Category: Access
Requests for Reconsideration at the Public Library Part Four: Sensitive Topics and Abuse
Child sex abuse is a serious problem but how do we talk to kids about it? How do we give children the tools and language to understand how to reach out if they are victims or if they know someone who is? There is no easy answer. One way that author Tony Abbot chose was the route of storytelling. Sharing stories can provide both a mirror and a window.
Requests for Reconsideration at the Public Library Part Two: Growing Bodies
It’s the right of any parent to determine the best time to talk about sensitive issues with their children but we need titles that talk about bodies from as young as pre-k picture books. It is up to the parent to determine what titles are appropriate for their children and this specific title is age-appropriate in the children’s section.
Academic Publishing, Open Access, and the Trump Administration
The Trump administration is considering issuing an executive order requiring that all scientific research funded by federal grants be immediately published via open access. Publishers aren’t happy, but open access advocates are celebrating.
Meeting Rooms and Sacred Spaces Cause Schisms in Seattle
The library as a shared space naturally brings people together, yet it can simultaneously foster deep divides within a community. The latter has taken shape recently in Seattle in a conflict between the transgender community and the Women’s Liberation Front.
Addressing Requests for Reconsideration at the Public Library Part One: Biblical Dinosaurs
When I took my first job as a collection librarian, I assumed that most of the challenged books at public libraries fell into the familiar categories we see in the “frequently banned and challenged” lists that are featured during Banned Books Week: Harry Potter; Go Ask Alice; Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. I was wrong.
You Matter! Make Sure You Count!
“In 2020, the census is going online. The idea is to help increase self-response, but as librarians we understand the special challenges this may create for some of our patrons.”
Providing eBooks For All
The #eBooksForAll initiative can be applied to other issues of access: eBooks in prison and accessibility.
Charging for the right to read: who really pays?
Ultimately, when it comes to a fundamental right like reading, all prisoners should have equal access regardless of ability to pay. As I have argued before, reading can play an important role in educating and rehabilitating those prisoners who want to reform. When we place barriers to information between prisoners and rehabilitation, I would argue that they aren’t the only ones who pay – we all do.
Libraries and Journalism: Dispelling Disinformation and Advancing Democracy With Diligent Fact-Finding
Librarians and journalists tackle the same challenges and it’s no surprise that the two fields have found natural allies in one another. Both institutions champion the notion of equity in access and intellectual freedoms within their respective mandates. And collaboration is key when one falls short of their charge to serve the community.
Auditing the First Amendment at Your Public Library
A growing number of public libraries are reporting that individuals are visiting their buildings to film and photograph library staff and library users, on the grounds that libraries are “public spaces.” Here’s what the law says.