1.
James, how do you
view your role at the ALA?
- The Office for
Intellectual has three main areas of responsibility:
- Support for
challenges. We get about a call a day from libraries whose services -
collections, programs, meeting room use, exhibits or displays,
databases, etc. - are being challenged (meaning someone wants to remove
or restrict access to them). We provide support to those front line
librarian in many ways: media relations, policy interpretation, letters
to boards, elected officials, or community, but mostly just the human
contact to tell them they are not alone.
- Thought leadership. We
carry the torch for free expression. We work with committees of
librarians to put out statements, guidelines, policies, and procedures
addressing all aspects of the First Amendment implications of library
work. We publish a weekly electronic newsletter, a blog, and a journal.
We give talks, workshops, and webinars. See http://www.oif.ala.org/oif/
- Leadership
development. Through those committees and activities, we try to recruit
and grow a new generation of intellectual freedom champions.
- What
should be done to inform the public not only of which books are being banned
and by whom, but to explain why no book should be banned?
- The purpose of Banned
Books Week is exactly that: an annual celebration of the freedom to read,
and a look around at current threats to it. It reaches a lot of people.
- Beyond that, many libraries
offer programs in which people actually read, often aloud, the books
others want to hide from them. It's eye-opening.
- We emphasize the
fundamental perspective that the First Amendment not only guarantees your
right of free speech, but also your access to the speech of others.
That's one of the great values of librarians: We stand up for those
rights.
- How is
free speech being threatened by President Donald Trump?
- Back in January of this
year, the White House sent a cease and desist letter to Henry Holt and
Co., the publishers of Michael Wolffe's "Fire and Fury." In
response, the publisher moved up the publication date. In September of
this year, he called "Fear" by one of America's most respected
journalists, Bob Woodward, a "work of fiction." At this writing,
it is the number one bestseller in the nation. Also in September, Trump
called upon the Justice Department to investigate the author of an
anonymous editorial in the New York Times. That hasn't happened, as far
as we know. And of course, Trump's repeated attacks on mainstream media
as "fake news" are well known. All of these represent attacks
on free speech. None of them have been particularly successful, although
there's some indication that trust in mainstream media is taking a hit.
- How do we
counter fake news and unjust accusations of something being fake?
- It's always been hard
to find out the truth. It takes dogged persistence, the careful weighing
of evidence, and some careful probing to find out how reliable a speaker
or writer may be. Librarians can help. On the Internet, before
liking or passing along a wild story on Facebook or digging too deep into
a suspicious website, I advise you to do a quick search on a fact
checking website, such as Snopes or Factcheck.org.
Generally speaking, if it's too bizarre to be believed, maybe you
shouldn't.
- Does it
surprise you that books still get banned in 2018?
- No. Usually, the issue
is parents of a 4-6 year old, or a 14-16 year old. They see a shift:
their children are growing up. Suddenly, parents want a return to
innocence, usually in the name of safety. Any parent can relate to that.
But as someone once told me, you can't childproof the world. You have to
try to world proof your child. Reading helps.
- But there are also more
pernicious attempts to suppress various political, religious, or other
human perspectives. Those efforts pave the path to tyranny.
- Are there
books that libraries and schools are justified in not making available for
patrons or students?
- Generally speaking, libraries
buy books on the basis of the reputation of the author, the reputation of
the publisher, critical reviews, and public demand. Not every book is
right for every person. But surely ignorance is more dangerous, in the
long run, than knowledge.
- How should
one celebrate Banned Books Week?
- Read a banned book!
Write a letter to the newspaper in support of your library, and the right
of everyone to investigate the world around them. Go listen to a talk
from someone you don't agree with, and ask a lot of questions.
- What can
be done to improve literacy in America?
- I've been citing a 2010
study done by Mariah Evans of the University of Nevada, Reno. She and
others conducted research into 27 countries over a period of 20 years.
She found that regardless of the income level or education of the
parents, getting 500 books into the home of a child between the ages of
0-5 was an good as having two parents with master's degrees. Early
literacy, early exposure to language and story, is strongly correlated
with health, longevity, freedom from incarceration, educational
attainment, and income level. Books unlock children's brains.
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