|
Ms. Beth Carey Shorewood Public Library Re:
Your continued denial of a Web link, referring to two sets of documents
posted at http://www.putnampit.com/shorewoodvillage/Library/response.pdf
and http://www.putnampit.com/shorewoodvillage/Library/response2.pdf Ms. Carey: In reviewing the
correspondence I have collected as well as the material you provided to me in
response to my request for public records, I find the following: 1. In corresponding with
me, you state that links are included on your Web site when they are used by
and useful to your librarians. 2. In seeking input from
others, you repeat that my “site has been characterized by the local paper as
‘satirical’ and is critical of local officials.” 3. You had no policy in
place regarding placing links but developed one as your “initial thought” in
response to my request. 4. You sought quick
responses because “this will not go away.” Ms. Carey, do you have
any books in your library that can be called “satire?” How is my “satire”
different than other satire by library standards? Is it by your taste? Why did you describe my
Web site in the terms quoted by “the local paper as ‘satirical,’” when other
papers have referred to the site as “comprehensive” and “relentless?” Did the
words “satirical” and “critical” seem negative to you? Ms. Carey, in seeking to
gather advice on how to refuse me a link without facing legal issues, did you
explain to those from whom you sought it that the site also has the most
comprehensive non-government-controlled collection of Shorewood-related
records in the world, including documents from the police, members of the
Village Board, former officials’ email, records of court proceedings, legal
pleadings, audio recordings of historical Board meetings, investigations,
interviews, commentary and editorials? Why is that information about
Shorewood not important to librarians? Did you explain that we
had the only copy of the Village budget available to the public before the
Board voted on it? Did you tell them we
have the only price comparisons of grocery stores serving the village? Did
you mention that we have the Health Department complaints about Village
restaurants? Did you tell them that
when Mr. Hanewall and Trustee Eckman falsely stated that they were
“independent” candidates for trustee, ShorewoodVillage.com published accurate
records of political contributions showing which contributors gave identical
amounts of money to which candidates? Is that satire or information useful to
patrons who vote in the Village? To diminish a valuable
resource while purportedly seeking “advice” from others in such a way that
you elicit comments that this site is a “cybergripe”
site is like calling the library a pornography merchant. Certainly, you would
not restrict your definition of the Shorewood public library as a place “a
major national newspaper says loans adult oriented materials to children,”
would you? I understand that you,
Mr. Jeff Hanewall, your children and others close to you in your professional
or personal capacity may have been criticized or lampooned by
ShorewoodVillage.com, yet you have documents critical of the King of England,
Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton and other officials. Why is criticism of
Shorewood officials or residents different by library standards? Isn’t the
library where you make available just those materials? You have the Shepherd
Express, which advertises for phone sex, gay dating, alcohol and tobacco. Is
“satire” unacceptable when the Shepherd Express meets your high standard? You
have the Journal Sentinel, which reported on and was critical of the illegal
meeting at City Market with Trustee Eckman and former Trustee Langenkamp, why
do you link to that paper? Again, I ask you to
reconsider your denial of a link in light of your mission statement: “The
mission of the Shorewood Public Library is to serve persons of all ages who
seek a variety of library materials, information and programs to meet
personal, recreational, educational, and professional needs.” In fact, Ms. Carey, the
site you so emphatically reject is exactly the site that my logs show library
employees visit using government computers -- the best sign of all that
ShorewoodVillage.com is a site used by librarians in their employment
capacity -- unless they are surfing the net on taxpayer time for their own
entertainment, in which case you may be overstaffed. Very truly yours, Geoff Davidian Cc: Village Board |