Workshop 6 - October 17, 2011
The wiki at http://schoollibraries2011.wikispaces.com/ emphasises that access to a well-funded, well-resourced school library is an equity issue. It's a place where concerned teachers, parents and librarians can come and express their opinions on what matters in school libraries. I've heard of several schools in Canada who have lost their teacher-librarians this year, so equity of service and available staff is definitely a contemporary issue. Another hot topic is the comparatively low literacy levels in Australia. Funding has been requested from the government to facilitate research in that area.
Sue Hutley of ALIA pointed to the Issues & Advocacy page on the ALIA site as a resource all librarians and LIS students should be familiar with. As librarians, we need to take a neutral stance, and consider the legal and ethical ramifications of our interactions with patrons and information. Running cybersafety programs in conjunction with Google and Yahoo is one way the library can assist its patrons in understanding privacy issues and the legalities of an online presence. Legal and ethical issues can arise in collections development, privacy concerns, government publications, and the development and implementation of best practices.
Ready access to information is a complex and relevant issue for LIS professionals. Professor Anne Fitzgerald spoke about copyright issues, and emphasised that openness is essential to innovation. It struck me that restricted information can be a barrier to those without access - for instance, journal subscriptions or image galleries - and these barriers can impede collective learning. So, how can we encourage others to make their work more readily available? It's difficult to discern the provenance of images and text online, without adherence to copyright by all parties. I've learned a little of copyright rules and creative commons licensing this semester, but it's something I'll need to keep up to date with.
