Which Side Are You On Seven Social Responsibility Debates In American Librarianship 19902015 Elaine Harger by Elaine Harger 9780786494552, 9781476624716, 0786494557, 1476624712 instant download after payment.

Shattering any idea that librarianship is a politically neutral realm, this insider's account of seven debates from the floor of the American Library Association Council illustrates the mechanisms the governing body used to maintain the status quo on issues like racism, government surveillance and climate change. At play in each debate are rules of parliamentary procedure, appeals to authority, denial, and chastisement of librarians who pushed the ALA to make real its commitments to human rights and social justice. Providing a fascinating look at the Council's inner workings, the author parses debates concerning anti-apartheid boycotts; partnerships between ALA, McDonald's and the Boy Scouts of America; spying by the National Security Agency; censorship in Israel and the Occupied Territories; fossil fuel industry divestment; and the recent revival by ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom of the infamous film The Speaker.
Elaine Harger is the librarian at Washington Middle School in Seattle. She served nine years as a Councilor-at-Large on the governing body of the American Library Association, has been very active in ALA's Social Responsibilities Round Table, and is a co-founder of the Progressive Librarians Guild.
"Harger presents both sides of each debate and includes a detailed and well-cited narrative. Although at times an indictment of ALA's actions and policies, overall this account is an education and call to action for librarians to uphold their principles...engaging and surprisingly frank...suitable for all"--Library Journal; "each selection is illustrative of [Harger's] commitment to inform the generations of library professionals who have followed her that there is no progress if actions do not follow words and demonstrate the power dynamics that are frequently in play inside organizations. A fiery call to arms."--Booklist.