[Burkean]

The ALA does not control libraries. Many librarians and libraries do not support every notion the ALA pushes. My library director thinks ALA conferences are a waste of time, though he does readily support us going to ACRL conferences, which are a subset of ALA.

The ALA sets guidelines for such things as privacy and free access to information and libraries can follow them as they see fit. Whatever works best for the community is what I believe most libraries choose to follow.

I do agree that this article is misleading. It would have been a severe lapse in judgment in my opinion for the library to give out a phone number immediately to somebody that could not be identified. They were ready in a scant ten minutes to cooperate if needed and if they knew they were speaking to an actual police officer and not a disgruntled boyfriend, bill collector, etc.

[plan2succeed.org]

You said, "The ALA does not control libraries."

Judith Krug, de facto leader of the ALA said, "For those of us in this battle, we clearly understand one thing - that when left up to "local" decision-making, it's still the ALA policy/philosophy of "no filters" that often triumphs. Local folks are not having their concerns taken seriously. I hear this repeatedly from individuals who contact us asking what they can do because they're up against an ALA wall. Does 'W' understand this? His wife is a librarian."

Now who should I believe, a well-intention fellow Freeper, or the de facto leader of the ALA?