Q&A
Addressing controversial viewpoints in library-hosted discussions
1:04:19
·
77 sec
Council Member David Carr raises a follow-up question about how libraries handle controversial or potentially offensive viewpoints in public discussions. He highlights the challenge of balancing free speech with the increasing sentiment that some viewpoints, even if civilly expressed, are too offensive for public forums.
- Carr notes the difficulty in determining which viewpoints should be allowed in public discussions
- He asks about the standards libraries employ when curating real discussions that may include controversial opinions
- The council member seeks information on how libraries train facilitators and educators to handle such situations
David Carr
1:04:19
I I appreciate those answers.
1:04:21
I guess, as a follow-up, right, there there seems to be, right, because I participate in forms in my community all the time as well as other parts of the city.
1:04:29
And there seems to be an increasing amount of people who have the view that some viewpoints, however, civilly expressed, are themselves so obnoxious that they don't belong in these forums, in these in the public sphere.
1:04:46
So and there may be instances where I agree.
1:04:49
Right?
1:04:49
There's a person that advocates a position that I particularly find to be hateful or wrote some, but does so quite politely and civvily.
1:04:56
So, I mean, what is the standard that you employ?
1:04:59
Do you agree with that notion, or do you think that, you know, as long as nobody's cursing and hurling obscenities and interrupting other people that there's a space for views that people find to be odious.
1:05:11
Right?
1:05:11
I mean, I guess that's really the standard, and that's not so much on your informational and and and and education packages.
1:05:17
But if you're curating real discussions, that's going to happen.
1:05:21
Right?
1:05:21
This is a city with a broad spectrum of opinion and some of it is gonna be controversial and maybe even hateful to some people.
1:05:29
And so I'm just wondering how how do you handle those and how do you train your facilitators and educators to handle those situations.
