645: Reading Reflection 1
Why is Intellectual Freedom so important today?
This is the topic for our first reading reflection. If you don't have access to the Intellectual Freedom Manual yet, please feel free to use the resources on the ALA, OIF site. http://www.ala.org Also, look at the news, at newspapers, and magazines. What are the intellectual freedom topics in the news? What values are at stake? As people devoted to encouraging free and wide access to information, what are the possible roles for us to take in public discourse as well as in our professional work? Think also of other historical periods and the many conflicts about who owns and who may have access to information, to books, to movies, to health information. When in Western history did ordinary people start learning to read? Needing to read? What about women? Slaves? What about the use of Latin in the Catholic Church until recently? Other examples? What about other countries today? Think, for example, of China and Internet access. This week we will be doing a lot of brainstorming about the scope and shape of the subject of our concern this semester. Think about the issues that interest you most. Throughout the term we will use small discussion group in our discussion forum area to share ideas. With five or six people in your groups, you will be able to share in a more meaningful way. Take a look at the Discussion Forums for additional instructions.
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Dean Smith,
Here is an interesting article I read yesterday on what I've though to be the only direct argument FOR the Patriot Act applying to libraries.
On Borrowed Time
Terrorists use libraries. Law enforcement should be vigilant in the stacks.
We briefly discussed this in my INFO520 class at Drexel and it has continued to vex me. Additional arguments that the encription used by terrorists would be unrecognizeable to library staff in judging the seriousness of a government inquiry also challenges the ALA's absolutist stance. However, with both sides playing hard politics, the results will hopefully land somewhere in the middle.
Courtney
(formerly of INFO511 @ Drexel)
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