WHO ARE THE PLAYERS
| WHO | INTEREST | ROLE | LIBRARY ACTIONS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library managers | Make libraries welcoming to all.
Uphold library principles. Protect staff. |
Direct policy and process, and support staff. | Staff training.
Inform and engage with Council. |
| Collections librarians | Appropriate responses to challenges.
Collections reflect policy and diversity of community. |
Determine what is and isn’t in the collection.
Respond to challenges. |
Write and review policies processes.
Keep register of challenges/responses. |
| Frontline library staff | Need to know how to respond, what the library policy and process are, how to deal with unacceptable behaviour. | Point of contact for users and challengers. | Easy to access information.
Training. Appropriate response to challenge. |
| Call centre/customer service staff | Need to know how to respond. | Point of contact for users and challengers. | Prepare scripts and make clear who to escalate to. |
| Library staff | Some library staff will feel conflicted with the principle of freedom and expression, and their workplace holding content they think harms others. | Represent their library to users. | Provide training, clear policies and processes. |
| Council management | Need to be aware if challenges may be in public sphere.
Need to be aware of library policy/processes. |
Direct Council’s external communications .
Can support library staff/manager. |
Media releases.
Coordinating LGOIMA responses. |
| Elected members Councils | May have personal opinions. May want to represent community opinions. | Need to understand their role and role of library. | Have key messages prepared. |
| Customers/users | Want to know their rights in challenging books.
Want to make sure there are books representing their interests. |
May use formal process to challenge.
May interact with staff constructively or aggressively. |
Have key messages prepared.
Have clear policies and processes available. |
| School library staff | May carry out all roles - select collections, write policy, deal with users and community challenges. | Determine what is in collections.
Can guide students to critical thinking. |
Have key messages prepared.
Have clear policies and processes available. |
| School teachers and principals | Keep the school community safe.
Provide an expansive learning environment. Answer to school board. |
Protect library from interference.
May approve collection policies. |
Have key messages prepared. |
| School boards | Library collections support aims of school. | Governance role not management but may try to influence content decisions. | Have key messages prepared. |
| School pupils | Freedom to read.
Access to stories and information that match their interests /issues/ histories. |
May be seeking resources on sensitive topics. | Supply mis/disinformation messages and resources. |
| Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa LIANZA | Support members with advice, statements and advocacy. | Recognised advocacy organisation with credibility in media and with government and organisations. | Develop and maintain policies. Deliver submissions.
Provide resources. Support and advise librarians. |
| SLANZA | Support members with advice, statements and advocacy. | Recognised advocacy organisation with credibility in media and organisations. | Support and advise librarians. |
| School Library Service | Advise school libraries on policy and more. | Have mandated role to support school libraries. | Provide advice and resources. |
| Affected communities such as Rainbow Community. | Want to make sure their interests are represented.
Want to feel included and safe in library spaces. |
May challenge title or type of content that they feel harms their community. | Treat challenges with respect.
Have clear policies and processes available. |
| Challengers - groups | Want to make sure their interests are represented.
Want to protect different communities - children or people with particular beliefs, ethnicities. May want to suppress ideas they deem harmful. |
May challenge title or type of content.
May use LGOIMA for information/complaint. May publicize and encourage others to copy their challenge. May initiate campaign and shared tactics across Aotearoa New Zealand. |
Treat challenges with respect.
Have clear policies and processes available. |
| Challengers - individuals | Want to protect different communities - children or people with particular beliefs, ethnicities.
May want to suppress ideas they deem harmful. |
May challenge title or type of content.
May use LGOIMA for information/complaints. |
Treat challenges with respect.
Have clear policies and processes available. |
| Agencies such as Classification Office | Prevent harm.
Ensure compliance with legislation. |
Can advise and inform public and libraries on legislation. | LIANZA and libraries can submit re classification decisions. |
| Media | Interest in freedom of expression.
Interest in a good story. |
Can promote role of libraries in protecting freedom of information. | Have key messages prepared. |
| Publishers, authors, booksellers | Committed to freedom of expression.
Ensuring their livelihood. |
Can promote and publicize challenged books.
Can submit to government agencies in support of free reading. |
Enlist to support advocacy |