The Effect of September 11, 2001 and Subsequent Terrorist Events Upon Australian Public Libraries' Policies, and Collections and Services to Muslim Clients
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School of Media, Culture and Creative Arts The Effect of September 11, 2001 and Subsequent Terrorist Events Upon Australian Public Libraries' Policies, and Collections and Services to Muslim Clients Nadine Elizabeth Gibbons A thesis presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Curtin University November 2016 Declaration To the best of my knowledge and belief this thesis contains no material previously published by any other person except where due acknowledgment has been made. This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university. The research presented and reported in this thesis was conducted in accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007a) updated March 2014. The proposed research study received human research ethics approval from Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee (EC00262), and Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Institutional Review Board and Research Ethics Committee approval (#REC-15.01.2015[RS-332]). Nadine Elizabeth Gibbons November 2016 ii Statement of Contributors I acknowledge the important contribution to this thesis by the following people: Laurance Miyashiro for the modified maps Eleanor Gibbons for the drawing showing the difference between Equality and Equity Lorena Neal of Evanston Library, Evanston Il, for use of FaceBook entry Michael Done, Formatting specialist from Format My Thesis, www.formatmythesis.com. iii Abstract This research investigates responses by the Australian library profession to the national and international terrorism events that commenced with the attacks on the United States on September 11th 2001. It specifically investigates the response of the Australian Library and Information Association to changes in Commonwealth Government policies and legislation, and the subsequent impacts on the policy environment in which Australian public libraries operate, and their delivery of collections and services to Muslims. Between August 2009 and January 2010, the researcher used email to contact all 1483 identified Australian public libraries inviting them to participate in a survey. The email included a link to the online service SurveyMonkey for easy data collection and analysis. A representative response rate ensured the survey was viable. From 120 opened surveys, 72 were viable, coming from all states and territories in Australia and evenly divided between libraries with Muslim clients and libraries without Muslim clients. The survey contained 33 questions of which most were compulsory. The question response moved the respondent to the next relevant question. Thus only libraries with Muslim clients were asked if they had Muslim staff, and how they chose or catalogued their material or handled cultural differences with Muslim clients (if they occurred). Libraries with non-Muslim clients were used as a 'control group' against those with Muslim clients. Collection Development, Multicultural Services, Ethics, Staff Security and Patron Privacy Policies were investigated, and their relationship between the library and the Local Government Authority. Where online, the actual policies were analysed against the responses provided in the survey. Most libraries have their own Collection Development Policies, but rely upon their Local Government Authority for the other four focus policies. However these policies did not necessarily provide guidance for libraries faced with Federal agents with or without a warrant to investigate information on a library management system, or to take a hard drive computers, as part of criminal investigations. The results indicated all levels of library staff would benefit from continuous education within the library through workshops, where scenarios and role play may improve understanding of the stages of a Federal investigation, for terrorism or non-terrorism (ie other criminal activities) cases. Research has found members of minority communities are more likely to patronise a library where they see a friendly, similar face providing service. Employment of ethnic minorities with linguistic skills relevant to the library community's composition is highly desirable. iv Ongoing professional development including knowledge of policy writing, statistical analysis, and the employment of members of ethnic minorities should empower librarians and library staff of all levels to present their cases for change to senior management of the Local Government Authority, and to create a model multicultural library service, capable of changing as the community composition changes, yet still retaining all the important services libraries are admired for providing. It is recommended ALIA and the PLA encourage employment of minority community members. Research into how employing minority staff increases minority usage of public libraries is important. It is expected there will be some research conducted in France, Spain, Germany and Holland although this may be only available in the native language. These European countries are also possible sources for library services for refugees. Denmark has had success in setting up libraries for refugees who have not had access to public libraries in their home countries or in refugee camps. It is also recommended ALIA and the PLA provide information for their members on the library experiences of new Australians. For those who work in libraries it may seem inconceivable that individuals may have no experience of libraries, or that libraries operate in a very different manner in other countries. This information may be via video interviews, or articles in newsletters, but it is the passing on of the information which is important. v Acknowledgements I gratefully acknowledge the work done by the lecturers in Library and Information Science at Curtin University, in particular Dr Jan Partridge (Retired) who when I presented this idea, said 'Why not?', Associate Professor Kerry Smith AM (Retired) who saw me through the first part of this work, and Associate Professor Paul Genoni who has brought me to the conclusion. To my grandparents Eda and Eric Secker who met at an Adelaide Technical Institute where they were attending the same lecture and kept meeting as Eda was a voluntary librarian with the Institute and Eric was a voracious reader—my thanks to my aunt who told me this story after I started this thesis. I also dedicate this work to my husband Norman with who, as I complete this work I celebrate 25 years of marriage and who has 'lived the experience' with me–and has survived, my two sons Laurance and Brogan, and daughter Eleanor, who have been the children a student needs—they created the maps, made meals, listened, and let me sleep. To my granddaughters Erika and Arisa, who prove the future is in good if somewhat tiny hands. To my father David (Eric's son), who died before this work was finished, the journey was just too long for us both. To my mother, Barbara who emphasised if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well. To my cousin Patricia who, before I created my proposal, set up meetings with libraries in Sydney, to enable me to meet three very wonderful librarians at three very different libraries serving Muslims. The positive response from these three librarians that they saw a need for the survey, based on what they had seen and felt around them, gave me the confidence to keep going. Thank you Patricia, and thank you fellow librarians. To the Australian Department of Defence Library Service of which I was an employee for over a decade—putting a person such as me in a library such as that was a delight. That library fed my many knowledge urges, from religion and philosophy to military theory and history. Eventually, the Defence Library Service supported my Doctoral studies until their library closed and I left their employ. To my sisters in the sorority Beta Sigma Phi - Preceptor Alpha Perth, you have been my strength for so long. To Dr Oleh Kay who held my hand and kept me on the right side of sanity. To my fellow PhD students at Curtin University—I have learned so much from you all. Thank you all so very much. vi Dedication I dedicate this work to those who have never had access to a public library, and I hope one day they will enter a library's doors—the doorway to the past, the present and the future. I also dedicate this work to librarians, and library staff everywhere who strive to maintain the ethos of 'Freedom to Read' for their clients. vii Table of Contents Declaration.................................................................................................................................... ii Statement of Contributors ............................................................................................................iii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................ iv Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... vi Dedication ................................................................................................................................... vii Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................viii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................xiii List of Tables .............................................................................................................................