The purpose of this post is to elicit discussion about net neutrality and its relation to intellectual freedom in the context of the library profession. First, definitions of both intellectual freedom as well as net neutrality will be established. Next, a case will be made for linking net neutrality as an intellectual freedom issue. Through the use of multiple sources such as blogs, journals, and periodicals, several examples will be provided concerning the library’s impact toward net neutrality. This post will then conclude with a recap of talking points to elicit discussion.
Definitions: Intellectual Freedom and Net Neutrality
As outlined in previous posts, intellectual freedom (IF) can be summarized as the right of all people to pursue and receive information from all points of view, without restriction.
The American Library Association (ALA) describes net neutrality as follows:
“Network Neutrality (or"net" neutrality) is the concept of online non-discrimination. It is the principle that consumers/citizens should be free to get access to - or to provide - the Internet content and services they wish, and that consumer access should not be regulated based on the nature or source of that content orservice. Information providers - which may be websites, online services,etc., and who may be affiliated with traditional commercial enterprises but who also may be individual citizens, libraries, schools, or nonprofit entities- should have essentially the same quality of access to distribute their offerings. "Pipe" owners(carriers) should not be allowed to charge some information providers more money for the same pipes, or establish exclusive deals that relegate everyone else (including small noncommercial or startup entities) to an Internet"slow lane." This principle should hold true even when a broadband provider is providing Internet carriage to a competitor. “
Similarly, Greyson (2010) offers a more analogous definition based on the Canadian Library Association’s stance on net neutrality. Utilizing this blog as an example- on a non-neutral net, an ISP that disliked this blog about intellectual freedom could slow or block access to future postings. Furthermore, as identified by Powell and Cooper (2011), there are also many other publicized definitions of net neutrality, as various stakeholders tend to link the term with like phrases such as preferential treatment, quality of access, or payment for traffic prioritization.
Net Neutrality as an Intellectual Freedom Issue in LIS
According to the ALA, net neutrality was a founding principle of the internet, and was adopted from the “common carrier” laws used to oversee telephone lines in both voice and data access. However, many emerging technologies such as DSL and Cable are not restricted to these same common carrier laws, and lack enforceable regulations in net neutrality that meets the standards of the ALA. Furthermore, Cable and DSL companies are hinting of plans for“bit-discrimination”, the act of providing faster connections to services and websites that pay a premium. This also includes the act of having a preferential treatment toward certain business partners in delivering content.
Back in July of 2009, the ALA hosted its annual conference in Chicago. A new addition to the regular panel presentations was the emerging topic of net neutrality, where over five-hundred librarians came to hear Cliff Lynch, Greg Jackson and Carrie Lowe speak about the subject and what it means to the library profession. The latter of the panelists, Lowe, is a representative of the Office of Information Technology Policy, and argues that libraries are connected to net neutrality in two ways: through the issues of competition and as a threat to intellectual freedom (Lowe, 2009). But the greater of these implications is net neutrality’s threat toward intellectual freedom. If Cable and DSL companies discriminate against certain types of information due to the content of the material being delivered, then a direct attack on intellectual freedom is being performed. Similarly, net neutrality no longer exists when ISP’s are the ones deciding what internet users can read, watch, access, and communicate online (Greyson 2010). For more information regarding the ALA’s policy position on net neutrality, visit their web site:
The Library’s Impact Toward Net Neutrality
Innovation
Many core principles of the internet are hinged upon the foundations of the library profession: metadata; online search; indexing; and full text search (Lowe 2009). Nowadays, many rely on their local libraries or personal home connections to access the internet. Furthermore, there has been great debate about origins of real innovation, and whether they occur at the edge or core of a network. For example, Steve Job’s Apple Inc. being developed out of his parent’s garage would be considered a product of the edge. Where would we be as a society if access tools to innovation were stifled, or controlled by corporations?
For further discussion, see Larry Bursato’s blog post on “bit-discrimination” and Carrie Lowe’s post concerning innovation:
Research Libraries
Network neutrality is essential to the success of research libraries. According to Adler (2010) research libraries host services, content, and applications on the internet. They rely on a fully open internet for collaboration purposes, as well as to acquire content from other sources and vendors. To learn more, download the PDF entitled “Three Key Public Policies for Research Libraries: Net Neutrality, Fair Use, Open and Public Access”:
Competition
With regard to competition, the argument lies in the fact that libraries are providers of all varieties of online information, such as online local history resources and rare collections. As trusted overseers of free public access to information, libraries simply cannot compete with for-profit collections and literature websites that have greater incentives and resources for negotiating bandwidth with ISP providers (Lowe 2009). Competition for bandwidth will put libraries at an unfair advantage. This form of discrimination is a direct threat against the main values of the American Library Association. Watch this short cartoon on competition, as well as the article from The Economist.
The Importance of Democracy
The success of libraries is born from First Amendment rights (and Intellectual Freedom). Read this article from the NPR to justify why the internet belongs to the people, and not coorporations.
The Future of Net Neutrality
According to Dougherty (2010) net neutrality is the 800 pound gorilla that no one wants to talk about, mainly because of the potentially devastating effects to libraries. Do you believe that net neutrality is a real threat? If so, do you side with the ALA in insisting that net neutrality is a threat to intellectual freedom? Should librarians be worrying about this issue?
References
AlisonPowell & Alissa Cooper (2011): Net Neutrality Discourses: ComparingAdvocacy and Regulatory Arguments in the United States and the United Kingdom, The Information Society, 27:5, 311-325
Jessica L.Cooper (2010): Intellectual Freedom and Censorship in the Library,
Community & Junior CollegeLibraries, 16:4, 218-224
Lowe, C. (2009). American Library Association WantsNetwork Neutrality. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from Save The Internet: http://www.savetheinternet.com/blog/09/08/10/american-library-association-wants-network-neutrality
Greyson, D. (2010): Net Neutrality: A Library Issue, Feliciter (CLA), 56:2, 57-59
American Library Association (2011): Network Neutrality. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from the American Library Association: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/telecom/netneutrality/index.cfm
Prudence S. Adler. “Three Key Public Policies for Research Libraries: Net Neutrality, FairUse, Open and Public Access.”Research Library Issues: A Bimonthly Report from ARL, CNI, and SPARC, no. 273 (December 2010): 1–7. http://publications.arl.org/rli273/
Dougherty,W. (2010): Managing Technology in Libraries: A Look to the Past with Hope for the Future. The Journal of Academic Librarianship 36:6, 543-545
Written by: Joshua Meyer
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