Civil war among U.S. librarians

http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/hentoff072307.php3 ^ | July 23, 2007 | Nat Hentoff

[rhema]

The unassuming international champion of universal health care, Michael Moore, was asked (New York Sun, June 29) whether, while filming "Sicko," he inquired about the condition of Cuban journalist Normando Gonzalez, a political prisoner since 2003. He has contracted severe chronic illnesses while in a Castro gulag. Moore answered that he asked only about Cuba's health care system while he was there.

Among other suffering prisoners in Cuban cells who would have added further dimension to "Sicko" are independent librarians, put away for more than 20-year sentences for the crime of giving Cubans access to books and other publications forbidden in state libraries. Dr. Jose Luis Garcia Paneque, for example, director of a Las Tunas library, is not being treated meaningfully for intestinal problems, hypertension and other ailments.

The caged independent librarians were, however, at the center of a protest at an American Library Association conference in Washington in June. These protesters are themselves long-term members of the ALA and call themselves Freadomistas, in contrast with Fidelistas (Castro admirers) on the ALA's governing council. That council steadfastly refuses to demand the immediate release of Cuban freedom-to-read librarians, whom Amnesty International designates "prisoners of conscience." Indeed, the council voted down an amendment to release them.

Bearing such signs as "Book Burning Is NOT A solution to Cuba's Energy Problems" and "Ray Bradbury (author of 'Fahrenheit 451') Says: 'Free The Jailed Librarians,'" the Freadomistas also handed out flyers that quoted the core ALA policy: "The American Library Association believes that freedom of expression is an inalienable human right ... vital to the resistance of oppression ... and the principles of freedom of expression should be applied by libraries and librarians throughout the world." Another ALA policy cited on the flyers "deplores the destruction of libraries, library collections and property."

[WarEagle]

Me, I prefer the Library of Congress system.

Back in the Dark Ages, in my college days, I spent a lot of time working in the university library. I was told then that the selection of LC vs Dewey Decimal was based on the number of books in the total catalogue. Makes sense, as LC is waaaay more granular. With it, you get a place for each individual book.

Keeping the books on the shelves in the right order with LC was bad enough. I couldn't have imagined the task with Dewey.

[Fiji Hill]

As far as I know, the only major academic library that still uses Dewey is at the University of Illinois.

[Fiji Hill]

Eratosthenes--A Librarian of
Long, Long Ago

[weegee]

When you find FR filted, see how they handle sites like DUh and DailyKaOS