Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility in American Librarianship, 1967-1974

Toni Samek author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:McFarland & Co Inc

Published:7th Jan '01

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility in American Librarianship, 1967-1974 cover

Between 1967 and 1974, a number of librarians came together to push for change in the American Library Association. They soon prompted a majority of the profession to examine their role in the dissemination and preservation of culture and to ask basic questions about the terrain that the profession defends. A particular concern was the limitations to intellectual freedom (if any) that might arise in the pursuit of other perhaps equally worthy goals. The questions raised by this advocacy group were based on a relatively new concept of librarianly social responsibility that was partly an outgrowth of the civil rights and antiwar agitation of the period and partly a continuation of the proud traditions of the alternative press movement in the United States. The resulting dissension and turmoil exposed an inherent discrepancy not only between the rhetoric of ideals within the profession and the reality of practice but between librarians as agents of change--librarians' having a social agenda--and professional "neutrality" or the provision of information for all sides without taking sides. These conflicts have never been resolved. The reader will find in this book a fully researched presentation of the years of ferment and political infighting that brought the issues into such sharp focus.

“meticulous detail…the fullest account ever…a very important contribution”—Library Journal; “an excellent, very readable introduction to the interplay between the two main themes of American librarianship”—ARBA; “takes the reader to the tumultuous era of the 1960s.... There are still lessons to be learned from the past...excellent and timely”—Libraries & Culture; “important…required reading…what librarianship is all about…tremendously readable…comprehensive and rousing”—Progressive Librarian; “the author tells the story in artful fashion”—Portal; “first-rate...solid scholarship...meticulous detail...invaluable set...comprehensive bibliography...well documented...a very important period of history in librarianship...well written and highly recommended...all libraries should have this”—Counterpoise; “successfully organizes and distills data...into an orderly narrative...a good start for understanding how American libraries and librarians responded to the tumult of the 1960s”—Public Libraries; “truly exposes the soft underbelly of our profession during the so-called ‘Revolutionary Sixties.’ Highly recommend[ed]”—Library Juice; “dense in thought and information...beneficial”—The Unabashed Librarian.

ISBN: 9780786409167

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 10mm

Weight: 277g

197 pages