- Discuss how the author, the publisher, the faculty member, the library, and the students can be accommodated.
It may be possible for the author, the publisher, the faculty member, the library, and the students can be accommodated if a portion of the copies are sold to the professor’s colleagues to use in their classes & the other portion is bought and/or digitized by the library so that students will be able to borrow and/or access the books when needed.
- How can a fair arrangement be achieved?
Because there is no guarantee that enough copies will be sold to the professor’s colleagues, having it available to students through the library is another way to maximize profit. The portion of copies sold to the professor’s colleagues as well as those bought by the library will enhance profit through means of direct sales. Since the library will need to pay copyright use fees in order to create digitized copies for the availability of students, the publisher, and in turn, the author, will also gain a profit from the digitalization of this material. Ultimately, the library, school faculty, and students will be able to both access and use the book & in turn, the author will receive payment and the publisher will make a reasonable profit.
- What are the challenges in creating a fair arrangement for everyone?
One of the challenges in creating a fair arrangement for everyone the uncontrollable variables, specifically, supply and demand. When creating an arrangement, there is no guarantee that the public will demand as many books as the publisher may have published. Although the needs of the library, students & faculty will have been met, neither the publisher nor the author will make a profit. Another challenge one may face is the fact that there may not always be a middle ground – some arrangements may be more beneficial to some than it will be to others. Here, the challenge is deciding which is more important & formulating an arrangement which, although it may be somewhat lopsided, is as beneficial to all as possible.
Research Log Entry 02
- How can a balance be achieved between protecting privacy and meeting the needs of national security?
As stated by the American Library Association, “The right to privacy is the right to open inquiry without having the subject of one's interest examined or scrutinized by others.” Therefore, although the library may keep records of closed-stack call slips, computer sign-up sheets, registration for equipment or facilities, circulation records, Web sites visited, reserve notices, and/or research notes, if this information is not released to the public, one’s privacy is still being protected. This is referred to as confidentiality. Although the library may have access to such information, the information remains confidential & therefore, our privacy is protected. Confidentiality gives us each the right to read, research and/or take interest in any subject we like – it protects our privacy.
- How did you react to the list of challenged books? Do you think some books should be banned or should all books be freely available? Why?
I was quite shocked after reviewing the list of challenged books. Several of the books listed are books which I have read throughout the years. I found each of them to be very insightful – introducing me to new and different perspectives. Although I did not always agree with the material, I would not go as far as to consider banning any of those books. Literature is a form of expression & I would like to believe that we should all be able to express ourselves freely. What some may consider inappropriate may actually be insightful and perceptive to others. It is all about personal perspective. I am not for censorship – I believe that all books should be freely available. However, I feel that parents should have the right to censor what types of books their children read. By this I mean, if a young child wishes to read a book which clearly contains ideas which are inappropriate for children (i.e. sex, drugs, extreme violence, heavy profanity, etc.) then his/her parent(s) should have every right not to allow the child to read such a book. Accordingly, I do not think that all books are appropriate for all age groups. Therefore, I feel that before making the decision to read a book, one should be mentally prepared for the book’s content. Perhaps it may be wise to create a rating scale (such as they do for films & movies) to determine what may be appropriate for certain age groups. That way, all books will be freely available; however, material which may be considered “controversial” will not be made readily available to young readers.
- How have your overall ideas about information ethics changed or not changed after completing this unit?
After completing this unit, I feel that I am much more aware about the ideas and concepts of academic integrity, plagiarism, copyright, privacy/confidentiality and censorship. Although I was already familiar with these ideas, I feel that revisiting the information has definitely enhanced my understanding and awareness.
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