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4 Trends L. Libr. Mgmt. & Tech. 1 (1990-1991)

handle is hein.journals/ttllmt4 and id is 1 raw text is: Trends in Law Library Management and Technology Vol. 4, No. 1 Dennis J. Stone, Editor July / August 1990 Current Trends That Threaten Access to Information in Academic Law Libraries By TAYLOR FrrCHETT, University of Cincinnati L ibrarians have long been the defenders of access to information, opposing censorship, fighting the FBI's intrusion into patron records, and working to preserve free public libraries and information at low cost. The American Library Association has fought the increasing limitation on government information seen during the Reagan years, despite the seeming disinterest of the general public. Although librarians are still portrayed as intelligent but mousy creatures peering at the world through the pages of the Oxford English Dictionary, we nevertheless have a predominant role in the provision of an uncen- sored diversity of information in society. This professional commitment stems in part from the belief that we can make a contribution to society through protecting First Amendment rights. Although it is not commonly recognized by those outside the profession, this commitment to the free flow of ideas is fundamental to librarian- ship, as well as to the flourishing of democracy. In the arena of higher education, the once- sacred concept of academic freedom factors as a highly dependent variable into the free-flow-of- information equation. The standards of the Academic Standards Committee of the Associa- tion of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) state that librarians in colleges and universities must have the protection of academic freedom. Library resources and the professional judgment of librarians must not be subject to censorship.' Although there has always been some ambiguity in the concept of academic freedom as it applies to the freedom of faculty members to teach, there has been a more general consensus of its impli- cations for the freedom to learn. It had been a common belief in this country that institutions of higher learning could best serve society through the promotion of the free search for truth. How well this responsibility has been met on the part of academia is arguable, but that it should be a goal is less so. It is a well-founded tradition in the academic library that librarians and faculty both control the classroom and objectively select and evaluate the resources that support research and teaching. A 1972 statement drafted by the ACRL, American Association of University Professors, and Association of Amer- ican Colleges declared that academic freedom is indispensable to librarians, because they are the trustees of knowledge with the responsibility of insuring the availability of information and knowledge, no matter how controversial, so that teachers may freely teach and students may freely learn.' '2 While every profession must revisit common goals during periods of transition, nowhere is it more important at this moment than in librar- ianship. Few professions can claim a depth of (Continued on page 2) A publication for academic, firm, corporate & government law librarians.

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