Libraries and Democracy

by Nancy Kranich

Overview

During World War II when the future of democracy was uncertain, Franklin D. Roosevelt described libraries as "the great symbols of the freedom of the mind," "essential to the functioning of a democratic society." Kranich begins this new collection of essays with Roosevelt's sentiment in mind. From Librarian of Congress, James Billington, to founding director of the Center for the Book, John Cole, the leading-edge information specialists of the day share their insights on the role libraries play in advancing democracy. One of the few institutions in the world where people have free access to information and thereby the opportunity to participate in all aspects of society, the American library truly is a symbol of democracy. In this work, prominent contributors from all sides of the profession (including a community outreach activist on libraries in impoverished communities and an information policy scholar whose research for the FCC led to official recognition of the digital divide) tackle hot button issues. Thoughtful essays on how the Internet influences the political process - such as Susan B. Kretchmer's analysis of recent court decisions and director of George Washington University's award-winning National Security Archive, Thomas Blanton's discussion on information ethics (""From the White House E-mail to the Stasi Files"") - shed light on how theoretical concepts have practical implications. As issues such as filtering and copyright protection take center stage in libraries everywhere, librarians, advocates, and policymakers alike can find answers to tough questions in this thorough examination of a complex and critical topic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780838908082
Publisher:	American Library Association
Publication date:	06/01/2001
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.53(d)

Table of Contents

	Preface	v
	Introduction	vi
I.	Historic and Theoretical Overview of the Role of Libraries and Democracy
	Reconsidering Arsenals of a Democratic Culture: Balancing Symbol and Practice	3
	Imagining Fairness: Equality and Equity of Access in Search of Democracy	15
	Poverty, Democracy, and Public Libraries	28
II.	Libraries and Civil Society
	Libraries and Civil Society	49
	Civic Librarianship	60
	Information Literacy for the Twenty-First-Century Citizen	70
III.	Libraries, Technology, and Democracy
	Libraries, the Internet, and Democracy	83
	The Library Internet Access Controversy and Democracy	96
	Libraries, the New Media, and the Political Process	108
	Sex, Democracy, and Videotape	113
IV.	Libraries Supporting Democratic Information Policy
	In Support of Democracy: The Library Role in Public Access to Government Information	121
	Information Ethics and Government Power: From the White House E-Mail to the Stasi Files	129
	Libraries: Where the First Amendment Lives	140
	The First Amendment, Libraries, and Democracy	146
	Copyright and Democracy: Its Implications for the Public's Right to Know	155
V.	The Library of Congress and Democracy
	The Library of Congress and the Democratic Spirit	169
	The Library of Congress and the Widening Horizons of Democracy Building	183
VI.	Library Advocacy for Democracy
	Advocating for America's Right to Know	197
	Advocacy for Democracy I: The Role of the American Library Association	203
	Advocacy for Democracy II: The Role of the Swedish Library Association	208
	Contributors	213
	Index	217