FEB141996 LIBRARY

No. 41 Winter 1995/1996

Chair's Report Intellectual By Pam Klipsch, 199511996 IFRT Chair Freedom I hope that everyone has seen the John Berry editorials in the November 1 and 15 issues of Library Journal, and Lillian Gerhardt's splendid rebuttal in the Round Table December issue of School Library Journal. If you've been keeping up with the fall­ out from the organized Conservative Christian Right's attack on ALA, including MEETI"GS the so-called "Family Friendly Libraries" conference in Ohio last October, you 1996 Midwinter Confc2rence already know that the IF community has its work cut out for it. After all, if the San Antonio. To:as editor-in-chief of Library Journal "still doesn't get it'' when it comes to providing equal access for all library users, and upholding the right of all parents to make their own decisions about their own children's use of library materials and Saturday. )anuary 20 services, it's clear we still have a long way to go within the ranks of ALA. But Business Meeting perhaps this will help dispel the myth of ALA as some Goliath setting out to impose its "liberal agenda" on American libraries. 2:00p.m.- 5:30 p.m. Grand Ballroom Salon A It's ironic that some of the same folks who proclaim that what's wrong with this country is too much government interference in the lives of ordinary citizens are now complaining that libraries are not interfering enough! I, too, Sunday. )anuary 21 believe that we need to be sensitive and responsive to the concerns of parents. Joint Meeting with IFC I, too, believe that librarians can and should do a better job of serving the diverse needs and interests of our communities, and I include and Division IFCs conservative/ Christian/ traditional values in that diversity. But I don't believe 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. that we will do a better job of serving the needs of any part of our community Grand Ballroom Salon A by trampling on the needs and interests of all the rest. The program we have planned for 1996 Annual Conference in New York Monday. )anuary 22 hopefully will address some of these issues. It is titled: "Information or Indoctrination: Libraries Caught in the Cultural Crossfire." The intent of this Business Meeting program is to discuss the effects of censorship and the suppression of informa­ 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. tion and ideas on the intellectual and social development of young people. We Grand Ballroom Salon A hope to explore some positive alternatives for librarians and parents who want to provide assistance and guidance to young people without resorting to blanket restrictions and suppression of information and ideas. We are in the All Meetings are in the process of contacting speakers with recognized experience in the areas of child Marriott RiverCenter development, psychology, education, children's literature and online resources. The program is scheduled for 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday at Annual Conference. Please consult your conference program for the location. Anne Penway Leaving OIF Family Friendly With great regret, we must inform you that Anne Levinson Penway has Libraries resigned from the OIF staff, effective October 9, 1995. Anne has accepted the position of Director of Admissions and Student Relations at the Valparaiso conference University School of Law. by Donna Reidy Pistolis, OIF Associate "I have enjoyed working with you all, and have been tremendously Director for Case Support and Research impressed with the skill, determination, fortitude and resourcefulness of librarians in defending First Amendment rights," Penway said. I attended the Family Friendly You can contact Anne at: Libraries (FFL) Conference on October 21 in Cincinnati. Following Valparaiso University are my thoughts, feelings and School of Law impressions after attending. Wesemann Hall Valparaiso, IN 46383-6493 I counted approximately 55 Phone: (219) 465-7891 attendees, the majority from Ohio and Indiana, with a few from E-mail: [email protected] Michigan, Illinois, and other states. During the course of the day, a num­ ber of the attendees commented on how they were looking to FFL for advice on how to be more effective on the local level. Each person who commented seemed to be in the Deborah Liebow )oins OIF Staff midst of a local battle. We are pleased to welcome Deborah Liebow to the position of Assistant The conference began with a Director in the Office for Intellectual Freedom and IFRT Staff Liaison. Deborah welcome from Phil Burress, came to the American Library Association from the Jewish Federation of Clermont County (OH) public Metropolitan Chicago where she was the Program Manager of the Refugee library trustee and founder of Resettlement Program. Citizens for Community Values During her five year tenure there, Deborah assisted in the resettlement of (CCV). During his welcome, Mr. over 16,000 refugees from the former Soviet Union in the Chicago area. She also Burress made the statement that at managed a $10 million loan program for this refugee population. that moment, FFL was not a national organization-they were holding Prior to that, Deborah was the Assistant Regional Director of the this conference to see what kind of Anti-Defamation League in Chicago for three years. Her focus there was the interest there was in this issue and monitoring of local and national right-wing extremist groups and responding were going to decide at the end of to community complaints of anti-Semitic incidents. Among many other duties, the day whether or not to start a Deborah also participated in the preparation of school curriculum on Holocaust national group. education and conducted teacher training throughout Illinois to comply with the state law mandating Holocaust education in the public schools. The actual "meat" of the confer­ ence began with an overview by Deborah also spent five years at the Illinois Office of the State Appellate Karen Jo Gounaud (the driving force Defender where she represented indigent defendants in the appellate courts of behind the FFL Movement) of Illinois in criminal cases. Deborah has argued cases before the Supreme Court why "family friendly" libraries are of Illinois, the Illinois Appellate Courts and the Seventh Circuit Court of needed. To prove her point, Mrs. Appeals. · Gounaud outlined five points reflect­ "Deborah has a strong and diverse background in the law that will ing what she believes libraries and complement perfectly what OIF hopes to accomplish in the future," stated librarians are not doing, or are doing Judith Krug, Director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom. poorly; these points provided the rationale for starting this movement. Deborah holds a Bachelor Degree in Sociology from the University The five points are: of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and a law degree from the illinois Institute of Technology's Chicago Kent-College of Law. • Treating parents as adversaries rather than partners; As you can see from her background, Deborah has a life-long interest in civil rights issues and constitutional concerns. That is what attracted her to • Treating patron suggestions and the position at OIF and OIF to her. We hope her tenure at OIF is long and concerns as intrusions and rewarding. "censorship;" You can contact Deborah at 800-545-2433, extension 4224. • Abdicating responsibilities to be part of a community effort protecting children from hurtful or dangerous influences; Ccmtinued inside Family Friendly Libraries that are available to children in Mrs. Gounaud followed with conference continued libraries. Mrs. Biehle then elaborated another presentation, the purpose on her piece attacking ALA, OIF and which was to tell audience members • Openly promoting the most Judith Krug, Director of the Office how to get taken seriously by their "politically correct" and radical for Intellectual Freedom. She tried to library boards. She said her involve­ philosophies, while claiming to make the argument that because ment began when she was told she support "opposing points of Judy had once served on the ACLU's would only be allowed three view on all controversial topics;" Board of Directors, ALA, and more minutes-once a year- to state her and specifically, OIF, was nothing more concerns at board meetings. than a tool of the ACLU. • Failing to maintain a collection Mr. Burress concluded the of distinguished historical books The first three speakers, in my morning session with how he felt and other basics. (This argument opinion, were carefully selected to ALA's stranglehold on trustees is aligns FFL with the Family outline the three enemies that FFL something that is promoted by Research Council's report, wants to take on: library directors. At least that's how entitled "Discarded Images: he felt in his case. From my perspec­ Selected Classics and American • Homosexuality and the availabili­ tive, this portion of the conference Libraries.") ty of pro-homosexual materials in was a call to "rally the troops." libraries, especially those avail­ These five points also formed able to children; The final four speakers, I feel, the basis of Mrs. Gounaud' s were used to build upon the founda­ "-e-sponse to ALA President Betty • Pornography, or more specifi­ tion laid by the first three speakers Turock's letter to the editor regard­ cally, what they perceive as and give specific "first-hand" experi­ ing Focus on the Family's attack on pornography, being available to ence with these issues. Banned Books Week. children; After lunch, Phil Burress Following Mrs. Gounaud was • ALA and OIF. announced that, due to the discus­ Buddy Smith, Vice-President of the After we returned from a sion at his lunch table (John Berry, American Family Association break, the speakers concentrated on editor of Library Journal, and Stuart (AFA), who told the audience about the specifics of the above topics. Whitwell, associate publisher of the dangers of pornography in soci­ American Libraries, were asked to eat ety, which is the key issue for AF A. The first speaker was Cedricia with Phil and Karen Jo. Two librari­ Several audience members "con­ Wilson, (former school and public ans who happened to be at that table fessed" to being pornography librarian from Jackson, Alabama) joined in the discussion), FFL would addicts or had spouses who were who began by telling a story of how like to start a "dialogue" with librari­ pornography addicts. she was a promiscuous teenager and ans as to why the group's concerns became pregnant at a very early age. The next speaker was Dr. Hal don't seem to be a priority for She believes these events were Schell, former librarian (Professor libraries. caused by reading a book. Emeritus of Library Administration, To serve this purpose, a panel University of Cincinnati Central · The purpose of Wilson's was established. The members of the Library), former homosexual, and presentation was to exemplify that panel were Helen Biehle, Karen Jo an ALA life member. Dr. Schell even some librarians, who try to Gounaud, Dr. Hal Schell, Dan spoke about homosexuality and the persuade their board to remove Graves (a prison librarian), Patsy possibility of recovering from materials, also are not taken serious­ Hansel (Director-Wiliamsburg homosexuality. More importantly, ly. Mrs. Wilson eventually resigned (VA) Regional Library), and Jlibrary science. He ble in trying to defend. served as Community Librarian for the Dayton and Montgomery County (Ohio) Public Library from August, 1967 to March, 1970; as Director of the The panel discussion continued Troy-Miami County (Ohio) Public Library from March, 1970 to September, along these lines for the rest of the 1976; and from September 1976 until the time of his death was Director of the afternoon. At the end of the discus­ Salt Lake City (Utah) Public Library. During his time in Utah, Dennis founded sion, Phil Burress announced that he the Snowbird Leadership Institute, which has established itself as an intensive felt there was enough stimulating and greatly valued leadership development experience for his professional discussion to warrant the formaliza­ colleagues. The 1995 Snowbird Conference had just convened at the time of tion of FFL as a national organiza­ Dennis' death. · tion, and asked for members to serve on a steering committee. Dennis was particularly esteemed because of the concern he showed both for his professional colleagues and the communities he served, through his If you have any questions concentration on staff and leadership development, and on the constant about Family Friendly Libraries, or improvement of community services in libraries. During his 19 years as the conference, please contact Donna Director, the Salt Lake City Public Library won the American Library at 800-545-2433, extension 4221. Association's John Cotton Dana Award for outstanding community relations programs three times. The Troy-Miami County Public Library in Troy, Ohio, also won that award while Dennis was its Director. At the regional and state level, Dennis served as president of the Mountain Plains Library Association, president of the Utah Library Association, chair of the Utah Governor's Conference on Library and Information Services Programs, president of the Ohio Library Association, and chair of the Miami Valley (Ohio) Library Organization.

J. Dennis Day Memorial Fund Established The Freedom to Read Foundation has established the J. Dennis Day Memorial Fund to be used in the defense of intellectual freedom in public libraries. Contributions may be sent to: J. Dennis Day Memorial Fund, Freedom to Read Foundation, 50 E. Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611 Do Religious Americans Really Support the Views of the Religious Right? By Tom Budlong Editor's Note: Tom Budlong is a director of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation. He is a former chair of IFRT.

Much press has been made • 57 percent rejected abolition of who put a lot of emphasis on tradi­ recently that the Republican the Department of Education and tional values, and born-again "Contract with the American cuts in education funding., Christians. Family" and the views of the reli­ • 55 percent rejected abolishing gious right are strongly supported federal support for arts, humani­ Even deeply religious Americans strongly support the con­ by a large majority of the American ties and public broadcasting. stitutional doctrine of separation of public. The Christian Coalition • 54 percent rejected restrictions on repeatedly claims that every item in abortion and elimination of fed­ church and state. Only 13 percent thought that the Constitution and the contract is supported by 60 to 90 eral funding for family planning. current laws prevented them from percent of the American people. There were only two items in freely practicing their religion and In order to verify this claim, the Contract which received support 68 percent felt that the Constitution the avowedly liberal People For the from a majority of voters, those already affords such protection. American Way decided to contract provisions dealing with crime and In the words of People For the for an independent unbiased survey. pornography. Two other provisions American Way's Tom Andrews: The survey was conducted by Peter dealing with so-called "parental "The Christian Coalition has a clear D. Hart Research Associates and rights" legislation and tax policy vision of where it wants to take polled 1,252 registered voters changes are opposed by small America, but America doesn't want between July 19-22, 1995. Voters pluralities. to go there. It's up to those of us were asked about problems facing with a different vision to show American families and about differ­ One of the most interesting aspects of the study is the wide­ Americans another path. The ing approaches to solving those Christian Coalition may have a head problems. Voters were asked spread rejection by those who self­ identified themselves as being "reli­ start on organizing, but they don't whether they supported the gious," of the Christian Coalition's have the support of the American Christian Coalition's position on claim to speak for American families people. Once the rest of us are orga­ each item in the "Contract with the or for people of faith in matters of nized, their claims to speak for the American Family." public policy. While 56 percent of American people will ring faint and "The Christian Coalition is out Americans consider themselves to be hollow." of the mainstream of American pub­ "strongly religious," only 18 percent And therein lies the challenge lic opinion, both in its priorities and said the Christian Coalition "speaks for those who believe in a set of its policy proposals," said Geoffrey for me" when it takes positions on family values rooted in respect and Garin of Peter D. Hart Associates. issues. This is contrasted with the 65 tolerance for others and respect for "This survey repudiates the percent who say that they worry that the beliefs, both religious and other­ Christian Coalition's oft-repeated groups like the Christian Coalition wise, of their fellow citizens. We claim that 60 to 90 percent of the "go too far in mixing religion with must look to the Christian Coalition American people support each item politics" and the 55 percent who say as a model for the organizational in the Contract With the American it is inappropriate for the Christian skills needed to fight intolerance and Family.' In fact, a majority of Coalition to claim the label of narrow vision of America that such Americans of every political and "Christian values" for their political organizations present. There is religious stripe reject key elements positions. ample evidence that most Americans of the Contract." When they were given a choice don't support the narrow views of According to the survey, the between the Christian Coalition's the religious right. It is incumbent American public rejects most of the "Contract with the American on us as supporters of intellectual Christian Coalition's approach on Family" and alternatives that freedom to find a way to get this most of the planks of the Contract. emphasized improving public edu­ message across to the vast majority Voters opposed these proposals by cation, increasing the availability of of Americans who reject the views of large and decisive margins: quality child care, providing respon­ the religious right. We must also • 60 percent rejected vouchers for sible sex education, making college recognize that all religious people private and religious schools. education more affordable, enforc­ aren't the enemy. There are a large • 59 percent didn't want to replace ing child support laws, and expand­ number of religious people, even public assistance with private ing job opportunities, voters chose those of a fundamentalist stripe, charity. the alternatives by a 3-to-1 margin. who stand for an open and free soci­ • 58 percent rejected amending the The alternative pro-family contract ety and who are our natural allies. U.S. Constitution with religious was preferred by majorities of liberty provisions. strongly religious Americans, voters .·

Intellectual Freedom Round Table American Library Association 50 East Huron Street Chicago, Illinois

FIRST CLASS