Letter to the Editor: Diversity of viewpoints a plus

Nathan Carleton laments the fact that he can no longer trust librarians. At issue is a website on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which he finds "biased and anti-Semitic." I must remind Carleton, and others in the University community, of the role of academic libraries.

 Our collections, print and virtual, reflect disparate points of view. Perkins, like other research libraries, contains many items that people find objectionable (e.g., publications of the Ku Klux Klan, Nazi propaganda and works that demean women). Our job is to document history. Having these items does not mean we hold these beliefs ourselves, or are attempting to convince others of their value. We offer access to resources that will enable teachers to describe the context of controversy, and students to learn from the analysis.

 What Carleton does not say is that the two students are not seeking an unbiased website on the Israeli-Palestine conflict; they object to anything that does not support their position. Removing the links they find objectionable would be a deviation from our mission, to provide access to multiple viewpoints.

 If we stimulate debate through our collections and websites, all the better. Disparate texts and sites are windows to many more--a marvel of the web--offering a substantial diversity of views. Duke students are sufficiently intelligent to form their own judgments after considering widely divergent perspectives.

 Some links suggested were indeed added. Others were not, because they are not relevant. The news sources listed are papers of record, offering unbiased coverage, and complementary in their international perspectives. A link to Lexis/Nexis and Newsbank-Postwar Iraq provide a wider spectrum of newspapers. The memri.com site mentioned would be appropriate on a website addressing anti-Semitism.

 The conflict in the Middle East has, unfortunately, fomented hatred and strife. Our library websites do offer more balance than Carleton leads his readers to believe.

 Librarians can be trusted to ensure free access to information. And he is entirely correct that the library is not the place for political cheerleading--of any persuasion.

 I encourage campus readers to visit the sites and contribute to the comment boards.