Demonstrate awareness of the ethics, values, and foundational principles of one of
the information professions, and discuss the importance of the those principles within that profession.
INTRODUCTION
Regardless of the path a librarian chooses, there are inherent values and an ethical code they should abide by. These values have been explicitly laid out in documents such as the American Library Association’s (ALA’s) Bill of Rights (ALA, 2019), Code of Ethics (ALA, 2008), and the Freedom to Read Statement (ALA, 2004). School Library Teachers are tasked with the same tenets of intellectual freedom that public librarians in the US are expected to adhere to, however, there can be challenges from forces, both externally and internally, that can make following these guidelines difficult. Library Teacher is the term used in my district, which is interchangeable with both teacher librarian and school librarian. The reason for the use of Library Teacher is to align with all other accredited teacher positions; English teacher, math teacher, art teacher, music teacher... The Intellectual Freedom Committee, a component of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), created a brochure, Intellectual Freedom Brochure (AASL, 2010) which addresses some of the circumstances librarians working in a public school setting face, such as; internet filtering, selection and censorship, and challenges.
INTERNET FILTERING
Congress enacted the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) in 2000. Essentially, CIPA requires that any school district that uses federally funded services from either the Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund (E-rate Program) or directly through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) fund, to install internet filters on all computers. They call these filters, “technology protection measures” and deem they are necessary “to protect against visual depictions of child pornography, obscenity, or material ‘harmful to minors’ as defined under federal law” (AASL, 2010, para. 5). The policy leaves interpretation of which sites to filter up to individual school districts, which can vary greatly across the country depending on individual state and local laws, which leads to a serious inequity of access to information. What one school district or region or state deems inappropriate or offensive, another won’t.
The filters CIPA requires are in direct contradiction with not only the values put forth in the Library Bill of Rights, but they are also in violation of the First Amendment. To keep up with 21st century standards, it is important that students are able to utilize the internet to conduct research. As a school librarian, it is my job to promote the notion of smarter filtering. It is also my responsibility to advocate for the ability to be able to turn off a filter. Chmara (2010) concludes, “protecting minors’ First Amendment rights and fulfilling the educational mission of promoting the greatest access to educational and research materials counsels for a system that allows school librarians and teachers to unblock sites with constitutionally protected material” (p.16). In many cases, school may be the only place a student has access to a computer with an internet connection. It may also be the only place a child who is questioning their sexuality or gender, or has experienced trauma or abuse may feel safe to look up information. Due to filters, they may not get accurate or enough information because many sites will automatically be blocked based on the overall subject. Filtering is an imperfect science, there are bound to be circumstances of over-blocking or under-blocking, it is crucial we strive to provide the most accurate, up to date, uncensored information available.
Many schools tend to over-filter in an abundance of caution, not realizing that educating students on how to safely navigate the web, would better prepare them for the unfiltered internet they will certainly encounter outside of school walls. Giving students the tools to conduct themselves safely and appropriately online should be the goal - teaching them how to protect their privacy, the ramifications of cyber bullying, and instilling the knowledge that anything they post on social media is permanent, even if they delete it - will empower them to become independent learners.
SELECTION AND CENSORSHIP
“Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation” - ALA Library Bill of Rights, 2019
School librarians need to be especially cognizant of not allowing personal feelings to influence their decisions when choosing which materials to purchase for the library, in other words, they must be careful they are acting as selectors, not censors. Being selective when you serve a small community and do not have an endless budget is important, however, equally important is being mindful that you are serving an entire community, not just a portion of it, or the portion you identify or agree with. “Lester Asheim put it best in a 1953 article in Wilson Library Journal when he said that selectors look for the positive when choosing acquisitions, whereas censors look for the negative. The selector seeks reasons to include material in the collection; the censor seeks reasons to exclude material from the collection” (AASL, 2010. para. 2). School librarians should make a concerted effort to order materials with different viewpoints, from a variety of sources and genres. A good strategy to keep in mind is asking yourself whether the collection consists of both “mirrors and windows.” Mirrors and windows is a term that is used frequently in relation to library materials. It is important for library patrons to find materials they can relate to - mirrors; and also materials that will expose them to other cultures, opinions, and perspectives - windows.
Often, the school librarian has the sole responsibility of choosing which books to add to the collection, what databases will correlate best with the curriculum, and which magazines to subscribe to. It is imperative that these decisions are unbiased, promote diversity, equity, and accurately represent the community they serve. To help achieve this goal, they should also seek input from students, faculty, and parents. If a librarian allows his or her personal feelings and opinions to influence their decisions, they are doing a great disservice to all of the students who use the library “It is the school librarian's responsibility to provide a diverse, balanced, and high-quality collection representing all points of view on controversial issues” (AASL, 2010, para. 2).
CHALLENGES
When a library book is challenged, it challenges basic freedom afforded in a democratic society. We need only look back to Nazi Germany to see how dangerous it is to allow censorship. During WWII the Nazis used censorship and book burnings as a way to influence and assert control. When a challenger requests to have a book removed from a library or a school; the challenger is attempting to deny a group of people their freedom to read what they choose, which is the foundation of a democratic society “freedom is no freedom if it is accorded only to the accepted and the inoffensive. Further, democratic societies are more safe, free, and creative when the free flow of public information is not restricted by governmental prerogative or self-censorship” (ALA, 2004, Proposition section, para. 6).
Hundreds of books are challenged each year, and it is my job as a school librarian to be prepared if a book in my library were to be challenged. AASL recommends that school libraries have a collection development policy that includes a process for dealing with challenged material, and that has been approved by the school committee. The policy should be posted visibly in the library and online (AASL, 2010, para. 3). They also recommend “requiring a challenger to read the full book (or other material format) and complete a written form” (AASL, 2010, para. 3). Last school year, a middle school library in our district received a challenge on one of their books. The challenger was actually an 8th grade student, angry at the book on Syria her sister had brought home. They were a Syrian family who had a different experience than the one in the book and did not agree with the point of view this book took. The library teacher, who was in his first year at the school, asked the sister to come in and have a conversation with him. They discussed the importance of varying viewpoints, he asked for her input on what books she thought would be a better representation of her culture, and then purchased them and some others (there are now 16 books instead of 1 on Syria; fiction and non). The library did not need to remove the offending book, and made an important realization of how important it is to not only have books and other resources that represent all points of view, but to learn your specific community in order to meet their individual needs.
EVIDENCE
Info 233 - School Library Media Centers: Policy Research and Discussion/ Filtering and CIPA
This is a collaborative document created with two other ischool students in info 233 School Library Media Centers. I was the group leader, and did a major portion of the research and writing of the policy. In the School Library Programs Course we were told to choose a policy (from a predetermined list) related to school libraries, and whoever else also chose that policy would form a group. The assignment required us to define the policy, write our own policy for a fictional school library, and then defend our policy. My group chose to explore filtering and the impact CIPA has had on school libraries. I believe this piece of evidence proves that I understand the importance of intellectual freedom, advocating for students’ First Amendment rights, and privacy.
Info 285 - Applied Research Methods-Youth Services: Mini Ethics Course
Professor Bernier requires all of his Info 285, Applied Research Method students to take an ethical mini course through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Program before conducting research in his course. This course teaches the regulations adopted by the US Public Health Service (PHS) on conflicts of interest in research, remaining unbiased throughout the research process, protecting the privacy of individual research subjects, as well as an understanding of the Institutional Review Board Requirements. I believe my taking this course reinforces the notion that all library users, including research participants, should expect that their information is kept confidential.
Work History - Morse Institute Library: Banned Books Week Program
I worked in the circulation department of the Morse Institute Library, which is a public library in Natick, Massachusetts, about 20 minutes west of Boston for 19 years (I now work at the high school). For at least 10 of those years, I created all of the displays on the main floor of the library. Banned Books Week was one of my favorite displays to work on each year - of course I don’t like that there is a necessity for a banned books week - but since there is, I feel it is important to educate people about the books that have been challenged and the reasons behind those challenges. Each year I try to come up with something clever and different. In September, 2016 I went to pinterest for inspiration and fell in love with the idea of taking “mugshots” of people reading a banned book. The staff and patrons were enthusiastic about it, and everyone had a great time. Many patrons, and even some staff were shocked and upset to see how many banned books there were. I feel this shows my knowledge that educating people about their freedom to read, and what the impact would be if books were banned is a crucial aspect of library science.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, as I get closer to graduation and becoming a certified Library Teacher, I realize that I will be the one making the majority of decisions on which materials to purchase, what information is to be kept confidential, and how to promote the library. In this role, I will remain committed to upholding the principles of intellectual freedom. I will remain steadfast in my determination to promote equity for all users, provide a wide array of diverse materials in various formats, and protect the privacy of all library users. I feel confident that I will be able to advocate for student’s First Amendment Rights with the guidance of documents such as The Freedom to Read, Code of Ethics, and the Library Bill of Rights.
References
American Library Association. (2013, April 2). Intellectual freedom (Doc. 3d2fee3b-7515-6544-
3d32-e8e7f8b13653). Retrieved from: http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/if
American Library Association, & Association of American Publishers. (2004, June 30). The freedom to read statement. American Library Association (ALA). Retrieved from: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/freedomreadstatement
American Library Association (ALA) Council. (2019, January 29). Library bill of rights. American Library Association (ALA). Retrieved from: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill
Chmara, T. (2010). Minors' First Amendment rights: CIPA & school libraries. Knowledge Quest, 39(1), 16. Retrieved from: https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A239272679/AONE?u=csusj&sid=AONE&xid=1e749f3e