For years I’ve witnessed librarians shy away from saying no.We try to phrase our signage positively or seek synonyms such as “refrain.” I’ve seen all staffing requests honored, even when it left institutions dangerously short of coverage. I’ve seen abusive patrons placated to the extent that staff was in tears and other library patrons alienated. I’ve seen librarians spend precious hours, made up on their own time, to entertain a vendor presentation for a product for which there was no need or budget. Worse, I’ve seen librarians purchase unneeded items from vendors, saying they didn’t want to hurt the vendor’s feelings by saying no.

Saying no does not mean being rude or mean. Sometimes saying no is necessary. Sometimes saying no is the responsible response. The important thing is knowing when to say it and how. Saying no is boundary setting. It should not be said in anger or vengeance, but with reason and purpose. In a library, we should say no with the same rationales present as when we say no to our family. We should say no for reasons of safety, fiscal management, protection, support, and education.

In the context of libraries, no one is fooled by word choices to soften a message. If anything, it confuses the reader or indicates that the message is insincere; that the message is not really meant to be followed or will not be strongly enforced. If something, such as no eating or cell phone use, should not be done, there is a reason for it and we would have more credibility (and respect) to be direct. Similarly, if there is a patron violating rules, we have an obligation to ourselves, our colleagues, our public, and to our problematic patron to indicate unacceptable behavior and consequences clearly. Patrons behaving badly have negative consequences for libraries. They scare others and they undermine the safety and mission of the library.

We, our co-workers, and vendors should be professional. As such, decisions regarding staffing, collections, or other management or operational concerns should not be happening based on interpersonal relationships. We shouldn’t be worried that our book vendor could be mad at us for a lack of purchase. If such decisions are made this way, it undermines our profession, our integrity, and all of our abilities to do our jobs.

No one likes to be perceived as the ‘bad guy’ and saying no can make us feel in this position. But we would not feel unjust telling our child not to run into the road, telling our spouse not to overspend our savings account, or telling a friend not to engage in dangerous behaviors. We do these things not to be mean, but to be benevolent. We do these things because we care.  Saying no in the library should be considered in kind.

The post The Value of No first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

This new policy is not a huge change for CML, which has been moving in this direction for several years. In 2012, the library reduced its daily fine rates and maximum fines for items. In 2014 they introduced automatic renewal, renewing items for patrons without any effort on the patron’s part up to ten times, unless the items are reserved for other patrons. That same year CML created a kid’s card for patrons under eighteen that allows kids to check out up to five books, fine-free, without a parent’s signature.[2]

“What we’ve been seeing is that the people most impacted by fines are the people who rely on it the most,” including lower-income patrons and children, Zenitsky said. “But the majority of our programs and services are tailored to those people.”[3]

CML follows in the footsteps of other Ohio libraries, including Worthington Libraries and Stark County District Library, in eliminating fines.[4] In 2015, the Columbus Metropolitan Library took in about $370,000 in late fees, which went to the library’s general operating budget. “It’s certainly money lost, but not money we rely on,” Zenitsky said. “Getting materials into the hands of our customers is more important”. [5]

Although daily late fines will be eliminated, patrons will still have to pay for lost and damaged items and cards will be blocked for those who have items more than three weeks overdue. Patrons with blocked cards will still be able to access digital library materials and use library computers and services.[6]  Existing overdue fines will remain on patron cards, but library staff will be “empowered and encouraged to use good judgement to waive existing fines,” according to a library press release.[7]

The impact of this policy on the CML has yet to be seen, but the library has its goals in place. “We’re looking for fewer blocked cards, fewer customers fearful of overdue fines, and more customers empowered to come to the library and check out materials,” Zenitsky said.[8]

References

[1] Ben Zenitsky, Marketing and Communications Specialist at the Columbus Metropolitan Library, in a phone interview with the author, December 9, 2016.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] “Columbus libraries to eliminate overdue book fines,” NBC4i.com, December 1, 2016.

[5] Ben Zenitsky, December 9, 2016.

[6] “Columbus libraries to eliminate overdue book fines.”

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ben Zenitsky, December 9, 2016.

The post Columbus Metropolitan Library Kicks Off a Fine Free 2017 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Ways of Expressing Bias

Such expression may come in the form of biased book displays such as exhibiting positive books about one candidate or political party while displaying only negative (or even none) about the other. Bias can also be expressed in the collection such as books about one candidate or political party disproportionately outweighing the library’s holdings for the other. It can also be expressed through readers’ advisory services, reference services, political material made available at the library, and even through political clothing worn by library staff.

Librarians as Public Servants

As tempting as steering the public toward a particular political party or candidate may be, it is imperative that public librarians do not give into these desires. Public librarians are public servants, and must remain politically impartial as to not appear to use their public position to forward the interests of a specific political party or candidate. Public library staff should in no way appear as if they or their collections are sponsoring a certain political agenda. Doing so alienates patrons who have opposing views and makes them feel marginalized. Political inclusiveness should be one of the main goals for public libraries.

Library Ethical Codes

Librarians are ethically bound to observe political neutrality according to Statement VI of the Code of Ethics of the American Library Association: “We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions.”[1] And also per Section 5 of the IFLA Code of Ethics for Librarians and other Information Workers: “Librarians and other information workers have the right to free speech in the workplace provided it does not infringe the principle of neutrality towards users.”[2]

Evaluating Your Collection

When evaluating your collection for bias, remember another clause in Section 5 of IFLA’s Code of Ethics: “Librarians and other information workers are strictly committed to neutrality and an unbiased stance regarding collection, access, and service. Neutrality results in the most balanced collection and the most balanced access to information achievable.”[3] Steps to Ensure Your Collection Has Political Parity:

• Update your library’s collection development policy to include a section on political diversity, referencing the ALA and IFLA Codes of Ethics.
• Weed the collection to ensure a healthy distribution of diverse political material.
• When purchasing books on politics, compare them to what’s currently in your library’s catalog. If purchasing the books will tip the balance of the collection to cause an appearance of bias, consider weeding the collection first to achieve a state of parity, and then carefully select new material which represents a wide variety of political views.

Evaluating Your Library

Go through your library and evaluate whether any of your services, advertisements, displays, or programs politically biases your library in some way. Take heed of Statement VII of the ALA Code of Ethics: “We distinguish between our personal convictions and professional duties and do not allow our personal beliefs to interfere with fair representation of the aims of our institutions or the provision of access to their information resources.”[4] Steps to Ensure Your Library Does not Promote Political Biases:

• Make sure that book displays geared towards presidential and local elections contain a diverse mix of opinion and authors.
• Computer filtering software should be examined to make sure that it does not inadvertently block a political party’s website, giving the perception of bias.
• Do not display politically biased posters, brochures, or handouts (i.e. material solely focused on one candidate or party). Make sure that all political material made available at the library is politically neutral, providing patrons with the ability to get unbiased information on all political parties.
• Library staff should not wear political shirts, pins, hats, etc., as this may be perceived by patrons as the library promoting a particular candidate or political party.
• Library social media accounts should not post anything politically biased, but provide information and links to websites that contain information and resources for all candidates and political parties.

Keeping yourself and your collection politically neutral ensures that you are in good ethical standing and exemplifies one of the missions of libraries: to provide the greatest amount of access to as much diverse material as possible.

References

[1] Code of Ethics of the American Library Association, http://www.ala.org/advocacy/proethics/codeofethics/codeethics, retrieved on October 19, 2016.

[2] International Federation of Library Associations, “IFLA Code of Ethics for Librarians and other Information Workers,” retrieved on September 30, 2016, http://www.ifla.org/news/ifla-code-of-ethics-for-librarians-and-other-information-workers-full-version.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Code of Ethics of the American Library Association.

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This post provides a short list of resources for public libraries to consider when dealing with privacy policies and cases.

A survey was conducted of the laws of the thirteen states encompassing the Southeastern Library Association. The survey covers what constitutes a library, what indeed is a library record, and differences in the laws of the thirteen states.[1]  According to the survey, all of these states’ library record laws deal with circulation records, but some laws address other items like the use of computers, email, and chat.

A serious law protecting these records was enacted in Michigan; a librarian cannot reveal a child’s reading to a parent or third party[2], and the librarian can be fined if he/she does so; other libraries privacy policies in other states say they will if required.[3] ALA’s book, Fundamentals of Children’s Services discusses the very real conflicts between privacy law, library programs, and parents’ interest and need to know of their child’s reading habits. A discussion of the conflict between parent rights and children’s rights can be found here.

Some libraries are struggling with policies because of the National Rifle Association, FBI, Freedom of Information Act, and other probing by the courts. Others are deleting records so they won’t be available.[4] A source for some privacy information can be found at the Privacy Library of Morrison Foerster (The library indicates they may not have the most current information, and do not include all information related to libraries).

Most states have privacy laws relating to libraries, not just dealing with social, court records and other activities. The succinct rendering of these state laws can be found here: State and Territorial Library Privacy Laws.

References:

[1] Bryan M. Carson, “Surveying Privacy: Library Privacy Laws in the Southeastern United States,” The Southeastern Librarian 49, no. 3 (2001): 18–28, accessed online March 10, 2016.

[2] State of Michigan Legislative Council, “397.604: Violation of MCL 397.603; liability; civil action; damages; attorney fees and costs,” The Library Privacy Act, MI Act 455 (1982), § 397.604, sec. 4, accessed March 10, 2016.

[3] “Privacy and confidentiality of library records: Parents and children,” Multnomah County Library, May 7, 2015.

[4] Sam Thielman, “You are not what you read: librarians purge user data to protect privacy,” Guardian (Manchester), January 13, 2016.

Further Reading:

Lucy Kelly, “Library Records, Patron Privacy, and Library Policies,” Public Libraries Online.

The post Privacy Laws, Libraries, and Librarians first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The confidentiality of patron records is a long-standing issue, particularly since the Patriot Act spurred concerns about patrons’ reading histories, who has access to these records, and under what circumstances the records might be disclosed to authorities. These questions are still being explored, as very few cases on the exact issue of library patron records and privacy have been brought before the courts (though it is also worth considering that other recent library litigation cases have addressed related issues in the broader sense, such as computer use in libraries and censorship; both are matters that could conceivably tie into the patron record).

Obviously, the ILL record is just one aspect of the patron’s information resource accessing experience; as librarians observe, many patrons check out books from their local branch and/or use library Internet connections, electronic research resources and library software programs. Each one of these activities arguably necessitates separate discussion in the portions of a library policy that cover topics such as data use and procedures for responding to requests from law enforcement authorities.

Another notable feature of the recent article is the librarian’s observation that no specific event precipitated the decision to purge user data from ILL records; instead, the general intention to protect patron privacy apparently motivated this action.[1] A library is also responsible for safeguarding patron information so it does not get disclosed to outside sources, both because the reading history is private and because a patron record has personal information that could make an individual susceptible to identity theft or other intrusions into their personal domains.

One reason for these protections is that a library is a place of free exploration, and if privacy is compromised, then it could have “chilling effects” on information-seeking behavior; for example, a patron might decide not to request controversial material due to fears for their privacy, which would be an unfortunate situation that a library is advised to take steps to avoid by making patrons aware of the library’s policies on data privacy and protection.

As I read this article, the conclusion I reached was this: it is a good idea to keep informed on the latest developments in library patron privacy laws and policies. Each state has its own laws on library environments, and state law libraries provide excellent resources on recent state-level legislation and court cases. In addition, it appears that patron privacy correlates with a library’s central mission of encouraging reading and library use. That said, while patron records are generally protected and confidential, there may be certain, very rare exceptions where a library does need to disclose information to authorities, but again, it is important to remember that these occasions are very much the exception and not a frequent occurrence.

Seeking Counsel

Library directors may wish to seek counsel from municipal attorneys or attorneys who serve on their boards in order to prepare for these situations, educate their staff, and update policies. Here are some suggestions:

• Contact your local bar association and request a free or low-cost consultation with an attorney who has experience in library policies and data privacy.
• Seek out a law professor who researches data privacy and might be interested in speaking to the library community.
• Request that a local judge address the library so that patrons and library staff are able to learn important information on the legal process.
• Contact federal and state representatives and request listening sessions for staff and/or patrons. This representative could educate staff and the public on the latest developments in data privacy laws as they relate to public libraries.

References:

[1] Sam Thielman. “You are not what you read: librarians purge user data to protect privacy,” Guardian, January 13, 2016.

Resources:

Library Freedom Project

Developing or Revising a Library Privacy Policy

Questions and Answers on Privacy and Confidentiality

The post Library Records, Patron Privacy, and Library Policies first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

It appears that this came to fruition when there was a complaint from an owner of a nearby tutoring company at a Board meeting. The owner had issue with a rival tutoring company using the Park Ridge Public Library as the meetup for its tutors and their tutees. He threatened to end his lease and send his own tutors to the library to save money on rent.[3] The Board then considered this issue for over six months and looked into other Illinois libraries and what their policies are in regards to tutors. (Read more about this case using the Resources below.) Interestingly, there are other Illinois libraries that do have policies that prohibit tutoring. For example, the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library stipulates on its patron behavior page that conducting for-profit business involving two or more people is prohibited, but the Park Ridge Public Library does not have a distinction between for-profit or not. This means that high school students that tutor peers or school teachers that tutor in their free time are also required to pay $10 for every hour they spend assisting a student.

This is not the first fee requirement from PRPL, as they charge reciprocal borrowers to use their computers as well as for attending their programs. And the idea of charging patrons at a public library for services certainly isn’t new, as most of us charge patrons for printing, overdue items, and using materials in Maker Spaces. It makes sense to do this particularly when budgets are lean; but what about the idea that the public library is meant for the public? As the newest ALA public awareness campaign states, libraries transform and we as a profession are trying to make libraries more accessible and even more a function of the community. We want to build public awareness about all the great things that the library has to offer and to get more people in the door. With business centers cropping up in other libraries like the Skokie Public Library that encourage people to come in for help to start, manage, or grow a business, the idea of restricting someone’s livelihood seems to also decrease public trust.

And beyond that, how will a rule like this be enforced? The task of policing what people are doing will fall directly onto the librarians at PRPL. And according to the PRPL policy, they will only accept cash or check because the reference desk does not have a credit card reader. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Add your thoughts in the comments.

References:

[1] Jennifer Johnson. “Businesses offer space, money to Park Ridge tutors after library announces fees,” Chicago Tribune, January 26, 2016.

[2] “Use of Library Facilities: Business Organizations in the Library,” Park Ridge Public Library, January 19, 2016.

[3] Anne Lunde. “$10-An-Hour Library Fee…How Park Ridge Got Here,” Journal Online, January 25, 2016.

Resources:

Park Ridge Public Library Adopts New Policy for Conducting Business On its Premises 1/19/2016

Patrons Conducting Business in the Library – FAQs

Tutors’ free use of Park Ridge library up for debate

Park Ridge City officials speak out on library fee controversy

Unenforceable Fees

A Valedictory Address Worth Watching

Edited 3/10/16

The post To Charge or Not to Charge? A Tutoring Story first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Most policies considered the work being performed. Pages have to bend, stretch, climb up, and crawl on the ground – jeans, neat t-shirts, and gym shoes are considered perfectly acceptable. For clerks and librarians, however, jeans aren’t always allowed. Almost all of the policies required closed-toed shoes and did not allow t-shirts with print or logos – unless they promoted a library reading program.

Further discussion made us realize that it wasn’t the clothes, per se, but the impression we wanted to convey to our users that determined how we would prefer our staff dress. While we all wanted to encourage individuality, the parameters of such self-expression were quite different. Some directors felt that staff should be accessible. They feared that in some libraries, patrons might be intimidated by a staff that was dressed in business wear. Some even believed that just about anything, short of soiled clothing, should be allowed. Staff needs to be comfortable, they said, and that it isn’t what they wear, but how they perform that matters. Others respectfully disagreed, believing that libraries, especially now, need to prove the value of their product and their existence. These directors insisted that a staff dressed in the standard khakis and polo shirts of business casual wear would garner the respect of their users and add credence to the information dispensed.

In all cases, the directors agreed that they should dress one step above their staff – those that would allow jeans thought they should wear business casual. Those that choose business wear (including, in some cases, heels and ties) for themselves would have staff in casual business attire. I considered this conversation a few weeks later when I attended the monthly board meeting for my home library. Halfway through my second term as a trustee, I have attended a fair number of meetings – usually dressed in jeans. Yes, there were times when I came directly from work and looked more professional, but I had always considered meetings to be an event where my wardrobe could be more relaxed. Yet, some libraries where I have attended board meetings as a guest, I’ve witnessed boards that dressed in business wear because it was expected. In other board cultures, dressed up jeans are more common. A few are very casual.

So what do people in your library wear? How important is it for staff to appear professional? What is professional, anyway? Should the board adhere to the same dress code as staff? Let’s talk about it – leave a comment below.

The post Dress Codes at the Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

In 1939, the American Library Association adopted a Code of Ethics to “maintain ethical standards of behavior in relation to the governing authority under which they [the librarians] work, to the library constituency, to the library as an institution and to fellow workers on the staff, to other members of the library profession, and to society in general.”[1] Although the code was amended in 1981, 1995, and again in 2008, one thing didn’t change – the document remains a framework. The statements [in the code] “cannot and do not dictate to cover particular situations.”[2]

How, then, do we know what to do in such situations? “Establish ethical standards, educate staff, and take transgressions seriously!”[3] says Pat Wagner, a library consultant and trainer who believes the main reason for unethical behavior is to avoid conflict. Not enforcing front-line behavior is one of the biggest mistakes a director can make. Some common behaviors that demand attention include staff gossiping about patrons at the circulation desk, allowing special privileges for friends or favorite patrons, and not considering barriers to access.

Further, Wagner encourages libraries to engage in conversations with those both inside and outside of the library and to build relationships before issues arise so that it will be easier to deal with problems when they do. It is especially important to have a clear understanding of ethical expectations as we move into the future.

Wagner points out that issues are already arising out of use of maker spaces and curating user-created content. And with ever shrinking budgets and rapidly advancing technology, considering how best to serve the community’s needs bears discussion. “Good people can have different ethical systems and disagree about what the right thing to do is,”[4] she says.

For a list of ethical resources:

sieralearn.com/resources-for-the-study-and-practice-of-ethics/

For more information about Pat’s work:

sieralearn.com

Works Cited

[1]History of the Code of Ethics1939 Code of Ethics for Librarians (History of the Code of Ethics1939 Code of Ethics for Librarians): http://www.ala.org/advocacy/proethics/codeofethics/coehistory/1939codeethics

[2]Code of Ethics of the American Library Association (Code of Ethics of the American Library Association) http://www.ifmanual.org/codeethics

[3]Wagner, Pat. “Re: Library Ethics” Message to author. May 1, 2015. E-mail.

[4]Wagner, Pat. “Everyday Library Ethics – Part One” Online video. Florida Library Webinars. Florida Library Webinars, 16 Aug. 2013. Web.  27 Apr. 2015.

The post Library Ethics first appeared on Public Libraries Online.