NEWS
Disability in data
THE Open Data Institute invited Miro Griffiths Research Fellow, policy adviser and disabled activist to guest edit its weekly newsletter The Week In Data for Disability History Month.
“The question that must be asked, persis- tently, is: how does data contribute to the emancipation of disabled people,” he wrote adding “I fear that, too often, many of us in research and policy are trapped in irresolv- able debates surrounding the development of the ‘right’ or ‘best’ indicators for meas- uring equality. These debates are impor- tant but should never be at the expense of engaging with data currently available.”
US State sued by publishers
THE Association of American Publishers is suing the state of Maryland in an attempt to overturn a law that requires any publisher, domestic and foreign, to make works available in electronic book and audiobook formats. Maria A. Pallante, President and CEO of the Association of American Publish- ers and former head of the United States Copyright Office said: “Maryland does not have the constitutional authority to create a shadow copyright act or to manipulate the value of intellectual property interests.” The law, which is due to take effect on 1 Janu-
ary, 2022, has been highlighted by campaign groups in Europe concerned by publishers withholding ebooks from libraries.
NZ reconsiders donating books
AFTER pressure from publishers, authors and copyright organistations, the New Zealand National Library is reconsidering plans to donate books it can’t store to the Internet Archive.
The library had announced its agreement with the Internet Archive in July. In a press statement it said: “National Library is reconsidering its plans for the Overseas Published Collections in light of concerns raised by the various interested parties, including issues associated with copyright. The National Library will not export any of the OPC until it considered its next steps.”
12 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL
Trust in profession is sky high
LIBRARIANS are the second most trusted profession in the UK, accord- ing to research from Ipsos MORI. The research company’s Veracity Index looked at a range of professions and asked people to say whether they would trust them to tell the truth. Nurses came out top with 94 per cent of respondents saying they trusted them. Librarians were just one per cent lower on 93 per cent, making them the second most trusted. Doctors came third with a 91 per cent rating. Teachers and curators made up the top five – both with a rat- ing of 86 per cent. Librarians were a new addition to the
survey this year, and the profession has had an immediate impact on the results. Mike Clemence, a researcher at Ipsos MORI, said: “This year’s index has a new entrant very near the top of the ranking:
more than nine in ten Britons say they trust librarians to tell the truth. It also confirms some movements we started to see last year, most notably the drop in trust in the police, which can be seen among both men and women.” Nurses have consistently been the most trusted profession in the survey since 2016, when they were first added. Museum curators have seen a small increase in how much they are trusted – moving from 82 per cent to 86 per cent. Advertising executives are the least trusted profession, with just 16 per cent of people having confidence in them. Politicians in general and government minsters come next, with both groups having a rating of 19 per cent, Journalist (28 per cent) and business leaders (31 per cent) complete the five least trusted professions. Read the full report at
https://bit.ly/3y9wRrS
ALA fights increase in attempts to ban books
THE American Library Association (ALA) has written a statement highlighting and criticising attempts to remove LGBTQIA+ and BAME content from libraries. The ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) has tracked 155 unique censorship incidents across the USA since 1 June, 2021, providing direct support and con- sultation in 120 of those cases. Freedom of speech is enshrined in the First Amend- ment in the US constitution, and the ALA has vowed to do all it can to uphold it through libraries. Deborah Caldwell-Stone, OIF Director,
said: “We’re seeing an unprecedented vol- ume of challenges in the fall of 2021. In my 20 years with ALA, I can’t recall a time when we had multiple challenges coming in on a daily basis.” In its statement the ALA said: “Falsely claiming that these works are subversive, immoral, or worse, these groups induce
elected and non-elected officials to aban- don constitutional principles, ignore the rule of law, and disregard individual rights to promote government censorship of library collections. “Some of these groups even resort to intimidation and threats to achieve their ends, targeting the safety and livelihoods of library workers, educators, and board members who have dedicated them- selves to public service, informing our communities, and educating our youth. ALA strongly condemns these acts of censorship and intimidation. “We are committed to defending the con- stitutional rights of all individuals of all ages to use the resources and services of libraries. “We champion and defend the freedom to speak, the freedom to publish, and the freedom to read, as promised by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.”
December 2021
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