(LEFT) FOOT IN MOUTH
by Marylaine Block
I don't know about the rest of you, but I wasn't happy about the formation of a group calling itself Librarians for Kerry. To be sure, that was eventually offset by a Librarians for Bush organization, but unfortunately, either name may suggest to outsiders that it is the entire profession, not some members of it, that is taking sides in partisan politics.
Nor am I happy about acts of some librarians in their professional capacity that leave them open to charges of partisanship. According to American Libraries, Dick and Mary Clark wrote the Summit County (CO) library director the following note about a one-sided display of political books: "My wife and I formally suggest that the library system, a tax-supported organization, remain neutral and not push one political bias to the exclusion of alternative views, especially in an election year." Even if the display was not intended as a political statement, but, as the head of the offending branch library said, simply a display of newly acquired topical titles, somebody should on staff should have noticed, and done something about, the appearance of a partisan slant.
There was a similar political tone deafness in the plans of the San Diego Public Library to offer a free public showing of "Fahrenheit 9/11," in an effort to satisfy the many library patrons on wait lists for the DVD. After numerous complaints about fairness, the library dropped the planned showing. But had the showing been coupled from the beginning with either a conservative documentary or a panel discussion led by exponents of a variety of political positions, the appearance of partisanship could have been avoided.
Many librarians are themselves offended by overt partisanship within the profession. The fact is that librarians' political opinions are far from uniform. We come in all flavors, liberal, radical, conservative, and libertarian. Some of us are deeply religious, some profoundly humanist. When our professional organizations seem to endorse one partisan position, they offend many librarians as much as they offend the public.
And perceived partisan acts do offend the public. Combined with outright political positions taken by the American Library Association, all these actions serve to tarnish the image librarians have worked so long to attain: trusted, unbiased providers of information covering all points of view on current issues. Our most valuable stock with the communities we serve is the enormous reservoir of trust and good will our perceived fairness have given us over the years, and we can't afford to lose that. I worry that these are acts of self-sabotage that may come back to haunt us.
Because the consequences of perceived partisanship may go beyond the loss of good will. They may place the entire profession on an enemies list. Consider the professions that are under political attack these days: Trial lawyers, Hollywood actors, and teachers (whose professional organization has been called a bunch of terrorists by the Secretary of Education). What do these professions have in common? Widely-known fundraising and activism on behalf of the Democratic party. Why on earth would we give politicians a reason to add our profession to this list?
We do have an obligation to speak out on issues that affect our ability to provide a full range of information, such as censorship, privacy of patron information, and open access to information about our government. That alone can make us a tempting target for people like Dr. Laura, but at least we can make it clear that we're talking purely about professional issues, not political ones. It's harder to walk that tightrope if we're associated with outright partisanship.
I'm not saying that we should remain models of neutrality once we've left work for the day. As people who are, if anything, inordinately aware of the privileges and obligations of citizenship, we should be active. I just hope that when we do so, we won't suggest we're speaking on behalf of the world's librarians.
As a private individual, I have strongly held, if eccentric, political convictions. Since my philosophy is drawn in almost equal proportions from conservative, liberal, and libertarian principles, there's not a politician alive I can endorse without serious reservations. In the end, I commit to and work for the candidates I have modest hopes for, but in my professional capacity as librarian and publisher of ExLibris and NeatNew, I endorse nobody, and speak only to professional issues, not partisan ones.
A recent series of Unshelved cartoons <http://www.overduemedia.com/> showed the reference librarians (yes, even Dewey) cheerfully supplying stacks and stacks of information to a man who needed it for his campaign to reduce taxaction for library service. To me, that's the kind of neutral, user-oriented librarianship that our patrons trust us to provide. I don't want us to ever damage that trust, because as Karen Schneider says, "Gruntling people, once they have been disgruntled, is uphill work."
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COOL QUOTE:
Librarians should be transparent to the people we serve. The librarians are guides who assist people locate the information. We are not hired to be advisors, counselors, or confidants. Rather, we are guides to the vast array of growing information in the world. While librarians may have deep personal feelings or opinions about some subjects, as professionals it is our obligation to refrain from volunteering or interjecting personal opinions. That is one reason that you'll find librarians providing citations (or sources) for the information we provide.
Natrona County Public Library System. Invisible Librarians? http://www-wsl.state.wy.us/natrona/CJ/52.html
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