You're No Fun Anymore: The Ethics of Acquiring Electronic Devices in Light of E-Waste, Sweatshops, and Globalization

摘要

I. Introduction: Ethical Consumerism and Libraries In developed countries, environmental and social justice advocacy frequently come into conflict with local, day-to-day needs and priorities. This is especially true of the sustainability issues surrounding technology. As a profession, librarians embrace new technologies, seeing them as a means to provide access to information, facilitate effective information literacy instruction, and increase engagement with a range of audiences. This has led many libraries to acquire cutting-edge technologies such as iPads, Kindles, Chromebooks, or Google Glasses. But how carefully have we examined the complicated ethics involved in the manufacture and disposal of these electronic devices? Is it necessarily the case that our local concerns outweigh global considerations, such as sweatshop labor, natural resource exploitation, and the pollution and illness that can result from the manufacture and disposal of these devices?