Librarians challenge stereotypes, make activism part of the job - Boston.com

Librarians challenge stereotypes, make activism part of the job - Boston.com:

Today's librarians are using Web sites, e-mail, text messages and more to create an international community of like-minded (and tech-savvy) library workers. They're challenging perceptions and redefining themselves as fierce defenders of free speech who make activism part of the job.

Jessamyn West, an AmeriCorps volunteer at libraries in rural Vermont, may be the quintessential radical librarian working hard to protect free and open access to information.

'Loosely, I believe people would be better off with less governmental interference,' she proclaims on one of her Web sites, jessamyn.com. 'I'm against hierarchies, and I believe that humans have a responsibility to look after each other and take care of one another so that everyone's strengths and creativity are utilized and maximized.'