August 29, 2008
What Place for Politics on a Gay and Lesbian Library Listserv?
Librarians have a reputation for being flaming liberals. Left of Left. I’ve met more than one who wears the label “pinko” with pride.
So that makes one of the latest discussions to pop up on library listservs an interesting one. Yesterday, a subscriber to the American Library Association’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table listserv posted links for YouTube archives of the speeches given at the Democratic National Convention. Immediately another subscriber reminded people that the listserv was not to be used for “partisan purposes” and warned against “pushing the envelope” — which, the subscriber said, could lead to the ALA’s losing its nonprofit status. Other subscribers responded by saying that they were merely passing around information, and they posted links to other candidates’ YouTube speeches, including John McCain’s.
The debate might seem odd, especially for librarians and the GLBT Round Table, a group that advocates improving the “quality, quantity, and accessibility of library materials and service of particular interest or usefulness to lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgendered people of all ages” and works for “eliminating job discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered employees of libraries, archives, and information centers,” according to the round table’s mission statement. Those goals seem to be part of the current political debate. How do you avoid politics in passing around information about such topics?
In recent years, the ALA itself has taken on some tough political fights for the sake of free expression and privacy. The group was one of the first to hammer the Bush Administration over the USA Patriot Act, which it saw as unnecessarily invasive. (Remember when John Ashcroft, then the U.S. Attorney General, complained about “hysterical” librarians?)
But officials at ALA also seemed a little nervous about posting links to political speeches on the listserv. Satia M. Orange, the director for ALA’s literacy and outreach services, is a staff liaison to the GLBT round table. She recently sent a letter to the round table’s co-chair asking people to “reconsider” posting references and links to political speeches. “Added list subscribers will continue to bring up new reminders and recommendations for their preferred sites and presentations, and possibly reflect their personal political preferences,” she wrote. Sharing such information could slide into political ranting. “The line is too thin to jeopardize the Association’s, and therefore, the round table’s non-profit protection.”
The debate has spread to other library listservs — in particular, Collib, the college-library listserv. “Notices like this have a chilling effect,” wrote Barbara Fister, library director at Gustavus Adolphus College. “And they’re simply inaccurate. The IRS doesn’t revoke the tax status of churches because members talk about personal opinions in the vestibule.”
She added in a follow-up message: “I’m fine with this this list staying focused on library issues. But some of them are political. And sometimes political issues have an impact on library issues. I don’t want those discussions shut down because of what seem to me to be false fears of the IRS.” —Scott Carlson
Posted on Friday August 29, 2008 | Permalink |Comments
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The messages from ALA have been unclear on this message but what they are trying to say is that as a 501©(3) organization we are not permited to support or oppose any political candidates.
For some reason people keep thinking this means that no political issues may be discussed. I am not sure why but there is this impression. Yes, other political issues may be discussed. In fact, some of that discussion is even encouraged by ALA.
— Diedre Conkling Aug 29, 05:55 PM #
Unless someone has endorsed or supported a candidate on behalf of ALA, I fail to see anything newsworthy here — except, perhaps, the spinelessness of some ALA officials.
— An academic librarian who happens to proudly support Obama Aug 29, 06:53 PM #
Librarians may be liberal on social issues, but when it comes to interpreting and obeying the letter of the law, they are one of the most conservative groups you’ll ever find, bending over backwards to restrict themselves to the most narrow reading of their legal rights, even beyond what any lawyer would say is a reasonable interpretation. So the ALA response to mere discussion and links comes as no surprise. There has also developed over the Bush years a certain paranoia (justifiable? I don’t know) among non-profits that the current Administration unfairly targets liberal voices for revocation of non-profit status. So more bending over backwards. I doubt that ALA would have issued any such notice during the Clinton years.
— Melissa Belvadi, a librarian Sep 2, 06:20 AM #
Your jobs a librarians is to make sure all relevent material is available for your users, not to give political advice. Your right, Clinton would not of targeted non-profits because it advanced his cause for free. You are non-profit which means you use my tax dollars, and pay no taxes to the federal goverment. If you want a voice pay taxes, if not shut up and get me a book.
— Your job is to make sure i find my book, not political advice Sep 2, 02:48 PM #
“Your right, Clinton would not of . . . .” You seem excessively concerned about misuse of tax dollars. I hope that no tax dollars were used to support your education, because if so they were certainly wasted! Get a grammar book, pal; a librarian is there to help you.
— Bill Miller Sep 2, 03:11 PM #
LOL YEAH PAL!
— Spanky Context Sep 2, 04:45 PM #
I’ve worked for non profits during BOTH Bush administrations, whose mission was not in line with their ideologies, and I can tell you that we were, are and will continue to be hunted down for even the slightest or perceived infraction! We had to log each and every photocopy over a decade ago, citing EXACTLY who did it, what project, if business or personal, etc.
Have people forgotten the hell this administration put the NAACP through already?
What about the expose on selecting/eliminating judges who did/didn’t agree with certain policies?
You can be a target VERY easily. The law is more subjective now than ever before, and with the web, what you post is there forever.
— anonymous Sep 2, 04:54 PM #
Contrary to Satia M. Orange’s opinion, it is she who is “sliding” down a “thin line” by asking librarians to limit and censor their freedom of speech.
What happens to our country when people fear their government more than they value their freedom?
When the Bill of Rights is at stake, being timid is hardly a useful response.
— Tamara A. Turner, a proud radical militant librarian Sep 2, 05:16 PM #
‘[Former Wasilla mayor] Stein says that as mayor, Palin continued to inject religious beliefs into her policy at times. “She asked the library how she could go about banning books,” he says, because some voters thought they had inappropriate language in them. “The librarian was aghast.” The librarian, Mary Ellen Baker, couldn’t be reached for comment, but news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire her for not giving “full support” to the mayor.’
Source:
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1837918,00.html
— An academic librarian who happens to proudly support Obama Sep 3, 04:18 PM #
Actually the first two individuals are correct. If the ALA decides to endorse or supports a candidate, then the ALA will have problems. It’s no different than a PBS network endorsing Obama (which I sincerely hope it would) and not let McCain have equal time. It is a violation of its charter. Because of its non-profit status, it is obligated to (1) not have an opinion, and (2) preview both sides equally. ALA is no different. Political issues can be discussed, and they should be discussed.
— Alake Hinton Sep 9, 09:31 PM #