Title of Artifact

Responding to a Library Challenge

Description of Artifact

In this mini-portfolio, I take the role of a small-town library director in responding directly to a patron’s challenge of children’s and young adult books with homosexual characters or themes. The response contains a letter to the patron, a letter to the library board with justifying documents, and plans for community outreach. It culminates with a reflection on the process. This paper was written as a final project in a seminar on intellectual freedom and censorship taken through the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

SLIS Learning Outcomes Justification

This project emphasized the power of the library director and board of trustees within the library community. While they should have information backing up their decisions, it could be very easy to abuse that power in pushing personal political agendas. However, librarians have an ethical responsibility to their patrons and community members. There are some challenges in navigating exactly what that responsibility is; at times professional ethics will differ from general community beliefs. In this case, we look at the ethical principles outlined in the ALA Code of Ethics; we see the importance of intellectual freedom in the face of a book challenge; and we consider the patron’s complaint seriously and intelligently. Responding to such a complaint requires understanding the variants of beliefs in the community and attempting to choose what is best for all members. This requires evaluating the information needs of the community and applying that to the question at hand. Finally, critical thinking skills are vital in developing an intelligent response to collection challenges. The librarian must – as neutrally as possible – evaluate the question and the material and try to solve the problem amiably. Presentation of the decision requires clear oral and written communication, especially if the outcome differs from what the patron requested.