Berman Article

In this article when Berman calls for change in libraries he doesn’t just speak to one group but invites the ALA, librarians, patrons and even those who aren’t patrons (because of the inadequacies in some collections) to press for change. He mentions how the ALA was being pushed to actively support intellectual freedom by fighting censorship through the courts instead of just by releasing statements about the importance of intellectual freedom. Berman appeals to librarians and others by reminding them that the libraries are theirs and they have the right to request items. One of the most important points that he brings up that supplying independent press and underground materials isn’t just a matter of catering to those involved in a given movement but is a matter of providing access to diverse viewpoints. It is an example of meeting public demand and providing balance of perspectives in order to better educate.

Berman briefly mention the issue of subject headings too. This is something that I wouldn’t suspect would be a point of contention among librarians but ever since Gittings brought it up in her article about gay activism in the ALA I’ve thinking about it more and more. I can understand how there could be resistance to changing the headings because standardization is a goal of cataloging and it’s probably preferable, if not necessary, to have widely accepted headings. At the same time labels are extremely important and could greatly influence ones search and even their entire library experience.