Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
This article was downloaded by: [Anadolu University]On: 21 December 2014, At: 04:23Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH,UK
Behavioral & Social SciencesLibrarianPublication details, including instructions forauthors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wbss20
Librarians in AdvocacyOrganizationsRobin Tremblay-McGaw aa Trauma Foundation, San Francisco GeneralHospital , Building 1, Room 300, San Francisco, CA,94110, USAPublished online: 11 Oct 2008.
To cite this article: Robin Tremblay-McGaw (1999) Librarians in AdvocacyOrganizations, Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian, 17:2, 1-9, DOI: 10.1300/J103v17n02_01
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J103v17n02_01
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE
Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all theinformation (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform.However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make norepresentations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness,or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and viewsexpressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, andare not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of theContent should not be relied upon and should be independently verified withprimary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for anylosses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages,and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly orindirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of theContent.
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes.Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan,sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone isexpressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found athttp://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Ana
dolu
Uni
vers
ity]
at 0
4:23
21
Dec
embe
r 20
14
Librarians in Advocacy Organizations:From Knowledge to Action--Working for Social Change
Robin Tremblay-McGaw
ABSTRACT. Librarians working in advocacy organizations are unique-ly poised to take information and turn it into knowledge, providinginformation services in the public interest and helping to facilitate theshaping of sound public policy. Though professionally trained not totake political positions, librarians within advocacy organizations mustsupport the goals of their organizations by being information providersas well as policy advocates. [Article copies available for a fee from TheHaworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address:[email protected] <Website: http://www.haworthpressinc.com>]
KEYWORDS. Library services, information services, injury preven-tion, advocacy, violence prevention, gun control, environmental move-ment, ecology
ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS’ INFORMATION NEEDS
Grassroots activists and advocacy organizations are desperately in need ofinformation in order to affect change in their communities.
[W]hat community activists often need most is hard information. . . .Lobbyists tell us that access to information is as important to their
Robin Tremblay-McGaw is affiliated with the Trauma Foundation, San Francis-co General Hospital, Building 1, Room 300, San Francisco, CA 94110 (E-mail:robintm@ traumafdn.org).
The author wishes to thank the Trauma Foundation staff, Lisa Kleven, Informa-tion Specialist at the Data Center, and former San Francisco Public Librarian, LeeOlivier, for their insightful review and comments.
Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian, Vol. 17(2) 1999E 1999 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. 1
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Ana
dolu
Uni
vers
ity]
at 0
4:23
21
Dec
embe
r 20
14
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES LIBRARIAN2
ability to influence legislators--who themselves don’t have the time tokeep track of most of what government does--as the money their clientscontribute to campaigns. (Schwartz 1996)
However, scarce resources and the often limited access to university orspecialized libraries limit the staff of grassroots and advocacy organizationsin their endeavors to bring about social change.
INFORMATION FOR ADVOCATES:THE DATA CENTER,
RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK, SIERRA CLUB
Fortunately, there are specialized libraries and information clearinghouses,which serve the public interest. Librarians working in such settings supportthe mission of their respective organizations through providing hard informa-tion and knowledge--‘‘ . . . information that is accessible and that can bedirectly used to solve a problem’’ (Richtel 1997)--tailored to the goals ofsocial change.
One such model, designed to provide information services to diversegroups working on a variety of issues from corporate responsibility, to cen-sorship, to the environment, is the Data Center (http://www.igc.org/datacenter/).Established in 1977 in Oakland, California, the Data Center is an independentnon-profit research center, funded by a variety of foundations and memberservice fees. The Center provides information to advocates working for pro-gressive social change in a variety of arenas. Its Information Services Depart-ment employs four full-time Information Specialists with Master’s degreesand two half-time staff members. Equipped with a professionally trainedstaff, the Center serves not a specific organization, but the whole progressivemovement. As a resource, the Data Center is constantly looking to better thestaff’s research skills and improve service. This means keeping abreast oflibrary and information service innovations and working more closely withgroups in order to better understand their policy campaigns and become moreaware of the information relevant to their programs. Staff members at theCenter are simultaneously librarians, researchers, and activists. These rolesare not divided among different staff. In fact, four of the M.L.S staff at theCenter have the title ‘‘Information Activist.’’
One example of how the Center staff work in an advocacy context is theCenter’s work with the San Diego California-based group, Support Commit-tee for Maquilladora Workers. Maquilladoras are manufacturing companiesworking under subcontracts in Mexico. These manufacturers typically paylow wages. Rather than participate in an ineffectual, government run union,the workers at the Han Young Maquilladora voted in favor of representationby an independent, non-governmental union. There was broad-based support
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Ana
dolu
Uni
vers
ity]
at 0
4:23
21
Dec
embe
r 20
14
Robin Tremblay-McGaw 3
in the U.S. for the workers at the Han Young Maquilladora. The SupportCommittee wanted to mobilize the U.S. support in an effective action. TheData Center staff provided the Support Committee the locations of all of theU.S. Hyundai dealerships. The Support Committee then threatened to orga-nize a boycott of the Hyundai dealerships. Having the locations of the dealer-ships and the power to organize a boycott enabled the Support Committee touse this information as leverage in the negotiations. The Han Young Maquil-lador Workers successfully negotiated the right for independent representa-tion.
The Rainforest Action Network (http://www.ran.org), located in San Fran-cisco, California, is an advocacy organization with an Information Depart-ment open to the public. It maintains subscriptions to newsletters and jour-nals, collects books and videos and monitors sources of current informationrelevant to the Rainforest Action Network’s goals. One person (without alibrary degree) who answers reference requests and oversees the organiza-tion’s web site, writing much of the content currently staffs the Department.When answering reference requests and responding to the media, the staffperson takes care to make connections between information requests and theRainforest Action Network’s campaign issues, thus acting as an advocate.For example, when a caller requests general information about why rainfo-rests are being destroyed, the Information Director provides information inthe context of the Network’s Old Growth Campaign which states that no newold growth forests should be logged. The Information Director works to buildon the information requester’s general interest, and through the informationprovided attempts to give an activist perspective, motivating the person to getinvolved either by making appropriate lifestyle changes, writing letters topolicymakers, and so on.
Some advocacy organizations are fortunate to have founders or directorswho understand the value to their work of libraries and information. WhenJohn Muir established the Sierra Club in 1892, the organization’s missionwas to ‘‘explore, enjoy, and protect’’ the earth. To help carry out that mission,Muir created a library that would support the conservation work of the SierraClub, and thus the William E. Colby Memorial Library came into existence.On their web site (http://sierraclub.org), the Sierra Club outlines a set ofinformation services that are relevant not only for the environmental move-ment, but for any advocacy organization.
What the Sierra Club and the greater environmental movement nowneeds is an innovative, effective information resource that is equippedwith the powerful technologies that are transforming libraries the worldover. Whether they are fighting to save ancient forests, eliminate toxicwaste, or reduce carbon dioxide emissions, environmentalists musthave access to resources that increase their understanding of complex
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Ana
dolu
Uni
vers
ity]
at 0
4:23
21
Dec
embe
r 20
14
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES LIBRARIAN4
issues. They need an information center that serves as the liaison be-tween environmentalists and the multitude of information pathwaysthat now exist; offers extensive on-line computer services that giveusers instant access to information on environmental issues and allowconstant exchange of ideas and strategies; and provides powerful toolsincluding computers, multimedia programs, and compact discs anddrives (CD-ROM). (Sierra Club web site)
Currently, the Sierra Club has one full time staff member who oversees theweb site and library services, and a part-time, one day a week library staffmember (without a library degree). The library is open one day a week onlyand is available primarily to Sierra Club staff and Club leaders, though thelibrary does provide some services to the general public. The library staffmember provides information to Sierra Club researchers who make use of theinformation by preparing fact sheets and other materials promoting SierraClub policy and philosophy. While the Sierra Club’s web site outlines whatappears to be advocacy-based, innovative information services, in practicethe Sierra Club takes a more traditional, separatist approach to informationservices. That is, information services are not connected or integrated withadvocacy and policy work of the organization as they are at the Data Centerand the Trauma Foundation. In addition, while this has not always been true,currently there is no professionally trained librarian at the Sierra Club.
THE TRAUMA FOUNDATION’S INJURYAND VIOLENCE PREVENTION LIBRARY
The Trauma Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to reduc-ing injuries and injury deaths by focusing on policy development and policyadvocacy. The Executive Director, Andrew McGuire, stresses the value ofinformation services as part of a strategy for social change. ‘‘When I foundedthe Trauma Foundation, I wanted information and answers about injury pre-vention at my fingertips. There wasn’t anywhere to get that information, sowith the help of our first librarian, Bill Holland, MLS, the Trauma Founda-tion created a library. I’ve been convinced ever since of its importance to ourwork of preventing injury and violence.’’
Established in 1986, the Trauma Foundation’s Injury and Violence Pre-vention Library provides a ‘‘one-stop-shopping’’ clearinghouse for injuryand violence prevention advocates. The library staff includes three degreedlibrarians, one full-time Information Services Director, two part-time librari-ans, one full time writer/researcher, two project staff members who work onthe web, and a volunteer.
The library maintains a collection of over 20,000 injury and violence
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Ana
dolu
Uni
vers
ity]
at 0
4:23
21
Dec
embe
r 20
14
Robin Tremblay-McGaw 5
prevention documents and several customized databases, including a data-base of over three thousand U.S. violence prevention programs and a biblio-graphic catalog of violence prevention literature. Library staff have designedan Injury and Violence Prevention Classification System and are at work onan Injury and Violence Prevention Thesaurus. Two portions of the biblio-graphic catalog, the Alcohol-Related Injury and Violence (ARIV) Literature[http://www.traumafdn.org/alcohol/ariv] and the Firearms Violence Litera-ture [http://www.pcvp.org/firearms] databases, are available on the organiza-tional web sites.
The Trauma Foundation Injury and Violence Prevention Library seeks toprovide the injury and violence prevention advocacy community with inno-vative information services. The library links advocates, practitioners, themedia and others to research, policy studies, evaluations, facts, statistics, andprograms. The library provides extensive research and reference services,including policy updates, bibliographies, literature searches, mortality andmorbidity statistics, publications and other information. The Library’s usersinclude activists, practitioners, policy makers, the media, funders, educators,and the general public. In addition, the library has an open door policy forinjury survivors and their families, providing them with the informationnecessary to advocate for sound injury and violence prevention policy.
The ultimate goal of any injury and violence prevention work is to preventinjuries and injury and violence-related death. The Trauma Foundation’sInjury and Violence Prevention Library supports this goal by facilitating thetransformation of information into preventive action.
Trauma Foundation Library staff have found that some questions tend tobe asked repeatedly. If one person has a particular question, many others aswell often have the same question. A culture of sharing and collaboration isessential for accomplishing the goals of injury prevention. To that end, thelibrary and information services staff use information from previous referencerequests to provide proactive information products in print format and via theorganization’s two web pages: http://www.traumafdn.org and http://www.pcvp.org.Analysis of the library’s reference request database, containing information aboutevery reference request the library receives and how it is addressed, providesinformation about which questions are repeated. Using this information, librarystaff create fact sheets and make links on the organizational web pages to existingdata and publications. In 1996, library staff created two fact sheets on firearms,one with general U.S. and California statistics and one on the costs of firearmviolence. In 1998, these firearm fact sheets were updated and expanded toinclude other information requested by library users. Two firearm fact sheetsevolved into a suite of six fact sheets, covering international, youth, California,and Junk Gun firearm facts as well. The web sites provide user-friendly dataand statistics, access to research, publications, searchable literature data-
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Ana
dolu
Uni
vers
ity]
at 0
4:23
21
Dec
embe
r 20
14
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES LIBRARIAN6
bases, policy updates, funding information, profiles of advocates working inthe field, links to pertinent daily news articles, related sites, pertinent docu-ments elsewhere on the web and an opportunity to request reference assis-tance via e-mail. In addition, library staff manage and participate in severalclosed electronic mailing lists. One of these lists serves The California WellnessFoundation’s (http://www.tcwf.org) statewide youth Violence Prevention Initia-tive, for which the Trauma Foundation’s Pacific Center for Violence Preven-tion is the policy center. The other list is open to people interested in alcohol-related injury and violence (ARIV). Information about the ARIV list is at(http://www.traumafdn.org/alcohol/ariv).
SOLVING A PROBLEM
‘‘Injuries are largely preventable--if federal, state, and local programs arecreated to put knowledge into action’’ (Lescohier, Gallagher and Guyer1990). Working closely with injury and violence prevention practitionersand advocates, library staff link their users with the world of informationresources. They provide advocates with essential information that can betranslated into action. For example, a community activist who is tired ofreading in the newspaper the names of neighborhood young people whohave been shot wants to do something to reduce gun deaths. However, thisactivist may need help understanding what kinds of information might behelpful in achieving his or her goal and whether, and in what format, there isinformation available. The activist in the scenario above will need informa-tion to:
S Describe the problem (how many young people are being killed byguns in our community; type of firearm being used--handgun, rifle,etc.);
S Contextualize it (how does this compare to other communities, thestate, the nation, and to other causes of death);
S Provide strategies for dealing with the problem (what have other com-munities done; what interventions are available; which work);
S Anticipate opposition strategies (what is the gun lobby saying aboutgun violence; what efforts have they engaged in that will affect our abil-ity to address this issue in our community).
For example, during the California 1997 legislative session, Library andInformation Services staff provided statistics, government reports, and otherinformation to community-based advocates and policy makers working onCA SB 500, a bill which would have extended to domestically manufacturedfirearms the safety standards mandated for imported guns. SB 500 was
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Ana
dolu
Uni
vers
ity]
at 0
4:23
21
Dec
embe
r 20
14
Robin Tremblay-McGaw 7
passed by the state legislature, but eventually vetoed by the governor. Duringthe 1998 legislative session, the Library provided information to legislatorsworking on CA AB 2188, a bill providing for security regulations at gunmanufacturing plants. The library provided firearm injury and death facts andstatistics, information about security and safety regulations in other indus-tries, and other background information used in the creation of this legislationand in its defense during debates on the floor and public access television’sCapitol Week. The governor signed CA AB 2188 into law in August 1998.This bill was inspired, in part, by the Emmy Award winning Frontline Spe-cial, Hot Guns, a television program produced by the Center for InvestigativeReporting. Earlier, the Library provided background statistics and informa-tion used to produce the Frontline feature. Library staff have also providedcommunity groups throughout California and elsewhere with the necessarylocal and state facts, statistics, and literature regarding, for example, arrestafter legal purchase of junk guns, characteristics of firearms involved infatalities, the relationship between firearm design and firearm violence, andlegislative updates. Community groups have used this information to advo-cate for local ordinances which address the problem of firearm injury anddeath from a public health perspective.
Information to address such information needs is found in a variety ofdisparate resources. Health and criminal justice data sets supply piecesof the puzzle by documenting the role of firearms in injury and death.Epidemiological research provides more specific information regardingtypes of firearms used, risk factors and prevention methods. Govern-ment reports and gray literature from policy centers provide furtherdocumentation of issues such as the effectiveness of the Brady Law, andthe role of firearms in juvenile crime and victimization. Legislative andcase law, policy and evaluation studies, networking with other advo-cates, advocacy organizations and programs provide still more details.Much of this information is unavailable or difficult to find in a public oracademic library collection.
Furthermore, this widely dispersed information often needs to be ‘‘trans-lated’’ into a format and terminology that will be truly useful to advocates.This is a special service provided by the Trauma Foundation Library staff.Library staff access injury mortality and morbidity data and provide thatdemographic information in ‘‘plain English’’ for specific geographic areas.We create fact sheets which include pertinent, reliable data related to injury,violence, incarceration, guns, and alcohol. In addition, library and programstaff work together to provide digested analyses of research findings includ-ing implications and recommendations for advocacy work. This ‘‘valueadded’’ approach adds significance to the services provided by the librarystaff.
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Ana
dolu
Uni
vers
ity]
at 0
4:23
21
Dec
embe
r 20
14
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES LIBRARIAN8
These services are particularly important in the face of well-organizedopposition. For example, the National Rifle Association (NRA) and othergun rights organizations early understood the importance of information, andtook advantage of rapidly expanding technology such as the Internet andWorld Wide Web. For years the NRA has maintained electronic bulletinboards, electronic mailing lists, and currently has an extensive web site. TheNRA employs a Master’s level librarian for its in-house library, staffed sincethe mid 1970s, and has launched the public National Firearm Museum Li-brary.
POLITICAL WORK
‘‘. . . [T]he enduring roles of the radical in our profession. . . . one is to be [a]‘trouble-maker’. . . . and the other is to try to organize people to find solu-tions’’ (Berry 1997). In order to mobilize for social change and do somethingto solve a problem, advocates first need to be equipped with information thatis useful to them. Librarians working in this environment find themselves inthe position of providing information for specific policy change. Librariansin advocacy organizations are in an excellent position to know the issues inthe policy debate and to help shape the information about policy change intheir areas of expertise, whether it is gun control, environmental policy,injury prevention, immigrant rights, teen pregnancy prevention, alcoholpolicy, or welfare reform. Librarians can help shape the way issues areportrayed in the media and public debate. Information is plentiful; in fact, weare deluged by it on a daily basis, but it can only be valuable when it is usedto solve a problem. Advocacy organizations are working on a great manycomplex problems. Information specialists in advocacy organizations areinformation providers who may also be policy advocates. To be truly effec-tive, they must be both.
REFERENCES
Berry, John N. 1997. ‘‘The Role of the Radical.’’ Library Journal 15:6.California Department of Health, Vital Statistics Section. 1998. Computer run of
leading causes of death in 1996 for California.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1998. ‘‘Rates of Homicide, Suicide, and
Firearm-Related Death among Children--26 Industrialized Countries.’’ Interna-tional Journal of Epidemiology 27:214-221.
Lescohier, Ilana, Gallagher, Susan S., and Guyer, Bernard. 1990. ‘‘Not by Accident.’’Issues in Science and Technology 6:35-42.
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. 1997. Ten Leading Causes of
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Ana
dolu
Uni
vers
ity]
at 0
4:23
21
Dec
embe
r 20
14
Robin Tremblay-McGaw 9
Death, Statistics 1995. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion.
Richtel, Mathew. 1997. ‘‘New Breed of Worker Transforms Raw Information intoKnowledge.’’ New York Times October 15.
Schwartz, Ed. 1996. NetActivism: How Citizens Use the Internet. Sebastopol, CA:Songline Studios, Inc.
HAWORTH JOURNALSARE AVAILABLE ON MICROFORM
All Haworth journals are now available in either microfiche or microfilm fromThe Haworth Press, Inc.
Microfiche and microfilms are available at the ‘‘library’’ subscription rate.For journal subscription rates, please look within the journal on thecopyright pages.
Microfilm specifications: 35mm; diazo or silver.Microfiche specifications: 105mm x 184mm (4” x 6”); reduction ratio: 24X;
nonsilver (diazo) positive polarity.Microform are mailed upon completion of each volume.
For further information, contact Janette Kemmerer, Microform Contact,The Haworth Press, Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580;Tel: (607) 722-5857, ext. 311; Fax: (607) 722-1424;E-Mail: [email protected]
Orders for microform may also be placed with Bell & Howell Informationand Learning (formerly University Microfilms International), 300 NorthZeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106; Tel: (303) 761-4700.
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
Ana
dolu
Uni
vers
ity]
at 0
4:23
21
Dec
embe
r 20
14
