Sunday, April 25, 2010

"Tough Love" Update #2 Intellectual Freedom

I just published an angry comment from an anonymous person in response to the original "Tough Love" post that does not represent my own feelings about the library board. The comment comes close to crossing the fine line between a constructive criticism and an attack. I posted the comment because I believe so strongly in intellectual freedom and because I want the dialogue here to be an honest representation of the situation. I have not and will not falsify comments and it is my intent to post everything that comes in. I have only removed names to preserve anonymity.

This experience led me today to the website for the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) where their Statement on Libraries and Intellectual Freedom is posted and the Library Bill of Rights at the American Library Association (ALA) site. You may want to click on these links to see how strongly libraries feel about the issue. Libraries and the people who work there hold dear their core responsibility as a forum for information and ideas.

Even if access to information and an open dialogue is not expected in the average workplace, it should be a top priority for a library.

1 comment:

  1. Unfortunately staff at this library cannot enjoy open dialogue and meaningful, constructive workgroups and meetings, while fear of reprisal prevails. Staff need someone to stand up and protect them from retaliation, someone to investigate the situation that is unbiased. I only hope someone on the Board knows how to implement such a process.

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