“Pelham Library Declines to Discuss Calling on a Teen’s Book Choice”
A teen was researching gun carrying and concealment laws at the Pelham Public Library.
A concerned librarian called the High School to report it. The director of the library said they do not normally do this, put felt they should check into it. The student was called into the principal’s office to find out more about why the student was looking for books about gun carrying and concealment. The police were called and questioned the student, and they found out the student was doing research on this subject. The student was concerned about going away to college, and was concerned about college shootings.
As a parent of a college freshman you have a fear about college shootings, because there have been so many of them. I am sure the librarian was thinking if she/he did not report this and something happened they could not live with themselves. Maybe the librarian had a student at the high school. So a part of me understands how all this happened, however…that poor student the likelihood of the student returning to that library again is pretty much slim to none. The library violated the privacy and the rights of the student. Fear can play a huge factor in how people respond to situations. Intellectual Freedom tends to just get thrown out the window if fear is involved. There is a bigger issue at stake here and that is the student’s privacy and right to read whatever he/she wants to read was in question. The library has the materials on the shelf so it is the right of the patron to read without question.
We are all living through stressful times and because of this procedures need to be put in place to make sure situations like this can be avoided.
So what do you think?
A teen was researching gun carrying and concealment laws at the Pelham Public Library.
A concerned librarian called the High School to report it. The director of the library said they do not normally do this, put felt they should check into it. The student was called into the principal’s office to find out more about why the student was looking for books about gun carrying and concealment. The police were called and questioned the student, and they found out the student was doing research on this subject. The student was concerned about going away to college, and was concerned about college shootings.
As a parent of a college freshman you have a fear about college shootings, because there have been so many of them. I am sure the librarian was thinking if she/he did not report this and something happened they could not live with themselves. Maybe the librarian had a student at the high school. So a part of me understands how all this happened, however…that poor student the likelihood of the student returning to that library again is pretty much slim to none. The library violated the privacy and the rights of the student. Fear can play a huge factor in how people respond to situations. Intellectual Freedom tends to just get thrown out the window if fear is involved. There is a bigger issue at stake here and that is the student’s privacy and right to read whatever he/she wants to read was in question. The library has the materials on the shelf so it is the right of the patron to read without question.
We are all living through stressful times and because of this procedures need to be put in place to make sure situations like this can be avoided.
So what do you think?
Korngold, Leslie (8 May 2009). "Pelham Library Declines to Discuss Calling School on a Teen's Book Choice". LoHud.com. the Journal News. Accessed 20 May 2009.
I can certainly see how that librarian could jump to conclusions. However, this is when written policy and explicit training is essential. That is not to say that individuals will never stray from policies, but at least there will be a standard in place for difficult decisions.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, if the librarian was worried that the teen was a threat to his/her safety, why didn't he/she inform the police? Why was the teen's school involved?
I think that that entire situation could have been avoided with a proper reference interview. The librarian, during the course of the interview could have discovered the reason for the research and then there wouldn't have been any problems. Now, however, that teen probably won't return to that library. It's possible she might have issues with libraries in general for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Abby, there are policies set in place for situations such as this. We have to train ourselves not to jump the gun and assume the worst. The librarian should have spoken to someone in management at the library before taking action, even if action was actually needed.
Many times in classes at IUPUI I have been told that it is our place to provide information to patrons when asked and not judge what they request. This librarian had no right to report this student. He never threatened her or anyone else. No matter what she assumed it was against everything we as librarians stand for to report that student without just cause. By her reporting this boy, she destroyed the faith that the public has in the library as a non-biased and private institution. If the police come to a library without a warrant and want to know what patron has been checking out certain books, we are not to disclose that information, so why did she volunteer that type of information.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it is not our place to demand why a patron wants certain information. Personally I would have been worried as well about the information this student was checking out but as a public servant librarian it is not my place to dissolve the faith my patrons have in my position. This librarian acted out of fear and assuming and the patron and library was hurt by it.