The 2009 NYLA Annual Conference
Libraries: Peace, Love & Freedom
October 14 - 17, 2009
Niagara Falls, New York

Libraries: Peace, Love & Freedom
Peace
Libraries are one of the last remaining quiet places in our white noise society. They are places in the community where people can go and think, study, and contemplate. Consider the atmosphere of your library.  What type of environment are you creating?

Libraries are also the place to resolve conflict. They are neutral places where people can come together and have community conversations. People of different viewpoints, ethnic groups, and sides of the fence can come and debate their issues. How have libraries facilitated this?

Love
Librarians have a passion for literature, art, and music. They are the cultural conscience of the community. It is our role to continually reinforce and pass on the cultural heritage of this country and the world. How do libraries raise cultural awareness in their communities?

Also librarians need to appreciate each other.  The work we do to inform and support the country succeeds because we support each other. School libraries inspire students in reading and information literacy; academic libraries teach research and study; public libraries serve the community from the cradle to the grave; special libraries help our businesses compete; hospital libraries help our doctors and nurses have the most up to date information; correctional facility libraries help rehabilitate. Every librarian, regardless of type of library, is an important link in this chain and needs to valued and supported by every librarian in the state. How do we build and collaborate with our network of libraries?

Freedom
Libraries protect freedom by insuring that people can read, view or listen to any viewpoint.  We provide resources that offer a complete range of opinions on any issue.  In these days of media conglomeration, how do we insure alternative viewpoints are included in the dialogue? People also need to feel that they can access items without fear of retribution. How have libraries protected privacy and confidentiality?

In Orwell’s 1984, Winston Smith’s job was to revise the historical record to fit the current situation.  The motto was, “Who controls the past, controls the future, who controls the present controls the past.”  Libraries are one of the last places where the true historical record can be found and only librarians can be fully trusted to protect that record.  How do librarians insure a complete record of the past?


NYLA’s sections, roundtables, committees and affiliates worked hard to develop and present a wide range of programming for every level of library professional. Conference programmers
were asked to pose these questions about every program idea: