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FAQ: 1. Statement of Intent 2.Pamphlet a. CIPA b. MLS c. Patriot Act d.What Can You Do? 3. Why do you call it SHUSH? 4. What is Mutt Nation? 5. Who are you?
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1. Statement of Intent:
SHUSH (S*) is a fairly recent creation although the concept has been percolating for some time. What exactly S* is will be determined by time, energy, and resources. Right now it is one person, myself.
The goal of S* is the following: "To provide a conservative home for librarians as well as critical thinking on library issues of the day and to begin serious discussion on the nature of The Library and Its future."
For now S* is a blog but S* the organization is there waiting if interests take hold.
Current stands that S* has taken include Pro-Patriot Act, Pro-CIPA, Anti-MLS/Pro-BS, and anti-privacy-of-minors. There are many changes going on in libraries and many issues to discuss. As S* exists now it would be impossible to respond to even a fraction of them but as interest grows I do hope to provide at least a forum for discussion on many of them.
It should also be stated that while conservative in nature, S* acknowledges that libraries are a social program and thus socialist by design. S* is without question pro-library and feels that it is the requirement of patrons to make use of the library on their own terms that makes libraries such a successful tool in a capitalist society. Let me point out what S* is not. Obviously S* comes in response to the heavy liberal slant in today’s ALA but it is not meant as an alternative to ALA or any other local or state organization. In fact those interested in S* are strongly encouraged to join their local state library organizations and if possible ALA as well. The reason being that ALA currently has the only say on accreditation of library schools. It is that power only that makes ALA a legitimate organization and if any changes are to be made in library education and library thinking it will inevitably have to be made through ALA. It is unknown how much S* will succeed or fail but if you are interested in watching and, in the future, joining, stick around.
Sincerely, Greg McClay
2. The Pamphlet is what I'll be handing out to fellow librarians at the MLA Convention. In the unlikely event I run out the content is available here for people to check out.
a. CIPA: Our unwillingness to take responsibility for what children may see on the internet led to the controversial CIPA legislation. Our obstinacy in fighting against what would be any parents’ natural instinct has brought our credibility as professionals into question. An all-or-nothing approach failed on the Federal level and now each state is following CIPA’s lead one by one. Let’s be responsible for the public we serve and begin promoting filters for Children’s computers. By taking a rational approach to this issue we will have a better chance of changing the excessive restrictions of CIPA and become more responsible members of our communities.
Bad Economics: Education has always been an economic tool to earn better paying jobs. More then ever it is being used to justify higher wages whether the job calls for the education or not. Combined with strong unions, teachers and police officers use unnecessary education as a way of increasing salaries. Librarians lack the clout of unions and so carry the high cost of graduate school on their own. Bad Policy: The MLS is not for everyone. In fact it is not for most of us. Our field involves some training but the vast majority of what we know is from doing. The MLS does not improve our work or our pay and its time to start rethinking what it means to be a Librarian. c. The Patriot Act: A person’s right to read does not outweigh the responsibility of their actions. The Federal Government’s ability to see what a person is reading, something that existed before the Patriot Act, has been painted as an assault on readers. What it does is help establish the intent of a potential terrorist in the hopes of preventing another attack on American soil. Looking to see who has read what book is wrong and SHUSH will support any legislation that makes this law. Looking to see what book was read by a specific someone goes to intent. It can mean the difference between manslaughter and 1st degree murder, a terrorist attack or just a pleasant sunny day. Both ALA and local organizations have come down on the wrong side of these issues and more, too many times. Every profession is made up of members that span the political spectrum and ours has been led by the irresponsible end long enough. Libraries have existed for millennia and while tools change people don’t. We’ve let computers and the Internet define us. We’ve wasted time trying to sell ourselves as hip and modern instead of investing our energy in creating and living by a core set of principles. SHUSH was created to promote ideas and opinions that better reflect our profession as a whole and to look out for the patrons we serve. Get involved, voice your opinions, and check out SHUSH. For More Information Contact: We, as librarians, don't just provide access to knowledge but we also provide an environment where people can focus and learn. They can't do that with cell phones ringing, people talking loudly, or walkmans turned all the way up. So the next time you tell someone you're a librarian and they ask, "Do you go around shushing people all day?" Just look them straight in the eye and say "yup." 4. What is Mutt Nation? 5. Who are you? me,
myself,
and I
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