecran01 at 4:28 AM on June 26, 2002