NDLA Conference

I attended two good sessions and one mediocre one at the North Dakota Library Association annual conference yesterday.

Rather than exhaust my readers with a bunch of notes, you can catch them after the jump.

Particularly well prepared was Deborah Caldwell-Stone the director of the ALA Intellectual Freedom office. Her presentation provided some great example policies and legal documents and afterword there was a good talk about the Library Connection case and some of its implications.

Also interesting and with a good handout with some good links was Street Law Reference about providing reference assistance at a public library (hint if you don’t want to read the notes: call a lawyer). Suzanne Morrison is an engaging and knowledgeable speaker.

The luncheon included an interesting talk by Lief Enger about a sense of place.

I will not talk too much about “Geeks Bearing Gifts” other than if the speaker had a balanced, library relevant approach, I would have enjoyed it more. If I wanted to hear about how great Linux is and how much Microsoft sucks I’ll read Slashdot. If I want to hear how to apply some ideas to my library, I’ll go to a good conference presentation. I did, however, put links to the materials he used at the bottom of the other conference notes.

Here’s to a great 100 more conferences for the NDLA.

Technorati Tags: NDLA, conferences, notes

Responding to Intellectual Freedom Challenges at your Library- NDLA- 9/21/20

• Policy and Procedure
• Assumptions
• resist efforts to censor
• protect patron privacy
• 1st Tool – up to date, board approved policy for selection of materials
• neutral about viewpoint and content
• applied so as not to discriminate against one viewpoint
• a statement that says the library will acquire controversial materials
• thorough, outlining free materials, donations, and recommendations
• weeding policy
• 2nd Tool- a reconsideration policy
• A formal written complaint, as if complainant has read the book, ask if they found any positive aspects, what problems did they have
• a review committee, selected by procedure, examine all the views, experts, etc
• notify challenger, give opportunity to appeal
• Purpose of a reconsideration policy is facilitate a dialog
• important to follow policy constantly
• see cheat sheet for responding to complaints
• always report challenges to Office of Intellectual Freedom
• Law Enforcement Requests for Records
• protected by library confidentiality laws
• ND requires a subpoena or court order (warrant)
• well thought out, written policies
• A Good Privacy Policy
• serve as evidence as libraries intent and practice
• reinforce library users expectations
• serve as an additional means of extending privacy
• 3 part policy
• basic statement
• records management
• procedure
• Model Policy
• identify official or employee responsible for responding to requests for records, delegate the authority
• ensures that only 1 person has the legal duty to interpret or respond to requests
• identify circumstances under which the library will release records
• # more stuff
• promise to library user
• explanation to law enforcements
• procedures for employees or volunteers to respond
• makes director and board responsible for instructing staff members on how to deal with responsibilities
• Model Staff Guidelines- road map for responses
• warrantless search
• standard requests of different forms of judicial process
• emergency responses (director is unavailable, warrantless search)
• provide example legal documents
• informal request
• given information about policy an state law
• information about what the library should do if officer persists
• what to do if officer searches anyway (document)
• subpoena
• thanked, informed that attorney will be responsible
• turn over subpoena to director
• warrant
• immediately executable
• call attorney
• check warrant
• list of items
• court issue
• judges signature
• assist officer to protect confidentiality of other users
• do not agree to further searches
• do not volunteer information
• do not obstruct search
• document search
• try to get a receipt (try to get copies or send the copies with officer if policy)
• negotiate with officer to assist them
• FISA or National Security Letter
• only difference with subpoena or warrant is gag order
• every employee must be trained to respond
• 3rd P- *preparation*
• National Security Letter
• identify who is responsible so that the gag order applies to those responsible (director, board must know)
• all people legally responsible must be informed
• require a policy for retention of records so that you cannot be prosecuted for obstructing
• written agreements with consortium (Library Connection, CT case), consortium controls records

Legal Reference on the Web (Street Law)- NDLA- 9/21/20

cannot give legal advice

Resources
• state web site
• century code
• general books (NoLo, not state specific)
• sex offenders database (city/cass county website)
• BBB in Minnesota
• Fraud Prevention at ND Attorney General
• originating agencies
• state and local associations
• law libraries
• legal assistance
• specialty lists of attorneys

Other Situations

• driving record online
• divorce and child custody
• people want to bypass a lawyer
• living wills
• eminent domain
• neighbor
• tenant rights

Some Advice

• diffuse situation
• give them general information on the legal situation and information on attorneys
• legal directory

Considerations for Resources

• printing
• site maps
• check more than one site
• multiple languages
• list of contacts

Geeks Bearing Gifts: Unwrapping New Technology Trends- NDLA- 9/21/20