I got a chuckle out of the title of this blog--Fried librarian giblets. I wonder if ALA will look into the San Francisco Happy Meal melt down? The ALA spends so much time on non-library issues. I suppose that's a sign that everything is super duper OK in library land. Salaries are up; bond issues aren't failing; and the political balance is improving.
SafeLibraries: Fried Librarian Giblets Awakens ALA Council to Take On Yet Another Non-Library Issue
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
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Check the Council List Archives for the Email Subjct line "[alacoun] Privacy Concern from an ALA member"
... basically this is being hashed out before it comes up for heated in-session discussion.
Amazing what an innocuous question can stir up, eh? :)
Thanks, Norma.
And Anonymous, it is amazing. And as a result of further responses not written when I published the blog, the story gets far, far worse. I'll be blogging on it soon. Please stay tuned.
Basically, the ALA OIF could care less what ALA Councilors and ALA members may think is appropriate:
Dear Council:
The Office for Intellectual Freedom tracks developments concerning the use of full-body scanners at airports, just as it tracks many other issues related to privacy and government surveillance as part of its Choose Privacy Week/National Conversation on Privacy initiative. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), an affiliate of Choose Privacy Week, has filed lawsuits aimed at halting the use of full-body scanning at airports without probable cause.
See: Group Demands Immediate Halt of Full-Body Airport Scanners, http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/11/epic-airport/
While the use of full-body scanners may not be a library issue, it is a privacy and civil liberties issue. OIF suggests that libraries may want to consider hosting a deliberative dialogue or conversation about full-body scanning for Choose Privacy Week, and recommends that the association evaluate opportunities to support the efforts of other organizations, such as EPIC, that are addressing these issues.
Best regards,
Julius C. Jefferson Jr.
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