by Yolanda Ramirez
One evening in 2010, in a small family-oriented library where I work as a part-time Reference Librarian, I found myself faced with a dilemma. A parent came to me for assistance. She quietly stepped up to the reference desk, and so as not to be overheard, whispered that a man seated next to her 9-year-old child was using one of the public access computers to browse what looked like child pornography. I was facing one of my biggest fears: confronting someone for accessing pornography, possibly violating his Library Bill of Rights and contradicting intellectual freedom - or was I? I was the only librarian on duty. I had to think, assess the situation, confirm the information and act quickly, discreetly, and ethically to solve this dilemma. What should I do? What would you do? What library principles should librarians and library professionals obey in a similar situation? I am certain that I am not the first - and sadly not the last - librarian to encounter a similar situation. First of all, without corroborating the alleged claim, I must admit that my reaction was not only judgmental; it was also unprofessional. Thus, I am writing about my predicament because, I know that as a SLIS graduate student at San José State University, I must remember to apply the concepts in Competency A “Articulate the ethics, values and foundational principles of library and information professionals and their role in the promotion of intellectual freedom.” (Statement, 2010) and this dilemma is a prime example.
