Library Juice 4:11 - March 28, 2001
Contents:
- Partial Correction
- Review of Questia by T. G. McFadden
- Steven's Library Stuff in your Inbox
- U.S. Blue Pages
- Strange and Unusual Dictionaries
- ALAOIF & IFACTION
- Poe 'popped': The sound of one head shaking
- 21st Century Literacies
- On the ARL Server
- A history of Information for Social Change
- IFLA Social Responsibilities Discussion Group
- A few interesting links
- Hits of the month
Quote for the week:
"To create a new culture does not only mean to make original discoveries
on an individual basis. It also and especially means to critically
popularize already discovered truths, make them, so to speak, social,
therefore give them the consistency of basis for vital actions, make them
coordinating elements of intellectual and social relevance."
- Antonio Gramsci
Homepage of the week: Martha E. Jones
http://www.marthaj.com_________________________________________________________________________top
1. Partial Correction
In relation to item 4 of last week, the story of Ian Thomas' firing from
the US Geological Survey, this message from Julie Setnlosky:Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 07:24:39 -0600
From: "Julie Setnosky" <setnosju[at]mctc.mnscu.edu>
To: <Rory[at]libr.org>Those who checked found that Ian Thomas' supposedly missing usgs.gov
sites were actually there. That was my fault. I sat on Ian's message
for a few days while I attended to other things, and they evidently
went back online in the interim. For those who asked, I do have much
reason to believe that Ian's message was legitimate, for example the
press reports. I probably violated one of my own rules, though, by
sending out an undated alert.Julie Setnosky
setnosju[at]mctc.mnscu.edu
(612)341-7089 Phone
(612)-341-7480 Fax
Minneapolis Community/Technical College
Library
1501 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403
_________________________________________________________________________top
2. Review of Questia by T. G. McFadden
at LISNews.com
http://lisnews.com/article.php3?sid=20010322092521
_________________________________________________________________________top
3. Steven's Library Stuff in your Inbox
Hi everyone. I just wanted to let y'all know that I have started a Library
Stuff mailing list. Every Friday, I will send out my favorite stories of
the week, web sites, and maybe a few little tibits. You can join by sending
an e-mail to me at Steven[at]librarystuff.net. Hope all is well.Steven M. Cohen
Library Stuff_________________________________________________________________________top
4. U.S. Blue Pages - http://www.usbluepages.gov/
This online resource is a functional organization of
contacts within the federal government. Its structure
mimics the blue pages in telephone directories, but in
addition to phone numbers, TTY numbers and Web sites
are listed. There is also a database that allows the
information to be filtered for local contacts only. An
excellent starting point for government information. - htFrom the Librarians' Index to the Internet - http://lii.org
_________________________________________________________________________top
5. Strange and Unusual Dictionaries - http://blueray.com/dictionary/
Subtitled Resources for Scrabble games, bar bets, and
other trivial pursuits, this site contains three online
dictionaries that cover single-letter words,
all-consonant words (mostly sounds), and all-vowel
words. Also has links to related word sites. - dlFrom the Librarians' Index to the Internet - http://lii.org
_________________________________________________________________________top
6. ALAOIF & IFACTION
As of March 26, 2001, OIF will no longer post news items to ALAOIF,
which will remain an open, unmoderated discussion e-list. OIF will post
news items to IFACTION, which will become a news-only, no-discussion
e-list for the Intellectual Freedom Action Network (IFAN).There are two ways to be subscribed to IFACTION:
*You may ask to be subscribed to this news-only list by contacting OIF
at oif[at]ala.org.*You may volunteer for IFAN, by contacting OIF at
http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/ifanform.html.IFAN volunteers are asked to help OIF by:
*Reading the local newspapers and watching local TV programs for
incidents of censorship, and reporting them to OIF.*Monitoring e-lists and computer bulletin boards, looking for incidents
of censorship and information on pressure groups forming in their areas,
and reporting this information to OIF.*Lending support to someone facing a challenge.
*Responding to requests from OIF for support on controversies in your
area.*Telling others about the Intellectual Freedom Action Network.
For additional information on how to volunteer, see
http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/ifan_inf.html.Should you want to unsubscribe from ALAOIF, simply send a message to
listproc[at]ala1.ala.org. Include the "unsubscribe" command in the body
of the message, as follows:unsubscribe ALAOIF
__________
Judith F. Krug
American Library Association
Office for Intellectual Freedom
50 East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611
800-545-2433, ext. 4222
Fax: 312-280-4227
E-mail: jkrug[at]ala.org
_________________________________________________________________________top
7. Poe 'popped': The sound of one head shaking...
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2001 20:24:29 -0800 (PST)
From: Mark Rosenzweig <iskra[at]earthlink.net>
To: alaoif[at]ala.org
Cc: plgnet-l[at]listproc.sjsu.edu, srrtac-l[at]ala.orgI know it's considered the height of imprudence and lack of professional
solidarity to call fellow practioners and particular institutions'
particular practices before the court of public (and in the case of ALA,
professional) opinion, but it has always struck me as ineffectual to
discuss policies which violate our professional principles (which, in any
case we have no means to enforce) without concrete and, if possible,
professionally observed, examples of 'nullification', if only so that we
realize that our lofty ideals may not inform the everyday practice of
unnumbered public libraries who believe nonetheless they are practicizing
up to professional standards and ethical norms.A few weeks ago I wrote about how, on my visit to the Easton Area Public
Library (515 Church Street Easton, PA, 18042-3587 --610 258 2917) I was
unable to access certain web sites of interest to me on the subject of "
librarianship," even with the assistance of a reference librarian (who was
informed I was myself a librarian) because they were blocked by
Cybersitter, which, when queried, the librarians on duty said was
voluntarily used so that they, the staff, wouldn't have to "police" the
internet terminals, all of which were in full of view of the reference
desk. This was preventative policy, since it wasn't mandated by the
authorities or even a response to repeated problems. The people on duty did
not know how to disable Cybersitter, a possible, although highly
unsatisfactory, option.It was suggested, by the librarians, that, clearly, the word "anarchism" in
the sites I was atempting to access was triggering the Cybersitter site
blockage, as if that was explanation enough.This week, upon return to that library, skipping the internet,
because...well, what was the point?... I was viewing some new books near
the check-out desk and heard and observed, to my amazement, the following
scenario.A young lady, a woman of color, wanted to check out some Books-on-Tape. She
was asked offficiously to fill out a form which apparently included her
age. She said she was 15. The staff member on duty told her that she wasn't
able to ckeck out the material she wished unless she had written permission
from her parents. The girl meekly protested and was told: " I don't make
the policy, I just carry it out."What was it she was not allowed to check out? "The Fall of the House of
Usher" by Edgar Allen Poe among other similar items. I kid you not! There
were two items she was "allowed" to check out, but she said she really
wanted the Poe and would have to be back with her mother.Preventing access to an audio-book version of Poe? The middle-aged person
behind this young woman on the line actually was so shocked she herself
asked the check-out person if it had to do with the 'format 'or the
'content', and without missing a beat the staff member said "Content".It makes you realize the continuum of casual censorship in public
libraries. We have been, with some good reason, fixated on the internet,
but the sad fact is that where there is censorware on all the internet
terminals without concern for its IF implications, there is probably a
casual attitude towards intellectual freedom and privacy rights in other
areas. I Can't believe this lovely, well-kept, well-staffed area library in
Pennsylvania is an aberration which one encounters rarely.It made me embarassed for our profession, which doesn't deserve that
appelation it it conceds resposnsibility for the defense of free and equal
access. It made me shake my head at the propaganda about librarian
libertines loose in the localities leading the lolly-pop crowd into
licentiousness.It made me wonder if, under the radar of professional self-scrutiny,
American public libraries aren't making, in response to the well-publicized
assault on library internet access, policy concession, perhaps even to
"avoid trouble", in response to the existence of organized censorship
forces.ALA applauds those librarians and libraries who stand up to "challenges"
and rightly so. Their proud faces are featured in each issue of American
Libraries. Should it also not deplore libraries which undermine the
profession's claim to be advocates for Freedom to read" by assuming they
can institute policies illegitimately limiting access and threatening
patron pribacy while deluding themselves in thinking they are perfoming up
to professional standards?Poe's "House of Usher" falls of the family's corruption. I hope the House
of Librarianship, despite its grand facade, isn't undermined by a
corruption which generation after generation goes unchecked until the
foundations are eroded and the whole structure falls on its guilty
caretakers.Mark Rosenzweig
ALA Councilor at large
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8. 21st Century Literacies
http://www.newliteracies.gseis.ucla.edu/
The Pacific Bell/UCLA Initiative for 21st Century Literacies is the
outcome of a $1 million gift from Pacific Bell to UCLAs Graduate
School of Education & Information Studies (GSE&IS). The gift
underwrites a two-year project that will evaluate the meaning of
literacy in an age characterized by rapidly changing technologies, an
abundance of new and unfiltered information, and increasing diversity.
Additionally, the project will identify best practices, describe
present-day conceptualizations, and assess skills currently taught in
schools, libraries and other institutions. The initiative will focus
on three aspects of modern-day literacy:
- educating the end user of information
- improving the information system
- addressing policy issues
New Technologies, New Literacies: The Pacific Bell/UCLA Summit was
held on October 21, 2000 at UCLA. Archived information about the
summit is available at
http://www.newliteracies.gseis.ucla.edu/summit/summit.html_________________________________________________________________________top
9. On the ARL Server (March 26, 2001)
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 16:11:36 -0600
From: Julia Blixrud <jblix[at]arl.org>
To: Multiple recipients of list <arl-announce[at]arl.org>On the ARL Server the Week of March 26, 2001:
ARL Bimonthly Report #214. Read about the SPARC/TRLN "Declaring
Independence" campaign, the ARL/ALA brief in the Tasini Case, data
from the new ARL Salary Survey, and more.
http://www.arl.org/newsltr/214/
http://www.arl.org/newsltr/214/sparc.html
http://www.arl.org/newsltr/214/tasini.html
http://www.arl.org/newsltr/214/salsurvey.htmlAnother ARL Employment Opportunity: ARL seeks a Projects Assistant to
support the ARL New Measures Initiative in its development of tools and
resources that help libraries demonstrate their value.
http://www.arl.org/stats/newmeas/projasst.htmlLibrary and Higher Education Associations Testify in Support of Distance
Education Legislation
http://www.arl.org/info/frn/copy/heeg0313.htmlEmployment opportunities at ARL:
Communications Officer
http://www.arl.org/arl/comm.html
Program Officer for Training and Diversity
http://www.arl.org/diversity/dpo.htmlARL Leadership and Career Development Program Accepting Applications
until April 6, 2001
http://www.arl.org/diversity/lcdp/lcdp_sched0102.htmlCreating the Digital Future, ARL's 138th Membership Meeting Toronto,
Ontario, Canada - May 23-25, 2001
http://www.arl.org/arl/may01.htmlCoaching for Performance, Online Lyceum:, April 30 - May 18, 2001
http://www.arl.org/training/coaching.htmlFacilitation Skills Institute, May 14-16, 2000, Kansas City, Missouri
and
Managing Group Process: Advanced Facilitation Skills Lab, June 6-8,
2001, Chicago, Illinois
http://www.arl.org/training/0301announce.html>From Data to Action ILL Workshop - June 7-8, Washington, DC
http://www.arl.org/access/performance/illddwork.shtml
67th IFLA Council and General Conference - Boston, USA,
August 16-25, 2001
http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla67/index.htm----------------------------------
ARL-ANNOUNCE is a broadcast service from ARL that provides updates on
Association activities, workshops, publications, and other items of
interest to those in the library and educational communities.To subscribe, send a message to <listproc[at]arl.org>. The text of your
message should read: "subscribe arl-announce [your name]."-----------------------------------
Julia C. Blixrud <jblix[at]arl.org>
Director of Information Services, ARL <www.arl.org>
Assistant Director, Public Programs, SPARC <www.arl.org/sparc/>
21 Dupont Circle, Washington DC 20036
Tel: (202) 296-2296 ext.133 Fax: (202) 872-0884 Cell: (202) 251-4678
_________________________________________________________________________top
10. A history of Information for Social Change and related groups
by John Pateman
How Far We Progressive Library Workers Have Come !
From _Innovation_ (22)
"How far we slaves have come" (Pathfinder, 1991)
On 26 July 1991 Fidel Castro and Nelson Mandela spoke together at a rally
of tens of thousands in Matanzas, Cuba. "There can be no greater cause in
our era," Castro said, "than the one headed by the ANC". Mandela responded
by observing that the role of Cuban internationalist volunteers in
defeating South Africa"s invasion of Angola was "an unparalleled
contribution to African independence, freedom and justice".The struggles waged by the people of South Africa and Cuba are important
examples for those everywhere seeking to consign racism and exploitation to
the dustbin of history. South Africa and Cuba are also significant
reference points for this paper, which starts with the Library and
Information Workers Organisation (LIWO) of South Africa and ends with the
Cuban Libraries Support Group (CLSG). This is the story of a progressive
library organisation - Information for Social Change (ISC) - its emergence,
development, and response to changing national and global situations.LIWO Support Group
ISC sprang from work which I, and other comrades, were engaged in
regarding South Africa and Namibia. As a member of the International Group
of the Library Association (IGLA) I was always pushing for links with
progressive library organisations in non-European countries. IGLA was more
interested in cosy bi-lateral relationships with European and
English-speaking countries. My struggles in IGLA lead me to examine the
situation in South Africa, and I was particularly interested in the
emergence of LIWO.When IGLA and the International Committee (IC) of the Library Association
failed to take any interest in LIWO, I set up the LIWO Support Group with
comrades from Librarians Within the Peace Movement (which had been involved
in a similar project, "Operation Namibia")and LINK (a network for
North/South Library Development). We expressed our solidarity with LIWO by
lobbying the LA, writing letters to the professional press and forming
links with LIWO activists.We met Johnny Jacobs and were able to make a small cash donation to LIWO"s
funds, through the presentation of a cheque to Bill Bennett. This
contribution was made from funds left over from "Operation Namibia". We
also received copies of the LIWO newsletter, LIWOLET, and LIWO policy
documents.Our main point of contact with LIWO was Christopher Merrett and, when he
visited Oxford to address an IGLA conference in 1994, we took the
opportunity to discuss setting up a new progressive librarians
organisation, which we called Information for Social Change.Information for Social Change
"Information for Social Change is an activist organisation that examines
issues of censorship, freedom and ethics amongst library and information
workers. It is committed to promoting alternatives to the dominant
paradigms of library and information work and publishes its own journal,
Information for Social Change."This is the ISC mission statement and springs from our belief that the
ways by which information is controlled and mediated has a serious
influence on the ways people think, how they communicate, what they believe
is the "real world", what the limits of the permissible are. This applies
equally to information that comes through the channels of the mass media,
bookshops and libraries.Of course, free and equal access to information is a myth throughout the
world, although different situations pertain in different countries.
Control is more explicit and cruder in some places, more "sophisticated"
and more invisible elsewhere (for example in Britain). One of the aims of
Information for Social Change is to document these situations.But ISC has gone further than that, documenting also the alternatives to
this control, the radical and progressive channels by which truly
unfettered, unmediated ideas may circulate. And further still: ISC has
encouraged information workers to come together, to share ideas, to foster
these alternatives - whether they are publishers, librarians, booksellers,
communication workers or distributors. Information for Social Change has:
- addressed issues of freedom of information and censorship as
they affect library and information work- promoted alternatives to mainstream library and information provision
- provided a forum for the exchange of radical views on library
and information issues- debated ethics and freedom within the library and information professions
- challenged the dominant paradigms of library and information work
ISC (which is an Organisation in Liaison with the Library Association) has
achieved these objectives through its journal, also called "Information
for Social Change", conferences and a programme of activities focussed on
social exclusion, race and class and Cuba.ISC publishes _Information for Social Change_ (ISSN 1364-694X) twice a
year. Members of the Editorial Board are: Shiraz Durrani, (Ukenya), Gill
Harris (LINK), John Vincent, (Social Exclusion Action Planning Network),
Martyn Lowe (Founder, Librarians Within the Peace Movement), Christopher
Merrett (University of Natal) and John Pateman (Cuban Libraries Support
Group).The first issue of "ISC" came out in 1994 and included articles on the
alternative press, the struggle for information / liberation in Kenya,
emerging democracies and freedom of information, and a letter from South
Africa. Two issues of ISC are produced each year and twelve issues have
been published so far (Winter 2000).More recent issues have been themed : social class (Winter 1999), racism
(Summer 2000) and sexuality (Winter 20001). The next two issues will be on
alternative information media (Summer 2001) and Globalisation (Winter
2001).ISC has organised three conferences in association with LINK :
- Better Read than Dead - examined non-capitalist library provision in
Cuba, Vietnam, North Korea and China (1996)- People Without Places - explored the library and information needs of
refugees, asylum seekers and others who have been dispossessed (1997)- Libraries and social and political exclusion - looked at exclusion
issues from an international perspective (1999)The conference proceeding were published in "Information for Social
Change", and "Link Up", the LINK journal.Social Exclusion
Social exclusion has been a UK national priority since the election of a
Labour government in 1997. The government defines social exclusion as a
combination of "linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low
incomes, poor housing, high crime environments, bad health and family
breakdown" (Social Exclusion Unit, 1998)The Council of Europe has described social exclusion as "a broader concept
than poverty, encompassing not only low material means but the inability to
participate effectively in economic, social, political and cultural life
and in some characteristics alienation and distance from mainstream
society" (Duffy, 1995)ISC has been able to influence policy and practice with regard to social
exclusion and libraries through active involvement in :
- "Libraries for All"
- "Libraries, Museums, Galleries and Archives for All"
- "Open to All?"
- Quality Leaders Programme
- Social Exclusion Action Planning Network
- Library Association Policy Action Group on Social Inclusion
In October 1999 the Department of Culture, Media and Sport published
"Libraries for All : Social Inclusion in Public Libraries" (DCMS, 1999). I
was a member of the working group which produced this policy guidance for
local authorities in England and Wales. "Libraries for All" identified the
barriers that prevent people from using libraries, outlined a social
inclusion policy, and suggested ways of delivering this policy.In January 2001 "Libraries for All" was updated to include museums,
galleries and archives. The revised policy guidance, "Libraries, Museums,
Galleries and Archives for All" (DCMS, 2001) encourages co-operation across
these sectors to tackle social exclusionISC also took part in a major research project on public libraries and
social exclusion. This resarch, funded by the Library and Information
Commission (now called Resource), involved practitioners from Sheffield and
Merton libraries, academics from Leeds Metropolitan University, and an
independent consultant. The research, carried out between October 1998 and
April 2000, was in three stages:
- working papers on aspects of social exclusion were written by members of
the research team. ISC members wrote papers on social class, literacy,
sexual orientation, racism, internationalism, children, women and political
correctness- A survey of all public library authorities in the UK, which asked
searching questions about their policies and practices with regard to
tackling social exclusion- Eight in depth case studies, carried out in all parts of the UK (England,
Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)The outcome of this research was a report - "Open to All - The Public
Library and Social Exclusion" (Resource, 2000) - which was launched at the
Library Association by government Minister Mo Mowlam in July 2000. The main
conclusions of this report were that public libraries needed to undergo a
fundamental transformation if they were to successfully tackle social
exclusion in their communities. Specific recommendations included:
- the mainstreaming of provision for socially excluded groups and
communities and the establishment of standards of service and their
monitoring- the adoption of resourcing strategies which prioritise the needs of
excluded people and communities- a recasting of the role of library staff to encompass a more socially
responsive and educative approach- staffing policies and practices which address exclusion, discrimination
and prejudice- targeting of excluded social groups and communities
- the development of community-based approaches to library provision, which
incorporate consultation with and partnership with local communities- ICT and networking developments which actively focus on the needs of
excluded people- A recasting of the image and identity of the public library to link it
more closely with the cultures of excluded communities and social groupsIn addition to these recommendations, there were two other very important
outcomes from "Open to All?" and "the Quality Leaders Programme and the
Social Exclusion Action Planning Network.ISC is an active supporter of the Quality Leaders Project for Black
Library and Information Workers, an initiative that addresses the dual
problems of ensuring that library services provide value for the Black
community and equal employment opportunities. The Quality Leaders Project
(QLP) has three stages
- a feasibilty study was carried out by the Management Research Centre of
North London University in April 2000- the QLP was piloted in Birmingham and Merton libraries from October 2000
to April 2001- QLP projects will be implemented from April 2001, and the programme will
be extended to other authoritiesThe outcome of the Quality Leaders Project should be improved library
services for Black communities and management development programmes for
Black library workers.SC is also actively involved in the Social Exclusion Action Planning
Network which is a network of public libraries, other organisations and
individuals committed to tackling social exclusion. Formed in February 1999
the Network runs courses, seminars and conferences, and publishes a monthly
newsletter. The Network currently has over 50 library authority members.inally, several ISC members are part of the Library Association Policy
Action Group on Social Inclusion. These Policy Action Groups, or PAGs, are
tasked with developing Library Association policy in key areas, such as
social exclusion. ISC is seeking to ensure that the recommendations
contained in "Open to All?" are recommended as best practice to library
authorities by the Library Association.Race and Class
SC, through its Race and Class Group (RCG), is also working with the
Library Association to create a Diversity Council. This Council will
represent the interests of organisations such as ISC, the African Caribbean
Library Association (ACLA) and the Asian Librarians and Advisors Group
(ALAG). The Diversity Council, with the support of 1% of Library
Association members (250 LA members), will seek to become a full Group of
the LA, with capitation, a seat on LA Council, and a journal. A conference
of Black Library Workers will be held as part of the LA's Umbrella 6
conference in July 2001, and the Diversity Council will be launched at the
Association"s AGM in October 2001.Cuban Libraries Support Group
The Cuban Libraries Support Group (CLSG) was established by ISC in July
1999 to support:
- Cuban libraries, librarians, library and information workers and the
Cuban Library Association (ASCUBI)- Cuba"s free and comprehensive education system and high literacy levels
- the Cuban people"s right to self determination and to choose the social,
political and economic systems which support their library service.The Cuban Libraries Support Group will achieve these objectives by:
- working with its partners and other agencies to disseminate information
about the Cuban library system- producing articles for publication and arrange meetings which discuss the
Cuban education and library systems- organising study tours to Cuba to visit libraries and meet with Cuban
librarians and library and information workers- supporting the Cuban National Programme for the Development of Reading.
This is a strategic, long term programme based on the collective efforts of
all those groups and institutions interested in promoting books and reading
among the Cuban people. These include the National Library Jose Marti,
Cuban Institute of the Book, Cuban Society of Friends of the Book, Cuban
Institute of Radio and Television, and the National Centre of Community
CultureCLSG is working in partnership with Book Aid International, the Cuba
Solidarity Campaign, LINK, the Progressive Librarians Guild and the Cuban
Library Association.Book Aid International (BAI) works with people in developing countries to
support literacy, education, training and publishing by providing books and
other reading materials. BAI / CLSG have sent books and journals to the
Universities of Santa Clara and Havana, the Ministry of Health, Proinfo
(library school), GELI (language institute), Jose Marti National Library,
Havana Public Library, Institutes of Nefrologia, Cardiology and
Anaesthesiology, the Inst Cubana Amist Pueblo and the Ciego de Avila Ctr
Hygeine.The Cuba Solidarity Campaign (CSC) aims to provide information and
resources on Cuba, to promote positive links between the two countries and
to develop solidarity. CSC / CLSG campaigns for respect for Cuba"s right to
sovereignty and independence, an end to interference in Cuba"s internal
affairs by foreign governments, an end to the US economic blockade of Cuba,
and the normalisation by the US of all diplomatic, cultural, scientific and
travel relations with Cuba.CLSG works closely with LINK, a network for North-South Library
Development, connects librarians and libraries in the "South" with
colleagues worldwide, by: raising awareness among professional bodies and
related organisations, individual librarians (through personal contact,
activities, talks, articles and meetings) and library school staff and
students ; supporting students, librarians and information workers from
developing countries who are in the UK, and librarians and information
workers in developing countries ; producing a newsletter, "Link-Up", to
inform, link and support activities, and a directory of network
participants and other resources.CLSG has joined forces with The Progressive Librarians Guild (PLG) a US
based organisation of librarians and library / information workers
committed to
- provide a forum for the open exchange of radical views on library issues
- conduct campaigns to support progressive and democratic library
activities locally, nationally and internationally- support activist librarians as they work to effect changes in their own
libraries and communities- monitor the professional ethics of librarianship from a perspective of
social responsibility and facilitate contacts between progressive
librarians and other professional and scholarly groups dealing with
communications worldwide.- publish "Progressive Librarian", a journal of critical studies and
progressive politics in librarianship- Finally, CLSG works with The Cuban Library Association (ASCUBI) which has
been active in international organisations, including the International
Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) and it was the lead organiser of
the 1994 IFLA conference held in Cuba. ASCUBI has about 1200 members and
represents all library workers, including both librarians and library
technicians. There are chapters in nine of the twelve provinces of Cuba.Conclusion
Information for Social Change has come a long way since its launch in
1994. This journey, which began with the LIWO Support Group, has reflected
national and global developments, and has lead to the establishment of the
Cuban Library Support Group. In the process, ISC has pioneered work in
tackling social exclusion and has pushed the Library Association into at
least acknowledging, if not accepting, issues such as race and class. ISC
has not travelled this path alone, but has joined forces with a wide range
of progressive organisations. As I write this article (March 2001) a new
alliance is being developed between ISC, PLG and ASCUBI. How far we
progressive library workers have come!References
Castro, Fidel & Mandela, Nelson : How Far We Slaves Have Come!,
Pathfinder, 1991Department for Culture, Media and Sport : Libraries for All, DCMS, 1999
Department for Culture, Media and Sport : Libraries, Museums, Galleries
and Archives for All, DCMS, 2001Duffy, K : Social Exclusion and Human Dignity in Europe, Council of
Europe, 1995Management Research Centre : Quality Leaders Project for Black Library and
Information Workers, University of North London, 2000Muddiman, Durrani, Dutch, Linley, Pateman, Vincent : Open to All "
Resource, 2000Social Exclusion Unit : Social Exclusion Unit Homepage (Internet), Cabinet
Office, 1998_________________________________________________________________________top
11. IFLA Social Responsibilities Discussion Group
Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2001 10:51:09 +0100
From: Sophie Felfoldi <Sophie.Felfoldi[at]ifla.nl>
To: IFLA-L[at]INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CAColleagues, I want to let you know that the IFLA Social
Responsibilities Discussion Group has now solidified 13 Working
Groups to address each of our 13 recommendations below. Please let
me know if you have any questions or are interested in helping any of
the Working Groups. I can put you in touch with the chairs of the
groups.Recommendations from the IFLA Social Responsibilities Discussion Group
Revised August 15, 2000The IFLA Social Responsibilities Discussion Group first met at the
1997 Copenhagen meeting under the auspices of the Section on
Education and Training. The first priority has been to address the
growing gap between the information rich and the information poor
both between countries and within countries. All countries have
information gap problems to a greater or lesser degree. Several
discussion papers were developed on various subthemes, and they were
presented and discussed at the 1998 Amsterdam meeting. A composite
discussion paper with recommendations was presented and further
discussed at the 1999 Bangkok meeting (Paper #126-72-E). The
recommendations were further refined at the open session at the 2000
Jerusalem meeting. All of the discussion papers are available on the
IFLANET (http://www.ifla.org/VII/dg/srdg/pubs.htm). The
recommendations below are arranged in the order of the discussion
papers, except Recommendations 12 and 13 which were advanced at the
1999 open forum.Rural Library Development
1. IFLA should develop a research program on rural library
development in coordination with national library agencies. The
focus should be on empowerment of local authorities to process
information required by the community in comprehensible formats for
diverse rural populations.Literacy in Libraries
2. IFLA should urge library and information schools to promote
adult basic education skills as a component of their curriculums.
3. IFLA should promote literacy training as a basic library
service as advocated in the Unesco Public Library Manifesto.Fees for Library Services
4. IFLA should take a strong position against fees for basic
services broadly construed as advocated in the Unesco Public Library
Manifesto.
5. IFLA should work with commercial information providers to
establish a standard price structure for public libraries based on
ability to pay.Human Resource Development
6. IFLA should encourage library and information science schools
to adopt a socially responsible orientation, including the promotion
of a strong service ethic towards all population groups.Electronic Information Gap
7. IFLA should promote the development of and assist in
formatting local content for electronic resources.
8. IFLA should work with appropriate national and international
bodies to promote policies and develop programs that equalize access
to the Internet.North-South Library Cooperation
9. IFLA should promote greater resource sharing between the
North and South, including Southern links to the information
superhighway for equitable, adequate and reliable communications for
all.
10. IFLA should research the education and training needs of
Southern countries in conjunction with relevant agencies in order to
facilitate the development of appropriate information infrastructures.
11. IFLA should urge appropriate government agencies to develop
policies conducive to the development of information infrastructures
for equitable, adequate and reliable communications for all.The Profession, Library Associations, and IFLA Structure
12. IFLA should monitor and report on how various library
associations are addressing information gap issues.
13. IFLA should put the concerns of Third World librarianship at
the center of its program and activities.
--Sabbatical Address for January to Aug.15, 2001
Al Kagan
All Africa House
Flat D (Ddembe)
University of Cape Town
43 Stanley Road
Rondebosch 7700
South Africatel. 27-21-650-4181
kagan[at]egs.uct.ac.za
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12. A few interesting links...
Rhizome.org--The New Media Art Resource
http://rhizome.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
photo database
Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 11:23:21 -0800
From: amy and or michael <am[at]california.net>
To: Rory[at]libr.orgHiMaybe
u already know about this, but i found this nifty photo database -
thought the ljuice subscribers may find it interesting:
http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/photos/
-m.h.sholinbeck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
expanded info site
Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 18:18:32 -0800
From: Lincoln Cushing <lcushing[at]igc.org>
To: webmaster[at]libr.orgHelloYou
will appreciate the searchable database of political posters at
http://fusion.sims.berkeley.edu/lcush/index.cfm
Enjoy.
Lincoln Cushing, Docs Populi
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13. Hits of the month
My server logs show web searches that lead people to pages on libr.org.
Each month I feature some of the best ones. In March web searchers found
past issues of Library Juice by searching for:
- gas mask bongs
- spunk juice
- terms skateboarders use to communicate
- curvy women of past centuries
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