Open letter to Brock Meeks

[jpapier]

Sheryl Dwinell wrote:

> "Library Watch Online Magazine covers the news related to Public Libraries
> using public tax dollars to distribute materials to children that are
> pornographic, obscene, and/or otherwise illegal. Special note is paid to
> policies of the ALA (American Library Association) and many (if not most)
> libraries that defend the librarians right, even obligation, to provide
> these pornographic, obscene, or harmful materials to children regardless of
> state laws."
>
> Hm...so that explains why the librarian at my local public library was
> standing at the door handing out copies of Screw to all the kiddies walking
> in. If that paragraph isn't the biggest load of crap I've read this week.
> I've had about all I can take of librarians being slandered by these
> groups, including Family Friendly Libraries. We aren't a cabal of
> evil-doers whose ultimate goal is to turn every kid under the age of 10
> onto hard-core porn and destroy the morality of this country.  Most of the
> librarians in this country are hard working, community-minded, committed
> folks who are trying their best to serve the information needs of a
> incredibly diverse body of users.  Public librarians, in particular, are
> faced with so many pressures.  I don't care how you feel about filters and
> how much you think they should be used in public libraries.  To align
> yourself, even on ONE issue, with these groups makes me ill.
>

I spend 99.99% time in lurk mode, but Ms. Dwinell has so succinctly articulated
my own frustrations with this whole debate, that I had to come out from under
wraps.  Librarians indeed are not a "cabal of evil-doers," and do work under
considerable, often conflicting social/institutional forces.  Unfortunately,
IMHO, some of these forces do that peculiarly American thing of using the most
moralistic, judgmental, Manichean language possible to set up false
dichotomies:  bad bad librarians versus holy anti-porn righteousness.  I'm
_not_ saying there aren't real issues behind this debate.   I am saying that
ethical complexities and ambiguities, especially in this culture, tend to fall
victim to posturing and grandstanding.

Lest I be accused of partisanship--an accurate accusation, I might add, since I
am largely in the camp of non-filterers--let me say that grandstanding on
_both_ sides of this debate has perpetuated distortions and erased nuance: holy
holy first amendment folks versus backward redneck Philistines.

Back to Mostly Lurk Mode,

Jeff Papier
Network/Internet Librarian
South Brunswick Public Library
South Brunswick, NJ