Category: Policies
Fair Use Gone Viral: Predicting the Future of Copyright
Learn the future of fair use in less time than it takes to watch (an excellent) webinar! Our recap of “Fair Use Gone Viral: Predicting the Future of Copyright“ featuring Kenneth Crews, copyright scholar and librarian.
Helping Privacy Survive COVID-19: Inspirational Tidbits from William Marden, NYPL Director of Privacy and Compliance
William Marden, NYPL Director of Privacy and Compliance, gives advice about privacy as we move online during COVID-19 pandemic.
Good News: They Followed the Policy!
Sometimes, institutions respond to book challenges by following their policies as they should. These examples of calm, reasonable adherence to establish policies and procedures really make my day, and I’d like to share them with you.
So Your Second Cousin is a Criminal, and Other DNA Privacy Concerns
DNA from direct-to-consumer kits can help you find your ancestors–and potentially help law enforcement find you. See how genetic data raises privacy concerns even as it restores justice.
Safety in Libraries: a Continuum
I’d like to offer an approach I’ll call the continuum of safety, offered from the perspective of the patron, the person who uses the library but is not a member of the staff. My goal is to establish a framework for the supervision of public space, in keeping with the values of the profession.
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.
Viewpoint Discrimination
Librarians might not be public officials and this case might not apply to our social media accounts, but does that automatically mean that librarians should make it a practice to block people based on differences in viewpoint?
The Library is a Growing Organism: Resources for Weeding Collections
Libraries can’t grow if they aren’t weeded. The fifth Ranganathan Law states “The library is a growing organism.” With professional resources and a statement of support, ALA and the Oregon Library Association reinforce the professional deselection standards used by the Salem Public Library.
New Jersey parents upset at reduced access to books
Parents in Mahwah, NJ are expressing distress that the school district has, in their view, reduced student access to books in the school libraries.
Dispatches from the Houghton Library, Part Two: Who’s In and Who’s Out?
Are admissions policies at the world’s most exclusive colleges fair? How do they even determine what “fair” is? And does this presence or absence of fairness affect our intellectual freedom?