Library Policy

This session examines a selection of 50 books listed in the WorldCat library catalogue on the subject of Native American Genocide -- the titles of which include variations of the terms genocide, holocaust or extermination – and finds that all but two are described with euphemistic terms such as “Indians of North America – Government relations.” I argue that the library’s ideologically-situated “power to name” (Olson) can help to reinforce politically convenient but unjust narratives regarding historical and contemporary genocides, and in contradicting the intent of the authors of these books actually comprises a form of holocaust denial, as well as a barrier to reconciliation. As a pathway towards reconciliation in library science, sources of Indigenous and progressive alternative terminologies and tools are introduced that can promote more accurate retrieval of — and, more importantly, honest engagements with — Native American genocide literature.

Presentation arguing for the empirically demonstrable demand for libraries to get stuck into the privacy wars and start provisioning "privacy infrastructure" like TOR and VPNs for patrons.

Discover how the CPL Board turned a tortuous task of policy review into an opportunity for increased clarity, decreased clutter and deep discussion of principles of governance matters. Participants will learn about the review process, the resulting new Bylaw and Policies, the next steps planned to support robust board governance, and will be invited to share their experiences and best practices.
Learning Objectives:

• Strategies for managing policy review
• Strategies for increasing focus and clarity of Board Policies
• A full set of Board Policies for 21st century public libraries