Parents Just Don’t Understand: Teen Privacy in Public Libraries

Paige McGeorge & Nicole Hembroff

In late 2022, a challenge was brought to the Lethbridge Public Library board regarding the library’s policy on the privacy of teen membership records. This prompted us to ask ourselves: Should parents have access to teen members’ library records? What role does privacy play in relation to those aged 13-17, and their social and mental development? What are the best practices in safeguarding responsibility and privacy for teens, while acknowledging they are not yet legally adults? We will share the resources we presented to the board in defense of teen privacy rights in public libraries, and the importance of having robust policies in place due to the increase in challenges to teen collections, services, and borrowing privileges.

Censorship of 2SLGBTQ+ Materials - A Call to Action for Libraries

Marty Grande-Sherbert, Andrew Ip, Nicole Pope

Our group recently submitted a draft of a guide that is planned to be further revised and submitted as a chapter of an open-access publication later this year. In the guide, we aimed to respond to the increasing trend wherein library materials which feature 2SLGBTQ+ people and their experiences are disproportionately challenged, censored, or subject to harassment. By giving library workers information on cisheterosexism, and stressing the health and information needs of their users, it is our hope that more libraries will advocate for 2SLGBTQ+ people instead of maintaining silence under the guise of neutrality. 

In our presentation, we would like to outline some of the main points of the paper, including the historical background necessary for understanding how 2SLGBTQ+ materials have been censored by authorities and the relationship between intellectual freedom discourse and hate speech. We also wish to stress the importance of challenging passive or neutral stances in libraries when it comes to homophobic and transphobic violence, and what is at stake for a library’s 2SLGBTQ+ populations when their needs are ignored.

Public Relations(hips): Balance, Choice, and Climate Change

Dan Hackborn

In numerous recent climate liability lawsuits, free speech emerged as a common legal defense used by fossil fuel companies. This is the latest example of an ongoing epistemic strategy undertaken by these companies, one which has contributed to inaction on climate change. What implications might this hold for the practice of intellectual freedom within librarianship? This talk uses both Alberta and the historical record of corporate-driven climate denial as touchstones in order to explore the complexities and dangers of an unexamined approach to intellectual freedom and related commitments to platform "all sides" when disinformation comes with material and global consequences.

Politics of Libraries seeks to provide a welcoming, professionally engaging, fun, and safe conference experience and ongoing community for everyone. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Discriminatory language and imagery (including sexual) is not appropriate.

Harassment is understood as any behavior that threatens or demeans another person or group, or produces an unsafe environment. It includes offensive verbal comments or non-verbal expressions related to gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religious or political beliefs; sexual or discriminatory images in public spaces (including online); deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

Conflict Resolution

1. Initial Incident

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, and you feel comfortable speaking with the offender, please inform the offender that she/ze/he has affected you negatively. Oftentimes, the offending behavior is unintentional, and the accidental offender and offended will resolve the incident by having that initial discussion.

Politics of Libraries recognizes that there are many reasons speaking directly to the offender may not be workable for you. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking directly with the offender for any reason, skip straight to step 2.

2. Escalation

If the offender insists that she/ze/he did not offend, if offender is actively harassing you, or if direct engagement is not a good option for you at this time, then you will need a third party to step in. At the Politics of Libraries conference, if you need any assistance with respect to harassment, please contact Michael McNally. The full organizing committee will introduce themselves at the beginning of the conference so you know who we are. If you require any assistance with respect to harassment, please find Michael or any of the other organizers, and they will be able to help you.

Sanctions

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in harassing behavior, organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender and expulsion from the event.

We value everyone’s participation in the conference, and will all work to keep the conference a safe and friendly space for all participants!

(Adapted from the Code4Lib Code of Conduct)

Sam Popowich is the author of Confronting the Democratic Discourse of Librarianship (2019) and is currently working on a political science PhD looking at Intellectual Freedom and Canadian politics. You can browse his extensive writings on his blog.

Paige McGeorge is the Teenbrarian for the Lethbridge Public Library, a position she has held with much joy for the past 15 years. She is responsible for all the coolest collections at the library (YA, comics, video games, and AV) and firmly believes in supporting the library teens with equitable access to whatever they need: epic stories, quality information, or chaos and fun times. Nicole Hembroff got her MA in Religious Studies from the University of Lethbridge in 2010. Since graduating she has worked in the Arts & Culture sector, most recently in a customer service capacity at the Lethbridge Public Library. She loves going down research rabbit holes and fighting for the rights of library workers and patrons alike.

Marty Grande-Sherbert (he/they) is a trans person and white settler currently living on Treaty 6 territory. He is a student in the MLIS program, and holds two BAs in Japanese and Religious Studies from the University of Regina on Treaty 4 territory. He attributes much of his success to his queer ancestors, his trans sisters and brothers, and his fortune to know a lot of lesbians. He recommends you do something nice for a trans woman today! 

Andrew Ip (he/him) is a MLIS student at the University of Alberta. Originally from Hong Kong, Andrew's primary interests in LIS are in open scholarship, collection management and censorship. 

Nicole Pope is a graduate student in the SLIS program at the University of Alberta and is set to graduate in June, 2023. She has a Bachelor of Science in English and creative writing and previously worked as an English teacher in South Korea. She is currently working as a library assistant in the Cataloguing and Metadata Strategies Department at the University of Alberta Library.

Dan Hackborn is a library worker and an MLIS/MA candidate at the University of Alberta. He lives and works on Treaty 6 territory, the land of nations including the Blackfoot, the Dene, the Assiniboine, the Nakoda Sioux, the Saulteaux, the Métis nations, and the nehiyaw.