In this week's episode Mike and Elizabeth talk about personal and institutional neutrality with academic librarian Pam Hayes-Bohanan. While many of us think about free speech and academic freedom in the abstract, they are concrete and routine considerations for libraries and librarians. Institutions release statements and professional organizations issue ethical guidelines, but no one knows better than librarians the often conflicting impracticalities these can pose. We discuss the challenges of book bans, collection policies, socio-political culture, and what they mean for community and academic libraries and staff.
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Podcast notes
‘My Heart Sank’: In Maine, a Challenge to a Book, and to a Town’s Self-Image
Keeping Up Appearances: Ethics and Neutrality in the Everyday Life of a Librarian