UWM Talk Explores Librarians' Role in Social Action Worldwide
by: Kathy Quirk
Recently in Malmo, Sweden, patrons were able to "borrow" a Muslim, a Dane, a journalist or a lesbian from the local public library for a 45-minute conversation. That's just one of the ways library and information workers can help foster diversity in their communities and societies, says Toni Samek, associate professor at the University of Alberta.
 Samek, author of a book on librarianship and human rights in the 21st century, will speak at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 22 at the UWM Libraries, 2311 E. Hartford Ave., Room E281. Her talk, "Working the Earth: LIS Labour, Ethical Grounds, and the Hot Fields of Human Rights," is sponsored by the School of Information Studies Center for Information Policy Research.
The goal of the bold "living library" initiative in Sweden, says Samek, is to help people overcome prejudices. On the other hand, she adds, librarians in some parts of the world serve as censors, helping states block freedom of expression. Samek's book helps identify numerous countries around the world where library and information workers are key participants in social justice efforts. Examples of their efforts include promoting access to taboo HIV/AIDS information and awareness for women; traveling to refugee camps to bring books, plays, and cultural activities to children; organizing "donkey mobile units" equipped with solar panels to bring radio, telephone and the Internet to people in remote regions; and campaigning to help rebuild and reconstitute libraries in post-war and natural disasters and crises.
In many areas of the world, these efforts put library and information workers at personal and professional risk, especially in the promotion of intellectual freedom, says Samek. For example, when the national library in Bosnia burned, librarians braved sniper fire to save books and other representations of civic and national identity and cultural heritage. More recently, the National Library and Archives in Iraq finally closed following multiple deaths and cultural destructions. Closer to home, Samek's book includes a comment from author-activist Michael Moore reflecting an emerging understanding of the role librarians can play here in North America in defending freedom of expression. When Moore's publisher asked him to tone down some of his pointed criticisms in "Stupid White Men," a librarian who heard about the issue started an online campaign that resulted in thousands of e-mails to the publisher, who ultimately backed down. Moore later commented: "Who knew librarians were such dangerous people?" Samek says she prefers to portray them as "positive trouble makers!"
"Twenty-first century librarianship for human rights," Samek asserts, "is at play in the context of war, revolution, social change and global market fundamentalism. Librarians for human rights aim to ameliorate social problems, to foster intercultural understanding and cultural diversity, to support necessary conditions for peace, spiritual welfare, and sustainable development -- issues of the highest magnitude."
Samek is an information ethics fellow at UWM's Center for Information Policy Research. Her talk is one of a series of discussions on global information ethics. Elizabeth Buchanan, director of the center, says of the series: "With information infrastructures and technologies and the globalization of information evolving at a faster pace than our social, legal and educational systems, we need to take time to examine and discuss the issues involved." Samek̢۪s lecture will be streamed and archived at www.cipr.uwm.edu.
In the next talk in the series, Jacques du Plessis, UWM assistant professor of Information Studies, will speak on "The Spirit of Open Access to Information as a Key Pillar to the African Renaissance" on March 9.
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