Libraries and Democracy
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.

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Libraries and Democracy
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.

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Libraries and Democracy

Libraries and Democracy

by Nancy Kranich
Libraries and Democracy

Libraries and Democracy

by Nancy Kranich

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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

Prefacev
Introductionvi
I.Historic and Theoretical Overview of the Role of Libraries and Democracy
Reconsidering Arsenals of a Democratic Culture: Balancing Symbol and Practice3
Imagining Fairness: Equality and Equity of Access in Search of Democracy15
Poverty, Democracy, and Public Libraries28
II.Libraries and Civil Society
Libraries and Civil Society49
Civic Librarianship60
Information Literacy for the Twenty-First-Century Citizen70
III.Libraries, Technology, and Democracy
Libraries, the Internet, and Democracy83
The Library Internet Access Controversy and Democracy96
Libraries, the New Media, and the Political Process108
Sex, Democracy, and Videotape113
IV.Libraries Supporting Democratic Information Policy
In Support of Democracy: The Library Role in Public Access to Government Information121
Information Ethics and Government Power: From the White House E-Mail to the Stasi Files129
Libraries: Where the First Amendment Lives140
The First Amendment, Libraries, and Democracy146
Copyright and Democracy: Its Implications for the Public's Right to Know155
V.The Library of Congress and Democracy
The Library of Congress and the Democratic Spirit169
The Library of Congress and the Widening Horizons of Democracy Building183
VI.Library Advocacy for Democracy
Advocating for America's Right to Know197
Advocacy for Democracy I: The Role of the American Library Association203
Advocacy for Democracy II: The Role of the Swedish Library Association208
Contributors213
Index217
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