This week in Salt Lake City, a famous architect went to bat for the intellectual freedom of the public library users. As noted in the article from the Salt Lake Tribune, Moshe Safdie made a request to the city that they not build a police station on the same block as the new Main Library building he designed. Along with the Library Director, and other library supporters, Safdie believes having the Police station and emergency center next to the open layout of "Library Square" would act as a kind of censor to the intellectual freedom and free speech of the area.
Now, I don't know very much about the building or area in question, but I could definitely see how putting a police station right next to the library would cause concern. The library would hope to be a place where alternative ideas are defended, and patrons have privacy from a governing authority, the police in such a close proximity could intimidate potential patrons or groups from using the grounds and services.
Judging simply from the quotes in the article, it seems that the Mayor who is making the location recommendation received the letter well, and is likely to agree. What a stir this will make if he is somehow convinced to go forward with the next-door location!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
S640 Intellectual Freedom Post #1
In the May edition of Focus on Indiana Libraries (the ILF and Indiana State Library newsletter), Doug Archer, the ILF and ALA Intellectual Freedom Chair wrote a short piece highlighting important IF situations in the current national spotlight. The first, which I will discuss below, is a bill in the Utah government that would have enforced by law ratings recommendations established by private ratings systems.
Fortunatly, this bill was recently vetoed by the governor, but before it was the Utah state legislature approved it. This law would have required businesses that advertised private ratings systems to comply with them to an extreme measure. If a theater allowed some 12 year olds to a PG13 movie, they could be sued. Aside from denying free speach from minor, this law would have given too much power to the private/non-governmental organizations that create the ratings recommendations.
Personally, I believe the materials that a minor views or buys is up to the parents to monitor, not a theater or a game seller. Similarly I already think the Movie ratings system is screwed up, and more legitimate power would be a bad thing. If you dont agree, watch "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" or look for the story of Trey Parker and Matt Stone about their ratings testing while making "Team America: World Police".
Find out more at the National Coalition Against Censorship web site:
http://www.ncac.org/
Fortunatly, this bill was recently vetoed by the governor, but before it was the Utah state legislature approved it. This law would have required businesses that advertised private ratings systems to comply with them to an extreme measure. If a theater allowed some 12 year olds to a PG13 movie, they could be sued. Aside from denying free speach from minor, this law would have given too much power to the private/non-governmental organizations that create the ratings recommendations.
Personally, I believe the materials that a minor views or buys is up to the parents to monitor, not a theater or a game seller. Similarly I already think the Movie ratings system is screwed up, and more legitimate power would be a bad thing. If you dont agree, watch "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" or look for the story of Trey Parker and Matt Stone about their ratings testing while making "Team America: World Police".
Find out more at the National Coalition Against Censorship web site:
http://www.ncac.org/
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