Information & Intellectual Freedom Review

Students today are living in a world of social media and instant access to information. So how do we as librarians effectively monitor what information is presented to our students, how do we disseminate this information in an ethical and legal manner, and where do we begin?

In a look at an article on an independent school, it becomes clear that communication is critical. How we as professionals communicate the behaviors of navigating the information highways is at the forefront of ensuring legal and ethical procedures are followed.

While independent schools differ from public schools, it is critical to student achievement that there is access to information, that is appropriate and analyzed for accuracy. The school librarian posted some great guidelines and tools to implement within any school system.

All public schools I have ever worked in have filter systems in place to block specific websites due to content; however, as Seroff mentions, this causes an issue for students to have equitable access to information as the filter system thwarts the capacity for information (2015). Dr. Harlan in her voicethread expressed equal concern for filters in place in regards to youth's access to information. So how do we limit enough of the "bad" and inform our students proper etiquette while navigating the big wide web of information? What filters should be in place? How do we get the conversation going to bridge the barriers and allow our students to become better information seekers and develop analytical habits to determine "bad/fake/untrustworthy" from "good/cited/trustworthy"?

Further compounding the access to information is the fair use of information. Seroff proposed a great tool to develop students awareness of creating, sharing, and using information through OERs. Within his school, "they provide background on the history and purpose of copyright law, and examine case studies. Students frame arguments both for and against fair use in each case before hearing the verdict found by the courts" (2015). This type of work with students is transparent and provides an contextual understanding for the whys and purposes of copyright, fair use, and information dissemination.

Seroff later explores privacy rights and how those are compromised when information is shared among third-parties such as social media platforms require (2015). In this 21st tech and media world, it is ever critical that students know the value in keeping their personal information private and how imperative it is to maintain an appropriate social environment. Once it is on the internet, it is permanent.

So as educators and teacher librarians, what is our role in working with students to ensure their safety in regards to privacy rights? We are the central component to their learning on information seeking habits and dissemination of information. It is our role to act as facilitator, mentor and coach. Through transparency and an understanding of the why for these laws, students should be able to be effective at using information, sharing information, and creating information.

References

Dr. Harlan. (2014). Dispositions. [Voicethread] Accessed 10, June 2017.

Seroff, Jeff. (2015). Developing a curriculum in intellectual freedom. Knowledge Quest, 44(1), p20-24. Accessed from EBSCOHost.