If you’re a regular\u00a0visitor to this\u00a0blog, you’ve read lots of brief histories of people, events and places in Davenport and Scott County.\u00a0 Have you ever thought “that doesn’t sound accurate to me”\u00a0 or wondered “just how do they know that?”\u00a0 The answer is that we’ve found the information documented in the resources we have available to us here\u00a0in the Special Collections Center at the Library.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now while\u00a0we’d be the first to say that\u00a0history is important and knowing what’s come before gives an important perspective when dealing with the present, the brief accounts presented in this blog don’t have any particular significance in terms of intellectual freedom issues.<\/p>\n
But wait, maybe they do!\u00a0 Intellectual freedom means more than being able to read books that others find objectionable for whatever reason.\u00a0 It means that accurate historical documentation exists so that you can read and research and draw your own conclusions rather than having to rely on someone else to do that for you.\u00a0 It means that if someone tells you, for example, that the Holocaust never happened that you can research and find documentation to refute that claim.\u00a0 Whether it’s a small issue or a large one, having the original documents (what archivists and historians term primary sources) preserved and accessible for the public is a critical part of intellectual freedom.\u00a0 Otherwise, how do we ever decide what is true and what isn’t?\u00a0 And sometimes just as signicantly, how do we really know why or how a decision was made?<\/p>\n
Educators are beginning to realize that teaching the next generation to question and carefully evaluate the resources they find online is critically\u00a0 important to having a true understanding of an issue.\u00a0 Think about it, anyone can post anything on the internet.\u00a0 But are the scanned documents you are viewing complete?\u00a0 Or did someone just pick the items that support their point of view?\u00a0 National History Day is one program that teaches students to do research using primary source materials – original documents, newspaper accounts, photographs, etc.<\/p>\n
So, in honor of the September Project and Intellectual Freedom, the next time you read something or hear a news account on the radio or TV, take a minute to stop and wonder “how do they know that?”\u00a0 And\u00a0 then do some research of your own to satisfy yourself as to whether the account is accurate.\u00a0 You’ll be taking an important step to preserve not only your freedom to read, but your freedom to know.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And when you’re done, thank an archivist for their work in preserving the historical record for future generations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you’re a regular\u00a0visitor to this\u00a0blog, you’ve read lots of brief histories of people, events and places in Davenport and Scott County.\u00a0 Have you ever thought “that doesn’t sound accurate to me”\u00a0 or wondered “just how do they know that?”\u00a0 … Continue reading