Hello all,
Thank you to everyone who brought this and related tweets to my attention as the chair of Publications & Communications Committee.
I did receive a personal email and want to share my reply (with the original sender anonymous) verbatim for transparency in our community (below).
Additionally, I have
replied to and
quote-tweeted the post with the following clarification:
This post reflects the views of an individual member of @IFRT_ALA Publications&Communications Committee and does not represent the views of the round table. In the interest of intellectual freedom and transparency, we are leaving it published. Sarah Hartman-Caverly, PubComm chair
I personally believe in leaving the tweet published for the reasons stated, but I would respond to an official motion from IFRT Executive Committee to delete the post. As the chair of Publications and Communications, I accept responsibility for the tone, content, and impact of our official round table communications, including our social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
As a personal aside, and as a political conservative / libertarian serving in IFRT, I have become accustomed to ignoring hyperbolic caricatures and pointed barbs about the millions of people who share my political views and values spoken by fellow IFRT members and OIF leadership. I hope this episode reminds us all that we can disagree and be critical without denigration.
All best,
Sarah Hartman-Caverly
Thanks for bringing this to my attention -- I try to adopt the broadest possible view of what constitutes our intellectual freedom public relations mission and to respect poster 'voice,' but I do agree with you.
Unless things become more egregious, I will include a mid-year reminder about our social media guidelines with my weekly social media tips email that will go out tomorrow [today, Friday 12/9/22].
If the situation escalates, I can reach out to the individual who is on Twitter duty this week directly.
I'm trying to walk the line between mission and chilling effect 😅
Please let me know if you have further thoughts on this, and please feel free to bring future content to my attention!
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Sarah Hartman-Caverly
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Penn State Berks Campus Thun Library
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Original Message:
Sent: Dec 08, 2022 07:49 PM
From: Darryl Eschete
Subject: Who is running the IFRT's Twitter feed?
I don't think it's a big deal and I doubt anyone else would, either. Twitter is a platform that seems to make creating misunderstandings a feature rather than a bug. I think the explanations offered are sufficient.
I would posit that Twitter-minders should keep in mind that feeds are "binged" on or read in series and so Tweet A and Tweet B can combine in ways unintended in a sort of defacto Tweet C. All respect to Mr. Blackwell et.al.
Sent from my iPhone; please pardon my brevity or any typographical errors.
Original Message:
Sent: 12/8/2022 7:53:00 PM
From: Angela Ocana
Subject: RE: Who is running the IFRT's Twitter feed?
Hi Daryl,
The Publications and Communications committee makes up our social media team for IFRT. I am looking into the post, the intent, and the next steps. It wasn't anyone's intention to make the correlation that small and rural libraries are bastions for intolerance. And yet I cannot underscore that intent doesn't make up for impact. I apologize that anything we have written would make folks feel like their library and hard work are places for intolerance.
I will update this Connect post after evaluating it.
Thank you for bringing this concern forward and asking a question others are also thinking about,
Angela Ocaña
IFRT Chair
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Angela Ocana
Community Services Manager
Eugene Public Library
She/Her/Hers
Original Message:
Sent: Dec 08, 2022 12:40 PM
From: Darryl Eschete
Subject: Who is running the IFRT's Twitter feed?
In one Tweet they comment that "small and rural libraries" might provide an audience for Kirk Cameron RE: his book publicity stunt, and in another they tweet that Cameron's book is intolerance masquerading as love. Is the IFRT publicly implying that small and rural libraries are libraries where intolerance is acceptable?
What's the message here?
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Darryl Eschete
Director
West Des Moines Public Library
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