Human Rights in the Stacks

Among the educators taking a lead in promoting human rights are librarians.  The blog “Librarians and Human Rights” was established  in 2005 to “recognize the work librarians do to sustain, support and defend Human Rights.”  A recent entry reviews the American Library Association’s guidelines for outreach to immigrant communities.  The University of Texas libraries are engaged in an extensive human rights documentation project to preserve “fragile and vulnerable records of human rights struggles worldwide,” including in the United States.  Columbia University libraries also host a Center for Human Rights Documentation and Research.  For more perspectives on librarians’ work in the human rights field, check out the fascinating syllabus prepared by Dr. Kathleen McCook for her recurring seminar at the University of South Florida:  Librarians and Human Rights.