Edili: Ethical dilemmas for librarians and other information workers: case studies

Overview of the previously registered case studies
The database contains 27 case studies

IDTitleKeywordsType of libraryType of activity
1 Use of filtering software Filtering software ; freedom of information ; protection of minors Public library Use
2 Armenian Genocide Armenians; equal treatment; freedom of expression; neutrality; pluralism; censorship Scientific library; city public library Cooperation with external partners; space allocation
3 Assisted Dying Neutrality ; assisted dying ; censorship Public library

Collection development

4 Use of RFID Data protection ; user’s point of view ; rationalisation ; RFID ; monitoring Public library

Academic library 		Use

Management
5 Instructions for bomb-making Protection of minors ; freedom of information ; leftism ; political violence; explosive devices; terrorism; censorship Public library

Use
6 Reviews in the catalogue Catalogue enrichment ; neutrality ; review Public library Development
7 Cultivation of cannabis Data protection ; drugs ; cannabis cultivation ; police investigations ; police access to user data Public library Management
8 Suicide Suicide ; responsibility ; censorship Public library Collection development
9 Anorexic girl Data protection ; protection of minors ; anorexia ; responsibility ; confidentiality Public library Use
10 Creationism Fundamentalism ; gift ; creationism ; neutrality ; sect Public library

Collection development
11 Piglet book Atheism ; child protection ; children′s books ; censorship Public library in a small town Collection development

Development
12 Sex tourism Development ; feminism ; misogyny; sexism; sex tourism; keywords Academic library Development
13 Customer or user? Library function ; educational mission; public service ; economisation ; New Public Management Public library Public relations

14 Bookbinding Bookbinding ; book cover ; courtesy ; corruption Academic library Management
15 Animal rights Equal treatment ; hunting ; neutrality ; animal rights activists Public library Use
16 Negro king Children′s books ; political correctness ; racism ; text authenticity Public library Collection development
17 Homework exchange Fraud ; filtering software ; homework exchange ; internet access ; obtaining grades by fraud ; plagiarism Academic library Use
18 Bestseller service Bestseller service ; range of services ; fees ; cost of freedom ; professionalism ; social commitment Public library Use
19 Gay parents Homosexuality ; child protection; children′s books ; gay parents ; censorship Public library Use

20 Burka wearing Acceptable use policy ; misogyny ; clothing ; cultural diversity ; religion Public library

Academic library 		Use
21 Smell of urine Harassment ; damage ; equal treatment ; smells ; media ; smell of urine Public library

Academic library 		Use
22 Transvestite Harassment ; transvestite Public library

Academic library 		Use
23 Guttenberg Development ; Guttenberg ; plagiarism ; tradition Academic library Development
24 Activities on first day of school Enrolment ; corruption ; promotion of reading ; neutrality ; sponsorship Public library Public relations

Management
25 Indexing term foreign infiltration Development ; neutrality ; indexing Public library

Academic library 		Development
26 Author reading Author reading ; blackmail ; political pressure ; quality Public library

District library 		Space allocation
27 Homophobia Exhibition ; homophobia ; homosexuality ; caricature ; artistic freedom ; freedom of expression ; censorship City public library Use

case study 16: Negro king
Case description:The president of the Municipal Integration Council has told the press he cannot understand why the city library still has the original edition of Astrid Lindgren′s children′s book "Pippi in Taka-Tuka-Land" in stock. This edition clearly contains racist vocabulary.

In the Swedish original, which was published in 1948, Pippi speaks of her father as a "Negro kung" (Negro king) and is pleased to be a "Negro princess". The literal translations "Negro king" and "Negro princess" that were included in the first edition from 1951 to 2009 have since been replaced by the publisher using the terms "South Sea king" and "South Sea princess". Undoubtedly, in recent decades, the concept of "Neger (Negro)" in German has increasingly negative connotations in a racist sense. It is therefore unacceptable that the public library still offers old editions and children are confronted with terms that are politically and pedagogically completely unacceptable.

On the one hand the desire of the plaintiff seems to make sense at first. On the other hand it is one of the obvious duties of libraries to guarantee the authenticity of historical documents. Is it censorship when the faithful translation of the text is replaced by terminology that meets the current standards of political correctness?

Potential solution 1:You grant the complaint and replace old editions of the book with those in which the publisher has already inserted the politically correct vocabulary.

Assessment :
  • The plaintiff is satisfied.
  • The press is able to report that the library has corrected a mistake.
  • The library can present itself in public as an establishment that meets the requirements of political correctness and is committed to the fundamental values of equality.
  • The library′s claim to present documents unchanged, i.e. as the authors / creators have written them, is violated.
Potential solution 2:You point out to the plaintiff and the press that libraries have a duty to provide documents in the form the authors / creators have published them in. The publisher has made an unauthorised intervention in the autonomy of text and thus violates the principle of authenticity of the text. One could have referred to the issue of terminology in a footnote, so that parents, teachers and educators who read these books aloud, as well as children of reading age, are informed that the wording of the time is unacceptable and anachronistic today. The library will add the new, revised edition to the stock, but will keep the old, authentic edition for purposes of comparison in the long term.

Assessment :
  • The library′s claim to present documents unchanged, i.e. as the authors / creators have written them, is maintained.
    See D 2.2
  • The censorship request is rejected.
    See D 2.1; I 1.1
  • The plaintiff will further articulate his lack of understanding to the press.
  • The library has to spend some energy to make it clear why it refuses to comply with a demand that seemed reasonable at first glance.
Potential solution 3:
Potential solution 4:
References to values:
Values: Professional ethics in Germany:		D 2.1 Freedom from censorship:
"We reject censorship of content."

D 2.2 Tradition:
"We protect our cultural heritage according to the libraries′ collecting mandate."

References to values:
Values: International professional ethics (IFLA):		I 1.2 Freedom from censorship:
"Librarians and other information workers reject the denial and restriction of access to information and ideas most particularly through censorship whether by states, governments, or religious or civil society institutions."

Further values:Guarantee of document authenticity, text authenticity

References:Dankert, Birgit: Zehn kleine Negerlein. Ein Plädoyer für die Unantastbarkeit geistiger und künstlerischer Freiheit. In: BuB. 2013, 4, pp. 288ff.

Della, Tahir, Jamie Schearer: Ausdruck eines kolonialrassistischen Konzeptes. Von der "Unantastbarkeit literarischer Werke" beziehungsweise vom "Recht, rassistischen Müll zu publizieren". In: BuB. 65, 2013, 6, p. 410.

Greiner, Ulrich: Die kleine Hexenjagd. Aus Kinderbuch-Klassikern sollen Wörter gestrichen werden, die nicht mehr politisch korrekt sind. In: Die Zeit. 68, 17 January 2013, No. 4, pp. 13ff.

Hübert, Henning: Südseekönig statt Negerkönig. Wie aus Pippi Langstrumpf eine Rassistin wird. In: dradio.de. DLF-Magazin. 3.3.2011. 1915.
http://www.dradio.de/dlf/sendungen/dlfmagazin/1403418/ (last visited on 17.6.13).

Rösch, Hermann: Weltweites Engagement gegen Zensur und ideologische Bevormundung : Das IFLA-Komitee "Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression" (FAIFE). In: BuB. 65, 2013, 4, pp. 280-284.

Vallender, Frank: Vom "Negerkönig" zum "Südseekönig". In: General-Anzeiger Bonn. 23 February 2011.
http://www.general-anzeiger-bonn.de/index.php?k=loka&itemid=10490&detailid=853282 (last visited on 17.6.13).

Metadata:
Title:Negro king
KeywordsChildren′s books ; political correctness ; racism ; text authenticity
ClassificationCollection development : political correctness
Type of libraryPublic library
Place:City
Type of activityCollection development
References to values
Author:Hermann Rösch


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