Speaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkk

Once again, the book Speak is being challenged as to whether or not it’s appropriate literature in schools and libraries across America. Written by central New York native Laurie Halse Anderson, this is not the first time the novel has been a controversial topic among libraries, parents and administrators.

In Missouri, Wesley Scroggins is attempting to encourage his district to ban this book because it deals with rape and violence. However, Scroggins’ summary of the book proves to be incorrect; I don’t even think he read and understood the context of the book as a whole.

Albeit rape and teenage sex are not the most positive topics found in young-adult literature, they are important because they are issues teens face in reality. Speak does not provide graphic illustrations or porn details about rape and sex, but it provides a realistic aftermath of these circumstances and how teenagers handle them.

Also, Scroggins is against sex education in schools and the circulation of these materials in libraries, claiming they are inappropriate for the youth of America. Like it or not, most teenagers know what sex entails, but providing information about sex education should be encouraged, not denied to these students if they wish to pursue it.

Libraries are supposed to provide information for teenagers about a range of topics-from healthy sex alternatives to dealing with depression. These are heavy topics, and a library is the place where people can receive information with no questions asked or judgments passed.

Individuals like Scroggins, who are attempting to censor what is in libraries and read in English class, are unknowingly harming and negating access to information of which these teenagers have a right to know if they so choose.

This type of ban and censorship restricts intellectual freedom against teenagers. Instead of encouraging them to explore new ideas and topics, people like Scroggins are attempting to limit what teenagers read.

In this information and digital age, access and promotion of knowledge and information should be encouraged. The more educated a young adult becomes, the more easily he or she can handle the adult world and realistic situations. Without preparation, the future of these individuals could be uncertain.

If I was the librarian in the community where Scroggins lived, I would support the circulation of this book, though it deals with the rape of a young girl and its aftermath. It’s important to fight for books, because if we don’t, then who will?

P.S. I can’t think of one book that does not contain swear words, sexual assault or some kind of discrimination or violence toward a person or group of people. If you know of one, let me know!

Like a good neighbor, collections are there

There has been much talk about collection development this past week between class and an interview with my librarian who works in the acquisitions department at Bird. Collection development is a vital step toward increased intellectual freedom and more available information, but it's important to look at the context of the community, and see what its needs and wants are because the members matter.

Each library community is going to be different in how it approaches the collections-development process. Depending on where the library is located and the physical makeup of the community, there are going to be more wants and needs in some areas of development than others.

For instance, the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y. will most likely have more reference materials focusing on engineering, graphic design and computer programming than Russian philosophy or ancient civilizations. Since RIT is a more science- and technology-based school, student and faculty needs and wants would be in this area; so, it would be no surprise to find more of these materials in the collections.

Also, my local school and public library have a large collection that helps ESL individuals. In Solvay, N.Y. there has been a large influx of Ukrainian and Russian individuals who have settled in the area in the past two decades. These people do not know much English, so the public library and the school (especially this one) have obtained materials to help them learn the language.

These libraries in central New York have looked at who their communities are, and they are attempting to purchase materials to meet needs and wants. This is exactly what the libraries should be doing: examining their population, and gaining feedback as to what the library should hopefully have.

However, it may be difficult to provide everything the community needs because of lack of funding or resistance to change among members. Decisions of what to buy and for whom will no doubt be a concern in our future as librarians, but it’s vital for us to remember to keep a level head and find creative ways to tackle these problematic opportunities.

But, the chief purpose a library is to serve its community, and these libraries in New York are doing that. If these libraries did not even take into consideration its population, the library would most likely not have much use for that public.

Mom, the fridge says we are out of Panda Paws

Imagine that you could receive wireless Internet from your refrigerator. When you are low on milk or eggs, a message could be sent to the grocery store ordering these items. This is now an innovation phenomenon in the information age as the Federal Communications Commission approved a proposal Sept. 22 that will allow unused broadband airwaves to connect to Wi-Fi networks.

This innovation has the ability to give people more access to more information at a higher and more efficient speed. People living in rural areas of the United States will be able use simple devices, such as toasters or washing machines, to obtain information from the convenience of their homes. This approved policy could help more people become information literature, thus widening and expanding their knowledge base.

Organizations, such as Google, are in favor of this policy because it will indeed bring wireless connection to areas that do not have access to it. Maybe some libraries and schools do not have access to the Internet in small communities; thus, these organizations now claim this new innovation will bring education and information to rural communities.

Also, some officials in favor of this idea are claiming that broadband should be considered a universal human right, now included with the right to freedom of speech and religion. But, is broadband a human right or privilege? This is a question that frequently comes to mind.

As a future librarian and according to the librarian code, I believe everyone has the right to information, but I’m still unsure whether broadband itself is a right or a privilege. When I think of universal rights, I think of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These are more traditional codes that we have attempted to live by for hundreds of years. When a person mentions human rights, broadband is not the first right that pops up. But, the way we obtain information is becoming advanced as new computer and Internet techniques are being implemented.

This innovation could be beneficial to libraries because it would provide more than the traditional outlet of computers for people to access information in the building. Libraries are supposed to help provide any and all help for research, education and leisure, so it could be a positive as more sources are now possible for its members. With this new policy, we could help expand intellectual freedom and access, too.

Now that we are in the digital age, there is a new set of rules and games to learn. What was once considered normal is now obsolete, making ways for new innovations that will eventually become the norm. Though these ideas, like new wireless broadband connections, are kind of eccentric-sounding in the beginning, they are the future. As a librarian, it’s going to be important for me to keep up-to-date with new policies and regulations that are approved by the government because more than likely they will heavily affect the library and its members, both positively and negatively.

Please, do something interesting

Don’t be boring. Surprisingly, this is a characteristic a librarian should possess. Traditionally, librarians have been portrayed as females with cardigan sweaters, buns and glasses, thus making the profession appear uninteresting, but that is only a stereotype. There is more to providing countless citations and answers to questions; true librarianship goes deeper than that.

It is vital for a librarian to be interesting and charismatic. There should be some spark and zing that inspires members to learn, read and research. By having this type of trait, it could help us build a reputation for being creative, yet helpful.

Blogging is one way to help us start our reputations as librarians. By providing insight and solutions about current issues facing librarianship, we are starting to slowly share our opinions with the online community. What we write has to be captivating, short and to the point.

I don’t think blogging is easy. Some blogs ramble about boring topics with too much terminology or other people simply don’t know how to write, therefore sounding downright idiotic and losing my attention and time.

Unlike scholarly papers, blogs ideally should have a quick point. There needs to be something about a post that makes me want to read and ponder about the context. It should make me think and yes, giggle at times.

Still, blogging is only a baby step to building a reputation. We need to be creative, and think of unique solutions for every imaginable and impossible scenario.

So fellow librarians, blog, drink and be merry. Inspire me to think about something I haven’t thought of before.

Does literacy mean the ability to read Anne of Green Gables? Nope.

Surprisingly, I thought that public libraries have been around for longer than 150 years, but soon discovered this was not true. Before the free library became a widely-used entity, the rich and elite had access to knowledge, therefore power.

But, as public education became popular, and required across the United States, so did the need for public libraries. Students, young and old, needed a place to research and to learn. People desired free books so they could learn how to read and educate themselves about a variety of topics. In other words, they became literate.

Today, millions of more Americans are literate than in the late 1800s because of libraries and public education. Then, I began to think what it means to be information literate in the 21st century. Does it mean understanding the phonetics of the alphabet or understanding the context of a book? Or does it mean understanding computers and the Internet?

The American Library Association states that "To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.”

Apparently, my assumptions were far from correct to the real meaning of information literacy. In today’s world, it means that a patron has to know when he or she needs a question answered and know how to efficiently formulate a process to locate and gage the information.

When patrons pursue information literacy at public libraries, they seek the help of reference librarians (a profession that also emerged with the concept of the public library). These librarians help patrons correctly identify the question and how find and understand an answer; therefore, helping the patrons increase their information-literacy skills.

Because information literacy is increasing among patrons because of the establishment of the public library in the 19th century, knowledge and power are also increasing among the population. With the help of reference librarians and the availability and access to information they provide, patron curiosity about anything and everything has the ability to increase.

Winnie the Pooh and dead man, too

At 17 months old, my niece (Leah) already likes books. Instead of playing with toys, she will snatch Stellaluna with her little fingers, toddle to the couch, and hold the book up for me to read to her. Albeit Leah doesn’t understand the context of the book, she is showing interest at an early age for literature.

Then I started thinking if children in school are reading good literature. At my high school, we read books written by dead white men. Fitzgerald, Shakespeare and Steinbeck were popular and appropriate choices in central New York. Schools simply didn’t have money to buy additional, or different, books. That is still a shame today because there are other notable authors for school-aged children to explore.

It wasn’t until college and receiving book recommendations from librarians that I explored other literature. As an English major, I was required to take global, British lit and poetry. My eyes were opened up to a new world filled with no dead white men’s works. Jhumpa Lahiri and Kiran Desai soon became some of my favorite authors. Reading about different cultures by new authors has helped me grow intellectually.

Some people may ask why it is important to read books by different authors and different genres. It is vital because countries are now connected and interacting; cross-cultural information is increasing and shared, so an understanding about the people and culture it’s coming from helps us appreciated and know information better.

So, next time Leah wiggles her way onto the couch with a book, I just might slip something new along with Winnie the Pooh.
P.S. I just remembered what my favorite book is: A Room with a View by EM Forster. Go figure, Allie.

Squeal like piggies, or remain silent as the grave

In my reference class last Thursday, we discussed the fine line between keeping our mouths silent or shouting about a patron’s book selection that could potentially lead to harmful problems toward him or others. But, do librarians have the right to object when we are ideally supposed to follow the golden rule of ethics and intellectual freedom?

With the ever-increasing use of the Internet and the publishing of books, the practice of protecting patron confidentiality comes into play. If patrons are using the library to research and view uncertain or unpopular information, it is questioned whether librarians have the moral obligation to inquire further into the situation or produce patron information if requested by an outsider.

If a patron checks out a book on suicide, does that automatically make the librarian think he or she may be contemplating the deed? Maybe or maybe not. Perhaps the patron is only doing a research project on suicide for a high-school or college course.

Let’s say that the patron’s high-school principal finds the book in his locker, therefore, demanding to know what other books the patron has checked out. In this situation, I believe freedom of privacy and intellectual freedom are being abused. No one has the right to this person’s library records.

However, if people subpoena and demand the patron’s records, it goes against the intellectual-freedom code. If librarians and outsiders do not value confidentiality rights, then the rules should be rewritten, as to not make them two-faced. There should be no exception to the code: All or none.

The chief purpose of libraries is to provide intellectual freedom where patrons have the guaranteed, written right to study and research without fear of persecution or question. If we break this freedom, we are being hypocritical.

I’m not sure what the correct answer is to this question because I have not encountered it yet. However, I think that though each case is different, ethics and intellectual freedom should be upheld no matter what the situation encompasses. If librarians and patrons cannot rely on those two fundamental foundations, then what is the purpose of a free library and community without interference?