Photo by Lori Mitchell and used with gratitude!
Yesterday I had the fun of attending an awards breakfast hosted by the Greater San Diego Reading Association, a branch of the International Literacy Association (formerly the International Reading Association). Along with fellow children’s authors Suzanne Santillan, Lori Mitchell, Virginia Loh Hagen, and Joy Raab, I received a Celebrate Literacy Award for my contributions to literacy in San Diego. Such an honor!
From left to right: Suzanne Santillan, me, Edith Hope Fine, Joy Raab, Virginia Loh Hagen, and Lori Mitchell at Pacific Beach Elementary, March 2014
The GSRDA are the folks who host the annual Authors Fair I have participated in these past two years—hands-down some of the best events I’ve ever attended. These were the schools (Pacific Beach Elementary in 2014 and Kimball Elementary in National City this year) where the teachers had spent weeks preparing their students for my visit—reading The Prairie Thief aloud (and saving the last chapter for me!) and doing some amazing writing and art projects. There is nothing, nothing like seeing kids’ art and poetry inspired by your books, let me tell you. 
Student art and writing at Kimball Elementary
Prairie Thief project by 5th-grader Isabella D.
I had a great time at the Iowa Library Association conference. I gave two talks and actually scheduled my time such that I could actually attend a few presentations as well as give some. My notes for two talks — Tiny Tech and On-the-Fly Tech Support — are online here. I saw a presentation by the new ALA OIF director about privacy in the age of social software as well as a gadgets talk where I learned more about ebooks.
I also had some time to go to the local public library. I’m often surprised that the local libraries don’t do much to acknowledge that there is a huge library conference in town. Most of the time when I go to the local public library when I’m visiting a new city, there isn’t even a “welcome librarians!” sign out. Karen Schneider [who gave a great keynote in the morning and a talk about open source later in the day] and I actually had a sort of weird experience there. We went in to the library, snapping photos as we do, and were met as we walked in by a library worker who basically asked “Are you taking pictures?” When we said that we were, she said that we weren’t allowed to take photos in the library and if we wanted to get permission to take photos we’d have to go talk to the marketing people up on the third floor.
We were just on a fly-by so we (mostly) put our cameras away. However, I was curious about the policy. I had an email exchange with the marketing director that I am reprinting here with permission. I’m not sure what to think about the whole situation. You’ll note I took a photograph or two anyhow, and I appreciated the very nice email, but it was in stark contrast to both a weird-seeming policy and a weird-seeming policy enforcement mechanism.
My note
Hi — I’m visiting Des Moines from central Vermont and stopped by the library because I’d heard some neat things about your new building. I took a few photos and walked inside. There I was met by a librarian (or someone at the desk) who said “Were you taking photos? You can’t take pictures in here. You have to talk to the lady in marketing if you want to take pictures in here.”
I was a little surprised, both that you have such a policy [which I didn't see any signs about] and that the person who was your front desk staffer was so rude about it. I checked the website and found this notice: “Your attendance at Des Moines Public Library programs
may be digitally recorded through photographs or video recordings.” I assume this is staff photography?
I was curious if you could let me know a few things
1. If this is, in fact, the policy and if so, I’m curious why do you have such a policy?
2. Where is this policy spelled out either in your library or on the web site? I went to the policy page but after downloading a few policies I couldn’t find this one.
3. Do you mind if I publish your comments in part or in whole on my website? Okay to say no, but I’d like to open up a conversation about this.
I did enjoy my trip to the library but this was a strange event unlike any I’ve experienced in a major metro public library. Just curious what your side of the whole story is. Thanks for your time.
Jessamyn
Reply of Jan Kaiser Marketing Manager (spacing was in the original. She also attached the meeting room policy which I didn’t find online but is similar to the information contained on their website here)
Jessamyn–Thanks so much for writing to us about your experience here at the Des Moines Public Library and please accept my apology for the bad impression you may have taken away.
We will certainly look into how the staff member approached you and we do apologize for any rudeness.
Our photo policy is part of our meeting room policy which I will attach. This meeting room policy was rewritten just prior to our opening of the building in April of 2006. At that time, the architect was very sensitive to photos being taken and the possibility of them being used for commercial purposes, so we added the following:
“Permission to photograph the library reading rooms and other public areas of the building may be granted by the library director or her designee. Photographs and videos may not include library signage or the library logo, and photographing may not disrupt library customers’ use of the library. Library employees on duty may not be photographed for political campaigns. Fees for commercial photographs of the library may be established by the library director, subject to the approval of the Board of the Trustees.”
I agree that this policy should be on our web site and thank you for alerting us to the problem. Whether or not this policy is still appropriate is something that the management team can certainly re-examine.
As to publishing the comments, that would be fine as I would be interested in responses.
I hope the rest of your time in Des Moines is enjoyable. Thanks.
Jan Kaiser
Marketing Manager
515-283-4103 VM
515-237-1654 FX
P BE GREEN Please don’t print this e-mail unless necessary!
Jump the Cracks was featured on a list of "the best and most noteworthy new children’s and young adult books of 2008" at this year's annual conference of the Illinois Reading Association.
Here's the abstract from list, titled "Books Worth Knowing":
DEKEYSER, STACY Jump the Cracks. Flux, 2008. Gr. 6-9
In a mixture of pique, projection, and protectiveness, Victoria semi-accidentally kidnaps a toddler on a train at New York’s Penn Station, determined to keep him safe from his teenaged mother’s drug-dealing boyfriend, and finds herself on the lam with a cute kid as she tries to figure out how to keep her charge and herself from the law on the one hand and angry criminals on the other.*
Thank you, ILA, BCCB, and Ms. Stevenson!!
*reprinted with permission from Deborah Stevenson, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
This past Wednesday, I attended the 2008 ILA Conference. Short story, it was a good and worthwhile time. I attended a few sessions, gathered some ideas to take back to work, and made a new friend. What more could I hope for?
Given that today kicks off Banned Books Week, I want to share my notes from the keynote address. Called "The New Inquisition," it was delivered by Jamie LaRue, Director of the Douglas County Libraries in Colorado. La Rue is also the author of The New Inquisition: Understanding and Managing Intellectual Freedom Challenges (Libraries Unlimited, 2007)
LaRue was a dynamic and entertaining speaker, and the talk itself was spectacular. The topic was how libraries can better handle book challenges. LaRue’s main point was that instead of treating people who challenge books as the “enemy,” demonizing them, we should find out where they are coming from and thereby achieve mutual respect.
LaRue emphasized that people who challenge books are not generally evil book-burning sorts. They are people who found something in the library that upset them. These are generally people who use the library and are well-educated and concerned about their children and the public (albeit to the point of overprotection). In other words, “they” are not so different from “us.”
LaRue suggested the following process to get rid of 80% of book challenges on the spot:
- Give a sympathetic “I’m sorry.” Even if we disagree with their complaint, we are still sorry they have found reason to be unhappy with our library materials.
- Listen carefully to their complaints with a nonjudgmental attitude and body language. Don’t get defensive!
- Repeat their concerns back to them, so they know you listened and understood.
- Offer to help them find something that better suits their wants/needs. They are upset because they found something that wasn’t right for them. Help them find what's right for them.
If they still want to formally challenge the book, LaRue reads the book so he knows exactly what the challenger is talking about and then writes the them a letter about the library's decision. Sometimes the book can be withdrawn because it is out of date or contains misinformation anyway. (He told an amusing anecdote about withdrawing a 1950s teen dating guide a patron challenged—only to replace it with something much racier, of course!)
LaRue suggests finding out who “they” are, e.g., if they are members of Focus on the Family, join Focus on the Family! Find common ground with them so they can respect you even when you disagree with them (e.g., on First Amendment issues). Invite them to suggest books they think the library needs and then stock them, so they cannot complain of imbalance. Remind them that as the library acted to serve their needs, so must the library serve other individuals with different needs.
If you have the opportunity to hear Jamie LaRue speak or to read his book (as I plan to), I really think you should. His talk really made me think twice about how I've reacted to patron complaints about materials, the few times it's happened. He also has a blog and a weekly column available online.
I am surprised that the architect would be the one worried about pictures being taken for commercial purposes. That seems like a strange reason to have that policy in place. It is a public building. If I was an architect I would want people to take pictures to show of my fabulous designs.
Newly-constructed buildings can indeed be copyrighted, but I’d bet that nearly everyone who takes a picture of the building is not intending to use it for commercial use or any other way that would infringe upon an architectural copyright. Seems like they’re using a howitzer to kill flies here.
I always wonder about these kinds of policies. It seems to me that you would want people photographing your library. Especially when so many people use Flickr, Dailybooth, or Brightkite or other websites that allow them to post pictures about where they are at that moment. I would think it was a free marketing resource for the library. I hope tons of people are taking pictures of my library with a twitter update that just says something as simple as “at the library.” What a great opportunity! Oh well… Architects…
That is a really weird and unfriendly policy.
IMO, a building paid for by tax dollars should be open season as far as photographs and copyright go. Maybe that’s just me.
I’m just glad they didn’t try to cite security concerns…
Just think of all the photos of the exterior & interior of Rem Koolhaas’s downtown Seattle Public Library – why would an architect not want that? Also the prohibition on photos that include signage for the library seems extra-strange to me. If they were smart they’d put their own set of photos up on Flickr and release them under Creative Commons for non-commercial purposes, and invite others to submit their own photos to add to the set. (I’m thinking of the Ann Arbor District Library’s site with its submit-your-photos-of-Ann-Arbor feature.) Voila, free marketing photos for the library!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by jessamyn west, qadmon_rss and Roy Kenagy, Adam Burke. Adam Burke said: My [exp]. with the Des Moines [PL's] "no photography allowed" policy http://bit.ly/30qVpI (via @jessamyn) –> Sigh. Heavier Sigh… [...]
From what I’ve found, while copyright law does protect architectural plans, drawings, and models, it does not prohibit photographs. According to the US Code, Title 17, section 120: “(a) Pictorial Representations Permitted.— The copyright in an architectural work that has been constructed does not include the right to prevent the making, distributing, or public display of pictures, paintings, photographs, or other pictorial representations of the work, if the building in which the work is embodied is located in or ordinarily visible from a public place.”
But someone please correct me if this is incorrect.
The library system that I work for also has a no-photo policy – for privacy reasons. I don’t think it’s weird at all. The couple of times I’ve stopped folks from taking pictures, they were doing it in order to harass other patrons. Not okay. Patrons should have a reasonable expectation of privacy within the library.
I am so sorry that this is the memory you will ultimately take away from your time with librarians in Iowa. I really enjoyed hearing you speak at ILA! What struck me about the ‘09 ILA conference is that librarians in Iowa do seem very polarized between openness and fear of openness; maybe this is the case with librarians everywhere, but it struck me especially at ILA this year.
I consider my public library (also in Iowa) to be very “forward thinking” (we just established our “Emerging Technologies Committee” and we’re starting to circulate eBooks via Overdrive!) but it’s seems like we’re still always running up against obstacles because we’re not sure what the law dictates or what our liabilities will be. It seems like a national crisis that extends beyond librarianship — a lot of people seem really confused about how to react to strict IP controls like the DMCA, copyright extension, etc.
As with the other commenters, I was taken aback by the architect’s concerns. Since when does the architect get to set library policy with regards to how the library markets and promotes itself?
My library also has a “no photograhy without management permission” for privacy purposes (note to self: on Monday, double check to see if it’s on our web site). There was an incident a few years ago which prompted it. If we know someone is taking pictures for a reason, we ask that they have anyone in the pictures sign release forms; if it’s for personal use, we ask that they try not to get any members of the staff or public in the shot.
[...] Original post by librarian.net [...]
I used to be that “someone at the desk” that you (rather dismissively imo) refer to. It’s quite possible of course that he/she used a rude tone of voice that caused you to make the ‘rude staff person’ judgment, and fairly so. However, the actual words you quoted that person as saying do not seem that rude to me. That staff member was just following policy, a policy that they clearly did not set but have been asked to follow, and make sure that patrons follow. Not all staff members at all libraries are allowed to contribute at all levels, many are in the position of simply doing what they are told. All staff members at my former POW were required to refer requests for information and photos to the PR director. Sad, silly, not very welcoming, but not a decision we were allowed to question. And there just isn’t a friendly, welcoming way to say “you can’t do that here”.
Dawn,
The way I understand it, if the photo is for personal or editorial purposes, you’re okay. But you couldn’t take a photo of a copyrighted piece of architecture to sell it commercially or use it in advertising.
(But I am not a lawyer!)
I enjoyed your presentation on “Tiny Tech” at the ILA conference and found this post via Twitter.
Just wanted to share my own story about photography at the library.
I volunteered for about 6 months with the Children’s Department at the Central LIbrary in Des Moines, and everyone I met was extremely friendly and helpful. One day, I was assigned to photograph different parts of the library (the stairs, the computer stations, the self checks, etc.) for a children’s activity. I had been taking pictures for about half an hour without any problems, when an employee came up to me and told me I was violating the photography policy.
I hate to use the word “rude”, but that was about the only word to describe her behavior. It wasn’t just what she said, but her body language and attitude that immediately made me feel uncomfortable. Even after explaining I was taking the pictures FOR a library program, she still made me feel like a student in detention by calling the librarian who asked me to take the pictures to check to make sure I was telling the truth. It was bizarre, and I remember walking back to the children’s department with an uneasy feeling, like I’d done something terribly wrong. The librarians laughed at me and kind of shrugged it off as just another policy. It was funny to me at the time, but after reading your post, it reminded me of my own experience, which I just wrote off as someone having a bad day and taking it out on me.
The building is so unique and beautiful, and it’s sad that policy can get in the way of people sharing with others.
Thanks for coming to Iowa, and I’m sorry your trip to the Central Library wasn’t the greatest, because it truly is a great library.
As an architect myself, I have to say that architect David Chipperfield’s request is completely ridiculous. His commission was no doubt paid by the taxpayers and public of Des Moines, and it is precisely this public that should have to right to photograph the building. Libraries by mission are dedicated to the public dissemination of knowledge – if an architect finds that inconvenient, they should probably be looking for another project.
I’m an architect as well, and I’ve worked on projects where something like this happens. Usually it’s a building that is designed by a marquee architect like Mr. Chipperfield. Goes like this:
1. Somewhere in the contract is a clause that limits commercial photography. Many architecture magazines will not publish a building that has had any prior coverage (including ads) so it’s basically for that purpose.
2. Maybe the PR department is very diligent, or maybe this gets mentioned in an architect-client communication. In any case the idea that photography is bad is reinforced.
3. This idea gets handed down the the staff in a simple declaration that no photography is allowed. Period. In addition, perhaps some staffers see this as a way to further their control over patrons, or maybe they’re just very literal minded.
In fact, the original document limits that control to commercial photography, which should be easy to spot as distinct from a patron snapping pictures. My guess is that the architect will be as surprised (if not necessarily disappointed) that this happened as you were.
This is a public space we’re talking about, paid for with tax revenues to be used by the public.
I could see restricting photography to protect patron privacy, but not the building. If this was indeed started back when the building was new, it needs to be revisited and revised.
As a director, my question would be, why is my staff responsible for policing photographers on the architect’s behalf? Esp. years later?
I’m sure DSM staff would appreciate having some sort of printed policy they could point to to explain the restrictions. Expecting staff to come to their own conclusions about a verbal-only policy is the best way to create confusion and bad feelings.
The only reason I said “someone at the desk” is because I have no idea if I was talking to a librarian, a circulation clerk or a volunteer and I didn’t want to make assumptions.
I think there are actually a lot of decent ways to tell people they can’t do something in pleasant and (if needed) apologetic tones. I hadn’t seen a sign and I walked into the library and immediately felt like I’d done something wrong. I’m a rule follower generally so this made me feel bad. I was pleased with the follow-up from the library but to my mind if you have a policy that is that important, it’s a good idea to have signage right up front to match it.
It’s not fair for front desk staff to be the people that have to tell everyone in the new architectural model library to put their cameras away. It’s awkard for them and awkward for me.
(I am not a lawyer) But a quick skim on the web as well as what I recall from my Professional Practice class and the AIA contract documents and Code of Ethics both lead me to believe that while the building itself may be copywright-able, that does not prevent individuals from taking photographs of it if done so in or from a public place. Given that this is a public library, it seems like the desire to limit photography is futile and doesn’t hold water.