articulate the ethics, values and foundational principles of library and information professionals and their role in the promotion of intellectual freedom;
The foundational principles of information professionals are the code of ethics and the core values of the American Library Association. ALA is the main organization of our professional and leads the field on developing our values and ethics.
As information professionals we are not supposed to question where the moral grey area is and deny materials for certain patrons. Should we give sensitive materials to underage patrons? Yes, it’s good to have morals but the ethics of the profession demand that if a user is seeking out questionable information it is not your job to deny their rights. Your job as a librarian is to provide information wherever possible and not to deny the rights of users to access to this information if they so choose.
If a user is on a computer in the library and is watching porn, that computer faces outwards towards the library and effects what nearby users might not wish to see. In this case the user is not within their rights to view this material. The material they are viewing has an effect on others in the library and therefore interferes with other patrons. Unlike printed material where the content is viewed by only the patron, the material on a computer is very visual and the images on this screen may affect other users who pass by.
Freedom to read in action
At the Victorville California library in 2006, the title Manga: Sixty years of Japanese comics was to be removed from the shelf but the library fought to keep it on the shelf. County Library Collection Development Coordinator Nannette Bricker-Barret said that: “It is the parents’ res...
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Quality vs. Demand paper - Spring 2009, LIBR 200. This paper is an evaluation of the freedom to read act and what it means for information professionals. This assignment outlines a foundational principle of the American Librarian Association and promotes the role of intellectual freedom. Explanations of challenged material and the importance of promoting banned books.
Conclusion
The library bill of rights, code of ethics and the core values, are all topics I should have memorized by now. I got the basics of it over four years of paraprofessional librarianship but as an information professional I should not just consider that enough and should try to memorize the material. If I was placed in the position where I had to defend my profession or my library it would up to me to quote these materials. I consider learning this material to be a top priority for me.
Foerstel, Herbert N. Banned in the U.S.A.: a Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1994. Print.
Trelease, Jim. "Book Banning Violates Children and Young Adult Freedoms." Book Banning. Ed. Ronnie D. Lankford. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. At Issue. Rpt. from "Censorship and Children's Books." Trelease-on-Reading.com. 2006.Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
Banned Books Week.” Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read American Library Association, 21st Sept. 2005. Web.02 March 2016
In 1976, five high school students brought the local school board to court to challenge the school board’s right to remove books from their school library. The students argued that their First Amendment rights were violated when the school infringed on the students’ “right to read”. (Campbell “BOOK BANNING IN AMERICA”). Book banning is a highly debatable topic among many people. While some people believe that book banning is the best way to protect children from inappropriate content, others believe that banning literature takes away the child’s right to read.
In her article “Censorship”, author Bobbi Swiderek, raises awareness of the issue of censorship in schools or to be more specific the banning of books in school libraries without proper reason and dealing with the irrational fears that seem to plague parents and officials when it comes to certain books. Using quotes from other authors, Swiderek makes a number of conclusions to why the banning of books actually happens and gives am in depth analysis of the subject given.
However, I feel that it is more important to keep these obscenities out of the minds of our children for as long as possible. They have their whole lives to see graphic images, hate, vulgar language and “adult” content, they do not need to be exposed to these vial things too soon. Our goal as parents and teachers is to teach the youth of this nation right and wrong and to lead and guide them in the right direction. If they chose as adults to view these types of things then that is their own decision and by this time they have hopefully matured enough to see these things and make the right decisions. Filters can and should always be improved, but it is clear that they are of great value and should remain in public libraries and in schools. There should always be continuous development of new types of filters and different ways to protect what kids see on the internet. As long as we can keep putting good in there will always be hope to get good
Every year in the United States we have books being banned and challenged by many people who do not like the contents of books. When researching for this argument essay I found an article written by Rebecca Hagelin. Rebecca Hagelin is the author of Home Invasion: Protecting Your Family in a Culture That’s Gone Stark Raving Mad and the vice president of communications and marketing at the Heritage Foundation (Lankford).
Pitner, Suzanne. "Why Books Are Banned: Common Reasons for Censorship and Challenges of Reading Materials." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. 11 July 2009. Web. 31 Mar. 2011. .
From the years 2000 to 2009, 5,099 books were challenged in school libraries, classrooms, and public libraries. Most of the books on this list were banned because of objectionable content such as sexual references, profanity, violence, and the fact that the book was considered “unsuited to age group” (American Library Association). Even prior to the year 2000, censorship and banned books had become an issue for schools in particular all across the country for these very reasons. While the The Color Purple by Alice Walker does contain the objectionable content mentioned prior, it should not be banned because objectionable content found in the book is accessible through the internet and social media, one person’s complaint should not determine another’s choice, and high school students should be mature enough to handle the adult content.
“Never underestimate a blank piece of paper in the right hands, because words are how we live – and for some of us, they’re why we live” (Leigh, 2014). Book censorship is the suppression of books considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient. Most people who want the books ban say that the books need to be censored because of sexuality, race, drugs, or social standings. However, books make you think, fantasize, and use your imagination. When you read you end up with a larger vocabulary, and a better thinking process. When a book is banned it discourages creativeness, and critical
In my passionate stand against the banning of books, I close my essay with a question. Why should we doubt the morals of our authors, our creators and our poets? Or should we take these books as an opportunity to hold ourselves, our true selves, to a mirror and take a good look at who we are and how far (now ‘banned’) books have taken us. I state my opinion with an iron fist and blunt force. I will take a stand for my books, even if no one else will stand with me.
Staff, Wire Reports. (2002 October 3). Book banning spans the globe. The Houston Chronicle, pp.C14. Retrieved December 2, 2002 from Lexis-Nexis/Academic database.
Baldassarro, Wolf. "Banned Books Awareness." Banned Books Awareness. World.edu, 31 Mar. 2011. Web. 05 Nov. 2013. (3)
The most debatable and controversial form of censorship today is the banning of books in school libraries. Banning books that educate students is wrong and selfish. Censorship of books in school libraries is neither uncommon nor an issue of the past. Books with artistic and cultural worth are still challenged constantly by those who want to control what others read. The roots of bigotry and illiteracy that fuel efforts to censor books and free expression are unacceptable and unconditional. Censoring school books in libraries can often lead to censorship of our basic freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment. In some cases, a minority ends up dictating the majority in censorship cases. To be told what is permissible reading material and what is not is a direct violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Censorship in American society is inconsistent and biased toward things that affect adults. American censorship may help control the bitter world of television, video games, and music, but what about the literary documents? Literature is defined as the body of written works of a language, period, or culture. This can include newspapers, magazines, textbooks, or even the novels and books that are considered classics. These items are not always put under the microscope and censored. Literary “Classics”, like Huckleberry Finn, have violent, racial, and strong adult language. These items in books, to some, may be deemed inappropriate for younger readers. Most of the information in these literary items are available to most teenagers and younger children at libraries and schools.