Notes from the hot topic panel.
- Tara Robertson, CAPER-BC
- Jarrett M. Drake, Princeton University Archives
- Michael Wynne, Washington State University
How Libraries Can Trump the Trend to Make America Hate Again (Jarrett)
I apologize in advance as it was difficult to take notes for this talk.
- campaign slogan: Make America Great Again; it signals to the past and invites people to look at the then, now, and the future
- signals to romantic, ahistorial past as shown via the All the Family theme song
- subtext matched the subtext of Trump’s campaign: referring to invoke fascism and to a time when people like them could openly suppress marginalized groups
- control of information critical to fascism
- those who commit the murder, write the reports: as if the victims deserved it
- black woman journalist was
- libraries were seen as gateways to information possibility getting into the wrong (black) hands
- many who provided information were suppressed
- librarians cannot stand by idly
- if you’re trying to drive up a hill, neutral is the same as going in reverse
- ALA issued a statement to work with Trump government, but retracted almost immediately due to protests
- budget defund department that is main funder of libraries
- cannot ignore fascism, and libraries cannot do it alone, but are critical.
- propositions in pursuit of fighting fascism:
- Assert authority: own authority.
- Centre communities: their needs, vocalize displeasure of fascism. Partner with other organizations. Direct support of annonymity.
- Never normalize: should pause to think about the effects of normalized data that can easily go from one system and fit into another.
Ethical Curation and the Plateau Peoples’ Web Portal
- why does this conversation matter?
- difference in fluency between librarian and potential users
- possible that we are adding to oppression and racism
- our collections are not neutral (and metadata is not actually objective)
- how do our collections and institutions reflect settler colonialism?
- how can we enhance and protect sensitive content?
- how can we provide culturally appropriate access?
- web portal: collaborative platform housing curated and reciprocally managed archive of Plateau cultural materials
- use Murkutu CMS. One of the main contributors and developers.
- collaboration between tribes, WSU, local, regional, national organizations
- invited community members to guide and inform work, particularly how material are added to archive
- most important and hardest intellectual work: how content is chosen and described
- digital heritage items are described by title, basic physical description, affiliated communities (where housed, origin), category, institutional information (in the sidebar, not prominent); additional record was added through consultation with different title, community (origin), access, categories, keywords, contributors, traditional knowledge label, cultural narrative, traditional knowledge video
- gone from sparse to much richer record
- discovery: search, category browse (12 categories curated collaboratively), map view
- most growth is the dictionaries with language entries
- records and content can be uploaded, can choose whether public or private access
- future: direct support of MOU, so ongoing support from university. other MOU tribes are able to join. training and consultation ongoing.
- portal is a start for giving tribal community members greater control and access
Not All Information Wants to be Free: Case Study of On Our Backs
- concerns in digitization
- many assumptions made about sex workers; many negative stereotypes
- On Our Backs: porn magazine was digitized
- what is the impact of digitizing
- very different agreeing to print, limited print run for queer audience compared to digital distribution
- can feel objectified, real names often used, may not have gotten permission, expose to backlash, impact on business and personal lives
- digitization have made decisions
- concerns of privacy, copyright permission and consent, no clear take down policy
- requested take down of collection, responded with ‘no’
- when received first take down notice, did redact information
- have ethical obligation to easily make contact available
- found out photographer had copyright, but many had not signed all rights away, contracts only allowed one time use
- Reveal digital temporarily removed collection due to “access by minors to pornography”
- privilege to have a voice means having the responsibility to speak up…
- listen to voices in community, speak out when you can, be sensitive when digitizing sensitive materials
- need to have clear collection development policy, and clear contact information
End of Day
That’s it! Have a great time socializing at the reception.
