5/2/13 Reflection on "Challenges and Issues Today"

Post date: May 3, 2013 12:53:05 PM

Morgan, Candace. "Challenges and Issues Today." Intellectual freedom manual. 8th ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010. 37-46. Print.

Four of the main challenges that libraries face today are the rights of youth, access to the Internet and digital Information and services, the privacy and confidentiality of library records, and serving diverse populations.

Sometimes adults will try to limit teens’ access to information because they feel the materials may be too violent, have information about sex or the occult, alternative lifestyles or religions, are racist, sexist, homophobic, or hostile to specific ethnic or religious groups. What they don’t realize is that minors also have rights to the First Amendment and that rather than keeping that information away from teens, they should be helping them develop skills to evaluate the information by them selves. The only limitations that minors should have on library materials are those put in place by their parents or guardians.

When it comes to Internet access and rights, the same limitations are the drive behind acquiring censors on the computers for schools or libraries so that teens do not research inappropriately deemed information. There are other options than creating blocks for different sites though. Libraries can offer time-sensitive access to computers, have individual cubicles, or place the computers in a more private area. Libraries can also offer educational classes about the internet, and they may have patrons sign a usage agreement that dictates their ability to use the computer if they are found searching illegal or publically inappropriate items. This way, sites that CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act) endorsed filters would block for minors would still be accessible for adults without their needing to ask for the filters to be taken off each time they use the computer.

Privacy and confidentiality bring up some complex ideas about what the limits should be as well. If government agencies such as the FBI are able to look at a library patron’s records, do the materials checked out make them guilty or simply curious? For example: If there was a death in a family where there was also a student who had just researched homicides in the Unites States for a research paper, would that student be seen as guilty even if they had an airtight alibi because of what their library records showed? That is a drastic example, but assuming that no one would have a problem with the government (or another agency) looking at their personal records unless they had something to hide automatically implies that they are guilty of something if they want their records private. They may simply be protecting their reputation and good name from rumors regarding other items in their history, non-related to the investigation at hand.

As our country becomes more and more diverse, it is understandable that this would be one of the larger issues that libraries are dealing with today. Discrimination at the library comes in terms of economic discrimination, religion, and discrimination due to national origin or citizenship status. In response to this, the ALA has adopted a “Resolution in Support of Immigrant Rights” which says that anyone in the USA or its territories should be able to use the national, state, and local libraries, whether they are citizens or not. They have also re-defined the wording used in the ALA Bill of Rights to be more inclusive and kept up with court decisions concerning the use of meeting rooms by religious groups.

The ALA is very quick about assessing new situations that will deal with America’s libraries and is working towards equal rights for everyone to be able to access information when they need it. I do wonder though, how does an immigrant newly arriving in the United States, legal or not, apply for a library card without an ID or proof of address? Would there be another way to allow access to reading materials in the library without a card for patrons such as this in cities with larger immigrant populations? I am not disputing their right to being able to use the library, I am simply curious as to what procedures would need to happen for them to be able to check out materials unless they waited until getting a U.S. photo ID.