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libraries are not neutral pin
Posted inintellectual freedom librarianship libraries

When libraries and librarians pretend to be neutral, they often cause harm

Two recent events made me think (again) about the toxic nature of "library neutrality" and the fact that, more often than not, neutrality is whiteness/patriarchy/cis-heteronormativity/ableism/etc. parading around as neutrality and…
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Whose rights matter more?
Posted inALA free the information! intellectual freedom librarianship libraries

Whose rights matter more?

My dad recently shared with me a book, written by a distant cousin who is a professor in Israel, about her grandmother's immigrant experience and her relatives. Her grandmother just…
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Holding to our values during difficult times
Posted inALA free the information! intellectual freedom librarianship libraries open access our digital future

Holding to our values during difficult times

I write a lot in my American Libraries column about library values, particularly those around access and privacy. My latest column (Jan/Feb 17), which should be out soon online just…
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The Next Librarian of Congress?
Posted inALA free the information! intellectual freedom librarianship libraries management open access

The Next Librarian of Congress?

Late last week, I received an email from the culture editor at the New Republic about writing an article on the next Librarian of Congress. It was the first offer…
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Creating safe spaces vs. freedom of expression
Posted inALA intellectual freedom libraries

Creating safe spaces vs. freedom of expression

I don't really think of myself as a victim. I feel exceptionally lucky when I think of the life I've had so far. I grew up in an upper middle…
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Posted inALA intellectual freedom

Who your writing represents

I remember when I got my job at Norwich, but before I started, I wondered what the new job would mean for my blog. How would my writing reflect on…
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Posted inintellectual freedom Vermont

Why my (and probably your) congressman voted for DOPA

This is why. You've got to check out the actual ad; it had me half laughing half furious. I don't write much about politics on this blog, but I have…
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Posted infree the information! intellectual freedom social software

DOPA: Contact your senators!

I Want you ... to Drop DOPA! Originally uploaded by davidking. I haven't written much about DOPA (Deleting Online Predators Act), though I certainly made my opinions about social networking…
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Posted inintellectual freedom

Ten Most Harmful Books of the 19th and 20th Centuries?

I found this link via Nexgenlib-L and I found it so amusing/horrifying that I had to share it with everyone. Human Events Online, which is a conservative journal, came out…
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Posted inALA intellectual freedom

What is happening to our country?

I was more than a little frightened when I saw the survey, sponsored by the James L. Knight Foundation, which found that 35% of the high school students surveyed thought…
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Posted inintellectual freedom open access our digital future

The Max Power way

According to Techdirt, a California state senator has introduced a bill that threatens developers of file sharing applications with jail time. John Borland at CNET, writes, “if passed and signed…
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Posted inintellectual freedom open source our digital future

Exhuming McCarthy

Bill Gates recently sat down with CNET for an interview (which begins with the frightening teaser "Bill Gates is coming to your living room, whether you like it or not").…
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Posted inintellectual freedom open source our digital future

Open Access

I guess this is the day to post intros! Peter Suber, at Open Access News, has published a very concise introduction to the concept of open access. A Very Brief…
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Posted inintellectual freedom libraries

A Net Nanny with an MLS

Wow! In an age of shrinking budgets and shrinking staffs, the Phoenix Public Libraries has secured $175,000 to hire one full time professional librarian and three paraprofessionals to police their…
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Posted inintellectual freedom random

Eyes on the prize (money?)

Here is a disappointing story about the licensing and intellectual property rights . The award-winning documentary, Eyes on the Prize, about the civil rights movement, can no longer be aired…
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Posted inintellectual freedom

Satellite radio safe… for now

According to the Curmudgeony Librarian, the FCC has declined a request by a Saul Levine -- a California radio station owner -- to apply the same standards to satellite radio…
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Posted inintellectual freedom open source our digital future

Where Google leads…

Here is an interesting article I found via Resource Shelf. The Open Archive Initiative (OAI) and Google Scholar by Nick Luft looks at one positive effect Google (and specifically Google…
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Posted inintellectual freedom

Kahle vs. Ashcroft

I don't have anything to say about the case that hasn't been said before, but I am really saddened by the fact that this case, challenging the Sony Bono Copyright…
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Posted inintellectual freedom our digital future

If it didn’t work for the RIAA…

The MPAA has filed their first bunch of lawsuits against people who offer movies for download. Apparently they were inspired by the rousing success of the RIAA's campaign to sue…
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Posted inintellectual freedom our digital future

Glad they didn’t have these when I was in school!

Cutting class -- almost a right of passage in high school -- is no longer an option for Houston area students. According to the NY Times, children in Houston area…
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Meredith Farkas, Author, Information Wants to be Free

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