Today I came across a story about a book challenge in a public library in Kentucky. The scary part? It was a library staffer challenging the book. The situation is this: A library staffer in a county public library in Kentucky came across the graphic novel The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume IV: The Black Dossier in children's/YA section of the library. She felt that it had way too many sexual situations and was not suitable for children, so she took it to her director who disagreed and put the book back into circulation. Her next step to stop children from checking out the book was to check it out herself, and keep renewing it. This was working fine for almost a year until she went to renew it on September day and discovered that an 11 year old girl had requested the book. The library employee was so distressed that a child would want to read what she considered inappropriate material that she asked a colleague to override the hold (can we say invasion of privacy?!?!). The director found out about this and both women were fired from the library. You can read more about the story here.
I obviously find a number of things were distressing about this story. But the worst thing (to me) is that this woman took it upon herself to decide what is appropriate or inappropriate for children. Who gave her this right? No one, that's who. It is not up to the library, or the school, or the teacher, or the general public to decide what is or what is not okay for your child to read. The only person who can make that decision is the parent of the child in question. Another thing: the book in question had been purchased for the library, which means that it was reviewed and someone made a decision to buy it knowing that it was going in the children's/YA section. It also survived the first removal attempt by the library worker when the director had it put back on the shelf. If there had been a real concern, the book would have not survived this process.
Do you think this library worker crossed the line? She and another colleague were fired for accesses records and removing a hold request on the book. Do you agree with the library board that firing these women was the right thing to do? I do, but I want to hear your opinion!
Showing posts with label librarians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label librarians. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Overdue Books Find Their Way Home
I was driving to work this morning, listening to the radio (gotta love Christmas music in November!) and low and behold, there was a story about libraries! You can also read it here.
In 1959, a student at a Phoenix, AZ high school checked out two books from the school's library. His family moved to another state before he could turn them in and the books were packed along with the rest of his stuff. 50 years later, they have been returned to the library with a check for $1,000.00. The former student, who wanted to remain anonymous, sent the check to cover overdue fines at $0.02 a day, which adds up to over $700.00 for both books. The extra money is in case the fines have increased over the years.
The librarian said that the money would go to buy more books for the library and the two returned books would go back on the shelf.
I thought this was such a cute story. Not sure why the books are being returned after all these years, but this former student could have done a lot less than send the books back with such a large check. With the holiday season fast approaching and more news every day about the tough economic situation for libraries, doesn't it make you feel good to know that there are nice people out there?
In 1959, a student at a Phoenix, AZ high school checked out two books from the school's library. His family moved to another state before he could turn them in and the books were packed along with the rest of his stuff. 50 years later, they have been returned to the library with a check for $1,000.00. The former student, who wanted to remain anonymous, sent the check to cover overdue fines at $0.02 a day, which adds up to over $700.00 for both books. The extra money is in case the fines have increased over the years.
The librarian said that the money would go to buy more books for the library and the two returned books would go back on the shelf.
I thought this was such a cute story. Not sure why the books are being returned after all these years, but this former student could have done a lot less than send the books back with such a large check. With the holiday season fast approaching and more news every day about the tough economic situation for libraries, doesn't it make you feel good to know that there are nice people out there?
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Wardrobe Choices for Librarians (a.k.a. What Not To Wear)
I really hate to be picky and this feels like a really picky topic to blog about, but I think librarians have a bad rep when it comes to fashion sense. I used to think that was largely undeserved looking at my classmates and the majority of the staff and faculty in UA's library system; however, I have changed my mind. Librarians have terrible fashion sense. Rephrase: librarians have NO fashion sense. Being at ALA last week made me feel like I was living in a huge episode of What Not to Wear. Everywhere I turned there were outfits that would make Stacy and Clinton cringe. They made me want to crawl in a hole and die of embarrassment for my profession.
There were many, many, many outfits that could serve as examples of what not to do, but I felt that it might be a little rude to start snapping pictures of poorly dressed people just so I could share them on my blog. While no particular case stands out in my mind (although I do have a disastrous image burned forever in my mind of how hair should never, ever look), I will take out the time to point out some major fashion faux pas that I spotted.
1. Cardigans. I love cardigans of all sorts; they're great for tossing over a shirt when you're cold or wearing as part of an ensemble as has been fashionable this spring/summer. But cardigans, like all pieces of clothing, should fit. Cardigans should not be overly baggy; contrary to popular belief this does not keep you warmer. Cardigans should not have holes in them, possess unidentifiable stains, or be so old that they were purchased in another decade.
2. Pants. Pants are an excellent article of clothing. They are versatile and come in a variety of options. Nevertheless, pants, like all other clothing, should fit. Baggy pants make you look sloppy, thus bringing into question your ability to adequately pick out clothing. If you can't pick out clothing well, am I going to trust you with picking out a book or helping me with my research? Only if I'm desperate. And even then, I'm going to spend half the time wondering when the last time you shopped was. If you look sloppy and unprofessional, then you are sloppy and unprofessional. Pants, like cardigans, and any and all other items that you put on your body should not be stained, have holes, or look generally over-worn. And for goodness sake; don't pull your pants up beyond your belly button!! It makes you look frumpy and no one wants a frumpy librarian. :)
3. Inappropriate clothing choices. I'm going to be honest; this bothers me way more than old, holey sweaters and baggy pants pulled up to the chin. Librarianship is a professional job; we are information professionals. We should dress like professional people. Would you trust a doctor/lawyer/accountant if her skirt was obnoxiously too short or she had way too many piercings? Probably not. So why trust a librarian who looks like she's reading to hit the bars after a long day of cataloging? I saw so many librarians with super short skirts, multiple, visible body piercings and tattoos, and clothing/jewelry more suited to a younger generation. Dressing professionally doesn't have to be boring; but it is necessary.
Dressing professionally isn't a hard thing. I tend to dress very simply; plain shirts that can be mixed with a variety of pants/capris/skirts, but I always look put together.* I fix my hair nice, I do my make-up, I wear an appropriate level of jewelry. Don't get me wrong; I may dress boring, but I saw a ton of funky, awesomely dressed people at conference who looked like they knew exactly what they were doing with their lives. They had great personal style and were expressing it, but in an appropriate way for work. I would never wonder when the last time they shopped.
Maybe you think that shopping is for the frivolous and no one really cares how the librarian is dressed. Believe me, they do care. You send a message to the public by the way you dress. If you dress poorly because you simply don't care how you look, people start to wonder what else you don't care about. Simply put, people, on average, are more forthcoming to someone who is put together and looks like he/she actually wants to help you. And having forthcoming patrons is incredibly important; you know this if you have every spent time working the reference desk.
So keep the cardigans coming; they look fabulous now! But just keep in mind that the way you dress reflects your profession. If you want people to think we are just a bunch of frumpy old ladies shushing people all day then by all means dress that way; but if you want to see librarians project a solid professional image and reach out as a resource to the community, then please watch how you dress!!
*If you see my on the street in gross jeans and a t-shirt; please don't me mad at me!! I try to look professional at work, but can't keep it up all the time. (But if I ever look awful for work, feel free to redirect me to my own blog.)
There were many, many, many outfits that could serve as examples of what not to do, but I felt that it might be a little rude to start snapping pictures of poorly dressed people just so I could share them on my blog. While no particular case stands out in my mind (although I do have a disastrous image burned forever in my mind of how hair should never, ever look), I will take out the time to point out some major fashion faux pas that I spotted.
1. Cardigans. I love cardigans of all sorts; they're great for tossing over a shirt when you're cold or wearing as part of an ensemble as has been fashionable this spring/summer. But cardigans, like all pieces of clothing, should fit. Cardigans should not be overly baggy; contrary to popular belief this does not keep you warmer. Cardigans should not have holes in them, possess unidentifiable stains, or be so old that they were purchased in another decade.
2. Pants. Pants are an excellent article of clothing. They are versatile and come in a variety of options. Nevertheless, pants, like all other clothing, should fit. Baggy pants make you look sloppy, thus bringing into question your ability to adequately pick out clothing. If you can't pick out clothing well, am I going to trust you with picking out a book or helping me with my research? Only if I'm desperate. And even then, I'm going to spend half the time wondering when the last time you shopped was. If you look sloppy and unprofessional, then you are sloppy and unprofessional. Pants, like cardigans, and any and all other items that you put on your body should not be stained, have holes, or look generally over-worn. And for goodness sake; don't pull your pants up beyond your belly button!! It makes you look frumpy and no one wants a frumpy librarian. :)
3. Inappropriate clothing choices. I'm going to be honest; this bothers me way more than old, holey sweaters and baggy pants pulled up to the chin. Librarianship is a professional job; we are information professionals. We should dress like professional people. Would you trust a doctor/lawyer/accountant if her skirt was obnoxiously too short or she had way too many piercings? Probably not. So why trust a librarian who looks like she's reading to hit the bars after a long day of cataloging? I saw so many librarians with super short skirts, multiple, visible body piercings and tattoos, and clothing/jewelry more suited to a younger generation. Dressing professionally doesn't have to be boring; but it is necessary.
Dressing professionally isn't a hard thing. I tend to dress very simply; plain shirts that can be mixed with a variety of pants/capris/skirts, but I always look put together.* I fix my hair nice, I do my make-up, I wear an appropriate level of jewelry. Don't get me wrong; I may dress boring, but I saw a ton of funky, awesomely dressed people at conference who looked like they knew exactly what they were doing with their lives. They had great personal style and were expressing it, but in an appropriate way for work. I would never wonder when the last time they shopped.
Maybe you think that shopping is for the frivolous and no one really cares how the librarian is dressed. Believe me, they do care. You send a message to the public by the way you dress. If you dress poorly because you simply don't care how you look, people start to wonder what else you don't care about. Simply put, people, on average, are more forthcoming to someone who is put together and looks like he/she actually wants to help you. And having forthcoming patrons is incredibly important; you know this if you have every spent time working the reference desk.
So keep the cardigans coming; they look fabulous now! But just keep in mind that the way you dress reflects your profession. If you want people to think we are just a bunch of frumpy old ladies shushing people all day then by all means dress that way; but if you want to see librarians project a solid professional image and reach out as a resource to the community, then please watch how you dress!!
*If you see my on the street in gross jeans and a t-shirt; please don't me mad at me!! I try to look professional at work, but can't keep it up all the time. (But if I ever look awful for work, feel free to redirect me to my own blog.)
Monday, July 13, 2009
Shuttle Buses, Librarians, and the Sheer Number of ALA Acronyms
So I had big plans for this year's ALA Annual Conference (my first). I was going to blog everyday about my experiences while they were still fresh in my mind. Well, no one prepared me for the chaos that is annual conference. This has been one of the most overwhelming four days of my life. However, it has also been one of the most educational, and not just in terms of librarianship. While three days of conference have slipped by without me writing a blog, I do have a great list of topics to blog on, enough to keep me busy for several weeks, at least. Today I just wanted to offer my comments on three things.
1. Shuttle buses between hotels and the conference center are a great idea. However, shuttle buses that don't run often enough, nor have enough space to fit the needs of all attendees are not a great idea. I learned quickly after waiting 30 minutes and being passed over by two full buses that it's best to always stay at headquarters. Or at least walk over and catch the shuttle from there. If I ever have the money to stay at such a nice hotel, I totally will, but for now, budget accommodations and sneaking on to the shuttle at a different spot is just fine, especially when that results in getting to the conference site ahead of schedule, or at least on time.
2. There are a lot of librarians in the U.S. Someone said there were over 27,000 librarians in Chicago this weekend. Apparently ALA brings librarians out in full force. Everywhere I went this weekend, there were librarians. Hopefully, this is a positive thing and will help to promote the library to all different sorts of people. This has been a great opportunity to meet librarians and library students from around the country. It has also been an opportunity to see how many librarians still fit the stereotype; some good, some, well, not so good, but more on that in a coming post.
3. ALA loves acronyms. I knew this before; however, the list seems to keep growing. Every group has an acronym, every round table, interest group, section, etc within those groups has acronyms; the list is unbelievable. It's also unbelievable how many people seem to actually know what they all mean. Me, I spent most of the time checking their meanings so as not to appear ignorant. If I could offer up one piece advice to ALA, it would be to cut down on the acronyms. I love to shorten things too, but its getting ridiculous when the list of acronyms is two pages long.
In the next few weeks I hope to be blogging a lot more consistently in order to share more of my experiences at ALA annual. Please share yours; I would love to hear your stories!
1. Shuttle buses between hotels and the conference center are a great idea. However, shuttle buses that don't run often enough, nor have enough space to fit the needs of all attendees are not a great idea. I learned quickly after waiting 30 minutes and being passed over by two full buses that it's best to always stay at headquarters. Or at least walk over and catch the shuttle from there. If I ever have the money to stay at such a nice hotel, I totally will, but for now, budget accommodations and sneaking on to the shuttle at a different spot is just fine, especially when that results in getting to the conference site ahead of schedule, or at least on time.
2. There are a lot of librarians in the U.S. Someone said there were over 27,000 librarians in Chicago this weekend. Apparently ALA brings librarians out in full force. Everywhere I went this weekend, there were librarians. Hopefully, this is a positive thing and will help to promote the library to all different sorts of people. This has been a great opportunity to meet librarians and library students from around the country. It has also been an opportunity to see how many librarians still fit the stereotype; some good, some, well, not so good, but more on that in a coming post.
3. ALA loves acronyms. I knew this before; however, the list seems to keep growing. Every group has an acronym, every round table, interest group, section, etc within those groups has acronyms; the list is unbelievable. It's also unbelievable how many people seem to actually know what they all mean. Me, I spent most of the time checking their meanings so as not to appear ignorant. If I could offer up one piece advice to ALA, it would be to cut down on the acronyms. I love to shorten things too, but its getting ridiculous when the list of acronyms is two pages long.
In the next few weeks I hope to be blogging a lot more consistently in order to share more of my experiences at ALA annual. Please share yours; I would love to hear your stories!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Intellectual Freedom
"A truly great library contains something in it to offend everyone." This quote, said by Jo Godwin, may be one of the truest things ever to be said about libraries. No library can be truly complete, cannot provide a well-rounded and comprehensive education to all, without containing books that offend certian people. Because no two people are alike, what is offensive or vulgar to one person, is beautiful art to another. A librarian cannot have an opinion one way or the other, but must simply collect the materials to suit the needs of their patrons.
This is a concept a lot of people don't understand about librarianship. They don't understand how a librarian can remain entirely impartial on the removal of a book (such as Harry Potter or Heather Has Two Mommies) or the guy watching porn on the computer in the corner. Non-librarians don't understand how we can stand by and watch some sort of injustice (whatever that may be) go by. However, this so-called impartiality doesn't really exist. A librarian seeks to serve its patrons and provide the freedom to read (or listen or watch) regardless of age, sex, gender, or race. This freedom is one of the greatest gifts we have. It protects you from being judged, ridiculed, or criticized because of your choice of reading material. And a librarian is the protector of this freedom. So librarians aren't impartial; they care deeply about protecting this important right. It's a massive responsibility, but one I feel honored to uphold.
I think this is the most important thing taught in library school. It's more important that cataloging or reference or even better technology skills. The foundation of understanding that every person who enters into a library has the right to read whatever he or she wants is something that isn't easy to learn or accept, especially when the library you grew up may not have felt that way. Just as it is not the librarian's job to babysit your children while in the library, it is not her responsibility to decide what is inappropriate for your child to read. That's your job as a parent. So don't ask us to restrict, don't ask us to judge. Because we won't. Because we believe that everyone has the freedom to read.
For more information about the American Librarian Association and the Freedom to Read Foundation, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/othergroups/freedomtoreadfoundation/index.cfm.
This is a concept a lot of people don't understand about librarianship. They don't understand how a librarian can remain entirely impartial on the removal of a book (such as Harry Potter or Heather Has Two Mommies) or the guy watching porn on the computer in the corner. Non-librarians don't understand how we can stand by and watch some sort of injustice (whatever that may be) go by. However, this so-called impartiality doesn't really exist. A librarian seeks to serve its patrons and provide the freedom to read (or listen or watch) regardless of age, sex, gender, or race. This freedom is one of the greatest gifts we have. It protects you from being judged, ridiculed, or criticized because of your choice of reading material. And a librarian is the protector of this freedom. So librarians aren't impartial; they care deeply about protecting this important right. It's a massive responsibility, but one I feel honored to uphold.
I think this is the most important thing taught in library school. It's more important that cataloging or reference or even better technology skills. The foundation of understanding that every person who enters into a library has the right to read whatever he or she wants is something that isn't easy to learn or accept, especially when the library you grew up may not have felt that way. Just as it is not the librarian's job to babysit your children while in the library, it is not her responsibility to decide what is inappropriate for your child to read. That's your job as a parent. So don't ask us to restrict, don't ask us to judge. Because we won't. Because we believe that everyone has the freedom to read.
For more information about the American Librarian Association and the Freedom to Read Foundation, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/othergroups/freedomtoreadfoundation/index.cfm.
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