Isn’t this a huge violation of privacy? Librarians wouldn’t surrender computer/library records without a court order, yet here is an example of exploiting policy violators. This reminds me of the lists of shame posted at places of business showing the names of people whom have written bad checks. Is this really the best way to go?
-Aubrey Madler, NDLA IF Committee

From AP | June 29, 2010

“QUINCY, Mass. — A city councilor in Massachusetts thinks he’s come up with a way to stop people looking at pornography on public library computers — name them and shame them.

Quincy Councilor Daniel Raymondi has asked Mayor Thomas Koch to make public a list of people who have viewed pornography on library computers within the past year. The council unanimously approved a resolution on the idea last week.

Library director Ann McLaughlin tells The Patriot Ledger that using library computers to access porn is against policy, and violators are given two warnings before they are banned. She says she’s not sure publicly naming violators would work.

A spokesman for the mayor says the city’s legal department is reviewing Raymondi’s request.”

I’ll share posts here that I contributed to the OIF blog during ALA Annual 2010. You can follow the series directly from the OIF blog, or from here, where I will duplicate postings. This is my fifth post. -Aubrey Madler, NDLA IF Committee

I absolutely loved Monday afternoon’s session, Blasphemy!: When Religious Values Clash with Intellectual Freedom. Both speakers (Irshad Manji and Paul Sturges) were excellent—they entertained me—they captured my undivided attention with their topics of thought. Part of what they spoke about was our right to offend and that by not acting upon that right, we destroy our own intellectual freedom—our freedom of speech. As Irshad said, offense is not bad. It creates the opportunity for deeper thought.

Similar to my comment in a previous post about the difficulty to read and access challenging/different things, it is difficult to start the conversations, and therefore all the more important. It takes brave people to exercise their right of free speech and ask the arduous questions (not only write about them) with the utmost of respect and clarity.

I closed out the day with the 40th Anniversary Merritt Fund dinner at the Folger Shakespeare Library. I heard an emotional story from a librarian who was under scrutiny for hindering an investigation because she would not relinquish computer use records. It is unfortunate that we need this fund in place, but it is a wonderful form of support for those standing for intellectual freedom and privacy.

I have to say thanks again to all those that welcomed me into their circles. I continue to make excellent contacts, discuss IF issues and explore ways in which to ensure our democratic freedoms.

I’ll share posts here that I contributed to the OIF blog during ALA Annual 2010. You can follow the series directly from the OIF blog, or from here, where I will duplicate postings about my ALA Annual 2010 conference experience. This is  my fourth post. -Aubrey Madler, NDLA IF Committee

Several days in and I have exhausted myself—that must a good sign, right?

I heard several times this week—including Sunday morning’s session about a high profile book challenge, and in the afternoon session regarding self-censorship— that it is easy to talk or read about things that are easy—things that are accepted by the majority. Yet, the First Amendment helps us work through topics and issues that may not be so comfortable to accept.  It gives the minority a voice—a chance to be heard and understood. How incredible is that? Isn’t this the basis of a democracy? Libraries play such an important role in giving the minority the gift of a voice and in helping them to share this voice so that they may be understood.

After a full day of sessions, I had the chance to meet Irene and Ted Conable, wife and son of the late Gordon M. Conable, who were both so welcoming and generous—after all, they are the reason I am here. They affectionately reminisced about their life with “Gordie”, whom I am disappointed to have never met. More than ever, I am energized and motivated to continue acting on behalf of intellectual freedom and the freedom to read in honor of his legacy. I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to learn about defending our right to read, share ideas, and access information, and to meet those that Gordon had to leave behind.

I’ll share posts here that I contributed to the OIF blog during ALA Annual 2010. You can follow the series directly from the OIF blog, or from here, where I will duplicate postings about my ALA Annual 2010 conference experience. This is  my third

post. -Aubrey, NDLA IF Committee

Of everything I saw and heard on Saturday, what still sticks with me the following morning is the experience listening to Nancy Pearl’s interview with Mary McDonagh Murphy. This event was in celebration of the 50^th anniversary of Lee Harper’s (Nell), “To Kill a Mockingbird and the book and documentary Mary created in its honor. There was not a dry eye in the auditorium as reflections from Oprah Winfrey, Rosanne Cash, and Tom Brockaw were projected on the screens. I heard them describe reading this novel as young adults, then again at later phases in life, they got deeper and deeper into the novel’s experience. I couldn’t help thinking over and over again, what we would miss if we did not have the freedom to create such works, publish them, and experience their personal meaning generation after generation.

Similar thoughts were later reiterated during my conversations with fellow right-to-read advocates when we identified that reading a novel as a youth is a completely different experience than reading the same novel as an adult. Children and adolescents will absorb from the story what they are able to at that phase in their life, which makes these novels so appealing to all ages. I compare it to watching animated films that are marketed toward children, yet adults can appreciate the deeper intricacies laced throughout the story that their children do not recognize.

Do I read banned books? Absolutely, and “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a favorite. In fact-I think I’ll read it again.