Members of the Library Freedom Project and others protested the presence of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), who have a recruitment booth at the American Library Association's Annual Conference happening this week in Washington, D.C.
This year, on the exhibits floor at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., attendees will find the typical publisher booths, vendors, author signings, and pop-up events. They may also see a recruitment booth for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). On Friday afternoon, a group of librarians from Librarians for Democracy, including Alison Macrina, director of the Library Freedom Project, staged a protest against the CIA's presence at the conference.
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Photo credit: Lisa Peet |
In a statement handed out during the protest, the organizers explain that "The Central Intelligence Agency stands in direct opposition to our core values.... That is why today, we join those librarians who came before us as we stand up to oppose CIA recruitment at the ALA Annual Conference....The CIA has participated for decades in the violent overthrow of governments while propping up dictators all over the world. The CIA believes in absolute secrecy for itself, but total surveillance for all others. The CIA makes use of ultra-secretive 'black sites' to conduct torture and extrajudicial detention. We need not list their entire history to show that library workers should not be associated with them, that the CIA's actions are incompatible with the values of librarianship. In an era where democracy is in jeopardy, where the government and its agencies are under the control of a dangerous white supremacist regime, library workers must take a stand against undemocratic forces — particularly those as powerful as the CIA."
The statement goes on to say, "There are some who might read our demand and think that we are stifling the free speech of the CIA, but rejecting the influence of an incredibly powerful US intelligence agency is not censorship, it is resistance. As a voluntary membership organization embodying the values of librarianship, the American Library Association must work with vendors, exhibitors, and conference speakers who reflect our values. ALA must think about what this means."
Two of the organizers, Al Kagan, a professor of library administration at the Africana Library in Urbana, IL, and Tom Twiss, a librarian at the University of Pittsburgh, authored the resolution that will go before the ALA membership today, before proceeding to Council, reprinted below.
[photo credit: Alison Macrina]
Resolution on CIA Recruitment at ALA Meetings
Whereas, the American Library Association (ALA), has expressed “…its unswerving opposition
to any use of governmental prerogative which leads to the intimidation of the individual or the citizenry from the exercise of the constitutionally protected right of free expression” (ALA Resolution on Government Intimidation, February 2, 1973);
Whereas, the resolution noted above was reaffirmed on January 24, 2017 (Resolution on Access to Accurate Information, 2016-2017 ALA CD 19.10);
Whereas, the American Library Association has encouraged its members to resist “… improper uses of governmental power” (ALA Resolution on Government Intimidation, February 2, 1973);
Whereas, “ALA condemns the use or threat of use of torture by the US government as a barbarous violation of human rights, intellectual freedom and the rule of law” (A Resolution Against the Use of Torture as a Violation of the American Library Association's Basic Values, CD#59, June 30, 2004);
Whereas, the American Library Association opposes “…the use by government of disinformation, media manipulation, the destruction and excision of public information, and other such tactics” (ALA Council Resolution, June 29, 2005, 2004-2005 ALA CD#64);
Whereas, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has used all the methods described above in its work around the world; and
Whereas, the CIA continues to use many of the methods described above for manipulating foreign elections, overthrowing democratically elected governments, and generally interfering in the affairs of countries around the world; now,therefore be it
Resolved , that the American Library Association (ALA)
1. prohibits CIA recruitment at all ALA conferences and meetings.
Even though the CIA might be seen as a group which, by surveillance, does examine life and privacy of others, they also have a special library division which assists both the inner CIA community and the public looking for materials. I am sure they could use some excellent librarians. I get the resolution, and also have a strong streak within me of questioning computer and digital information gathering and machine learning. They do have some activities, however, that are benign information gathering, as well as benign information providing. They had great Middle East, Africa, Asia (etc.) Maps when I have contacted them, and fine country information pages. I would imagine that for many if not most librarians working for the CIA (or the NSA, or DIA, or State Dept Intelligence) would not be considered nor sought after. They will not get many takers.
Why are they targeting the CIA? As an agency, the CIA is answerable to the oversight committees of the Congress-the Select Committee on Intelligence in the Senate and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in the House of Representatives and the Executive Branch. If they disagree with the mission and/or actions of a government agency, why not communicate that disagreement to the elected officials who bear responsibility and have access to the actual records of that agency?
With their crudely made signs and (sometimes) equally crude language, this group of librarians appear less than professional and more like they are having a group temper tantrum. Either prohibit all job recruiting at your conference or allow recruiting across the board. Singling out one government agency for special treatment hardly seems appropriate.
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