The role of American libraries post-September 11th: Respecting cultural diversity, guarding civil liberties, and advocating dissent.

摘要

A content analysis of a five-year period (October 2001 to December 2006) of American Libraries, the flagship journal of the American Library Association, shows that the events of September 11th, 2001, had a significant impact on the way in which librarians conceptualized their role as information providers and advocates in their communities. Libraries defended civil liberties, advocated respect for cultural diversity, and resisted many of the anti-terrorism efforts in the "war against terror." Using the analytical frameworks present in Stuart Hall's Representation (1997) and Edward Said's Orientalism (1978), the representation of Arab Americans and Muslim Americans is assessed in the post-September 11th political climate and compared to the representation of other "enemy aliens" during other times of conflict in American history, especially World War I and World War II. The study concludes by analyzing how American Libraries framed the debate on the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 between libraries and government officials.