[Libs-Or] Attempts to censor bookstore display in Ashland.

[Cindy Gibbon]

It's worth knowing that ALA IFC is working on a new statement related to
reconciling intellectual freedom principles with the ideals of diversity,
equity and inclusion.  I've been asked to represent PLA on that working
group.  This situation presents a very instructive real-world convergence
of the two.  There is much food for thought here.

*Cindy*

*Cindy Gibbon*
*Access and Information Services Director*
My schedule: Monday through Friday
Multnomah County Library
503.988.5496
multcolib.org



On Thu, Aug 11, 2016 at 2:37 PM, Ross Betzer <rossbk at multcolib.org> wrote:

> Members of the Oregon Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee
> are going to try to talk to people closer to this situation in order to
> find out more about the controversy and where it currently stands, and
> what, if any, response from the association might be useful. If we learn
> any additional information, we will share it.
>
> This does not, of course, preclude any individual members of the library
> community from responding in whatever way they feel is appropriate.
>
> Thank you, Dale, for sharing the editorial that you wrote.
>
> If anyone has questions about the work of the Intellectual Freedom
> Committee, related to this issue or anything else, please feel free to
> contact either me or my fellow co-chair, Krista Reynolds. Our contact
> information is available on the committee's webpage:
> http://www.olaweb.org/intellectual-freedom-about-us.
>
> -Ross
>
> *Ross Betzer*
> Co-chair, Oregon Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee
> Information Services Librarian, Multnomah County Library
> rossbk at multcolib.org
> 503.988.5728
>
> On Thu, Aug 11, 2016 at 12:17 AM, Dale Vidmar <vidmar at sou.edu> wrote:
>
>> This was my post to the Ashland Daily Tidings:
>>
>> As a professor and librarian with a Master's degree in library science, I
>> would like to point out that what OSF Executive Director Cynthia Rider and
>> others have done by initiating a boycott of the Shakespeare Books &
>> Antiques bookstore is censorship.
>>
>> Censorship is defined on the American Library Association's Intellectual
>> Freedom and Censorship page as follows:
>>
>> *"Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that certain
>> persons—individuals, groups or government officials—find objectionable or
>> dangerous. It is no more complicated than someone saying, 'Don’t let anyone
>> read this book, or buy that magazine, or view that film, because I object
>> to it!' Censors try to use the power of the state to impose their view of
>> what is truthful and appropriate, or offensive and objectionable, on
>> everyone else. Censors pressure public institutions, like libraries, to
>> suppress and remove from public access information they judge inappropriate
>> or dangerous, so that no one else has the chance to read or view the
>> material and make up their own minds about it. The censor wants to prejudge
>> materials for everyone."*
>>
>> Banned books displays are vehicles by which libraries, bookstores, and
>> other entities point out materials that have been challenged in the past
>> for the edification of others. It is not much different than a Shakespeare
>> play that challenges an audience's sensibilities when using a female in a
>> typically male role. A banned books display is not a shrine for the best of
>> human behavior. It is a display that begs us to ask, "Why?"
>>
>> OSF led by Cynthia Rider, Bill Rauch, and some individuals who feel
>> offended by a censorship display really need to ask themselves, "Why?" To
>> question the display is a good thing because it creates the dialog. To seek
>> censorship is wrong.
>>
>> ```````````````
>>
>> The post was in response to the following article and other information
>> on this matter:
>>
>> http://www.dailytidings.com/article/20160805/OPINION/160809892
>>
>> Dale Vidmar
>>
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> Dale Vidmar
>> Professor
>> Information Literacy and Instruction Librarian/Distance Education
>> Coordinator/
>> Education, Communication, Nursing, Health, Physical Education, &
>> Leadership Librarian
>> Digital Media Gallery Venue Coordinator
>> Hannon Library
>> 1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
>> Ashland, OR 97520
>> 541-552-6842
>> vidmar at sou.edu
>> http://hanlib.sou.edu/dale
>>
>> "Anything that I ever did that was ultimately worthwhile,
>> initially scared me to death."
>> - Betty Bender
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 10, 2016 at 2:15 PM, Tony <tony_greiner at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> The situation in Ashland calls for more than a theoretical response.
>>>
>>>
>>> According to the ALA's Freedom to Read statement, items 6 is directly
>>> germane for library action in this case.
>>>
>>>
>>> *6. It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians, as guardians
>>> of the people's freedom to read, to contest encroachments upon that freedom*
>>> [freedom to read] *by individuals or groups seeking to impose their own
>>> standards or tastes upon the community at large; and by the government
>>> whenever it seeks to reduce or deny public access to public information.*
>>>
>>>
>>> This doesn't say libraries and librarians will only resist censorship of
>>> library materials.
>>>
>>>
>>> Tony Greiner, Portland Community College Library
>>>
>>>
>>> Primo and Alma: Making WorldCat Local Look Good
>>> **tony_greiner at hotmail.com**
>>>
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>>>
>>
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>>
>>
>
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> Questions related to message content should be directed to list owner(s)
> or the sender of the message, by phone or email.
> Technical questions? Call 503-378-8800.
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