The issues and shared information on Hasafran should relate to professional concerns. Sharing life cycle events is also important because we are all colleagues in this organization and such relate both professionally and socially. Aren't conventions both a professional and social experience?
In today's world political issues have an impact on our professional lives. As Jewish librarians issues that affect Israel, Jews in America etc. impact on issues such as collection development, research, and how we can give the public assistance without injecting our own personal views either directly or indirectly. When books are written that take radical or unconventional stands it is important for us as an organization to discuss. When other professional organizations favor any given side in either the Middle East conflict or issues that affect the Jewish community we need to discuss them because we provide information that gives proof to issues and makes for constructive debate. To cut off ideas and material that does not agree with our personal opinions is censorship and is something that people in our profession should stay away from. Librarians should never fear the expression of ideas and AJL and Hasafran should be a safe place to discuss issues in a respectful way. Everyone's opinion should be heard as long as there is mutual respect. It would be unfair if one position is given room for expression and others not. Political discussions depend upon information and that is what we do. Hasafran may not be a place for agenda politics but should be a forum where all political opinions should be heard. Eliezer M. Wise Library Director Tuttleman Library of Gratz College Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) =========================================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
