Libraries Mediation of the Public Sphere

Eden Kinzel
October 17, 2017
9001-001
Dr. Ajit Pyati
Libraries Mediation of the Public Sphere Eden Kinzel

Democracy and libraries are two concepts inextricably intertwined and dependent upon

one another. Should one not exist, the foundation of the other would be fundamentally different

and perhaps unrecognizable in comparison to our current perceptions. The public sphere is another

concept integral to this relationship. The concept of the public sphere has derived from Habermas

idea of the Bourgeois public sphere in the 18th and 19th century Britain where private individuals

joined together to create a unified public body for the purpose of having an impact on the formation

of laws and policies for the first time (Habermas, 1974). The modernized public sphere is the idea

of individuals gathering together to engage in discourse, free from judgement or censorship

(Trosow, 2014). Webster (2014) acknowledges that libraries are free to the public, funded through

taxation, and do not discriminate amongst users, concepts which align with the values of the public

sphere. However, many debate the validity of the library being currently identified as supporting

the public sphere as the public sphere is currently being threatened by the advent of advertising,

fake news, budget cuts, the commodification of information, and censorship. I will argue that

the libraries align themselves with qualities embraced by the public sphere, therefore they are

essential to the public sphere. Libraries are controlled democratically, improve access to accurate,

good quality information, offer services to strengthen and stimulate democratic skills, and protect

privacy while refraining from imposing their own opinions upon their patrons.

Given that libraries are publicly funded through taxes paid by residents of the municipality,

they are establishments to which those residents have the right to access. Further, residents should

be permitted to assist in governance of the library. Most libraries will offer various forms of

feedback loops such as comment forms to assess their programs and collections. In a more formal

setting, some municipal councils hold meetings inviting the public to voice their opinions

regarding the services provided by the library. Such councils and boards themselves are

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democratic in nature (Irwin, 2012). Motions are voted upon by the members to determine how the

budget will be allocated, who will be hired, and what services will be offered. Public libraries are

also impacted by which political party is in power, both provincially and federally (Buschman,

2017). One political party may place lower importance on public libraries and reduce funding,

whereas another party may view libraries as vital to society and advocate for the continuation of

funding. Budget cuts are one of the largest threats to the librarys ability to remain a part of the

public sphere. Decreased funding results in librarians exercising creativity to permit a standard,

consistent level of quality content and services available to all patrons.

True democracy is achieved when all citizens participating are adequately informed with

accurate and current information regarding the issue at hand (Buschman, 2017). One of the chief

roles a public library is charged with is to provide unfettered access to information. Without

libraries, or the access to the information they provide, democracy would be compromised because

individuals would be making decisions without being informed on the topic (Buschman, 2017).

Although, some theorize that the increase in access to information can lead individuals to become

less involved in a traditional democracy. Webster argues that the rise of the exposure to todays

advertising-focused media enables a couch-potato democracy where citizens rarely vote, and when

they do, they are biased and inaccurately informed (2014). However, the Canadian federal election

of 2015 had the highest voter turnout since 1993 and due to librarians teaching the public the

distinction between good and poor quality sources, true media versus fake news, current voters

are well informed (Voter Turnout, 2017; Batchelor, 2017). A citizen may only make a truly

informed decision after exposure to a variety of information from different sources free of bias and

for many individuals, libraries may either be the best or only location where they can be exposed

to such a vast array of resources covering a multitude of topics.

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Libraries Mediation of the Public Sphere Eden Kinzel

With the development of technology, information is much more readily available than ever

before (Buschman, 2017). The invention of the internet permits users to gain information which

would not have been available to them previously. In addition, the information is available more

quickly. More broadly, information is now being created that would not have been possible before

the advent of advanced technology. However, despite there being a vast increase in information,

much of said information is not available to the general public. With the rising popularity of

neoliberalism, there is a push towards the commodification of information (Buschman, 2017;

Trosow, 2014). Some research is published in journals which require a subscription in order to

read the full text. Such subscriptions are costly, but are purchased in many institutions such as

libraries as well as schools. However, due to their cost, each institution cannot afford access to

every publication or database. Some libraries also charge fees for using library resources such as

printers or for admittance to specific programs, creating a barrier to information or an experience

for those who cannot afford it (Warner, 1989).

Trosow as well as many others criticize libraries for claiming to be part of the public sphere

while they are simultaneously imposing these fees and restricting access to information (2014).

He claims that librarians are often so focused on maintaining neutrality that they fail to resist the

commodification of information (2014). However, it is unfair to cast blame upon the library for

the fees imposed by databases due to the serials crisis or for some of their service fees. Library

budgets are decreasing and in order to provide services such as technology, database subscriptions,

or programs, patrons should acknowledge that an occasional fee may be necessary, although the

vast majority of programs continue to be free (Warner, 1989). Many libraries also leave fees for

printing to the librarians discretion where many times these fees are not enforced. Librarians

often advocate for the system to switch to utilizing open access journals. Many librarians have

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begun to publish their work in such a system instead of more prestigious journals. Open access

journals allow the author to continue to maintain ownership while the information is more

accessible to a greater number of people (Trosow, 2014). The library is a representation of a public

sphere in this sense as they are attempting to earn sufficient profit to remain an open and functional

facility to continue to ensure the publics access to information.

For democracy to be successful, it requires an adequate representation of the majority of

the population, however, there are frequently specific subsets of the population at a disadvantage

in expressing their opinions. In a Canadian context, this population includes people of non-

Caucasian races, people who speak languages other than English and people with disabilities,

among others. Libraries provide services which aim to educate and facilitate these individuals

contributions (Byrne, 2004). They also provide their existing resources in accessible formats as

well as in various languages to accommodate those having difficulties understanding information

in its current form. Not only do libraries provide accessible information, but they are also focusing

on becoming physically accessible, which resonates with their traditional principle of eliminating

barriers to knowledge. Critics such as Webster warn of the threat to the library as a space in

alignment with the public sphere should libraries move towards catering to the middle class, rather

than focusing on the public in its entirety (2014). Buschman (2017) expresses concern that the

neoliberalist tendency to individualize the service could also threaten the librarys democratic

ideals. However, with the libraries such as the Toronto Public Library (TPL) continually offering

numerous programs for a diverse range of people such as Newcomer Settlement Services, ESL

Reading Circles, and Employment Clinics, many of todays libraries are not focusing on the middle

class, nor is their individualization to democracys detriment (Programs, Classes, & Exhibits, n.d.).

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Libraries offer programs which stimulate democracy. Webster (2014) states that the

contributors of information are key in democracy, providing resources to inform others and permit

discussion. Book clubs supply teens, adults, and the elderly the opportunity to form opinions on

a chosen book and debate amongst fellow citizens, which is analogous to the original concept of

the public sphere. A variety of workshops support democratic processes (Byrne, 2004). Programs

designed to teach patrons research skills such as TPLs Book-a-Librarian may assist individuals

both to find information as well as determining which information is most accurate, which

promotes self-education and fosters informed decision-making (Programs, Classes & Exhibits,

n.d.). Writing and presentation skills workshops such as TPLs Writers Group may assist patrons

in the art of clear and effective communication (Programs, Classes & Exhibits, n.d.). The ability

to communicate is essential to the democratic process, permitting individuals to present ideas in a

concise manner for further consideration. Developing communication skills further enables

individuals to generate information which may later be added to the librarys collection.

A significant challenge for librarians is the topic of free speech (Buschman, 2017). Many

see the library as a forum to encourage free speech. However, others suggest that the library should

provide a safe space for all patrons, preventing expression of any material which may be

considered offensive to a particular group of people. For example, if hate material is accessible to

the public via a public library, it may be accessed by young impressionable children who lack full

understanding of the underlying meaning or by those who intend to harm others. The material

may also be accessed by patrons who may feel uncomfortable with its content. Conversely,

restricting access may be deemed a form of censorship, a quality librarians traditionally wish to

distance themselves from. In either case, a librarian will be scrutinized by the public in the form

of protests and petitions (Byrne, 2004). When progressive librarians choose not to succumb to

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pressures to give into censorship, they are reinforcing the essence of the public sphere and

strengthening democratic ideals.

Librarians must uphold democracy by refraining from expressing bias via personal

opinions (Byrne, 2004). It may be necessary to order materials which express opinions that are

controversial in nature for the librarys collections. Should a patron request an article containing

information the librarian does not agree with, he/she must deliver the article without judgement.

The librarian must provide bias-free sources on any topic a patron would like to research and must

resist adding personal comments voicing his/her own thoughts. Librarians must also encourage

democracy by affording privacy to all patrons (Byrne, 2004). Librarians must also respect the

patrons right to confidentiality and refrain from divulging information concerning previous

materials borrowed in addition to personal information, enabling the patron to feel sufficiently

comfortable to research without fear of judgement by others.

The elimination of libraries, one of the remaining spaces facilitating the concept of public

spheres, would inhibit or impede the democratic process. Critics argue the existence of the library

as a representation of the public sphere is currently being threatened by the rise of neoliberalism,

the commodification of information, the decreasing budgets of libraries, and censorship (Webster,

2014; Buschman, 2017). I believe that the library continues to remain in alignment with the public

sphere and thereby, provides a space for democracy to flourish. Libraries are controlled

democratically, facilitate the provision of quality information, provide democratically-inclined

workshops, and safeguard patrons privacy, qualities important to the public sphere. Libraries

must be preserved, not only to safeguard their collections, programs, and services, but to maintain

one of the few locations wherein individuals may congregate to discuss and openly debate any

topic or issue he or she deems important without, for the most part, fear of censorship or prejudice.

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References

Batchelor, O. (2017). Getting out the truth: The role of libraries in the fight against fake news.

Reference Services Review, 45(2), 143-148.

Buschman, J. (2017). The library in the life of the public: implications of a neoliberal age.

Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy, 87(1): 55-70.

Byrne, A. (2004). Libraries and democracy management implications. Library Management,

25(1/2), 11-16.

Habermas, J., Lennox, S., & Lennox, F. (1974). The public sphere: An encyclopedia article. New

German Critique, 3, 49-55.

Irwin, B. (2012). The value of a communitarian approach to public library board governance:

rejecting current neoliberal practice. Canadian Journal of Information and Library

Science, 36(1/2), 1-15.

Programs, Classes & Exhibits. (n.d.). Toronto Public Library. Retrieved from:

http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDMEVT299211&R=EVT299211

Trosow, S. E. (2014). The commodification of information and the public good: New challenges

for a progressive librarianship. Progressive Librarian, 43, 17-29.

Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and Referendums. (2017). Elections Canada. Retrieved from:

http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?dir=turn&document=index&lang=e&section=ele

Warner, A. S. (1989). Making money: Fees for library services. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman.

Webster, F. (2014). Theories of the information society (4th ed.). United Kingdom: Routledge.

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