*** Democracies Online Newswire - http://www.e-democracy.org/do *** From: http://www.ala.org/kranich/al_aug.html 2000–2001 ALA President Nancy Kranich Libraries: The Cornerstone of Democracy (American Libraries, August 2000) Libraries are . . . essential to the functioning of a democratic society . . . libraries are the great symbols of the freedom of the mind.—Franklin D. Roosevelt Democracies need libraries. An informed public constitutes the very foundation of a democracy; after all, democracies are about discourse- discourse among the people. If a free society is to survive, it must ensure the preservation of its records and provide free and open access to this information to all its citizens. It must ensure that citizens have the resources to develop the information-literacy skills necessary to participate in the democratic process. Free societies allow unfettered dialogue and guarantee freedom of expression. Our libraries help to ensure that this happens. Guarding against the tyranny of ignorance During my presidential year, I will use every opportunity to demonstrate just how essential libraries are to our democratic way of life. Since their inception, libraries have served as pivotal community institutions upholding, strengthening, and realizing some of the most fundamental democratic ideals of our society. Libraries are the place where people can find differing opinions on controversial questions and dissent from current orthodoxy. They serve as the source for the pursuit of independent thought, critical attitudes, and in-depth information. And in so doing, our libraries guard against the tyranny of ignorance, the Achilles' heel of every democracy. Libraries are for everyone, everywhere. They provide safe spaces for public dialogue. They disseminate information so the public can participate in the processes of governance. They offer access to government information so the public can monitor the work of its elected officials and benefit from the data collected and disseminated by public policymakers. They serve as gathering places for the community to share interests and concerns. Libraries and librarians provide opportunities for citizens to develop the skills needed to gain access to information of all kinds and to put information to effective use. Ultimately, discourse among informed citizens assures civil society. In the United States, libraries have greeted the self-determination of succeeding waves of immigrants by offering safe havens and equal access to learning. They continue this mission today. Indeed, libraries ensure the freedom to read, to view, to speak, and to participate. An incredible opportunity While libraries are popular and well-liked by the American public, they are often taken for granted. Their unique qualities are not always obvious. Over the coming year, ALA will launch a major campaign to communicate the importance of libraries and librarians to our democratic society (AL, June/July, p. 112). This is an incredible opportunity. Working together at the national, state, and local levels, we can be articulate advocates-advocates for open access for children, young adults, and adults; advocates for fair use, privacy, and intellectual freedom rights; advocates for policies and funding that will narrow the growing gap between the information-rich and the information-poor; and advocates for an information-literate citizenry. Several special presidential committees are working toward mounting a major new advocacy campaign in conjunction with ALA's communications plan. We have established an Association-wide advocacy assembly, updated our training materials, and developed new messages around the importance of librarians in guiding the public through the 21st- century sea of information. We have also formed a representative assembly to help build information-literacy community partnerships. In addition, we have drafted a proposal for hosting virtual forums in libraries about issues of concern to our democracy and developed the "Smart voting starts @ your library" tip sheet included in this issue (following p. 64). And, finally, we are seeking support for a conference to help improve library services and information policies in emerging democracies in Eurasia. Over the months ahead, I will update ALA members about many of these topics in greater depth. I look forward to spending an exciting year working on your behalf to promote and demonstrate that libraries are the cornerstone of democracy. ^ ^ ^ ^ Steven L. Clift - W: http://www.publicus.net Minneapolis - - - E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Minnesota - - - - - T: +1.612.822.8667 USA - - - - - - - ICQ: 13789183 *** Please send submissions to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** To subscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** Message body: SUB DO-WIRE *** *** To unsubscribe instead, write: UNSUB DO-WIRE *** *** Please forward this post to others and encourage *** *** them to subscribe to the free DO-WIRE service. ***
